Compared with Christmas, New Year's Day in America seems a little deserted. That's understandable. For many Americans, Christmas is a new beginning of the year. After the ecstasy of Christmas, the arrival of the new year seems a bit redundant.
Compared with the deserted New Year, Valentine's Day on February 14 is much more lively. On this day, everyone will be busy sending cards, distributing chocolates, buying flowers, having dinner with family and friends and expressing their feelings for each other. Of course, the sweetest thing is the lovers in love. The happiest, I think, should be the florist. On Valentine's Day, flowers sold like crazy.
Easter seems strange to us in China, but in the United States, Easter is a very important religious festival, second only to Christmas. Celebrating Easter, on the one hand, is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and thank him for his sacrifice and dedication to mankind. On the other hand, it is to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Festival. After the severe winter, everything began to recover and flourish.
Just as Santa Claus and Christmas tree are symbols of Christmas, rabbits and eggs are symbols of Easter. They symbolize vitality and fertility. On Easter day, cute and exaggerated cartoon rabbits are usually hung in shops. The trees in front of people's houses are covered with colorful plastic eggs filled with candy, so that they can sway gently with the breeze. Families with children take their children to community gathering places early, taste delicious food and participate in various games. More people go to church and spend the holidays with many parishioners.
Interestingly, the date of Easter is uncertain. Its date determination is somewhat complicated, usually on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 20. In the west, Easter may be on any day from March 23rd to April 26th. Because this arrangement is very complicated, it is said that it will be 5.7 million years later, on the same Easter, before it can be repeated.
Independence Day in the United States is equivalent to China's National Day. On July 4th, the local government often arranged a lively National Day parade. Last year, I went sightseeing with some friends from China. The national day parade in the United States looks a bit sloppy but very happy. People from all walks of life of all ethnic groups, colors and ages, wearing their most distinctive costumes or professional uniforms, sang and danced or beat around in the streets and walked all the way. If a naughty child comes out of the crowd and dances with his hands and feet beside the team, it doesn't matter if he follows all the way. Anyway, the police uncle doesn't care.
Halloween on June 65438+1October 3 1 in the United States is actually what we call the Ghost Festival in China. Compared with our taboo on Halloween in China, Americans seem to like this festival very much, especially children, who are eagerly looking forward to Halloween before June 5438+00.
From the origin, Halloween is also a religious festival, which means that the energetic summer has passed and the cold winter is coming. On this day, children will dress up as all kinds of weird and scary ghosts and knock on neighbors' doors for candy. Presumably, Americans' happy Halloween also has a positive effect on children's psychological growth, which can make children treat such a heavy topic as death with an optimistic attitude.
165438+1The fourth Thursday in October is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. On this day, the most unlucky thing is the turkey. Because on this day, almost all families will roast a turkey and share it with the whole family. Of course, according to American custom, one of the luckiest turkeys was pardoned by the president and survived.
Thanksgiving was originally set up to thank God for his generosity so that people could harvest food. The most popular explanation in the United States is that in order to thank the local indigenous Indians, they were given very important help when they first came to the New World. Today, Thanksgiving Day has become an important holiday for American family gatherings.
The most important holiday in America is Christmas on February 25th, 65438. People know the origin and history of Christmas best. In the eyes of Americans, the most poetic Christmas is when the whole family sits around the fire and tastes delicious food on snowy days. Unfortunately, such a white Christmas is not easy to meet.
American holidays
1. Every New Year's Day: 65438+ 10/.
2. Martin Luther King Day: the third Monday of 65438+ 10 every year.
3. Lincoln's birthday: every February 1.
4. Washington's birthday: the third Monday in February every year.
5. Valentine's Day: every February 14.
6. Good Friday: Friday of the week before Easter.
7. Easter: the first Sunday after the full moon at the vernal equinox.
8. April Fool's Day: every April 1.
9. Labor Day: May every year 1.
10. Mother's Day: the second Sunday in May every year.
1 1. Father's Day: the third Sunday in June every year.
