Americans are extroverted, warm, straightforward and informal, and there are many distinctive aspects to their customs and etiquette. The United States is a country with a strong sense of time, all kinds of activities start at the scheduled time, and it is impolite to be late. With the Americans dating contact simple, make a phone call, the other party will be very happy to agree to meet in as short a time as possible. Americans also have the habit of courtesy, but they avoid accepting overly heavy gifts, one is that Americans do not value the gift itself, the second law prohibits overweight gifts from home to bring crafts, works of art, wines and other gifts that Americans like, in addition to holidays, invited to the American family home guests and even dinner generally do not have to send gifts. American society has the habit of tipping, all service projects are required to pay a tip, hotel doorman, room service, etc. need to pay no less than l dollars in tips, restaurant meals in the checkout 15% tip.
Americans invited to dinner, is the nature of official contacts more arranged in restaurants, clubs, paid for by the company, close friends and relatives are invited to the home to the feast. Americans food due to regional and ethnic differences and a variety of different tastes, hamburgers, "hot dogs", pies, doughnuts and Kentucky Fried Chicken are popular in the world of food, but the American hospitality of the family dinner is affordable, do not pose a grandiose, no formalities. The usual family dinner is a long table with a large plate of salad, a large plate of grilled chicken or barbecue meat, a variety of cold dishes, a plate of fried rice, a plate of sliced bread, as well as sweets, fruits, cold drinks, alcohol and so on. Guests and hosts seated around the table, the host said "please", each person pick up a plate, take their favorite dishes, eat food, add after eating, eat and talk, no restrictions.
Americans will invite guests to dinner, a glass of wine or to the country house **** as a way of making friends, and not necessarily require the other party to make a return, such as the opportunity to invite each other to their own home for dinner can be. After the meal, the guest should express special thanks to the host, especially the hostess
American eating habits
Americans usually have cocktails before lunch and dinner, but in California, people mostly drink wine.
Meanwhile, a plate of salad is usually eaten before the main course. Fried mushrooms and fried onion rings are served as appetizers, steak, pork chops and chicken (thighs) are staples, and lobster, shellfish and a variety of fish, even freshwater fish, are collectively referred to as seafood. Potato fries, on the other hand, are a popular and almost essential food.
Additionally, it's important to pack up any leftovers and take them home so they don't go to waste.
Americans eat with knives and forks and are very particular about how they eat. Therefore, when invited to eat with American friends, you should pay special attention to their dining habits. Generally speaking, there is a table knife and two table forks on the table, the outside of the table fork for you to eat salad, the inside of the table fork for eating staple foods and other snack foods, table knife used to cut meat. If you use both hands, you should hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right, and you should not hold the knife for too long at a time.
American breakfasts include scrambled or hard-boiled eggs, sausage, sliced fried potatoes, pancakes, jelly, toast, muffins, orange juice, and coffee.
If you are new to American restaurants, you should pay attention to the following things:
1, choose the right restaurant (such as: family restaurants, specialty restaurants, and buffet-style restaurants, etc.);
2, the restaurant's opening hours (11:30 a.m. open for business, until the night);
3, generally should be booked beforehand:
4, after arriving at the restaurant, can not go straight to the table into the table, unless the restaurant has a "casual seating" signs;
5, payment, do not forget to leave the waiter a certain percentage of the tip (usually for the actual total of 10 to 15 percent).
With the accelerated pace of life in the United States, fast food came into being. Its fast-food chains all over the world, among them, the most influential when the McDonald's fast-food chain. The fast food supplied are: hamburgers, roast beef, steak, ham, sandwiches, Kentucky Fried Chicken, fried potato chips, baked pies, ice cream and a variety of carbonated beverages.
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Western etiquette at banquets
Whether you are traveling abroad or on business, if you are invited to a formal banquet, then you need to know some basic etiquette in Western social venues.
Arrival: You'd better arrive on time, four or five minutes late is fine, but never be late more than a quarter of an hour, otherwise it's not other people who will be in trouble, but you yourself. If you are going to a rich and sophisticated house, the first person you meet when you enter the gate may be a male pawn, responsible for hanging up your clothes or showing you the way, so don't be in a hurry to shake hands with him and observe before you decide.
