About British wedding customs-dowry issue

The habits of the British

The first impression the British give people is that they are reserved. He generally does not take the initiative to talk to others, does not show his emotions, and rarely gets excited. He speaks softly and can control himself.

It is difficult to understand a British person. They never talk about personal things. However, the British are not lacking in human touch. British people are very humble and humorous.

Etiquette and Customs

Meeting: When British people meet each other for the first time, they usually shake hands. Except for men and women who are passionately in love, most people don’t hold hands when walking. British people don't like others to interfere with their personal lives.

When you go to visit an Englishman, you have to knock on the door first and wait until he says "come in" before you can go in. Gentlemen take off their hats when entering a house, but ladies do not have to take off their hats indoors.

The weather is often the first topic that British people talk about in their daily lives.

Ladies first and gentlemanly demeanor: In the UK, respect for women is an important aspect of gentlemanly demeanor. Ladies first is a well-known code of conduct.

Toilet and going to "No. 100": The original meaning of the word "lavatory" is a place where you wash your hands or face, but its actual meaning is a toilet. When British people go to the toilet, they do not simply say "go to the toilet". bathroom". If you want to use the toilet, you can say "Go to the men's room," or "Go to the women's room," or "Excuse me for a few minutes," or "I want to wash my hands." Little kids say "I'm going to go there" when they want to poop. Among friends and within families, "go to No. 100" is the most commonly used saying.

Gifts and tips: In the UK, tipping is limited to waiters and taxi drivers, and you pay 1/10 or 1/8 more than the meal and fare. You also need to pay a small tip after the hotel valet or railway porter serves you.

Taboos

Cannot queue: British people have the habit of queuing. You can see them lining up one by one to get on the bus or train or buy a newspaper. Gagging is a disgraceful act.

Don’t ask a woman’s age: British people don’t like to talk about men’s wages and women’s ages.

Don’t bargain: When shopping in the UK, the most taboo thing is haggling.

Etiquette for Westerners attending banquets

Whether you are traveling abroad or on a business trip, if someone invites you to a formal banquet, you need to know some basic etiquette in Western social settings.

Arrival: You'd better arrive on time. You can be late for four or five minutes, but you must not be late for more than a quarter of an hour. Otherwise, you will not be in trouble for others, but yourself. If you go to a wealthy and sophisticated family, the first person you meet when you enter the door may be a male servant who is responsible for helping you hang your clothes or showing you the way, so don't rush to shake his hand first, observe it. Decide again.

Preparation: When you enter the living room, don’t rush to find a seat. On such occasions, Westerners usually have to go around waiting for the host to introduce other guests to them. You can choose a suitable drink from the wine and other drinks brought by the waiter and chat with others while drinking. When the door of the dining room opens, the male host and the female guest of honor will lead everyone into the dining room. The hostess and the male guest of honor should go last, but if the male guest of honor is a big shot, the hostess and he may go last. Front.

Seating: The rules for Western-style dining are very particular. The seats are usually arranged in advance. At this time, the gentleman or lady who comes with you will never be arranged to sit next to you. Europeans and Americans believe that there are many opportunities to chat with acquaintances, and they should take advantage of this opportunity to make more friends. The host and hostess sit above and below the rectangular table respectively. To the right of the hostess is the male guest of honor, and to the right of the male host is the female guest of honor. Other guests sit in alternating positions for men and women. Before serving the table, the man should help the woman on his right to pull out the chair, and then sit down after the woman sits firmly.

After everyone is seated, the host takes the napkin, and you follow suit. Remember: No matter what happens at this time (for example, the host has the habit of praying before meals), you cannot take the napkin before the host takes it.

Meal: The general menu is three to five dishes. The first three dishes should be cold cuts, soup, and fish, and the last two dishes should be main dishes (meat or seafood plus vegetables), desserts, or fruits. Finally, there is coffee and snacks. When eating, don't focus all your energy on the enjoyment of your stomach. Talk to the people around you. After finishing the dessert, if the coffee doesn’t show up, I might ask you to drink it in the living room later. In short, after you see the hostess put the napkin on the table and stand up, you can put down the napkin and leave your seat. At this time, the polite man has to stand up and help the lady pull out the chair. The lady being cared for does not have to have any special thoughts about this previous and subsequent courtesy. This is what he should do.

