The customs of America, Britain and Japan

The way Americans invite guests to dinner.

Americans are extroverted, enthusiastic and straightforward, and informal. There are many differences in their manners and customs. The United States is a country with a strong sense of time, and all kinds of activities begin at a predetermined time. It is impolite to be late. Dating Americans is easy. As long as you make a phone call, the other party will readily agree to meet in the shortest possible time. Americans also have the habit of reciprocity, but they dare not accept too heavy gifts. First, Americans don't value the gift itself. Second, the law prohibits giving gifts that are too heavy. Handicrafts, artworks and famous wines brought from hometown are favorite gifts for Americans. Except for holidays, you don't need to give gifts when you are invited to visit Americans' homes or even eat. American society has the habit of tipping, and all services need to be tipped, such as hotel doorman and room service. No less than USD L is required, and 15% will be charged when the restaurant checks out.

Americans treat people to dinner, which belongs to the nature of business communication and is mostly arranged in hotels and clubs. The expenses are paid by the company, and close relatives and friends are invited to have dinner at home. Because of different regions and nationalities, the types and tastes of American food are different. Hamburgers, "hot dogs", pies, doughnuts and fried chicken in KFC are all popular foods in the world, but American family dinners are economical, unpretentious and informal. The usual family dinner is a long table with a big salad, a big roast chicken or barbecue, all kinds of cold dishes, a plate of fried rice, a plate of bread, sweets, fruits, cold drinks and wine. The host and guest sat around the table, and the host said "please". Everyone picked up a plate and ate their favorite vegetable rice. After eating, they add them at will and chat while eating.

As a way to make friends, Americans treat their guests to dinner, have a drink or spend the weekend at a country house. They don't necessarily ask for anything in return. If there is an opportunity, you can invite them to dinner at home. After dinner, guests should express special thanks to their hosts, especially the hostess.

American eating habits

Americans usually drink cocktails before lunch and dinner, but in California, people mostly drink wine.

At the same time, we usually eat a salad before eating the staple food. Stir-fried mushrooms and onion rings can be used as appetizers, steak, pork chops and chicken (legs) are staple foods, and lobster, shellfish, various fish and even freshwater fish are collectively referred to as seafood. French fries are very popular and almost indispensable food.

In addition, we should pay special attention to the fact that if there is leftover food, we must pack it and take it home to avoid waste.

Americans eat with knives and forks, and the way they eat is also very particular. Therefore, when invited to have dinner with American friends, we should pay special attention to their dining habits. Generally speaking, there is a knife and two forks on the dining table. The fork outside is for you to eat salad, the fork inside is for staple food and other snacks, and the knife is for cutting meat. If you use both hands, hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand, don't hold the knife for too long at a time.

American breakfast includes scrambled or boiled eggs, sausages, potato chips, pancakes, jelly, toast, muffins, orange juice and coffee.

If you are not familiar with American restaurants, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Choose a suitable restaurant (such as family restaurant, specialty restaurant, cafeteria);

2. Restaurant business hours (business hours 165438+ 0: 30 am to evening);

Generally speaking, you should reserve a table in advance:

4. After arriving at the dining room, you can't go straight to the dining table and enter the dining table unless there is a notice of "Sit at will" in the dining room;

5. When checking out, don't forget to leave a certain percentage of the tip for the waiter (generally 10% ~ 15% of the actual total).

With the accelerated pace of life in the United States, fast food came into being. Its fast food chain stores are all over the world, among which McDonald's fast food chain stores are the most influential. The fast food provided includes: hamburger, roast beef, steak, ham, sandwich, KFC, potato chips, baked pies, ice cream and various carbonated drinks.

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Dinner manners in the west.

Whether you are traveling abroad or on business, if someone invites you to a formal banquet, you need to know some basic etiquette of western social places.