12. Independence Day: July 4th every year.
13. Grandparents' Day: the first Sunday after Labor Day in September.
14. Halloween: 65438+ 10/0/.
15. Thanksgiving Day: 165438+ the last Thursday of October every year.
16. Christmas: 65438+ February 25th every year.
References:
Anhui Evening News "Chronicle of Travel to America"
The way Americans invite guests to dinner.
Americans are extroverted, enthusiastic and straightforward, and informal. There are many differences in their manners and customs. The United States is a country with a strong sense of time, and all kinds of activities begin at a predetermined time. It is impolite to be late. Dating Americans is easy. As long as you make a phone call, the other party will readily agree to meet in the shortest possible time. Americans also have the habit of reciprocity, but they dare not accept too heavy gifts. First, Americans don't value the gift itself. Second, the law prohibits giving gifts that are too heavy. Handicrafts, artworks and famous wines brought from hometown are favorite gifts for Americans. Except for holidays, you don't need to give gifts when you are invited to visit Americans' homes or even eat. American society has the habit of tipping, and all services need to be tipped, such as hotel doorman and room service. No less than USD L is required, and 15% will be charged when the restaurant checks out.
Americans treat people to dinner, which belongs to the nature of business communication and is mostly arranged in hotels and clubs. The expenses are paid by the company, and close relatives and friends are invited to have dinner at home. Because of different regions and nationalities, the types and tastes of American food are different. Hamburgers, "hot dogs", pies, doughnuts and fried chicken in KFC are all popular foods in the world, but American family dinners are economical, unpretentious and informal. The usual family dinner is a long table with a big salad, a big roast chicken or barbecue, all kinds of cold dishes, a plate of fried rice, a plate of bread, sweets, fruits, cold drinks and wine. The host and guest sat around the table, and the host said "please". Everyone picked up a plate and ate their favorite vegetable rice. After eating, they add them at will and chat while eating.
As a way of making friends, Americans treat guests to dinner, a drink or a country house on weekends. They don't necessarily ask for anything in return. If there is an opportunity, you can invite them to your home for dinner. After dinner, guests should express special thanks to their hosts, especially the hostess.
American eating habits
Americans usually drink cocktails before lunch and dinner, but in California, people mostly drink wine.
At the same time, we usually eat a salad before eating the staple food. Stir-fried mushrooms and onion rings can be used as appetizers, steak, pork chops and chicken (legs) are staple foods, and lobster, shellfish, various fish and even freshwater fish are collectively referred to as seafood. French fries are very popular and almost indispensable food.
In addition, we should pay special attention to the fact that if there is leftover food, we must pack it and take it home to avoid waste.
Americans eat with knives and forks, and the way they eat is also very particular. Therefore, when invited to have dinner with American friends, we should pay special attention to their dining habits. Generally speaking, there is a knife and two forks on the dining table. The fork outside is for you to eat salad, the fork inside is for staple food and other snacks, and the knife is for cutting meat. If you use both hands, hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand, don't hold the knife for too long at a time.
American breakfast includes scrambled or boiled eggs, sausages, potato chips, pancakes, jelly, toast, muffins, orange juice and coffee.
If you are not familiar with American restaurants, you should pay attention to the following points:
1. Choose a suitable restaurant (such as family restaurant, specialty restaurant, cafeteria);
2. Restaurant business hours (business hours 165438+ 0: 30 am to evening);
Generally speaking, you should reserve a table in advance:
4. After arriving at the dining room, you can't go straight to the dining table and enter the dining table unless there is a notice of "Sit at will" in the dining room;
5. When checking out, don't forget to leave a certain percentage of the tip for the waiter (generally 10% ~ 15% of the actual total).
With the accelerated pace of life in the United States, fast food came into being. Its fast food chain stores are all over the world, among which McDonald's fast food chain stores are the most influential. The fast food provided includes: hamburger, roast beef, steak, ham, sandwich, KFC, potato chips, baked pies, ice cream and various carbonated drinks.
