Customs of the Han Chinese

The Han Chinese custom is to be hospitable, especially to distant guests. Confucius said, "If you have friends coming from afar, don't you say (悦)?" Expresses the psychology of this hospitality. The Han people like to socialize and "exchange gifts".

The ancient custom of the Han people, pay attention to the inhibition of the gift of greeting. Where the welcome, and the master of the status of equal guests, the master to meet outside the door, meet the arching hands, known as "揖". Where the door, between the host and the guest must bow three times and then enter. The host enters first. After entering the door, go up the steps into the hall. The Han Chinese house is located in the north to the south, up the steps to the north, the guest on the west step, the master on the east step, the later so-called "host", that is, in this case. Ascending the steps must be three to let. After entering the hall, the host set up a table, invited the guests to sit, the guests have to listen to the host's arrangements, the so-called "guests follow the host.

The host generally invites the guest to sit on the upper seat, which is south to north, with the west seat as the upper seat; and east to west, with the south seat as the upper seat. The guest is seated, and then the host is seated, and the host begins to ask questions, and the guest then explains the purpose of the visit. When he had finished, the host got up to see him off and bid him a cordial farewell.

The Han Chinese pay close attention to the guests when the clothes and appearance of neat and tidy and sit and walk posture upright and natural, taboo kicking feet, taboo lifting the lower garment, taboo legs apart Kei and sit. After the guests are seated do not change face, do not listen to the side ear, do not look around, do not look lazy, answer can not be rough. Don't walk with a swagger, don't stand with a limp and an interjection. The objective effect of these etiquettes is to require hosts and guests to be discreet, to behave in a dignified manner, to honor each other, to be humble to each other, to treat each other with sincerity, and to maintain a harmonious atmosphere.

In addition to the ancient custom of the Han Chinese people to make "揖", the grand rituals of worship (raising both hands to the ground and worship), bowing (down the head to the ground to stay up), toning the head (down the hand, put the head on the ground that is, up) and so on. Nowadays, it is common to shake hands or bow and nod.

Now, the Han people still maintain the tradition of hospitality, the people's homes have guests, the host attentive to extend the seat tea, or send cold drinks, served melon candy; to the relatives of distant guests, the wine and food hospitality.

The Han people also pay attention to the rules of the banquet guests. Before and after the seat, the host and guest Xing speech, mutual humility. After sitting down, the host advised the guests to eat, and then the guests began to eat. During the feast can not just focus on their own eating and drinking, do not gulp soup, gurgling, do not eat slurping, do not pick the food, according to the take, do not stir the vegetable soup, do not put the bite of the dish back to the plate and bowl, do not pick your teeth in public, and so on.

The Han Chinese have the habit of honoring the elderly. The lesser of the elders should be respectful and courteous everywhere. The good food on the table should first honor the elders, the road and the weight of the elders walking, the lesser to take the initiative to help the elders weight, to respect the views of the elders.