Arrival: You'd better arrive on time, even if you are four or five minutes late, but you must never be more than a quarter of an hour late, otherwise you will be embarrassed. If you go to a rich and elegant family, the first person you meet when you enter the gate may be a man, who is responsible for hanging your clothes or giving you directions, so don't shake hands with him in a hurry, observe and make a decision.

Preparation: enter the living room, don't worry about not finding a seat. Westerners usually walk around on this occasion, waiting for the host to introduce other guests to themselves. You can choose a suitable glass of wine and other drinks from the waiter and chat with others while drinking. When the door of the restaurant is opened, the host and hostess will lead everyone into the restaurant. The host and hostess should go last, but if the host is a big shot, the host and he can go first.

Seating: the rules of western food seating are very particular, and seats are generally arranged. At this time, the gentleman or lady who comes with you will never be arranged to sit next to you. Europeans and Americans think that acquaintances have many opportunities to chat and should take this opportunity to make more friends. The host and hostess sit on the top and bottom of the rectangular table. The male guest sits on the right side of the hostess and the female guest sits on the right side of the host. Other guests are seated alternately by men and women. Before the man goes to the table, he should help the woman on the right to pull out the chair, and then sit down by herself after the woman sits firmly.

After everyone is seated, the host takes the napkin and you take the napkin. Remember: no matter what happens at this time (such as the host has the habit of praying before meals), you can't take the napkin until the host takes it away.

Dining: The general menu is three to five courses. The first three dishes should be cold cuts, soup and fish, the last two dishes are the main course (meat or seafood with vegetables), dessert or fruit, and finally coffee and snacks. When eating, don't focus on the enjoyment of your stomach, and talk to people around you more. If coffee doesn't appear after dessert, you may be invited to the living room for a drink later. In a word, you can put down your napkin and leave your seat after you see the hostess put it on the table and stand up. At this time, the polite man has to stand up and help the lady pull open the chair. The lady who is taken care of doesn't have to have special ideas about this series of attentions, he should.

Farewell: If you don't want to be conspicuous, you'd better not go first or last. In the meantime, you can leave at any time, but once you leave, you should leave quickly.

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Etiquette for entering a foreigner's office or residence

Arriving at the foreigner's office or residence should be agreed and notified in advance, and arrive on time. If there is no one waiting, ring the bell or knock on the door before entering, and the owner can only enter after agreeing. If there is no answer, ring the bell or knock at the door later (but don't ring the bell for too long). No one is allowed to enter without permission.

If you are in a hurry or have no prior agreement, but you have to go, you should try to avoid disturbing each other in the middle of the night; If you have to make an appointment with the other party during the break as a last resort, you should apologize immediately after meeting the person who made the appointment, say "I'm sorry to disturb you" and explain the reason for the interruption.

You can enter the room with the permission of the host or at the invitation of the host. Although sometimes the negotiation takes a short time, you should go indoors instead of standing at the door to talk. Sometimes, if the host is not invited into the room, he can retreat to the door and talk outside.

When you enter the room, if you need to talk for a short time, you don't have to sit down and don't stop after you finish. If it takes a long time, you can sit down at the invitation of the host. If there is no prior agreement, try not to talk for too long.

When you are invited to visit or visit a foreign country, you should arrive at the time suggested or agreed by the host. It is impolite to arrive early or late. If you are late, apologize. Visits are usually arranged at 10 am or around 4 pm. In the west, it is a habit to prepare snacks and drinks for entertainment. Guests should not refuse, but should taste and drink the drinks they accept (but don't be forced when they are really not used to it).

Without the owner's invitation or consent, you may not ask to visit the owner's courtyard and residence. You can visit the house under the guidance of the owner, but even familiar friends should not touch personal items and indoor furnishings except books, flowers and plants.

Greet everyone in the host family, especially his wife (husband) and children. If there are children present, you should take the initiative to shake hands and hug them to show your love. If you have cats and dogs at home, you shouldn't show fear or disgust. Don't kick and blow.