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Dinner manners in the west.
Whether you are traveling abroad or on business, if someone invites you to a formal banquet, you need to know some basic etiquette of western social places.
Arrival: You'd better arrive on time, even if you are four or five minutes late, but you must never be more than a quarter of an hour late, otherwise you will be embarrassed. If you go to a rich and elegant family, the first person you meet when you enter the gate may be a man, who is responsible for hanging your clothes or giving you directions, so don't shake hands with him in a hurry, observe and make a decision.
Preparation: enter the living room, don't worry about not finding a seat. Westerners usually walk around on this occasion, waiting for the host to introduce other guests to themselves. You can choose a suitable glass of wine and other drinks from the waiter and chat with others while drinking. When the door of the restaurant is opened, the host and hostess will lead everyone into the restaurant. The host and hostess should go last, but if the host is a big shot, the host and he can go first.
Seating: the rules of western food seating are very particular, and seats are generally arranged. At this time, the gentleman or lady who comes with you will never be arranged to sit next to you. Europeans and Americans think that acquaintances have many opportunities to chat and should take this opportunity to make more friends. The host and hostess sit on the top and bottom of the rectangular table. The male guest sits on the right side of the hostess and the female guest sits on the right side of the host. Other guests are seated alternately by men and women. Before the man goes to the table, he should help the woman on the right to pull out the chair, and then sit down by herself after the woman sits firmly.
After everyone is seated, the host takes the napkin and you take the napkin. Remember: no matter what happens at this time (such as the host has the habit of praying before meals), you can't take the napkin until the host takes it away.
Dining: The general menu is three to five courses. The first three dishes should be cold cuts, soup and fish, the last two dishes are the main course (meat or seafood with vegetables), dessert or fruit, and finally coffee and snacks. When eating, don't focus on the enjoyment of your stomach, and talk to people around you more. If coffee doesn't appear after dessert, you may be invited to the living room for a drink later. In a word, you can put down your napkin and leave your seat after you see the hostess put it on the table and stand up. At this time, the polite man has to stand up and help the lady pull open the chair. The lady who is taken care of doesn't have to have special ideas about this series of attentions, he should.
Farewell: If you don't want to be conspicuous, you'd better not go first or last. In the meantime, you can leave at any time, but once you leave, you should leave quickly.
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Etiquette for entering a foreigner's office or residence
Arriving at the foreigner's office or residence should be agreed and notified in advance, and arrive on time. If there is no one waiting, ring the bell or knock on the door before entering, and the owner can only enter after agreeing. If there is no answer, ring the bell or knock at the door later (but don't ring the bell for too long). No one is allowed to enter without permission.
If you are in a hurry or have no prior agreement, but you have to go, you should try to avoid disturbing each other in the middle of the night; If you have to make an appointment with the other party during the break as a last resort, you should apologize immediately after meeting the person who made the appointment, say "I'm sorry to disturb you" and explain the reason for the interruption.
You can enter the room with the permission of the host or at the invitation of the host. Although sometimes the negotiation takes a short time, you should go indoors instead of standing at the door to talk. Sometimes, if the host is not invited into the room, he can retreat to the door and talk outside.
When you enter the room, if you need to talk for a short time, you don't have to sit down and don't stop after you finish. If it takes a long time, you can sit down at the invitation of the host. If there is no prior agreement, try not to talk for too long.
When you are invited to visit or visit a foreign country, you should arrive at the time suggested or agreed by the host. It is impolite to arrive early or late. If you are late, apologize. Visits are usually arranged at 10 am or around 4 pm. In the west, it is a habit to prepare snacks and drinks for entertainment. Guests should not refuse, but should taste and drink the drinks they accept (but don't be forced when they are really not used to it).
Without the owner's invitation or consent, you may not ask to visit the owner's courtyard and residence. You can visit the house under the guidance of the owner, but even familiar friends should not touch personal items and indoor furnishings except books, flowers and plants.
