The United States has not been established for a long time, and there are countless immigrants from China. Therefore, American etiquette culture can be said to be the confluence of many cultures, many of which are completely contrary to the habits of China people.

First, the etiquette of meeting.

Americans don't necessarily shake hands when they meet, but just smile and say hello, even if it's the first time they meet, and China regards holding hands as the basic etiquette. However, China does not have too many restrictions on shaking hands, and Americans have certain manners to shake hands. For example, between men and women, the woman reaches out first. If the woman has no intention of shaking hands, the man can only nod and bow. Between the old and the young, the elders reach out first; Between the superior and the subordinate, the superior reaches out first; Between the host and the guest, the host holds out his hand first. And look at each other when shaking hands and take off your gloves, otherwise it will be considered impolite. In America, people like to call each other by their first names, which is a friendly gesture. Even though they may call each other by their surnames at the beginning of the conversation, they will change their names later. In China, people like to be called so-and-so manager and so-and-so president, because it is a symbol of status and status. But in America, people rarely use formal titles to address others. Official titles are only used for judges, senior government officials, military officers, doctors, professors and senior religious figures. It is worth noting that the United States has never used administrative titles such as directors, managers and responsible persons to address others. In addition, when talking with people, you must not talk about personal affairs, such as age, marriage, income, beliefs and so on. Don't ask the price of what others buy; When you see someone coming back, you can't ask him where he went and where he came from, otherwise he will be disgusted. Americans often use "nose sticking out of someone's private life" to express their contempt for questioners. In China, however, the boundaries of personal privacy are far less profound, and people don't care about others' general understanding of their lives. However, when dealing with Americans in China, it seems common for China people to ask each other some family information. Americans may think that you have violated his privacy and have ulterior motives, and such a business may be ruined.

Second, the etiquette of giving gifts, dating and visiting.

Generally speaking, Americans don't give gifts casually. Gifts are usually not very expensive, just books, stationery, chocolate candy and the like. When visiting patients, they mainly send flowers and bonsai. Different from China, Americans think odd numbers are auspicious, and sometimes they don't feel humble if they only send three pears, while China pays attention to pairs. When Americans receive gifts, they must immediately open them, enjoy or taste them in front of the giver, and express their gratitude immediately. In addition, American gifts attach importance to packaging. It is very likely that you will receive a gift with three floors inside and three floors outside, but only a few chocolates can be opened. Don't be disappointed or think that Americans are stingy. Americans value their hearts more than the value of gifts.

Americans pay attention to efficiency and often have strict plans every day, so you must make an appointment in advance to visit American families, otherwise you will be regarded as an uninvited guest and close the door. So you should write or call one or two days in advance to make an appointment. Once the appointment is made, you must arrive on time, not late or too early, because the housewife should set the living room for tea before the guests come. If you go early and the housewife is not ready, it will cause a lot of inconvenience to receive you. For those large formal occasions, punctuality is more important. If you go early, you should wait outside for a few minutes before you go in.

Wipe off the dirty things on your shoes before you enter, so as not to dirty the floor. Take off your hat after entering the door. Put the raincoat and umbrella outside. Then say hello to the hostess first, and then say hello to the host. If the host's house is full of guests and friends, just shake hands with the host and acquaintances and nod to others. If the host asks you to sit down, you should sit down at once. Don't push to sit down, don't flip the owner's supplies at will, and don't ask the price of the supplies. Don't smoke easily when you are a guest. If you want to smoke, ask the ladies present if they mind, and propose a toast to others first. If the host offers you a cigarette, even if you have your own, you should accept the host's cigarette, which is different from China's habit. People in China tend to refuse out of politeness, but in the eyes of Americans, he will think that you look down on him and make the relationship between friends worse. Generally speaking, the visiting time should not be too long, but don't leave immediately after eating and chat with the host for a while. If the husband and wife visit together, the wife should stand up and leave first. If you don't know your host very well, you should make a phone call or write a note to express your gratitude after the visit. In this way, Americans will think you are polite and make a good impression.

Third, table manners.