Preparation: When you enter the living room, you should not rush to find a seat. Westerners generally have to maneuver around everywhere on such occasions, waiting for the host to introduce himself to other guests. You can choose a drink from the wine and other beverages brought by the waiter and chat with the others while you drink. When the door to the dining room opens, the host and hostess will lead the way, with the hostess and guest of honor at the end of the line, but if the guest of honor is a big shot, the hostess and hostess may be at the front of the line.
Take a seat: the rules of the western food into the seat is very delicate, the seat is generally already arranged, then, and you come with Mr. or Ms. will never be arranged to sit next to you. Europeans and Americans believe that the opportunity to chat with acquaintances is very much to take advantage of this opportunity to make more friends. Male and female hosts were seated at the top and bottom of the rectangular table, the hostess's right is the male guest of honor, the male host's right is the female guest of honor. The other guests are seated between men and women. The man pulls out the chair for the woman on his right before he comes to the table, and takes his own seat after the woman is seated.
After everyone is seated, the host takes the napkin and you follow. Remember: no matter what happens at this point (e.g., if the host is in the habit of praying before the meal), you are not to take the napkin until the host has taken it.
Dining: A typical menu is three to five courses, the first three courses should be cold cuts, soup and fish, the next two courses should be a main course (meat or seafood with vegetables), a dessert or fruit, and finally coffee and a light snack. Don't focus all your energy on the enjoyment of your stomach during the meal, but talk more with the people to your left and right. After dessert is finished, if the coffee doesn't show up, it's probably an invitation to go to the living room later. Anyway, after you see the hostess put her napkin on the table and stand up, you can put it down and leave your seat. At this point, the courteous man again rises to help the lady pull out her chair, and the cared-for lady need not have any particular idea of this forward and backward attentiveness; it is his due.
Farewell: if you don't want to be too noticeable, you'd better not be the first to say goodbye, nor the last to leave, in the meantime you can say goodbye at any time, just once you say goodbye, you should leave with alacrity.
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Etiquette for Entering a Foreigner's Office or Residence
All visits to a foreigner's office or residence should be pre-arranged, announced, and on time. If no one is there to greet you, you may enter by ringing the bell or knocking on the door and entering only after the host has answered the door. If there is no one to answer the door, you may wait for a few moments and then ring the bell or knock again (but do not ring the bell for too long). No one is allowed to enter without the owner's permission.
When there is an emergency or no prior agreement, but you have to go, you should try to avoid disturbing the other party late at night; if you have no choice but to meet the other party during the rest time, you should apologize immediately after meeting the other party and say, "I am sorry for disturbing you" and explain the reason for disturbing you.
You may enter the room with the host's permission or at the host's invitation. Even if you are negotiating for a short period of time, you should enter the room and not stand in the doorway to talk. Sometimes, if the host does not invite you to enter the room, you may step back from the door and carry on the conversation outside.
When you enter the room, you do not have to sit down and stay afterward if the conversation is short; if it is long, you can sit down only at the invitation of the host. In the absence of prior agreement, try not to talk for too long.
When you are invited to visit a foreigner's home, you should arrive at the time proposed or agreed upon by your host; it is impolite to arrive early or to be late. In the event of tardiness, apologies should be made. Visits are usually scheduled around 10:00 am or 4:00 pm. It is customary in the West to have snacks and beverages available for entertaining, and guests should not refuse, but should taste them and drink the accepted beverages (but need not be forced when they are really not used to them).
It is not permitted to ask to visit a host's courtyard or house without his invitation or consent. You may visit the house with your host, but even more familiar friends should not touch personal belongings and interior furnishings other than books, flowers and plants.
Greet everyone in the host's household, especially the wife (husband) and children. If there are children present, you should take the initiative to shake hands with them, kiss and hug them to show that you like them. If you have a dog or cat at home, you should not show fear or dislike, and don't kick it or bombard it.