When you leave, you should say goodbye to the host politely and thank him for his reception.

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Japan-Etiquette

The Japanese seem to be very slow in doing things. Always hide your feelings, don't show them easily, and don't like sad opposition and targeted words and deeds, impatient style. Therefore, in the process of dealing with the Japanese, impatient people often break up in discord.

"Saving face" is the Japanese nature. It is a record of one's honor and a source of self-confidence. It will strongly affect everything in Japan. A word that hurts the face and an action that hinders honor will bring things to a deadlock. Face is the most important thing in Japan. So when you get along with the Japanese, always remember to give each other face. The Japanese emphasize morality and kindness. In their view, "one can never repay one ten thousandth of kindness". For them, it is common and important to repay kindness with kindness.

Gifts are even more common in Japan. Colleagues will give gifts when they get promoted, get married, have children, have birthdays, festivals, etc. This kind of etiquette is not only a historical heritage, but also a new concept of the times. The habit of giving gifts is also popular in business communication. Send a gift to a Japanese guest, even if it is a small souvenir, he will keep it in mind, because it not only shows your sincerity, but also shows that the communication between them has gone beyond the boundaries of business, indicating that you have attached importance to his friendship and face, so he will not forget your "kindness". Japanese people don't like to tie bows on gift packages and wrap gifts with red ribbons, which symbolizes good health. Don't give the Japanese gifts with animal images.

Accept the invitation of the Japanese, also have certain exquisite. For example, if you are invited to a formal banquet, you should be serious and wear a suit and tie. However, if you are attending an outing or other entertainment or sports activities, even if you meet for the first time, you only need to go into battle lightly and wear a suit and tie. However, if you are taking part in an outing or other entertainment or sports activities, even if you meet for the first time, you can show your enthusiasm and generosity as long as you dress lightly, or dress appropriately and try to be natural.

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Japanese national etiquette

Fashion etiquette

Japanese people attach great importance to their clothes, whether on formal or informal occasions. On formal occasions, men and most young women wear suits. Men usually wear ties when they wear suits. Kimono is a traditional Japanese costume, which is characterized by sewing a piece of cloth. Nowadays, except for some special professionals, men rarely wear kimonos in public. Japanese women like to stroke their eyebrows, and generally like to draw thin eyebrows that are slightly curved. They think this is the most modern femininity.

Etiquette and manners

Japanese people often smile all over their faces, but not only when they are happy, but also when they are embarrassed and angry, so as to hide their true feelings. When a woman sits on the floor, she always sits with her legs curled up. Different gestures have different meanings: the thumb and forefinger form a circle, and the other three fingers extend upward to indicate money; Hold out your little finger to indicate a woman, etc.

Meeting etiquette

Japanese names generally consist of four words. The first two words are surnames, and the last two words are your own names. Generally speaking, Japanese people don't like to introduce themselves. As an introducer, you usually need to tell the relationship between the introduced person and yourself, as well as his title and the name of his unit.

Go along and nod.

It is said that the Japanese have a habit of echoing and nodding when they speak. "Yes" and "Well, really?" Including this kind of speech, as well as nodding and bending posture and so on. According to investigation and observation, it happens every few seconds in daily conversation. But it is worth noting that all this does not mean the affirmative meaning of "right" and "understanding", but only "Oh, really?"

"Is that so?" Wait, think of it as a reaction after listening to each other. Contact with a Japanese who has this habit, if you think that "he really said it at that time", then it is unexpected for the Japanese. On the other hand, the Japanese, who are used to echoing voices, are uneasy about foreigners who don't show any reaction in conversation. They will feel like, "Is this person listening to me?"

Euphemistic expression

Even if the Japanese hold a clear opinion, they will avoid direct expressions such as "I think so" and "My opinion is like this" and adopt "I'm afraid so?" "I think so. What do you think? " This euphemistic wording obviously thinks that this expression is appropriate and polite. In language expression, it is clear that there is room for consideration and judgment for the other party, showing a gesture of expressing one's opinions after listening to the other party's reaction.

