How they say hello in different countries of the world. How people greet each other in different countries

How to say hello in different countries

Different countries greet each other differently. Traditions of greeting each other vary from a simple handshake to rubbing noses and sniffing cheeks. Moreover, the greeting has its own meaning!

Russia. When people meet, they wish each other health and exchange a friendly handshake.

IN USA to the question: “How are you doing?” the answer is: “Everything is fine!”, even if it’s far from the case. To say “bad” is the height of indecency!

Some Indian When people meet, they take off their shoes.

IN Tunisia When greeting on the street, it is customary to first bow, raise your right hand to your forehead, then to your lips, then to your heart. “I think about you, I talk about you, I respect you” - this is the meaning of this greeting.

Mongolia. When people meet, they say to each other, “Are your cattle healthy?”

Israel:"Peace to you!"

Residents of the country Tonga, located on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, when meeting with acquaintances, they stop at a distance, shake their heads, stomp their feet and snap their fingers.

IN Japan It is not customary to shake hands. When meeting, the Japanese bow with one of three types of bows - the lowest, medium with an angle of 30 degrees, or light.

Eskimos When greeting a friend, they lightly hit him on the head and shoulders with their fist.

Zulus (people in South Africa). When meeting, they exclaim “I see you!”

Residents New Guinea from the Koi-ri tribe, when greeting each other, they tickle each other under the chin.

Representatives of the African Akamba people living in the south Kenya, as a sign of deep respect... they spit on the person they meet.

Residents of the Republic Zambia V Central Africa When greeting, they clap their hands and curtsy.

Tibet. When meeting, people remove their headdress with their right hand, and put their left hand behind their ear and stick out their tongue.

India. People put their hands together as a sign of greeting and respectfully press them to their chest. Also in India in the morning they may ask: “Did mosquitoes bother you too much last night?”

China. When meeting, people bow with their arms extended along their bodies.

IN Italy When meeting each other they say “Ciao!”

Greetings from the Islanders Easter: stand straight, clench your hands into fists, extend them in front of you, raise them above your head, unclench your fists and let your hands fall calmly.

U Greenlanders There is no formal greeting, but when meeting, they always say: “Nice weather,” even if it is minus 40 degrees outside and the damp wind is blowing.

IN Botswana(a small country in southern Africa, most of whose territory is occupied by the Kalahari Desert), the traditional national “Pula” is translated as a wish: “Let it rain!”

And in ancient times the tribe Tuareg, who lives in deserts, had a very complex and long greeting. It began when two more people were about a hundred meters apart from each other and could last as long as half an hour! The Tuaregs bowed, jumped, made faces...

It is believed that handshakes appeared back in primitive times. Then, stretching out their hands to each other, people showed that they had no weapons, that they came in peace.

According to another version, the handshake originated during knightly tournaments. When the duel between two knights dragged on and it was clear that they were equal in strength, the opponents approached each other in order to discuss the peaceful outcome of the duel. Having gathered, the knights extended their hands for a handshake and held them like that until the end of the negotiations, thereby protecting themselves from possible treachery and deception on the part of the enemy. That is why the handshake is still common mainly among men.

Sociologist Spencer believes that shaking hands is a residual phenomenon of an ancient custom. In ancient times, warriors did not leave defeated enemies alive. But later the man came up with the idea that the enemy could be kept as a free servant, a slave. And recognizing himself as defeated and subjugated, as a sign of gratitude for the fact that he had been given life, the newly made slave first fell on his face, as if showing that he was killed, defeated, then slowly rose, kneeling, and extended both palms to his master, showing that he gives himself to him.

Perhaps that's why in Latin and the words “hand” - “manus” and “to submit” - “manus dare”, and later “mansuetus” - “tamed”, “slave” are cognates.

Thus, if we paraphrase a well-known phrase about a friend, we can say: tell me how you say hello and I'll tell you who you are.

In psychology there is a theory by Stanley Milgram - “ theory of six handshakes“. Its essence is that any 2 inhabitants of the planet are separated on average by only 5 levels of mutual acquaintances - that is, 6 handshakes. This hypothesis has been tested many times different ways, including computer modeling and Microsoft, but always found confirmation. She works! Surely, while walking around the Internet, you were often surprised to learn that an acquaintance of your acquaintance has been known to you for a long time!…

Workshop on tolerance

Tolerance training for teenagers Lesson 1 TOLERANCE: WHAT IS IT? (PART 1) Goals:

introduce teenagers to the concept of “tolerance”;
stimulate the imagination of participants in search of their own
understanding tolerance in three ways: (1) based on the development of “ scientific definition", (2) through an expressive form, (3) using an associative series.