When you leave, you should politely say goodbye to your hosts and thank them for their hospitality.
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Japanese-Etiquette
The Japanese seem to take things slowly. They often hide their feelings and do not show them easily, and they dislike sentimental confrontational and targeted words and actions, and a pushy style. Therefore, in the process of dealing with the Japanese, there is no patience, often make a mess. "Love of face" is the Japanese **** nature, it is a person's record of honor, but also a source of self-confidence, emotions will strongly affect the Japanese people all, a sentence hurt face words, an action that hinders the honor, will make things into a deadlock, "face" is the most important thing to the Japanese people. "is the Japanese people attach the most importance to things. Therefore, to get along with Japanese people, should always remember to give each other face. Japanese people talk about morality, heavy favor, in their view, "a person can never repay one ten-thousandth of the favor". Knowing and repaying is a common and quite important thing for them. Gift-giving, in Japan is more commonplace, colleagues of the honor, marriage, childbirth, birthdays, festivals, etc. will give gifts, this etiquette is not only the legacy of history, but also was given a new meaning of the times. Gift-giving is also popular in business interactions. To the Japanese guests to send a gift, even if it is a small souvenir, he will remember the heart, because it not only shows your sincerity, but also shows that the interaction between each other has exceeded the boundaries of the business, that you are his friendship, and valued his face, he can not forget your "kindness". Japanese people do not like to tie bows on the gift packaging, with red ribbons wrapped gifts to symbolize good health. Don't give Japanese people gifts with animal images. Accepting invitations from the Japanese also has certain rules. For example, if you are invited to a formal banquet, you should be solemn, comb thou dress up, suit and dress. But if it is to participate in excursions, or other recreational and sports activities, even if it is the first time to meet, as long as the light dress to fight disputes, suits and dresses. But if it is to participate in excursions, or other recreational and sports activities, even if it is the first time to meet, as long as the light dress dress up, or suitable attire, and strive for natural, it is more able to show your enthusiasm and generosity, dashing.------------
Japanese National Etiquette
Dress Etiquette
Japanese people pay a lot of attention to their clothing, both in formal and informal settings. For formal occasions, men and most young and middle-aged women wear suits. Men usually wear ties with their suits. The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment characterized by the fact that it is usually sewn from a single piece of fabric. Nowadays, men seldom wear kimonos in public **** places, except for some special professions. Japanese women like to draw eyebrows, they generally love to draw a slightly curved thin eyebrows, that the most modern female temperament.
Grooming
Japanese people are often full of smiles, but not only smile when they are happy, but also laugh when they are in a state of embarrassment and anger, to hide their true feelings. Women always sit on curled legs when seated on the floor. Different gestures have different meanings: the thumb and forefinger are formed into a circle and the remaining three fingers are stretched upwards to indicate money; the little finger is stretched out to indicate a woman, etc.
Meeting etiquette
Japanese names generally consist of four characters. The first two characters are the family name and the last two characters are their own name. Generally, Japanese people do not like to introduce themselves. As an introducer, it is usual to say how the person being introduced is related to you, as well as his title and the name of the organization he works for.
Going along and nodding yes
It is said that the Japanese have a habit of going along and nodding yes frequently during conversations. "Yes" and "Uh, yes?" Including such words, as well as nodding and stooping postures, it has been observed in surveys that this happens once every few seconds in everyday conversations. It is worth noting, however, that all of this does not mean "right" or "got it", some of it is just "ah, yes?"
"Is that so?"
This is just a way of reacting to what the other person is saying. If you come into contact with a Japanese person who has such a habit, you will be surprised if you think, "He did say yes at that moment. On the other hand, Japanese who are accustomed to echoing the words of a foreigner who does not show any reaction in a conversation feel uneasy, and have the feeling, "Is this person listening to what I am saying?"
Polite expressions
Even when Japanese people have a clear opinion, they avoid direct expressions such as "I think so" or "My opinion is this" and instead use the phrase "I'm afraid so?" "I would like to consider it this way, what do you think?" Such tactful phrasing makes it obvious that the expression is considered appropriate and courteous. It is a clear indication in the language of expression that leaves room for consideration and judgment, and shows a gesture of listening to the other party's response before expressing one's own assertion.