Greet each other

Japanese people often greet each other. From getting up in the morning to going to bed at night, in various occasions of daily life, the same greetings are very rich. However, greeting each other is limited to people who are regarded as friends in a sense. For example, people you don't know when walking in the park, or people sitting in the same seat in a traffic vehicle, generally don't talk to each other unless there are special circumstances. Because on this occasion, the other party is an irrelevant outsider.

dining etiquette

Japanese people have been eating rice as their staple food since ancient times and like to eat fish. Generally do not eat fat meat and pig offal, and some people do not eat mutton and duck. No matter at home or in a restaurant, the seats are graded and generally can be arranged by the host. In Japan, there is a national custom-tea ceremony, which is rich in Zen and used to cultivate interest. Although many modern Japanese youth are no longer interested in it, it is still valued by society as a traditional art.

Japanese pasta

Soba noodles (Osoba) spread to Japan from Chinese mainland since ancient times, and it has continued to this day, becoming one of the popular pasta that Japanese people like.

Buckwheat is the main raw material of buckwheat noodles. The main producing area of Japanese buckwheat is Xinzhou, Nagano Prefecture, but the output is in short supply, and most of the rest are imported from Shanxi, China and Inner Mongolia. The three famous buckwheat noodles in Japan are Shinyin (Nagano Prefecture), Izumo (Shimane Prefecture) and Wankou (Iwate Prefecture).

Making soba noodles is difficult and time-consuming. First of all, the noodles should be mixed well, the moisture should be appropriate, and the mixed noodles should be awake for a long time. Really good buckwheat can't be made by machine, it can only be made by hand.

There are usually two ways to eat buckwheat noodles, one is hot noodles and the other is cold noodles. Japanese hot soup soba noodles are usually served with tempura fried shrimp or fried tofu and eaten in hot soup. Cold buckwheat noodles are generally cooked buckwheat noodles cooled with cold water, then placed on a bamboo drawer, sprinkled with some seaweed, and served with a special soy sauce seasoning sprinkled with chopped green onion, which is refreshing and appetizing. Delicious buckwheat noodles are shiny first and should not be broken. They are chewy.

It is said that buckwheat noodles are rich in nutrition, and regular consumption is conducive to the adjuvant treatment of hypertension. Therefore, buckwheat noodles are still healthy food, which is favored by Japanese people and one of the pasta that Japanese people often eat.

order dishes

Soba noodle shops can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of Japan, and there are generally many shops operating together with the "eastern Ukraine" of Japan.

Generally, buckwheat noodle shops will also have samples displayed at the door of the store, and guests can order according to the samples. Generally, there are many dishes printed in Chinese characters, and you can also point them with your fingers. Generally, the price of buckwheat noodles is around 600 yen, the more expensive one is around 800 yen, and the cheaper one is around 400 yen, which is similar to Lamian Noodles. The price varies according to the size of noodle soup.

Some famous buckwheat noodle shops in Tokyo are very expensive. A cold noodle shop costs 2000 yen, and a person needs about two to eat, at least 4000 yen. But once you eat it, I'm afraid it's hard to forget its taste. Even if the price is expensive, gourmets often patronize.

have a meal

There are two kinds of buckwheat noodles: hot and cold. It goes without saying that hot noodles should be eaten while hot, and cold noodles should be eaten while cold.

Hot noodles are usually prepared with Chili noodles in the store, which is called "seven flavors" in Japan. It is made of seven seasonings such as Chili powder, which can be sprinkled with some to make it more appetizing.

Generally, cold buckwheat noodles are put on bamboo drawers, with seaweed, a small dish of chopped green onion and a bowl of special soy sauce seasoning. When eating, put the chopped green onion in the seasoning, and then dip the noodles in the seasoning. Finally, there is a pot of hot buckwheat noodle soup, which is "the original soup", from which we can see one of the influences of China tradition in Japan.