Introductory part Target: - introduction to the problem Time required: 25 minutes.

Procedure: Group rules are accepted. Then the facilitator tells the group participants what “tolerance” and “intolerance” (or intolerance) are, about their manifestations and the consequences of intolerance. The lecture can be prepared by the presenter independently or based on the introduction to this manual. In conclusion, the facilitator presents the training goals written to the board and talks about them.

Acquaintance Time required: 15 minutes.

The facilitator invites the participants to introduce themselves as they would like to be called in the group (for example, use pseudonyms).

Procedure(possible options). Exercise "Snowball". Group members sit in a circle.

The presenter introduces himself first. Then the black man sitting to the left says the name of the leader and his name. Every next participant names in turn the names of everyone who introduced themselves before him. Thus, the participant who closes the circle will have to name the names of all members of the group.

Exercise “Neighbor on the right, neighbor on the left”

The participant holding the ball calls the names of the neighbors to his right and left, and then introduces himself. After that, he throws the ball to any of the group members. The person who received the ball must again name the names of his neighbors to the right and left and introduce himself, and so on.

Warm-up Goals:

creating a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in the group;
increasing intra-group trust and cohesion among group members.

Time required: 10 minutes. Exercise “How we are alike” Procedure: Group members sit in a circle. The host invites one of the participants into the circle based on any real or imagined similarity with himself. For example: “Sveta, please come out to me, because you and I have the same hair color (or we are similar in that we are inhabitants of the Earth, or we are the same height, etc.).” Sveta comes out into the circle and invites one of the participants to come out in the same way. The game continues until all members of the group are in a circle. Exercise “Compliments”

Procedure: The presenter invites the participants to come up with compliments for each other. He throws the ball to one of the participants and gives him a compliment. For example: “Dima, you are very fair man"or "Katya, you have a wonderful hairstyle." The person who receives the ball throws it to the person to whom he wants to give his compliment, and so on. It is important to ensure that the compliment is given to each participant.

Main content of the lesson Exercise “What is “tolerance”” Goals:

enable participants to formulate “ scientific concept» tolerance;
show the multidimensionality of the concept of “tolerance”.

Time required: 20 minutes. Materials: definitions of tolerance written in large sheets Whatman paper (see Appendix 1.2).

Preparation: Write definitions of tolerance on large sheets of paper and pin them to the board or walls before class begins. reverse side to the audience.

Procedure: The facilitator divides the participants into groups of 3-4 people. Each group will have to brainstorm its own definition of tolerance. Ask participants to include in this definition what they believe is the essence of tolerance. The definition should be short and succinct. After the discussion, a representative from each group introduces the developed definition to all participants.

After the end of the group discussion, each definition is written down on the board or on a large sheet of Whatman paper.

After the groups present their formulations, the presenter turns the pre-prepared definitions “facing” the audience. Participants have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with existing definitions and express your attitude towards them.

Discussion: The facilitator asks the following questions:

What makes each definition different?
Is there anything that unites any of the proposed definitions?
Which definition is most appropriate?
Is it possible to give one definition to the concept of “tolerance”?

As you discuss, pay attention to the following points:

The concept of “tolerance” has many sides.
Each of the definitions revealed some facet of tolerance.

Lesson reflection

Some of you were introduced to the concept of “tolerance” for the first time. Which definition of tolerance resonated with you the most?
Do you think the topic of tolerance is relevant, and if so, why?

Lesson 2 Tolerance: what is it? Warm-up Exercise “General Rhythm” Goals:- increasing group cohesion. Time required: 5 minutes.

Procedure. Participants stand in a circle. The leader claps his hands several times at a certain speed, setting a rhythm that the group must maintain as follows: the participant standing to the right of the leader makes one clap, followed by the next, etc. It should feel as if one person is clapping at a given rhythm, and not all members of the group in turn. This exercise rarely succeeds the first time. After several trial laps, participants who disrupt the general rhythm gradually drop out of the game.

Main content of the lesson Exercise: “Emblem of Tolerance” Goals:- continuation of work with definitions of tolerance; - development of imagination, expressive ways of self-expression. Time required: 20 minutes. Materials: paper, colored pencils or markers, scissors, tape.

Procedure. At the previous stage, participants developed their own definitions of tolerance and became familiar with existing ones. The presenter notes that the discussion took place on an intellectual, abstract level.