Greetings
Japanese people often greet each other with pleasantries. From the time they wake up in the morning to the time they go to bed at night, there is a wide variety of stereotypical greetings that are exchanged in a variety of situations in daily life. However, greeting each other is limited to those who are considered friends in some sense. For example, if you meet someone you don't know while walking in the park or if you are sitting in the same seat in a transportation vehicle, you don't speak to each other unless there are special circumstances. Because on such occasions, the other person is a mutually unrelated outsider.
Dining etiquette
Japanese people have been eating rice since ancient times, and they love fish. Generally, they do not eat fatty meat and pig offal, and some do not eat lamb or duck. Whether at home or in a restaurant, there is a hierarchy of seating, generally follow the host's arrangements can be. Japan has a rich Zen flavor, used to cultivate interest in the national customs - tea ceremony, although many modern Japanese youth are no longer interested in this, but as a traditional art is still valued by society.
Japanese noodles
Osoba (buckwheat noodles) has been introduced to Japan from China since ancient times and has continued to be one of the most popular noodles favored by the Japanese.
Soba raw materials to buckwheat-based, Japan's main source of buckwheat in Nagano Prefecture, Shinshu area, but the production is in short supply, and most of the rest rely on imports from China's Shanxi and Inner Mongolia and other places. Japan's three famous soba for Shinshu Tohin (Nagano Prefecture) soba, Izumo (Shimane Prefecture) soba, bowl (Wanko, Iwate Prefecture) soba.
Soba is more difficult and time-consuming to make, first of all, the noodles have to be well mixed, the moisture has to be appropriate, and after mixing the noodles, they have to be left to rise for a long time, and really good buckwheat can not be made by machine, but only by hand olive.
Soba is usually eaten in two ways, a hot noodles, a cold noodles. Japanese hot soba is usually served with a side of Tempura's fried shrimp or fried tofu, and eaten in hot soup. Cold soba is usually eaten with soba noodles that have been cooked and chilled in cold water, then placed on a bamboo drawer, sprinkled with some seaweed, and dipped in a special soy sauce with chopped green onions for a refreshing and appetizing meal. Good buckwheat noodles are shiny, not breakable, and have a chewy texture.
It is said that soba is rich in nutrients, and often eaten to assist in the treatment of hypertension, etc., soba is also a health food, quite popular with the Japanese people, but also one of the Japanese people often eat noodles.
Ordering
Soba stores can be found everywhere in Japan, and there are usually more stores that operate together with the Japanese "udon" noodles.
Soba stores usually have a sample display at the front of the store, so customers can order from the sample, and there are many dishes in kanji characters, so you can order by pointing at the dish with your finger. Prices for soba are around 600 yen, 800 yen for the more expensive ones, and 400 yen for the cheaper ones, similar to ramen, and vary depending on the soup and the size of the noodles.
Some of the famous soba restaurants in Tokyo are very expensive, a cold soba store for 2,000 yen, a person to eat a full meal roughly two, which will cost at least 4,000 yen, but once eaten, I'm afraid that it will be difficult to forget the taste, even if the price is expensive, but also the gourmet frequented by foodies.
Eating
Soba is served hot or cold, and it goes without saying that hot noodles should be eaten while hot and cold noodles should be eaten while cold.
Eating hot noodles is usually prepared in the store with chili noodles, known as "seven flavors" in Japan, which are made from seven kinds of seasonings such as chili powder, and can be sprinkled with some more appetizing.
And cold soba is usually placed on a bamboo drawer, and comes with seaweed and a small plate of chopped scallions and a bowl of special soy sauce seasoning, eat the chopped scallions into the seasoning, and then clip the noodles dipped in the seasoning to eat can be, and finally there is a pot of hot soba soup, which is the "original soup to the original food," which can be seen in one of the influence of the Chinese tradition in Japan.