Greet everyone in the host family, especially his wife (husband) and children. If there are children present, you should take the initiative to shake hands and hug them to show your love. If you have cats and dogs at home, you shouldn't show fear or disgust. Don't kick and blow.
When you leave, you should say goodbye to the host politely and thank him for his reception.
1) etiquette
In American society, we must "do as the Romans do" and understand and abide by the customary etiquette rules of American society.
In terms of dress, although Americans are easy-going and informal, they are still very formal when going to work and going to dinner. There are many rules for dressing, but they are mainly suitable for occasions, such as attending weddings, funerals and weddings, wearing black or plain clothes; Women should wear skirts in the office and avoid wearing denim trousers.
In terms of riding, the order of seats in the car depends on whether the owner drives or the driver drives. If you take a taxi, the seat on the right side of the back seat should be the largest seat.
The left position of the rear seat is second, followed by the middle position, and the seat next to the driver is the lowest. If the driver is a friend, the seat next to him is the highest position, followed by the right, left and middle position of the back seat. Therefore,
In China, when a boyfriend and girlfriend take a taxi, the man always opens the door to let the lady in, moves to the left, and then the man sits on the right, which completely violates the formal etiquette in the west.
The correct way is to let the lady sit down and then go around the left door to get on the bus. There are certain rules for going up and down stairs. When you go upstairs, you should let the ladies and the elderly go first to ensure their safety.
In terms of diet, it should be noted that tableware should be served with the outermost knife and fork first. Food should be pressed with a fork and cut into small pieces before it is put into your mouth. Don't make any noise while eating and drinking soup. A small spoon for drinking coffee is used to stir milk and sugar. Remember not to drink coffee with a spoon to avoid making noise in the restaurant. If you receive an invitation, you should pay attention to the following points:
Whether it is necessary to send it back to Cambodia, tell the host whether to attend, and sometimes call. If you post "only regret", you only need to be informed if you can't attend, and "rsvp" should send a reply or call to inform whether you will attend.
Pay attention to whether there is a dress code at the party.
On time, when attending the reception, you can go within the specified time (such as 5: 00 to 7: 00), but of course you can't arrive too late.
If guests are invited to a banquet, the host should pay attention to:
1. Accompanying guests: People with good relationship between host and guest should be invited to accompany them.
2. Food: First of all, we should know whether the guests have any food, such as vegetarians or Jews who don't eat pork and scaly fish.
3. Seating: The host should sit with his back to the door, with the host and guest facing each other. In addition, attention should be paid to class and seniority, and men and women, couples and Chinese and foreign people should sit separately.
The type of drinking at meals should depend on the staple food of the day. Drink white wine if you eat fish, and red wine if you eat meat, at room temperature.
Similarly, guests should not be forced to "toast". As for whisky and brandy, you should drink more after or before meals.
There are many rules of international social etiquette, and these are just a few of them. To be polite in American society, you need to pay more attention and learn with an open mind on weekdays.
(2) Etiquette
Jugongli is a courtesy between superiors and subordinates or between peers. When bowing, take off your hat, hold the center of the brim with your right hand, take it off, droop your left hand, lean forward about 15 degrees, look at the recipient and say hello at the same time.
Shaking hands is a common etiquette all over the world. Originated in Europe, it originally meant no weapons and no mercy.
When shaking hands, guests should hold out their hands before shaking hands. Generally, gloves are not worn when shaking hands, but distinguished people and ladies can wear gloves. Don't cross when saluting, and don't shake hands with women too tightly.
Nodding ceremony is a kind of courtesy between peers or peers. If you meet on the road, you can do it on the trip. When meeting officers, superiors and elders, you can't nod, you can only bow and bow.
Raise your hand. It's military etiquette. When saluting, raise your right hand, keep your fingers straight and level, touch the right side of the brim with your fingertips, palms slightly outward, arms at shoulder height, eyes on the recipient, and then put down your hand after the other person returns the gift.
