10 rules of etiquette from different countries that can confuse even an experienced tourist (11 photos)

When going on a trip, experienced tourists study information about the rules of etiquette and the attractions of the country they are going to visit. Because if you don’t know the subtleties and some of the tricks that exist among the locals, you may find yourself in an awkward situation. In this post, you will learn about interesting etiquette rules that travelers should know.





1. In Korea, the oldest person eats first



In Korea, no matter how hungry you are, you cannot start eating before the oldest person at the table does. If you break this rule, you may no longer be invited to dinner at someone's home. Also, if you want something to drink, you will need to ask the person sitting next to you. Koreans fill each other's glasses.

2. In Thailand you can't touch other people's heads.





Thais almost always smile, which demonstrates their positive attitude. However, there is a common thing that can ruin a Thai's mood in an instant. In Thailand, you can't touch anyone's head, and it's not because of the hair. The Thais simply believe that this is a holy place in the human body, and the soul is located here.

3. In Tibet, showing your tongue is normal.



In most countries, if you stick your tongue out at someone, people will think there is something wrong with you. In India, for example, this gesture shows anger. In Tibet, the language is used to express respect as well as "hello". It is believed that the origin of this tradition is the belief that the devil has a black tongue. And so, people in Tibet show that they do not belong to dark forces.

4. You can give lilies in Italy, but not in France



Giving flowers is customary in almost all countries. But there are details you should know. For example, in France people think that lilies and chrysanthemums are for funerals. The same applies to chrysanthemums in Italy: these flowers are used only on sad days. And lilies are a favorite in Italy because they are the national flower.

5. The Chinese will refuse to accept a gift 3 times before accepting it.



And it's not because they don't want to accept the gift, it's just their way of showing modesty and good manners. By the way, in China you can give people anything except sharp objects such as knives (which are signs of the end of a relationship), watches (watches are believed to mark the end of life) and handkerchiefs (which are a superstition associated with crying at funerals) .

6. In Austria you can leave a restaurant without paying



In many countries, tips are included in the bill. This is true for many European countries. On average, this is about 10-15% of the invoice amount. However, this does not work for Austria; tips here are only given to waiters who do a good job. And in Austria there is an unwritten rule: if a customer asks for the bill 3 times and never receives it, he can leave the restaurant without paying.

7. In Japan - money, in France - zero



The famous gesture is interpreted in Japan as “money”, and in France as “zero”. So, even with a small gesture, you can insult a French person by calling him a “nonentity.” And in Italy you can get a bad reaction to the famous “rock and roll” gesture, because it means that the man’s wife is a cheater.

8. In Afghanistan, people kiss dropped bread



In Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, if you drop a piece of bread, you must pick it up as quickly as possible and kiss it. There is no better way to show respect for food. No one is afraid of germs here. So if you don't want to have to do this, be careful not to drop anything.

9. How to drink coffee in the Middle East



In the Middle East, it may not be very easy to stop drinking coffee. In most cases, hospitable people will continue to fill your cup as soon as they notice that it is empty. To stop this, you should shake the cup, tilt it several times, or simply lay it on its side. This will show that you have drunk enough coffee.

10. In Chile you can’t eat with your hands.



If you're planning a trip to Chile, don't eat anything with your hands. In this country, table manners are much more important than in other South American countries. Therefore, you should use utensils even when eating hamburgers and fries.