Happy Funeral Ceremony
In Japan, people still emphasize the birth of a new life. The traditional Japanese wedding ceremony is: three days before the wedding, the bride's family to the bride all supplies to the new room; wedding day, the barberess to dress the bride. Nowadays, Japanese weddings take various forms, from those held at shrines to those held at Christian churches.
Business etiquette
To engage in business activities in Japan, it is advisable to choose the months of February-June and September-November, while the rest of the time the local people are mostly on vacation or busy with festivals. Japanese people pay much attention to the role of business cards in business activities, they believe that business cards indicate a person's social status, and therefore always carry with them. Japanese businessmen pay more attention to the establishment of long-term partnership. They pay great attention to maintaining the face of the other party in business negotiations, and at the same time hope that the other party will do the same. When giving gifts, the locals pay a lot of attention to class or rank, so don't give them gifts that are too expensive so that they don't mistakenly think you are higher than them for that reason.
Travel Etiquette
In Japan, many streets don't have names, you can turn to the police if you get lost, and public ****cars are available in all directions in urban areas. Taking a cab is expensive.
Tipping is not very popular in Japan, so don't tip if you are not sure. Tipping should be done in an envelope or wrapped in tissue paper; the Japanese consider it embarrassing to receive cash money.
Riding the train
When riding the train, passengers should line up in an orderly fashion at the entrance (marked on the ground), and when the train stops, passengers should split into two lines on either side of the door and wait for the exiting passengers to finish getting off before boarding the train. Whenever the train arrives at a stop, passengers on the train should be careful not to stand at the door, so as not to prevent other passengers from getting on and off the train. If the train is crowded at peak times, passengers standing in the doorway should get off the train temporarily and wait until the alighting passengers have finished before boarding the train. In order to prevent sexual harassment, some Japanese train companies have arranged women-only buses after 11 p.m. Men must watch out before getting on the bus, or they may be taken to the police as "hooligans" (men who sexually harass).
When you take a bus, have your change ready and put it in the vending machine when you get on the bus. If you get off the bus during non-busy hours, you need to press the buttons on both sides of the bus before you get off, otherwise the bus may not stop. Most buses in Japan have a front door and a rear door.
The method of riding a taxi is the same as in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The cab door is controlled by the driver, so passengers do not have to close the door themselves.
Elevators and Escalators
Escalators are very common in Japan, and Japanese people usually stand on the left side of the escalator (in the Tokyo area in the Kanto region, but in the Osaka region in the Kansai region, they stand on the right side and walk briskly on the left side), and leave the right side for those who are in a hurry to move forward. If two people stand side by side on an escalator at the same time, it will block the passageway and prevent other people from moving. When using an escalator, you should keep a certain distance from the person in front of you (especially if there is a woman in front of a man) to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Segregation of garbage
Garbage in public places in Japan is generally segregated, and garbage bins are usually clearly labeled. There are basically two categories: burnable and non-burnable. At stations, garbage is categorized in more detail, including magazines and newspapers, glass bottles and cans, combustible and non-combustible garbage. Not littering is one of the public morals that every Japanese observes, and of course foreign travelers are no exception.
Use of Cell Phones
Japan is a country where hand-held phones (portable phones) are very popular, but there are many places in Japan where the use of hand-held phones is restricted, especially in public **** places, such as on the train. In general, Japanese people do not make phone calls on the train, and if they do answer the phone, they should keep their voices to a minimum, answer in three words and briefly, and then re-call the other party back when they get off the train, or else they will bring displeasure to the people around them. The use of portable phones is also generally prohibited in Japanese public **** facilities such as fine restaurants, hospitals, and theaters.
Nothing to know about onsen bathing
There are many ways to bathe in Japanese hot springs, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
○Don't drink a lot of alcohol before bathing, as drinking a lot of alcohol and then bathing in the hot spring may cause you to feel unwell.
○Don't make a lot of noise when you enter the bath, and keep quiet.
○Take off your shoes at the entrance of the bath (there are usually steps at the entrance of the bath) and enter the room barefoot.