When eating, wait until all the guests have served, and the hostess motioned before starting to eat. Guests are not allowed to eat any food until the hostess picks up the spoon or fork. People in China are used to eating while serving, and the hostess is often the last one to sit down and eat. It is impolite to keep silent while eating in America, but don't talk while chewing food. You shouldn't put down your knife and fork when you talk, but don't swing it around. Don't blow your nose or burp while eating, and apologize to the people around you for sneezing or coughing. When picking vegetables, you'd better take a little of everything, which will make the hostess happy. After eating, the hostess should leave her seat first, and then the guests will leave together. Put the napkin on the table, don't fold it as it is, unless the host asks you to stay for the next meal.

During the dinner, the host should keep the conversation lively and interesting so as not to let every guest be left out in the cold. The host shouldn't eat too fast. If most people have finished eating and a few people haven't finished eating, we should slow down so as not to make the guests feel uneasy. During the dinner, the guests dropped their knives and forks on the ground, so they should change them politely. If a guest accidentally breaks plates and bowls, the hostess should calmly clean them up and comfort the guests, and never show displeasure. Finally, the host must never calculate the cost of entertaining guests in front of them.

Fourth, dress etiquette.

Americans' clothes mainly reflect their personality, so it is difficult to see whether they are rich or poor and what their status is from their clothes. If a man in a fashionable suit looks like the boss of a big company, he may actually be an artist or even a beautician in the entertainment circle. Wearing jeans, sneakers and an old T-shirt, he looks like a tramp, but in fact he may be a slovenly professor. So in America, you must never respect your clothes first, and then respect others. Once a foreign businessman from the United States came to China, the receptionist thought that it must be the boss's powerful person in a suit and tie, but ignored the bearded person in the group. Although I have devoted too much enthusiasm to the "straight suit", fortunately, I have not ignored the "beard". Later, once I introduced my identity, I knew who was the real boss, and that "suit" was just an employee. So in America, people who dress well are not necessarily rich, and those who dress poorly are not necessarily poor. If we simply judge a person by clothes and hats, we will not only get ourselves into trouble, but also make Americans look down on them.

Although Americans dress casually and are not as particular as Europeans, what they wear in the United States can be described as "not afraid of being worn out and not allowed to wear it wrong". On many occasions, there are strict rules about dress. For example, many companies in the United States design custom uniforms for work. Bosses and employees who work in law firms and banks are dressed in straight suits every day and need to change them every day. If two days are the same, it is easy to be misunderstood as someone who didn't go home to change clothes at night. For example, if you hold a variety of banquets in the United States, you will often indicate whether it is a "black bow tie" on the invitation. If it is marked "black bow tie", men must wear a tuxedo and a black bow tie, and women must wear evening dresses. At this time, men's long ties and women's trousers can't get on the table. If the "black bow tie" is not marked, it means "formal dress", then the suit can go on stage. If it says "white collar", it means wearing a tuxedo and a white tie. Therefore, what kind of clothes to wear at any banquet is very particular. Imagine if in an informal occasion, everyone is wearing short clothes, but only you are wearing a dark black tuxedo; Or every Dou Yun is wearing a long skirt and a T-shirt, but you. This huge disharmony, you don't feel arrogant, others will watch you swaying in the crowd like a thing. Moreover, in the United States, this is an obvious manifestation of disrespect for the host of the banquet. The host will resent you and sever contact with you, which is a great loss for you. Therefore, it is particularly important to pay attention to the collocation of occasions and clothes in the United States.

In short, the United States and China have many different communication habits, and other western countries also have their own cultural habits. Therefore, it is very necessary to know the manners and customs of the other country before communicating with foreigners or going to other countries. This not only respects each other, but also brings convenience to ourselves, avoiding unnecessary troubles and misunderstandings, so as to take the initiative and achieve good results in multi-party competition.

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 use both knives and knives when eating, 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 tableware on the dining table. The tableware outside is for you to eat salad, the tableware inside is for staple food and other snacks, and the knife is used to cut meat. If you use both hands, hold the tool 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);

3. Generally, you should book 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.

In McDonald's, after eating, remember to clean up the garbage and put the tray in the trash can, regardless of Hong Kong or Chinese mainland, otherwise it will be a dirty look.

There are six commandments for Americans to eat:

First, no noise is allowed when eating;

Second, you are not allowed to take other people's food;

Third, smoking is not allowed;

Fourth, don't persuade others to drink;

Fifth, it is not allowed to undress in public;

Sixth, don't say anything disgusting.