The next exercise will allow you to approach this from a different angle - participants will have to create an emblem of tolerance. Everyone will try to independently draw an emblem that could be printed on dust jackets and national flags. The drawing process takes 5-7 minutes. After completing the work, the participants look at each other’s drawings (to do this, you can walk around the room). After viewing the work of others, participants should break into subgroups based on the similarities between the drawings. It is important that each participant independently decides to join a particular group. Each of the formed subgroups must explain what is common in their drawings and put forward a slogan that would reflect the essence of their emblems (discussion - 3-5 minutes).

The final stage of the exercise— presentation of the emblems of each subgroup. Exercise “Pantomime of Tolerance” Target: the same as in the previous exercise. Time required: 15 minutes.

Materials: several definitions of tolerance written on separate sheets of paper; everything that can be useful for pantomime - a coil of rope, tape, drawing supplies.

Procedure. All participants are divided into 3-4 (3-5 people each). Each subgroup receives from definitions of tolerance posted on the board. The task is to pantomimically depict this definition in such a way that the other participants can guess which definition it is. we're talking about. To prepare a pantomime—5 minutes.

Discussion. The facilitator asks the following questions:

Which pantomime was the most “unambiguous” and did not cause any difficulties in guessing?
What difficulties did the groups encounter in creating the pantomime?

Exercise "Lukoshko". working with the concept of “tolerance” using an associative series; development of imagination, creative thinking. Time required: 10 minutes. Materials: a basket or bag with small items (for example, Kinder Surprise toys, badges, etc.). The number of items must exceed the number of group members.

Procedure. The leader walks in a circle with a basket containing various small objects. Participants, without looking into the basket, take one item. When everyone is ready, the presenter invites everyone to find some connection between this subject and the concept of tolerance. The story begins with the participant who first received the toy. For example: “I got a ball. It reminds me of the globe. I think tolerance should be spread throughout the world.” Give an idea of the characteristics of a tolerant and intolerant personality and the main differences between them. Lesson reflection

What new things have you learned about the concept of “tolerance” compared to the previous lesson?
What are the sides and aspects of tolerance in the most to a greater extent characterize this concept?

In all countries of the world, when people meet, they wish each other well. But outwardly it looks different.

In contact with

Classmates

Let's compare the greeting traditions of different countries so as not to make mistakes when traveling abroad

In Tunisia, When greeting on the street, it is customary to first bow, raise your right hand to your forehead, then to your lips, then to your heart. “I think about you, I talk about you, I respect you” - this is the meaning of this greeting.

Residents of Tonga, located on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, when meeting with acquaintances, they stop at a distance, shake their heads, stomp their feet and snap their fingers.

Residents of New Guinea from the Koi-ri tribe, when greeting each other, they tickle each other under the chin.

Residents of the Republic of Zambia In Central Africa, when greeting people, they clap their hands and curtsy.

Greenlanders There is no formal greeting, but when meeting they always say: “Fine weather.”

In Botswana - a small country in southern Africa, most of whose territory is occupied by the Kalahari Desert, the traditional national “Pula” is translated as a wish: “Let it rain!”

TajikWhen receiving a guest in his home, he will shake the hand extended to him with both of his own as a sign of respect. Giving one back is a sign of disrespect.

IN Saudi Arabia The owner of the house, after shaking hands, places his left hand on the guest’s shoulder and kisses him on both cheeks.

Iranians, having shaken each other's hands, pressed theirs right palm to the heart.

IN Congo They greet each other like this: they extend both hands towards each other and blow on them.

Hindus When greeting, fold your palms with your fingers up so that their tips rise to the level of your eyebrows. If close people have not seen each other for a long time, hugs are possible. Men hug tightly, patting each other on the back, and women hold each other's forearms and touch their cheeks once on the right and left. In words, Indians greet God in the person they meet - “Namaste!”

Japanese when meeting, they bow: the lower and slower, the more important the person. The lowest and most respectful is sakeirei, medium is at an angle of 30 degrees, light is only 15 degrees. At the same time they say “The day has come.”

Koreans and Chinese They also bow traditionally, but more and more Chinese prefer to greet in a modern way: by raising their clasped hands above their heads. But if several Chinese meet a new person, they may applaud him - they need to respond in kind. The traditional greeting phrase in China translates to: “Have you eaten today?”

On Middle East they bow with their heads bowed, hands lowered and pressed to the body. The right palm covers the left hand - this is a sign of respect.

In some North African countries They bring their right hand to their forehead, then to their lips, and then to their chest. This means: “I think about you, I talk about you, I respect you.” African Maasai, before offering their hand to an acquaintance they meet, spit on it.

