Who knows the living customs of Britain and the United States?

American customs and etiquette

The United States of America (The United States of America), referred to as the United States. It covers an area of ??9.36 million square kilometers. Population 250 million. The residents mainly believe in Christianity and Roman Catholicism. The language is English.

The U.S. government is a federal presidential system with separation of powers. The Constitution came into effect in 1787. The president holds power and is elected by the people of each state and presidential electors for a four-year term. Congress is divided into two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are composed of two elected representatives from each state. They serve a term of six years, with one-third being re-elected every two years. Representatives are elected by the people for a 2-year term. Capital Washington.

The United States is the world's largest economic power and the world's largest trading country. In 1989, the total import and export volume was US$809.181 billion.

When doing business with Americans, you must pay attention to American business etiquette and some customs in American society.

Americans don’t always have to be well-dressed like the British, but they don’t pay much attention to what they wear. They dress based on the principle of being spacious and comfortable, and they can wear whatever they like. Others will not discuss or ridicule. In spring and autumn, Americans generally wear trousers on the lower body and a sweater or jacket on the upper body outside the shirt, which is loose, comfortable and unrestrained. There are many people wearing shorts and short skirts in summer. In tourist or coastal cities, men wear swimming trunks and women wear three-point swimsuits, and then put on a bath towel to go shopping or go to restaurants. But in formal situations, Americans pay more attention to etiquette.

When meeting, you should pay attention to your clothing and be tidy. It is better to wear a suit. In particular, your shoes should be polished and your fingernails should be clean. American businessmen rarely shake hands. Even if they meet for the first time, they don't necessarily have to shake hands first. They often just nod, smile, and say hello politely. A man should hold a woman's hand gently and not forcefully. If a woman does not want to shake hands, men should not extend her hand unless the woman takes the initiative. Do not use both hands when shaking hands. Between superiors and subordinates, the superior reaches out first to shake hands. Between elders and younger ones, the elder reaches out first to shake hands. Between the host and the guest, the host reaches out first. Men should avoid putting each other's arms around each other. Americans don't like the two parties to be too close when talking, and are used to keeping a certain physical distance between the two people. Generally, it should be kept between 120-150 cm, and at least not less than 50 cm.

In the United States, men over the age of 12 are entitled to the title of "Mr." However, most Americans do not like to use titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, and Ms. because they think it is too serious. . They like to be called by their first names and regard this as a sign of friendliness. Americans rarely address others by their formal titles.

Formal titles are generally only used for judges, military officers, doctors, professors, religious leaders and other figures. Especially administrative positions. Americans never address people by this, such as *** director or *** manager. U.S. customs personnel always say "please" and "thank you", "please open the box", "please give me your passport" "Take it out", and when the inspection is completed, they will also say polite words such as "I wish you a pleasant trip" or "The weather is really nice today".

The words spoken by American shop assistants and restaurant waitresses make people feel at home. Even if you spend nothing, they are still full of smiles and say thank you with a smile before leaving. Come and hope to come again next time.

Before visiting a public or private institution, an appointment must be made first. It is best to make a phone call before arrival. Americans are very hospitable. Even if you only meet someone for a minute, you may be invited to see a theater, have a meal or travel abroad. But after a week, this friend will probably forget all about you. When visiting an American home, it is rude to visit rashly and an agreement must be made in advance. Even if you are giving gifts to relatives and friends, if they don't know about it in advance, don't knock on the door directly. It's better to leave the gift at his door and then notify him to pick it up yourself.

When invited to an American home as a guest or to attend a banquet, it is best to bring some small gifts to the host, such as cosmetics, children's toys, local specialties, or tobacco and alcohol. For the furnishings at home, the owner likes to hear words of appreciation, but does not want to hear words asking about the price.

Being punctual and trustworthy is very important. American businessmen like to show their "informality", "easy-going" and "humor". People who can often tell a few jokes are often easily accepted by others. Breakfast and lunch date negotiations are popular in American business circles. When you agree to attend a banquet hosted by the other party, you must arrive on time. If you cannot attend on time due to special circumstances, you must call the host and explain the reason, or tell the host when you can go. When attending a banquet, when a woman enters the living room, a man should stand up until the woman finds a seat before you can sit down. When Americans entertain guests, they mostly use roasted beef and roasted chicken, because these dishes are popular with Americans and are convenient and affordable. As long as you add one or two kinds of vegetables, taro and cereals, and if you plan to order dessert after the meal, it will be a feast. Hamburgers are a daily food consumed by Americans. According to regulations, the fat content of ground beef in hamburgers must not exceed 30%.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations with my country in January 1979, American businessmen (especially large business operators) have been very interested in the Chinese market.

In the United States, generally light and clean colors are popular, such as ivory, light green, light blue, yellow, pink, and light tan.

It's hard to point out those particularly high-end colors in the United States. Surveys by many psychologists show that: 1. Solid colors are more popular; 2. Bright, bright colors are more popular than gray colors. Here are some interesting examples of the relationship between Americans' color preferences and purchasing habits:

New Yorkers like white eggs, so white eggs are often sold at high prices there. However, Boston citizens like reddish-brown eggs. They generally think that reddish-brown eggs are delicious and white eggs have a special taste. However, cooking experts agree that white eggs are better than reddish-brown eggs.

In recent years, Americans’ drinking habits have changed, which is consistent with the changes in the drinking habits of consumers in various countries. That is, switching from a preference for strong dark wines to non-fortified light wines. People are becoming more and more accustomed to drinking beer, wine and cider. According to statistics, the consumption of hard liquor in the United States, the world's largest alcohol consumer, is declining. In 1975, British whiskey accounted for 13.6% of total U.S. consumption, compared with only 11% in 1985. In the past 10 years, sales of low-alcohol wine in the United States have increased by about 30%. There is a popular saying in the United States that "light-colored wine is better for health than dark-colored wine."

In some places, people like to drink light tea, while in other places, people like to drink strong tea. Whether it is tea or coffee, it must be well blended with the local water. In addition, red cream or cheese is more popular than ordinary cream and cheese. Another example is that red salmon sells well in some places, while in other places due to customs, white salmon sells well.

The green asparagus tea is well received in Boston, while the white asparagus tea is well received in Chicago. In terms of clothing color, in the southern United States, women prefer blue, while New Englanders have rosy skin, so people there like to buy clothes that suit their skin color. In Texas, the number of people buying light brown items increases after Christmas.

Among the 10-cent toothbrushes in the United States, red accounts for about 50% of sales, but no high-end toothbrushes are made of red, because among high-end toothbrushes, amber has achieved great popularity. Successful and very popular. In addition, table knives with blue handles are more popular than those with black handles. This is because American women are particular about kitchen decoration and dislike monotonous utensils.

An example of a taboo color in the United States is that when a Japanese pen manufacturer exported pens to the United States, they used purple velvet linings in silver pen boxes, which was resented in the United States. Trademarks for goods used in the United States must be registered with the U.S. federal government, otherwise your goods will be counterfeited by others. It is best to use the company's name as a trademark for products sold in the United States to facilitate promotion.

The United States has a large number of Jews. Pay attention to local Jewish holidays. It is not advisable to visit during the two weeks before and after Christmas and Easter. Except for vacations from June to August, it is advisable to visit during the rest of the time.

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