India

There are many social etiquette in India: folding ceremony, hugging ceremony, covering ceremony, touching feet ceremony, raising hands ceremony and so on. Shaking hands is also very popular. Indians often greet their guests with wreaths. Indians used to pay great attention to rank, status and identity. India's unique caste system is divided into four grades: one is "Brahman", that is, monks; Second, it is "Khrushchev", that is, aristocratic families and aristocratic families; The third is "barking", that is, civilians; Fourth, it is "sudra", that is, Dalits. In addition, there is "untouchable", which is called "Harry Zhen". The traditional caste system has been widely criticized, but its influence still exists.

The staple food of Indians is rice and pasta, and the cooking methods are frying, boiling and stewing. They like to add all kinds of spices, especially spicy spices. There are many vegetarians in India, and the higher their social status, the more taboo they are. According to the canon, Hindus and Sikhs don't eat beef, Muslims don't eat pork, and Jains avoid killing animals and eating meat.

Indians eat with their right hands.

Japan

Japanese people usually bow as a meeting etiquette. There is also a special emphasis on the degree, length and frequency of bowing. When you bow, don't hold anything in your hand and don't wear a hat. Japan sometimes bows when shaking hands. Japanese women in general, especially rural women in Japan, just bow their heads.

In rural Japan, saying goodbye to relatives and friends usually includes kneeling or shaking hands. What women do is kneel, that is, kneel, and what men do is shake clogs in the air.

When Japanese meet others for the first time, they usually exchange business cards, otherwise it will be interpreted as unwilling to associate.

In communication situations, the Japanese creed is "Don't disturb others". Therefore, it is forbidden to talk loudly and laugh. But in front of outsiders, you have to be all smiles. The Japanese think it's polite.

Japanese cuisine is generally called Japanese cuisine or Japanese cuisine, which can be summarized as "five flavors", "five colors" and "five methods". The "five flavors" are: bitter in spring, sour in summer, sweet in autumn, and astringent in winter. These "five colors" are: green spring, Zhu Xia, white autumn, Dong Xuan, and then the widely used yellow. The so-called "five methods" refer to five cooking methods: steaming, burning, boiling, frying and eating raw.

Japanese dietary taboos are: no fat pork and pig offal, and some people don't like mutton and duck. Japanese people love drinking very much, and people generally like drinking tea.

When eating, the Japanese have the saying "avoid eight chopsticks": first, avoid licking chopsticks; Secondly, it is forbidden to be obsessed with chopsticks, that is, it is not allowed to use chopsticks to sway on food; Third, it is forbidden to move chopsticks, that is, it is not allowed to clip one dish with another. Fourth, it is forbidden to twist chopsticks, that is, it is not allowed to swallow chopsticks upside down in your mouth; Fifth, it is forbidden to insert chopsticks, that is, chopsticks are not allowed to be inserted into meals or used as forks to fork meals; Sixth, it is forbidden to dig chopsticks, that is, chopsticks are not allowed to be used in food; Seventh, it is forbidden to cross chopsticks, that is, chopsticks are not allowed to cross bowls and plates; Eighth, avoid chopsticks, that is, chopsticks are not allowed to be used as toothpicks.

Germany

Germans' unique style of dealing with others often leaves a deep impression on people.

First, strict discipline and strong legal concept.

Second, pay attention to credibility and time concept.

Third, extreme self-esteem and great respect for tradition.

Fourth, treat people with enthusiasm and attach importance to feelings.

It must be pointed out that Germans attach great importance to etiquette in interpersonal communication. When shaking hands with Germans, you need to pay special attention to the following two points. First, look at each other calmly when shaking hands. Second, shake hands longer, shake more, and shake hands harder. Paying attention to address is a remarkable feature of Germans in interpersonal communication. Improper address to Germans usually makes them very unhappy. Generally speaking, don't call Germans by their first names. The most feasible way is to call them by their full names or surnames. When talking with Germans, don't ignore the use of personal pronouns "you" and "you". For acquaintances, friends and people of the same age, it can be commensurate. In Germany, addressing "you" means respect, and addressing "you" means equality and intimacy.

When it comes to German food, you can't help mentioning sausages. Germans like to eat meat, especially sausages. They produce more than 65,438+0,500 kinds of sausages, many of which are popular all over the world, such as "Black Forest Ham" named after a place name, which can be cut as thin as paper and tastes excellent. Germany's national dish is to spread all kinds of sausages on sour cabbage, sometimes replacing sausages and ham with a whole pig's hind leg. Germans can kill the whole cooked pig leg without changing color.