A Kenny Akamba they simply spit at each other without bothering to extend their hand - nevertheless, this is a sign of deep respect. In the Zambezi they clap their hands while crouching.

IN Thailand They join their palms and place them on the chest or head - the higher, the more respectful the greeting. The gesture is accompanied by the exclamation “wai” - its duration also depends on the status of the person oncoming. When greeting respected persons, the man makes a low bow, and the woman curtsies in a kind of curtsy. If peers meet, the bow will be small, symbolic.

Tibetans With the right hand they remove the hat from the head, and with the left hand they put it in the ear and stick out the tongue. In this bizarre way, the absence of bad intentions is demonstrated.

Aborigines New Zealand when they meet, they generally do the unimaginable: they fiercely shout out words, slap their palms on their thighs, stomp their feet with all their might, bend their knees, stick out chests, stick out their tongues, bulge their eyes. This complex ritual can only be understood by “our own people”, which is how the natives recognize strangers.

Eskimos They lightly hit each other on the head and back with their fists. Only men do this.

Polynesians, on the contrary, they stroke each other on the back when they meet, sniff and rub their noses. The “nasal” greeting is also popular among the inhabitants of Lapland - it’s like they are warming their frozen noses.

Residents easter islands stretch out their fists in front of them at chest level, then raise them above their heads and, unclenching, “throw” their hands down.

In some Indian tribes It is customary to squat down when meeting a stranger and sit there until he notices - this demonstrates peacefulness. Sometimes they took off their shoes.

Entering the house African Zulus they sit down immediately, without waiting for an invitation or greeting. The owners of the home will greet the guest only after he takes a sitting position. Their traditional verbal greeting is: “I saw you!”

Living in Sahara Tuaregs begin to greet each other at a distance of a hundred meters from each other, and this drags on for a long time: they jump, bow, take strange poses - all in order to recognize the intentions of the person they meet.

IN Egypt and Yemen They put their palm to their forehead, turning it towards the person they are greeting.

Arabs cross their arms over their chest.

Australian Aboriginal people greet each other by dancing.

IN New Guineae foreigners are greeted with raised eyebrows. In Europe, close friends or relatives are also greeted. Where a handshake is customary, the words of greeting still vary.

It is believed that handshakes appeared in primitive times. Then, stretching out their hands to each other, people showed that they had no weapons, that they came in peace.

Having gathered, the knights extended their hands for a handshake and held them like that until the end of the negotiations, thereby protecting themselves from possible treachery and deception on the part of the enemy. That is why the handshake is still common mainly among men.

English greet each other with a question that literally means “How are you doing?” But in general, if an Englishman asks you “How are you?”, you need to answer “How are you?” - and the ritual will be considered completed. If you start telling in detail how you really are, this will cause hostility in an Englishman - in England it is not customary to share problems when meeting. Their handshakes are short and energetic - they do not like tactile contacts.

IN America Handshakes are also accepted, but a young American may greet his friend by patting him on the back.

IN Latin AmericaIt is not customary to hug when meeting. At the same time, the men tap their acquaintance’s back three times with their hand, holding their head above his right shoulder, and then three more times, holding their head above his left.

In France In an informal setting, even unfamiliar people perform a symbolic kiss when they meet: they alternately touch their cheeks. The French greeting sounds: “How is it going?”

German when we meet, he will ask a little differently: “How is it going?”, but Italian- “How are you standing?”

Other peoples do not ask anything when meeting: Greenlanders say “Nice weather!”, Navajo Indians exclaim: “Everything is fine!” When meeting, Persians wish: “Be cheerful,” Arabs - “Peace be with you!”, Jews - “Peace be with you!”, and Georgians - “Be right!” or “Win!” True, when entering a church or coming to visit, Georgians also wish for peace.

The most common greeting gesture for us is a handshake. But even in this there are differences: in Russia, for example, the man is supposed to greet first, and extend his hand to the woman (if she deems it necessary), but in England the order is reversed. But in any case, He takes the glove off his hand, and She doesn’t have to (but in this case, you shouldn’t realize the intention of kissing the lady’s hand instead of shaking hands).

IN Tajik family The owner of the house, receiving a guest, shakes the hand extended to him with both of his own as a sign of respect.

In Saudi Arabia similar cases After shaking hands, the head of the receiving party places his left hand on the guest's right shoulder and kisses him on both cheeks.

Iranians shake hands and then press their right hand to their heart.