Wedding and funeral etiquette

In Japan, people still attach importance to the birth of new life. The traditional Japanese wedding ceremony is: three days before the wedding, the bride's family moves all the bride's things to the new house; On the wedding day, the barber will dress up the bride. There are many kinds of weddings in Japan now, some in shrines and some in Christian churches.

business etiquette

For business activities in Japan, you should choose February-June and September-165438+ 10. At other times, locals take more vacations or are busy with festivals. Japanese people attach great importance to the role of business cards in business activities. They think business cards show a person's social status, so they always carry them with them. Japanese businessmen pay more attention to establishing long-term cooperative partnership. They pay great attention to maintaining each other's face in business negotiations and hope that the other party will do the same. When giving gifts, local people attach great importance to class or rank, so don't give too expensive gifts, lest they mistakenly think that your status is higher than theirs.

Travel etiquette

In Japan, many streets have no names. If you get lost, you can ask the police for help. Buses in urban areas extend in all directions. It's expensive to take a taxi.

Tips are not very popular in Japan. If you are not sure, don't tip. Tips should be put in envelopes or wrapped in paper towels. The Japanese feel embarrassed to accept cash.

by car

When taking the tram, passengers should queue up in order at the entrance (marked on the ground). After the car stops, passengers will be divided into two lines on both sides of the door, and then get off and get on the bus. Whenever the tram arrives at the station, passengers on the tram should be careful not to stand at the door of the carriage, so as not to hinder other passengers from getting on and off. In case of rush hour, passengers standing at the door should get off temporarily and get on the bus after getting off. In order to prevent sexual harassment, some tram companies in Japan specially arrange women-only vehicles after 1 1 at night. Men must pay attention to getting on the bus, otherwise they may be handed over to the police as "idiots (sexually harassed men)".

When taking the bus, you should prepare the change of the ticket in advance and put it into the ticket vending machine after getting on the bus. If it is during off-peak hours, you need to press the get-off buttons on both sides before getting off, otherwise the car may not stop. Most buses in Japan get on at the front door and get off at the back door.

The way to take a taxi (disco) is the same as that in Chinese mainland, Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province. It's just that the taxi door is controlled by the driver, so passengers don't have to close the door when getting on and off.

Take elevators and escalators

Escalators are very common in Japan. When Japanese take escalators, they usually stand on the left (Tokyo in Kanto and Osaka in Kansai are used to standing on the right and rushing on the left), leaving the right side for those who are eager to move forward. If two people stand side by side in the escalator at the same time, it will block the passage and prevent others from moving. When taking the escalator, you should generally keep a step away from the person in front (especially when there are women in front of men) and keep a certain distance to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding.

garbage classification

Garbage in public places in Japan is generally classified, and garbage bins are generally marked clearly. Basically, it can be divided into two categories: combustible and nonflammable. If it is at the station, the classification of garbage is more detailed, including magazines and newspapers, glass bottles and cans of drinks, which are flammable and nonflammable. Not littering is one of the public morals that every Japanese abides by, and foreign tourists are no exception.

The use of mobile phones

Japan is a country where mobile phones are very popular, but there are many places in Japan that restrict the use of mobile phones, especially in public places, such as trams. Under normal circumstances, Japanese people don't make phone calls in cars. If they answer the phone, they should keep their voice to a minimum, reply briefly in a few words, and call the other party after getting off the bus, otherwise it will bring unhappiness to the people around them. In Japan, high-end restaurants, hospitals, theaters and other public facilities generally prohibit the use of mobile phones.

You need to know about soaking in hot springs

There are many hot spring bathing methods in Japan, among which the following points need attention:

○ Don't drink too much before taking a bath, because taking a bath after drinking too much may cause physical discomfort.