German food is mainly sour and salty, with strong seasoning. Cooking methods mainly include roasting, stewing, skewering and stewing. There is a basket of bread on Langer's tablecloth, and guests can enjoy it while waiting. German bread is very biting, and only people with good teeth can taste it. German-style soup is generally thick and likes to break the raw materials in the soup, which is probably related to the local freezing climate. It is said that Germany lives frugally, cooking sausages, a pot of thick potato and bean soup, as well as famous pickled sauerkraut and bread, and sending them away at one meal.

In addition, German cuisine also includes famous German mung bean soup, German sashimi, German roasted miscellaneous meat, German sausage, sauerkraut, German apple crisp, fried biscuits and so on.

Three meals a day.

As in most parts of China, Germans eat three meals a day. Breakfast is usually at seven o'clock, lunch at one o'clock and dinner at seven o'clock. Some places have afternoon tea and cakes between lunch and dinner.

Different from China's eating habits, the most exquisite and sumptuous thing for Germans is not lunch and dinner, but breakfast. In restaurants of hotels or government agencies, breakfast is mostly self-service, including staple food, meat, vegetables, drinks, fruits and so on. , not only rich in variety, but also good in color, smell and taste. In ordinary families, no matter whether the family is rich or poor, the contents of breakfast are generally the same: first, drinks, including coffee, tea, various juices, milk and so on. The staple food is all kinds of bread, as well as butter, cheese and jam with bread, plus sausage and ham. Germans eat very efficiently. They can mix and finish these rich foods in just 65,438+00 minutes to provide energy for their intense work in the morning.

Lunch in Germany is generally eaten in the unit canteen or fast food restaurant, which is a veritable fast food, such as a platter of potatoes, salad lettuce and a few pieces of meat, plus a drink. In families with housewives and underage children, lunch is also relatively simple, such as a piece of cooked meat, a meat pie with boiled vegetables and bread, or beef stew with rice and lettuce. Just like noodles with gravy in China, it is very simple to mix spaghetti with gravy and have a cup of coffee or an ice cream after dinner. Germans simplify lunch not to save money, but to save time.

German family dinner is usually a cold meal, which is very rich in content: a large plate of meat; Fresh and delicious vegetables, such as radishes, tomatoes and cucumbers; Fresh fruits such as grapes and cherries. Some housewives also put out various flavors of cheese, and bread is the staple food. Dinner time is relatively wide, and the family sits around the table and chats while eating.

In addition to three meals a day, some Germans are used to "adding meals" at four or five o'clock in the afternoon, that is, having a cup of coffee or tea and eating a cake or biscuits. Upper-middle class families like to invite friends to have tea and chat at home at this time. At such a party, guests can taste world-famous German cakes, and German women generally practice the skill of baking snacks with one hand. However, in today's fast-paced social life, this kind of afternoon leisure enjoyment is only possible on weekends, holidays or holidays.

Big meal menu

A typical German dinner recipe is:

Cold dishes: cream, cheese, fresh fish or canned fish, sausage products, ham, frozen fish (meat) from Guizijiang, fish or meat platter, boiled or roasted poultry, pork loin with garlic, braised pork, boiled tongue, salad, thin cream, yogurt, egg salad and half-cooked eggs.

The first course: thick soup made of meat, fish, vegetables, rice or beans, poultry or game soup, clear soup made of all kinds of meat, rice, macaroni and vegetables, egg clear soup coated with eggs and pies, home-cooked noodle chicken soup, spicy soup made of meat or fish, peasant soup and sour cucumber soup.

The second course: boiled or grilled fish with potatoes and vegetables, stewed beef or roast beef, roasted poultry or wild birds, fried pork chops with patties, fried pork chops with thin slices, chicken patties, patties or fried patties; Small sausage, short sausage with boiled cabbage, poached eggs, scrambled eggs and roasted vegetables.

Sweets: fresh fruits, strawberries; Fresh fruit or canned fruit, boiled strawberry or jelly, fruit acid, cream juice jelly, liqueur with juice and sweet juice, pudding, apple puree and ice cream; All kinds of snacks.

Everyone must have cream on the table when eating, and lunch must end with black coffee or milk coffee. Beer is used for lunch and dinner. Fruit cold dishes must be cold.