Traditional customs of foreign countries and western countries

The main customs and habits of western countries

1. American customs and habits

More than 80% of Americans are descendants of European immigrants, and there are about 1 10,000 people in China. 50% of the residents believe in Christianity and Catholicism, while others believe in Judaism and Orthodox Church.

Americans are usually cheerful, sociable and informal. You don't have to shake hands when you meet for the first time Sometimes it is polite to just smile and say "hi" or "hello". When shaking hands, you are used to holding hands tightly. You should look each other in the eye and bow slightly, which is considered as polite behavior. Generally speaking, Americans like to shake hands with women. When we say goodbye, we just wave or say goodbye or see you tomorrow. But if others salute them, they will also use the corresponding etiquette, such as shaking hands, nodding, hugging and staring. In America, if guests visit at night, it is considered impolite for the host to receive them in pajamas. When invited to an old friend's house, prepare a small gift; When you are a guest at a friend's house, you should ask the host for permission to make a long-distance call, and leave the phone bill when you leave.

In America, if you want to visit your home, you must make an appointment by phone first. Business cards are generally not given to others, only when both parties want to keep in touch; If you want to smoke in front of Americans, you must ask them if they mind and can't do whatever they want.

Generally, they are happy to entertain guests in their own homes, but they are not used to treating guests in restaurants. I don't like steamed and braised dishes. I don't like dishes that are too hot and overheated. I like to be less salty and avoid salty. Preferably slightly sweet. Like to drink Coca-Cola, beer, ice water, mineral water, whisky, brandy and so on. I don't like people putting food on plates, which is considered impolite. I like Jiangsu, Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine in China.

Love white, think white is a symbol of purity; Preference for yellow is considered as a symbol of harmony; I like blue and red. They are considered as symbols of good luck. They like white cats and think that white cats can bring good luck.

Americans hate to look at other places when shaking hands. Think this is a sign of arrogance and rudeness. It is forbidden to send perfume, clothes and cosmetics to women. American women have the habit of making up, and the service staff are not welcome to send fragrant towels to wipe their faces.

In America, never call a black man "Negro". It is better to use the word "black", which will be accepted by blacks. Because Negro mainly refers to black people who are sold from Africa to the United States as slaves. It's always like this when talking to white people, especially black people. Otherwise, the black man will feel his contempt.

Taboo others stick out their tongues to him. Think this behavior is an insult. They hate bats and think it is a symbol of vampires and demons. The numbers "13" and "Friday" are taboo. It is forbidden to ask about personal income and property, and it is forbidden to ask about women's marriage, age and clothing price. Avoid black. People think that black is a symbol of solemnity and the color of funeral. Especially avoid giving cheap gifts with your company logo. For allegedly advertising.

2. Customs and etiquette in Canada

Most of Canada is descended from immigrants from Britain, France and other countries. Indigenous people account for 5%, Chinese people account for 1.2%, and they believe in Catholicism and Christianity.

Influenced by European immigrants, Canadians behave like Britain and France. In daily life, Canadians mainly wear European-style clothes. At work, they usually wear suits and suits. Often wear dresses or fashions when attending social activities. In casual occasions, you should dress casually as long as you feel good about yourself. Shaking hands is considered as a sign of friendship. Generally, it is enough to shake hands when meeting and leaving, and there is no need to shake hands repeatedly. During working hours, Canadians pay great attention to personal appearance and hygiene. Therefore, they hope that guests can do the same.

They have the habit of inviting relatives and friends to their home for dinner. Accepting this invitation should be understood as an offer of friendship to the host. If you are invited to someone's house, it is wise to send some flowers to the host. Don't send Bai Baihe, they are associated with the funeral. Canadians are proud of their country and oppose exaggerating the comparison with the United States. Talking about examples of positive achievements and praising the Canadian people and their country are very welcome.

Canadians prefer French food and take bread, beef, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes and other things as their daily food. Generally speaking, they mainly eat meat, especially cheese and butter. Canadians value dinner. Pay attention to the nutrition and quality of dishes in diet, and pay attention to the freshness and smoothness of dishes. Taste generally does not like too salty, preferring sweetness. Generally, rice is the staple food. Prefer cooking methods such as frying, roasting and frying. I like Jiangsu cuisine, Shanghai cuisine and Shandong cuisine in China. I am used to drinking coffee and eating fruit after meals. Taboo to eat all kinds of animal offal, do not like to eat fat.

Taboo "13" and "Friday", thinking that "13" is an unlucky number and "Friday" is a symbol of disaster.

3. Australian customs and habits

95% of the residents in Australia are descendants of immigrants from Britain and other European countries. There are about 200,000 overseas Chinese. 98% of the residents believe in Christianity, and the rest believe in Judaism, Buddhism and Islam.

Australians are serious and frank, like to be straightforward, treat people sincerely and enthusiastically, and like to shake hands and swear when they meet. Willing to make friends, even strangers, feel at home. They advocate friendliness, humility, comity, attach importance to public morality, have strong organizational discipline, strong sense of time, be punctual and cherish time. Women are conservative, so be careful when touching them. Guests can give away wine and flowers.