○When entering the bath, be sure to take a shower outside the bath and then enter the bath to soak.
○Don't bring a towel into the bathtub, and don't use soap and bath soap or the like in the bathtub.
Major taboos
The Japanese dislike purple, which is considered a sad shade, and most of all avoid green, which is considered an ominous color. They abstain from numbers such as 9 and 4; they also abstain from taking a picture of three people together, believing that the person in the center being sandwiched between the left and right is an omen of misfortune. The Japanese hate gold and silver-colored cats, believing that anyone who sees such a cat is in for bad luck; they also dislike foxes.
Festivals
1. Japanese Folk Festivals
New Year's Day (January 1): This day congratulates the arrival of the New Year. The three days from New Year's Day to January 3 are called "Shogatsu," and there is no work at all. On New Year's Day, people visit shrines and friends' homes to pay their respects, drink, and eat the unique New Year's delicacies. Children play Japanese cards, fly kites and shoot shuttlecocks. On New Year's Day, straw ropes are pulled over doors and pine branches are placed on them, which means that "trees are placed on them to welcome the arrival of the gods". The period from the first to the seventh of the year is also called "Matsunouchi".
Girls' Day (March 3): A festival to wish girls happiness in the future. On this day, beautiful puppets and peach blossoms are placed together and sweet wine made from glutinous rice is drunk in imitation of the customs of the court of the past.
Duanwu Festival (May 5, also known as Boys' Day): A festival to wish boys healthy growth. On this day, people decorate samurai puppets and also put calamus on the eaves of their houses, put up carp flags and eat cypress cakes.
The Tanabata (July 7): This day celebrates the annual meeting of Altair and Vega on both sides of the Milky Way. People offer corn and eggplants in front of their gardens, decorate thin bamboos with colorful poetic notes with lyrics, and pray that the girls' craftsmanship is as deft as that of the Weaving Maiden.
Bon (around August 15):
On this day, people who work in the city return to their hometowns and offer a lot of food in front of the spirits of their ancestors, praying for the blessings of their deceased ancestors. Those who live in small towns and rural areas also dance the Bon Odori (Bon Dance) in their summer monokimono.
Moon Viewing (nights of August 15 and September 13 on the lunar calendar): When the moon is full, doors and windows are decorated with wheat awns and offerings of sake and dumplings are made to the god of the moon to pray for a smooth and beautiful autumn.
The Other Side (the seven-day period around the spring and autumn equinoxes): During this period, offerings are made to the spirits of deceased ancestors, Buddhist ceremonies are held, and visits are made to graves.
Seventh, Fifth and Third Sections (November 15): Every November 15, boys aged 3 and 5, and
girls aged 3 and 7 wear brightly colored kimonos to visit shrines as a way of blessing them with smooth sailing as they grow up. The Japanese consider odd numbers to be lucky numbers, so these three ages were chosen from among them.
2, Japan's legal holidays
Japan has 12 days of legal national holidays, in which schools, institutions and businesses are closed.
New Year's Day (January 1): Celebrates the beginning of the New Year.
Adults' Day (Jan. 15):
Young people who have become adults are gathered on this day in various places and celebrated to encourage them to rely on themselves to move forward.
Foundation Day (February 11): A day to commemorate the founding of the nation and to mark the day in 660 B.C. when the first emperor took the throne.
Vernal Equinox (the day of the spring equinox on the calendar): Celebrates nature and the love of living things.
Emperor's Birthday (December 23): the Emperor and Empress receive the nation's entry at the Imperial Palace.
Constitution Memorial Day (May 3): Commemorates the implementation of the country's Constitution (which came into effect on May 3, 1947).
Children's Day (May 5): Respect for the child's personality and seeking his or her happiness, as well as giving thanks to his or her mother.
The Day of Respect for the Elderly (Sept. 15): Older people are brought together in various places, and performances are held to give them souvenirs and congratulate them on their longevity.
Autumn Fair (Autumn Equinox Day on the calendar): honoring ancestors and thinking of the dead.
Sports Festival (October 10): hot