Farewell: If you don’t want to be too conspicuous, you’d better not be the first to say goodbye, nor the last to leave. You can say goodbye at any time during this period, but once you say goodbye, you should leave happily. .

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Etiquette for entering a foreigner’s office or residence

When visiting a foreigner's office or residence, you should make an appointment and notify in advance, and arrive on time. If no one is waiting to greet you, ring the bell or knock on the door before entering. Only after receiving permission from the owner can you enter.

If no one answers, you can wait for a while and then ring or knock on the door again (but do not ring for too long). No one is allowed to enter without permission from the owner.

When you have to go because of urgent matters or without prior agreement, you should try to avoid disturbing the other party late at night; if you have to make an appointment during the break, you should immediately meet the person you are meeting with. Apologize first, say "I'm sorry to bother you" and explain the reason for the interruption.

You can enter the room with the permission of the owner or at the invitation of the owner. Although sometimes the time required to negotiate is very short, you should go indoors and do not stand at the door to talk. Sometimes, if the host does not invite you into the room, you can retreat outside the door and have a conversation outdoors.

When you enter the room, if the time required to speak is short, you do not need to sit down, and you do not need to linger after finishing the work; if the time required is longer, you must be invited by the host to sit down. If there is no prior agreement, the conversation should not be too long.

When you are invited to visit or be a guest at a foreigner’s home, you should arrive at the time proposed or agreed by the host. It is impolite to arrive early or late. If you are late, apologize. Visits are usually scheduled around 10 a.m. or 4 p.m. It is customary in the West to prepare snacks and drinks for guests. Guests should not refuse, but should taste it and drink the accepted drinks (but if you are really not used to it, don’t force it).

No one is allowed to visit the owner’s courtyard and house without the owner’s invitation or consent. You can visit the house under the leadership of the owner, but even familiar friends are not allowed to touch personal belongings and indoor furnishings other than books, flowers and plants.

Greetings should be given to everyone in the host's family, especially the wife (husband) and children. If there are children present, you should take the initiative to shake hands and hug them to express your love. If you have cats or dogs at home, you should not show fear or disgust, and do not kick or blast them.

When leaving, you should say goodbye to the host politely and thank the host for the reception.

No queues. The British have the habit of queuing. You can see them lining up one by one to get on the bus or train or buy a newspaper. Gagging is a disgraceful act.

Don’t ask a woman’s age. British people don’t like to talk about a man’s salary and a woman’s age. You shouldn’t even ask how much the furniture in his home is worth. It is also very inappropriate if you ask a woman her age, because she thinks it is her own secret, and everyone wants to stay young forever, and there is nothing better than saying to a middle-aged woman, "You look so young." What a better compliment. There is no doubt that every woman's hairstyle, makeup and clothes are to make herself look more beautiful and younger, but if her dress makes people feel too deliberate, then others will criticize her and say that she "appears". Tacky”.

Don’t bargain. When shopping in the UK, the most taboo thing is haggling. The British don't like haggling and think it is very embarrassing. If you are purchasing a valuable piece of art or a large quantity of merchandise, you will also need to be careful to agree on a full price with the seller. British people seldom bargain. If they think the price of an item is right, they will buy it. If they think the price is right, they will walk away.

Bathroom and going to "No. 100"

The original meaning of the word lavatory is a place to wash hands or face, but its actual meaning is a toilet, which British people do not use when going to the toilet. Say "go to the toilet" directly, and do the same when reminding others, without directly mentioning the word "toilet". If you want to use the toilet, you can say "Go to the men's room," or "Go to the women's room," or "Excuse me for a few minutes," or "I want to wash my hands." Little children say "I want to go to that place" when they want to relieve themselves. Among friends and within families, "No. 100" is the most commonly used term.