○ Don't talk loudly after entering the bathroom, but keep quiet.

Please take off your shoes at the bathroom door (there are usually steps at the bathroom door) and enter the room barefoot.

○ When taking a bath, you must take a shower outside the bath before soaking in the bath.

○ Don't take a towel into the bath, let alone take a bath with soap.

Main taboo

Japanese people don't like purple and think it is a sad tone; The most taboo is green, which is considered unlucky. They avoid using numbers like 9 and 4; They also taboo three people taking pictures together, thinking that the middle person is sandwiched between the left and right people, which is an unlucky omen. The Japanese hate gold and silver cats and think that people who see such cats will be unlucky; They don't like foxes either.

Festival activities

1, Japanese folk festivals

New Year's Day (65438+1 October1): This day congratulates the arrival of the New Year. The three days from New Year's Day to 65438+ 10 3 are called "the first month" and don't work at all. In the new year, people visit shrines or friends' homes to celebrate the New Year, drink and eat unique food. Children play Japanese cards, fly kites and play badminton. In the new year, pulling a straw rope and inserting pine branches on the door means "inserting trees to welcome the arrival of the gods" The time for decorating pine branches is 1 to 7, which is also called "Songnei".

Girls' Day (March 3rd): A festival to wish girls happiness in the future. On this day, people imitate the custom of the old court, put beautiful puppets and peach blossoms together and drink sweet wine made of glutinous rice.

Dragon Boat Festival (May 5th, also called Boys' Day): A festival to wish boys healthy growth. On this day, people decorate samurai puppets, put squid on the eaves, put up carp flags and eat cypress cakes.

Qixi (July 7th): This day celebrates the annual meeting between Altair and Vega on both sides of the Milky Way. People offer corn and eggplant in front of the courtyard, decorate colorful poems on thin bamboo, and pray that girls' skills are as dexterous as weaver girls.

Orchid Club (around August 15):

On this day, people who work in cities will return to their hometown, offer a lot of food in front of their ancestors' spirits and pray for their blessings. People living in small towns and rural areas have to wear summer kimonos and dance obon.

Appreciating the Moon (the night of August 15 and September 13 of the lunar calendar): When the moon is full, doors and windows are decorated with maimang, and the moon god is worshipped with wine and jiaozi, hoping for a calm and beautiful autumn.

The other shore (7 days before and after the vernal equinox and autumnal equinox): During this period, ancestors were sacrificed, Buddhist ceremonies were held, and graves were swept.

Sections 7, 5 and 3 (165438+ 10/5): Every boy aged 165438+ 10/5, 3 and 5,

3-year-old and 7-year-old girls wear bright kimonos to visit the shrine to bless their smooth growth. Japanese people think odd numbers are auspicious numbers, so they choose these three ages.

2. Japanese legal holidays

Japan has a 12 national holiday, during which schools, institutions and enterprises all have holidays.

New Year's Day (65438+1 October1): Celebrate the beginning of the new year.

Adult Festival (65438+ 10/5):

On this day, young adults gather in various places to hold celebrations to encourage them to move forward on their own.

People's Republic of China (PRC)'s founding anniversary (February 1 1): To commemorate the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC) and the first emperor's accession to the throne in 660 BC.

Vernal equinox (vernal equinox on the calendar): praise nature and care for life.

Emperor's Birthday (65438+February 23rd): The emperor and queen received greetings from the palace ladies.

Constitution Memorial Day (May 3rd): Commemorating the implementation of China's Constitution (May 3rd, 1947).

Children's Day (May 5th): Respect children's personality, seek their happiness and thank their mothers.

Respect for the Elderly Festival (September 15): All localities gather the elderly, hold performance parties and present souvenirs to congratulate them on their longevity.

Mid-Autumn Festival (vernal equinox on the calendar): Respect ancestors and miss the dead.

Sports Festival (10 10/month 10): Hot.