Australians' eating habits and tastes are similar to those of the British. This food is light, not spicy. Home cooking includes fried eggs, scrambled eggs, ham, crispy chicken, fried shrimp, sweet and sour fish, smoked fish, beef and so on. The local specialty is wild steak. Australians eat a lot, and beer is the most popular drink, among which Darwin residents are famous for drinking beer.

They often invite friends to go out to play together, which they think is one of the shortcuts to close bilateral relations. So if you refuse, they will understand you as losing face.

Christians in Australia have the habit of "going to church on Sunday". Their practice is "firm", so we should avoid inviting them this day.

In the eyes of Australians, rabbits are unlucky animals. They think that meeting rabbits may be a sign of bad luck.

Australians like sports. Swimming and sunbathing are people's hobbies. If anyone can't swim, he will be laughed at.

Talking about horse racing with Australians is a very popular topic.

4. British customs and habits

English people in Britain account for more than 80%. The rest are Scots, Welsh and Irish. Most residents believe in Christianity and only a few believe in Catholicism.

Britain is a country of gentlemen, paying attention to civility, courtesy and self-cultivation. At the same time, I also ask others to be polite to myself. Pay attention to dress, and there is a certain convention about what to wear on any occasion. When meeting, use honorifics for elders, superiors and unfamiliar people, and add honorifics, titles or titles such as Mr., Ms., Mrs. and Miss before each other's names. Often used between relatives and friends and acquaintances. People who meet for the first time shake hands, smile and say, "Hello!" " "In public, people generally don't hug. Except for lovers in love, men and women generally don't walk hand in hand.

British people don't get emotional or express their opinions easily. They think that bragging is uncultured and vulgar. People often use polite expressions such as "please", "sorry" and "thank you" in communication, even among family members.

The British "roast beef with Yorkshire pudding" is called the national dish. This is a dish made of sirloin, eggs, milk and flour, baked with beef and potatoes in the oven. When serving, you should also serve some single-boiled vegetables, that is, "roast beef with Yorkshire pudding". Ordinary families have three meals a day (morning, noon and evening). They have lunch as their main meal. Wealthy families eat four meals a day (breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner).

Dislike to eat sticky vegetables; Avoid seasoning with monosodium glutamate; I don't eat dog meat The taste is not too salty, sweet and sour, slightly spicy, and the dishes made by cooking methods such as burning, boiling, steaming, branding, roasting and baking are preferred. I like Beijing food, Sichuan food and Cantonese food in China.

They generally like drinking tea, especially women who are addicted to tea. "Afternoon tea" has almost become an indispensable lifestyle for the British. Even if there is a meeting, some people want to have a rest and have "afternoon tea". Instead of drinking green tea, pour cold milk or fresh lemon into a cup, add some sugar, and then pour tea to make milk tea or lemon tea. If you pour tea first and then milk, it will be considered rude. They also like to drink whisky, soda, wine and champagne, and sometimes beer and spirits, and they don't advise each other.

It is not acceptable to address an Englishman as an Englishman. Because the original meaning of "Englishman" is "Englishman", and the guests you receive may be English, Welsh or Northern Ireland, and the title "England" can satisfy all Englishmen.

It is forbidden to use portraits, elephants and peacocks as clothing patterns and commodity decoration. They think elephants are stupid, peacocks are lewd and unlucky birds, and even pride like peacocks is regarded as boasting and showing off themselves. Taboo the number "13". Also taboo "3" number, taboo with the same match to light a cigarette for a third person. When sitting and talking with an Englishman, it is forbidden to spread your legs too far, let alone cross your legs. You can't stand and talk with your hands in your pockets. Don't whisper in front of them, clap your shoulders, and don't look at them and smile while covering your mouth, thinking it's sarcasm. Don't send lilies. They think lilies mean death.

5. French customs and habits

French account for about 94%, and the vast majority of residents believe in Catholicism.

The French are warm and cheerful, and they can talk cordially when they meet for the first time. The French pay attention to the beauty of clothes, especially the clothes worn by women are very fashionable, and they especially like to use cosmetics. Lipstick alone can be divided into morning, noon, evening and evening, and it is the most well-dressed woman in the world.

France is the first country in the world to kiss openly, and it is also the country that uses kissing the most. You must make an appointment with the French in advance. It's polite to show up on time, but don't advance. Sending flowers to the French is also a good gift. French people can't be lazy and noisy in public places.

French cuisine is world-famous, with exquisite materials, diverse colors, rich flavor and delicious taste, and pays attention to color, shape and nutrition. French people use heavy wine for cooking, but meat dishes are not well cooked, such as ducks cooked three or four times. Some meat is cooked seven or eight times at most, while oysters generally like to be eaten raw. Ingredients like garlic, cloves, herbs, onions, celery, carrots and so on. They don't eat spicy food.

The French are afraid of yellow flowers, which is considered as a sign of disloyalty. Avoid spades as unlucky; Dark green is forbidden, because German Nazi uniforms were dark green during World War II; The design of cranes is taboo and is considered as a symbol of fools and adulterers. Don't send perfume or cosmetics to women other than lovers and relatives, because they think it symbolizes excessive intimacy or ulterior motives.