In the Congo, as a sign of greeting, people who meet extend both hands towards each other and blow on them.

The African Maasai have a unique handshake: before offering their hand, they spit on it.

And the Kenyan Akamba do not bother extending their hands: they simply spit at each other as a sign of greeting.
The widespread handshake, which initially demonstrated that there were no weapons in the hands of those who met, is in tradition different cultures there is an alternative.

For example, Hindus fold their hands into “anjali”: they press their palms together in a fingers-up position, so that their tips rise to the level of the eyebrows. Hugs when meeting are allowed after a long separation and look special for men and women. Representatives of the stronger sex hug each other tightly, patting each other on the back; representatives of beauty - holding each other by the forearms, kiss each other with their cheeks - right and left.

The Japanese prefer bows to handshakes, which are lower and longer, the more important the person to whom they are addressed.

Saikeirei is the lowest, but there is also a medium one, when they are inclined at an angle of 30 degrees, and a light one - at only 15 degrees of inclination.

Since ancient times, Koreans have also bowed when meeting.

The Chinese, who are also traditionally more comfortable with bows, still quite easily move on to greetings through handshakes, and when a group of Chinese residents meet a new person, they can applaud - this is expected to be responded to in the same way. And the original tradition here was shaking hands... with yourself.

By the way, in Rus' it was also customary to bow, but during the construction of socialism this was recognized as a relic of the past.

In the Middle East, bowing with a bowed head with arms lowered and pressed to the body, when the right palm covers the left hand is a sign of respectful greeting.

And how beautiful the greeting ritual is in some North African countries! There they bring the right hand first to the forehead, then to the lips and after that to the chest. Translated from sign language, this means: I think about you, I talk about you, I respect you.

In the Zambezi they clap their hands while crouching.

In Thailand, joined palms are applied to the head or chest and the higher the status of the person being greeted, the higher the status. This gesture is accompanied by the exclamation “wai”.

Tibetans generally do incredible things: they take off their hat from their head with their right hand, and put their left hand behind their ear, while still sticking out their tongue. - This proves the absence of bad intentions on the part of the greeter.

The New Zealand aborigines also stick out their tongues and bulge their eyes, but not before clapping their hands on their thighs, stomping their feet and bending their knees. Only “one of our own” can understand this, so the ritual is designed, first of all, to recognize a stranger.

What the male Eskimos do is even more exotic (of course, only in our opinion): they hit each other on the head and back with their fists. Not much, of course, but it’s hard for the uninitiated to understand... However, they can also rub noses, just like the inhabitants of Lapland.

Polynesians also greet each other “more affectionately”: they sniff, rub their noses and stroke each other on the back.

In Caribbean Belize, the local population also maintains a unique greeting tradition: there it is supposed to apply to the chest clenched fists. Who would have thought that this was a gesture of peace? Fists are also used in greetings on Easter Island: they are extended in front of you at chest level, then raised above your head, unclenched and “thrown” your hands down.

The traditional greeting pose in a number of Indian tribes is to squat when seeing a stranger. It shows the peacefulness of the greeter, and the person he meets must pay attention to this, otherwise the Indian will be doomed to sit for a long time, because he needs to note to himself that he was understood. According to the laws of hospitality of the African Zulus, when entering a house, you must immediately sit down, without waiting for any invitation or greeting - the hosts will do this, but only after the person entering has taken a sitting position.

Interestingly, New Guinea also uses this facial movement, but to greet foreigners. However, not in all tribes.

So, among the Koiri it is customary to greet each other with a tickling touch of the chins.

The Tuaregs living in the Sahara say hello for at least half an hour, starting to jump, gallop, bow and sometimes take very strange poses at a distance of a hundred meters from the person they meet. It is believed that in the process of their body movements they recognize the intentions of this oncoming person.

In Egypt and Yemen, the greeting gesture resembles the salute in Russian army, only the Egyptians, putting their palm to their forehead, turn it towards the person they are greeting.

A Australian aborigines greet each other by dancing.

All over the world it is customary to leave about yourself good first impression. The surest way to do this is to express your respect for your interlocutor by greeting him traditionally. home country. However, the gestures and words of all peoples of the world are different, therefore, when going somewhere, it is important to know how people greet in different countries, so as not to lose face and win over others.

What does greeting mean?

Even when humanity developed and grew throughout the earth, when continents opened up, and people from different shores of the seas and oceans got to know each other, they needed to somehow designate what was most important to them. A greeting personifies mentality, outlook on life; when meeting, people pay attention to each other with various gestures and facial expressions, and sometimes words carry more deep meaning than it might seem at first glance.

