If case you don’t know what faux pas are they are the unwritten social rules and we follow by in everyday life, like for example addressing your folks with their first name instead of the usual “mom” and “dad” or talking with your mouth full. So now must be aware of them by now but what about the other kinds of faux pas that exists in other locations on earth that aren’t consider offensive in your own neighbourhood? Well you may be surprised at some of them but they are what they are in their local customs. Consider reading and remember these when you are about to travel to that certain place in the world. Or else you might unintentionally cause some offense and you won’t even know why they are mad in the first place. Now lets take a look at some of them right now.
GREECE:
You all know that gesture when you show the number 5 with your whole hand or better yet known as “talk to the hand,” well did you know that in greece that is actually considered really offensive to the locals. To us it’s nothing, we would just shrug it off but not to greek. The part that is appalling to them is when your palm faces the person would is taken on disrespect.
SOUTH AMERICA:
I briefly discussed this in my fire vs. ice article in my blog but not acknowledging a presence of a certain individual in a group of people interacting, simply but not greeting the person nor saying good bye when you leave, in north america this can exist but it is way more relaxed. I myself am guilty of this in the past, before I usually don’t think this a big deal but I have learned to get offended by this myself as time passes while living here in South America.
JAPAN:
There are quite a number for example, at family/social dinner pouring your own drink instead of having someone pour it for you is tagged a faux pas, chances are you know of bowing as a greeting which is taken anything lightly over there in their own culture, it is a MUST especially if you meet someone more elderly and of a higher social status.
KOREA:
Much of the same faux pas applies to Japan, but another one can be writing someone elses name in red, now why is that? Because in their culture red symbolizes DEATH!
THAILAND:
I have heard of this one a long time ago when a talked with someone who has travelled to thailand. According to her, the touching of the head of another person which the head is sacred, also another one you must know that you must not step over their currency since their money contains the images of their king.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN:
The eating and shaking hands with the left hand, I should watch myself with that since I am left handed, also the addressing the informal “you” instead of the traditional formal “you” to elders is also considered a faux pas.
BRAZIL:
One that can be unexpect to you in brazil is the inverted “ok” gesture which represents to the brazilians as an anus.
FRANCE:
One of their faux pas would be asking for cheese after finishing their dessert and asking others directly for their full names and what their jobs are.
MIDDLE EAST:
Showing the soles of your feet which is consider private to encouraged from public view, much like our attitudes to the crotch and for women the breast area.
EASTERN EUROPE:
Giving someone who is alive an EVEN number of flowers is consider rude since they would do that only in funeral services, I am sure there would be some over analystical people who would count the flowers so be “careful” on that one.