6. German customs and habits

The vast majority of Germany are Germans. About half of the residents believe in Christianity, and another 46% believe in Catholicism.

Germans Germans have strict discipline, pay attention to credibility, extreme self-esteem, treat people with enthusiasm and attach great importance to feelings. Love music.

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. Call him by his full name or just by his last name. 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.

Germans pay more attention to hairstyles. In Germany, men should not shave their heads for fear of being regarded as "neo-Nazis". Most German girls have short hair or shoulder-length hair, and most women with perms are married.

Germans pay attention to clothes, and they must wear clean and tidy when they go out. When greeting each other, you must call them by their titles, not by their first names; Be punctual for appointments and have a strong sense of time; Treat people warmly, hospitably, and have an honest and reliable attitude; At the banquet, the man sat to the left of the lady and the high-ranking person. When women leave and return to the table, men should stand up to show politeness. Germans must arrange meals in advance. It's best to talk to them about the scenery in Yuan Ye. Their hobbies are mostly sports. When you answer the phone, tell the other person your name first.

Germans like pork best, followed by beef. Sausages made of all kinds of pork make Germans never tire of eating them. Avoid eating walnuts.

If you drink beer and wine at the same time, you should drink beer before drinking wine, otherwise it will be considered harmful to your health.

It is considered very impolite to whisper in public.

In Germany, roses are dedicated to mourning and cannot be given away casually. Avoid brown, red and dark blue.

Nazi symbols are prohibited on the packaging of clothing and other commodities.

7. Italian customs and habits

Italy is dominated by Italians, and more than 90% of the residents believe in Catholicism.

If someone sneezes, the person next to him will say, "Salvi! I wish you good health. Besides, sneezing or coughing in front of others is considered impolite and rude, so I should immediately say "I'm sorry" to the people next to me.

Women are respected, especially in various social occasions, and women are the most important everywhere.

Italians are hospitable and polite. On formal occasions, dress is very particular. The greeting ceremony is to shake hands or wave; For people who are old, have status and are unfamiliar, they should be addressed by their surnames, plus honorary titles such as "Mr.", "Mrs." and "Miss"; Pay attention to discretion when talking to Italians, and generally talk about work, news and football; No politics, no football.

Italians have the habit of drinking coffee, stewing fruit and yogurt in the morning. Wine, especially wine, is an indispensable drink for Italians. Both men and women should drink almost every meal, and even add some wine when drinking coffee.

Italians are afraid of chrysanthemums.

8. Russian customs and habits

Russia is mainly Russian, and Orthodox Church is the main religion.

Russians are cheerful, bold and have a strong sense of collective. When they meet people, most of them will shake hands, and the hug ceremony is also a kind of etiquette they often use. They also have the habit of kissing, but there are some differences between different people and different occasions: generally speaking, between friends, or between elders and juniors, most people kiss their cheeks, but elders are more cordial and caring to their juniors; Men usually kiss their hands to show their humility and respect for married women who are particularly respected. Lip kissing is generally only popular between lovers or lovers.

The host gives the guests bread and salt, which is the most attentive performance. Generally speaking, the requirements for dinner are relatively simple, and breakfast and lunch are more important. Eating time is used to dragging on for a long time. I like to taste different flavors of dishes, and dishes like cooked and crisp ones. I like Chinese food very much.

In hospitality, the word "you" is often used to show respect and courtesy; For relatives and friends, the word "you" is often used, which is considered to be casual, and at the same time, it also means close friendship with relatives and friends. Pay great attention to gfd when you go out, button your clothes completely, and always get used to dressing appropriately. Men must shave when they go out for activities. Be punctual for appointments; Respect women everywhere in social situations.

When talking to Russians, be honest with each other, don't talk behind others' backs, let alone say that others are stingy; Have great respect for women and avoid asking about age and clothing prices.

Russians don't eat sea cucumbers, jellyfish, cuttlefish and fungus. I prefer "7" and think that "7" indicates success, and "7" can also bring happiness and happiness to people. They usually like red. People think red is a symbol of beauty and good luck. When invited to visit a Russian home, you can bring flowers or spirits, and you are welcome to send artworks or books as gifts. The hostess welcomes the exotic flowers and plants brought to her by the visiting guests very much; The host likes tall stems and bright flowers.

Never throw anything on the street, even expired movie tickets. This kind of behavior is harmful to Russia's cleanliness and illegal.

Worship salt very much, regard salt as a treasure, regard salt as a sacrifice. People believe that salt has the power to drive away evil spirits and disasters. If someone accidentally knocks over a salt jar or spills salt on the ground, it is considered as a sign of family discord. In order to get rid of bad omen, they are always used to picking up spilled salt and sprinkling it on their heads.

I think the rabbit is a timid animal. If it comes to me, it's a bad omen. Taboo black, think black is the representative color of funeral. Therefore, I hate black cats even more, and regard black cats running away from me as a symbol of misfortune.

They attach importance to cultural education and like art and art appreciation. Therefore, talking with them about art is a very popular topic.