Over time, the earth's inhabitants gathered into peoples, created their own countries, and preserve traditions and customs to this day. Sign good manners is knowledge of how people greet in different countries, since greeting a foreigner according to his customs is nothing more than the most deep respect.

and greetings

Traditions are not always preserved. IN modern world, where everything is subject to certain standards, it is not at all necessary to ask questions “how they say hello in different countries” or “what are the customs of this or that people.” For example, in most European countries, a business handshake will be enough to come to an agreement with another person and not run into conflict. The indulgent Germans, French, Italians, Spaniards, Norwegians and Greeks will be pleased even if the stranger cannot say hello to them. native language, but will say something in his own way. However, if we are talking about more distant inhabitants of the planet, then knowledge of how it is customary to say hello in different countries will be more than useful.

Words that are said when meeting

The culture and logic of other peoples are sometimes so fascinating and interesting that it is difficult to resist accidentally starting to say hello like another people. Just look at the things people say to each other when they meet. Some are only interested in business, others are interested in health, and others are not interested in anything at all except how their pets are doing. Meanwhile, answering these kinds of questions incorrectly is considered a kind of huge disrespect, at least it is tactless. Even the most avid traveler is interested in how they say hello in different countries of the world. Words, of course, play one of the most important roles. Now we'll find out. What should they be?

What do Europeans say when they meet?

If during a fleeting meeting with people of a different nationality you can get away with a simple handshake, then when paying a visit, it is still customary to say hello in the language of the country in which the tourist was lucky enough to find himself.

When meeting the French, they say the famous Bonjour, and then add: “How is it going?” In order not to be branded a fool, you need to answer this question as neutrally and politely as possible. In Europe, it is generally not customary to blame your problems on other people.

A German, by the way, will also be very interested to know how everything is going in your life, so in addition to Hallo being remade in its own way, you will also have to answer that everything is fine.

Italians are different from other Europeans. They are much more interested in whether your support point is good enough, so they ask: “How is it standing?”, which also needs to be answered in a positive tone. The beginning and end of the meeting are similar, because there is one word for it all - “Ciao!”

In England it is not at all believed that things happen regardless of human intervention, and therefore they are interested in how you actually do them: “How do you do?” But before that, the Englishman will smile cheerfully and shout: “Hello!” or "Hey!" Which, in essence, is similar to how people greet each other in different countries. The greeting “Hey” is the simplest, most understandable, friendly and universal greeting, just like the English language.

Greetings in Asian countries

In Asian countries there live people who are the most respectful of their traditions, and therefore greetings for them are an important ritual that must be observed.

Japan - The Land of the Rising Sun. As befits a place with such a name, the Japanese often rejoice at the new day. “Konnichiwa” seems to be a word of greeting, but in fact its literal translation is “The day has come.” The Japanese are most happy that the sun has risen over their land today. Moreover, any greeting is accompanied by a bow. The lower and slower a person bows, the more he respects his interlocutor.

The Chinese, hearing the short greeting “Nihao” addressed to them, will respond just as friendly. And by the way, they are more interested in whether you ate today than in what you are doing. This is not an invitation at all, but simple politeness!

In Thailand, the greeting ritual is a little more complicated, and instead of words, gestures are used to indicate the degree of respect for the interlocutor. The greeting word “Wai,” which can be drawn out for a very long time, is also part of the ritual familiar to Thais.

In Romania and Spain they prefer to praise a certain time of day: “Nice day”, “ Good night", "Good morning".

Many Australian and African times, instead of repeating after the rest of the world and greeting the way they greet in different countries (with words), prefer to perform their own ritual dances, which are unlikely to be understandable to a person completely far from their culture.

Traveling around India will truly bring pleasure - people there are always doing well, which they share.

Greetings in Russia

A huge country, stretching over almost half of the hemisphere, prefers to say hello in different ways. In Russia they don’t like fake smiles when meeting people. With a close friend, you can allow an informal “hello,” but for older acquaintances, they wish you health: “Hello!” In Rus' it was customary to bow, but over time it disappeared, so just words are enough for a Russian person. Men, wanting to remain gallant, may, on occasion, kiss the lady’s hand, and the girls, in turn, will curtsy modestly.

There are many cases in history when the rulers of Russia tried to teach people to greet people in the European manner, but one original Russian tradition still remained: greeting a guest with bread and salt at the door is the highest degree of hospitality. Russian people immediately seat the guest at the table and feed him delicious food and pours drinks.