Kissing hands is the etiquette of the upper class in Europe and America. When meeting a noble woman or lady, if the woman reaches out and makes a drooping gesture first, she will gently raise her palm and kiss. If the woman does not reach out, she can't kiss her hand.
Kissing ceremony is a kind of etiquette to show intimacy and caress between superiors and subordinates, elders and juniors or friends and lovers.
Usually kissing each other's face or forehead. When you are happy, happy or sad, you usually kiss to express love or comfort.
Hugging ceremony is a kind of etiquette to express intimate feelings between acquaintances and friends in Europe and America. Hugging each other when meeting or saying goodbye shows intimacy and affection. Hugging ceremony is usually accompanied by kissing ceremony.
(3) Festivals
Thanksgiving Day
The last Thursday in June is Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is an ancient festival created by the American people, and it is also a festival for family reunion.
On Thanksgiving Day, the whole country in America is very lively. Dress parades, cultural performances and sports competitions are held everywhere in urban and rural towns, and schools and shops are also on holiday as required. Children also imitate the Indians in those days, wearing strange costumes, painting faces or wearing masks to sing and play the trumpet in the street. There were also many people in the church that day. According to custom, people should pray for gratitude here. Americans have been used to living independently since childhood and going their separate ways. On Thanksgiving Day, they always try to come back from all directions. The whole family sits around, munching delicious turkey and chatting about the past, which makes people feel particularly cordial and warm.
2) Christmas
This is the biggest and most lively festival in America. Every year on February 25th, 65438, the whole country is immersed in a festive atmosphere. Americans have been busy for Christmas since the day after Thanksgiving. Every shop is crowded with people. Businessmen should be eloquent and sell their various commodities, and ordinary people are willing to take this opportunity to abandon the old and update.
Christmas Eve is a night of revelry. Americans often hold celebrations all night. People hang presents, colorful flowers and lanterns on small fir trees or small pine trees, and hang a big star on the top of the tree. Adults stood by to admire the Christmas tree, and children even danced around it hand in hand. In public places, the image of Santa Claus can be seen everywhere on New Year cards. Sometimes at home, a person dresses up as Santa Claus and gives gifts to everyone.
Americans celebrate Christmas as carnival. Giving gifts and decorating the family are their most important ways to celebrate. Every family has a big bag of gifts. Children hang socks by the fire, hoping that Santa Claus will bring presents in the middle of the night and put them in socks.
From mid-June to February, 5438, every family will choose a satisfactory Christmas tree in the market and decorate it with colorful colors.
Teenagers like to hold parties on Christmas Eve and peaceful night. Many young people in Seeds of Love regard attending the Christmas ball for the first time as a major event in their lives!
3) New Year's Day
On the occasion of the New Year, Indians in North America like to decorate their clothes, shoes and hats with the feathers of eagles, owls and other birds to show good luck.
(4) Others
Spitting and littering are strictly prohibited in European and American countries, and offenders will be fined. Offenders will be punished without exception. Some people in western Renye Fang avoid three kinds of cigarettes, especially when lighting them. No matter whether you light them with a match or a lighter, when you point to a third person, they will often greet them reluctantly, and some even politely refuse.
tip
Porter: 50 cents per piece of luggage. Hotel doorman: If I call a taxi for you and take care of you, I should give you fifty cents when I get on the bus. Hotel dormitory cleaner: If you only stay for one night, you probably won't tip. If you stay longer, it will be about two yuan for three days (a little more in a high-end hotel). It's on the counter in front of the bed. Hotel restaurants tip about 15%, just put it on the table or according to the service situation of the restaurant, the tipping ratio is filled in by the customers themselves, which can generally be between 10% and 20%. The cafeteria doesn't tip.
Power supply specification: the electricity in the United States is 1 10/ 120 volts; Alternating current, 60 Hz.
Office hours: The office hours of various institutions are different, usually: government: 09:00- 17:00, government: 09:00- 15:00, company: 09:00- 17.