Welcome gestures

Many rituals are accompanied in some countries by special gestures. Others are completely silent when meeting, preferring to express their intentions through gestures or touches.

Loving French people lightly kiss their friend on the cheeks and send air kisses. It doesn’t cost an American anything to hug a person they barely know and pat them on the back.

Tibetans, fearing the reincarnation of an evil king with a black tongue who does not recognize Buddhism, even before verbal communication They prefer to protect themselves first and... show their tongue by removing their headdress. Having made sure that the person has not been possessed by the spirit of the evil king, they continue their acquaintance.

In Japan, any greeting is accompanied by a bow. In China and Korea, the tradition of bowing is still alive, but since these countries are now the most developed, a simple handshake will not be an insult to them. Unlike the residents of Tajikistan, who grab both hands when meeting. Giving one hand is considered a gross mistake and disrespect.

In Thailand, the palms are folded towards each other in front of the face so that the thumbs touch the lips and the index fingers touch the nose. If the person is respected, the hand is raised even higher, to the forehead.

When meeting Mongols, the first thing they are interested in is the health of livestock. They say that if everything is fine with him, then the owners will not die of hunger. This is a kind of degree of care.

Arriving at the Arabs, you can see their hands clenched into a fist and crossed on their chest. Don't be afraid - this is also a kind of greeting gesture. Well, the most inventive people turned out to be the people of the Maori tribe in New Zealand, who rub their noses against each other. For a Russian person, such a gesture is very intimate, but knowing how it is customary to say hello in different countries of the world, you can adapt to everything.

World Greetings Day

It is known from history that peoples did not always get along with each other, and therefore did not greet each other often, completely forgetting about different traditions. Nowadays, knowing how people say hello in different countries of the world is a necessity.

However, during cold war everything was completely different: the countries lived their lives in proud silence. In order to somehow solve the problems of mistrust between peoples, World Greetings Day was invented.

On November 21, do not forget to send greetings to distant countries. For such an idea we need to thank two people who have been working for for long years loyalty of peoples to each other. The McCorman brothers - Brian and Michael - decided in 1973 to unite peoples through simple letters, and this tradition continues to this day.

Do you know that different peoples greet each other differently when meeting. For example, an ordinary handshake, in addition to the one accepted here, can be found in Central Africa.

Knowledge traditional culture behavior not only makes it possible to communicate normally with representatives of other nationalities, but also teaches you to respect other people's customs, no matter how strange and ridiculous they may seem at first glance.

In Africa, the most common handshake is a handshake, but you should not squeeze your friend's hand. The handshake should be weaker than is customary in the US and Europe. This conveys special respect for the interlocutor. If a handshake is made with two hands (the left hand supports the right), it means the absence of aggressive intentions, disposition towards the interlocutor, emphasizing social closeness with him.

In the Akamba tribe in Kenya, as a sign of deep respect, imagine, they spit on people they meet. The Maasai tribe also greets people with spitting. True, they spit on their own hands and then shake hands with others.

A Gambian would be mortally offended if he was given a left hand instead of a right hand. This kind of greeting is unacceptable.

In the Congo River basin, there is a custom to offer both hands to each other and, bending over, blow on them. Residents of Easter Island, to say hello, stand absolutely straight, clench their hands into fists, stretch them out in front of them, then raise them up above their heads, unclench their fists and finally let their hands fall freely.

New Zealanders don't need hands at all to greet someone. When greeting, they lightly rub their noses together, moving their heads up and down or from side to side.

Greetings from the Aboriginal people of New Zealand, Maori. Get ready for a little gymnastics. When met, the Maoris first shout words in a fierce and abrupt manner, then slap their hands on their thighs, then stamp their feet with all their might and bend their knees, and finally puff out their chests, bulge their eyes and stick out their tongues from time to time.

Some Malays, when greeting, put their fingers together and lightly slap each other, first on one side and then on the other. After this, they put their hands to their lips or forehead.

Among the tribes living on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the greeting begins with those meeting each other patting each other on the stomach, then clapping their hands and shaking hands.

Egyptians and Yemenis greet each other with the same gesture, reminiscent of the salute of Soviet soldiers, with the only difference being that in the Arabic gesture the palm is placed on the forehead and turned towards the one being greeted.

A Chinese in former times, when meeting another, shook hands with himself; nowadays, he makes a slight bow or nod of the head or shakes hands when greeting a foreigner (according to the Western model).

In Japan, when meeting, a verbal greeting is accompanied by a ceremonial bow, the depth of which depends on the age and position of both parties. Three types of bows are used - saikeirei (the lowest), a medium bow - with an angle of thirty degrees, and a light bow - with an angle of fifteen. The most respected and wealthy people are greeted with the lowest bow.

Ainu ( ancient population Japanese Islands) when meeting, fold their hands, raise them to the forehead, turn their palms up and slap themselves - men on the beard, and women on the upper lip, after which they shake hands.

The famous phrase “Memento more”, it turns out, was also a greeting: this is how members of the Trappist order greeted each other in the Middle Ages. The monks reminded each other that a person must live with dignity in order to avoid punishment for sins in the next world.

In Korea, the greeting is often accompanied by a ceremonial bow. The depth of the bow is determined by the social and age status of the greeter and the greeted. Nowadays, the handshake is becoming more and more common (especially in the North). Moreover, the eldest, the man, gives his hand to the woman first.

When meeting, Iranians shake each other's hands, then put their right hand to their heart (and the youngest or lower on the social ladder, if he is not greeted with a handshake, only puts his hand to his heart) - a sign of greeting and deep respect.

In the Middle East, reverence and deep respect for a high-ranking person are expressed as follows: the palm of the right hand covers the left hand, both hands are lowered down and pressed to the body, which is slightly tilted forward, the head is lowered.

Among some Indian tribes, when you see a stranger, it is customary to squat down until the stranger approaches and notices you.

In most countries Latin America In addition to the handshake, when meeting, one can observe a wild expression of joy and hugs, especially among acquaintances. Women exchange kisses on the cheeks, but when they first meet, they only shake hands.
Latin Americans hug.

Greetings from the residents of Easter Island: stand up straight, clench your hands into fists, stretch them out in front of you, raise them above your head, unclench your fists and let your hands fall calmly.

When meeting, Tibetans remove their headdress with their right hand, put their left hand behind their ear and stick out their tongue.

Representatives of the New Guinean Koiri tribe tickle each other with their chins when they meet.

In Samoa, you will be misunderstood if you don't sniff your friend when you meet.

Eskimos, as a sign of greeting, hit their acquaintance with their fist on the head and shoulders.

In France, when meeting and saying goodbye in an informal setting, it is customary to kiss, touching each other’s cheeks alternately and sending one to five kisses into the air.

Samoans sniff each other.

A resident of the Andaman Islands sits on another's lap, hugs his neck and cries.

In Singapore, the greeting can be either a Western style - a handshake, or a typical Chinese one - a slight bow. In Thailand, it is not customary to shake hands when meeting: the hands are folded in front of the chest, and the person bows slightly. But in the Philippines, shaking hands is traditional. A handshake among men is also typical in Malaysia; but when greeting a woman, especially an elderly one, they make a slight bow.

In Saudi Arabia, if a guest is invited home, then after shaking hands, the host places his left hand on the guest's right shoulder and kisses him on both cheeks. If the owner’s wife is at home at this moment, then you will be introduced to her; you must behave with her in a friendly but reserved manner; it is not customary to shake hands with a woman.

In Australia, the handshake is quite vigorous.

In India, men often shake hands when greeting and saying goodbye. They don't shake a woman's hand. When greeting a Hindu woman, you should bow slightly with your hands folded in front of your chest. The traditional greeting gesture in India is to exchange bows and place the hands palms up on the chest.

It is customary for Europeans to shake hands when greeting each other (today this is also a sign of respect), but this also has its own nuances. The British, unlike the Russians, very rarely shake hands with each other when meeting (they limit themselves to a slight nod of the head forward) and almost never do this when parting. Hugging is generally not accepted in England. English police officers do not welcome people approaching them for information or help.

In Spain, greetings other than the traditional handshake typical of business meetings, often accompanied by hugs and loud expressions of joy (from friends and good acquaintances); women kiss each other on the cheek. Italians love to shake hands and gesture. The French greet each other with a light handshake or a kiss.

In the US, shaking hands is more common on formal occasions than on social occasions. Everyday life, and is also used as a greeting when meeting people. Usually a handshake is not observed between people who see each other often or know each other through business. Women shake hands when meeting for the first time, and one of the interlocutors is the guest of honor. When a man meets a woman, they may or may not shake hands, but the woman extends her hand first. Sometimes there is an awkward pause because people of the opposite sex do not know whether they should shake hands.
If two Americans who know each other meet, they have a moment of greeting called a “flash of eyebrows”; this movement is, as it were, a signal to approach each other, and not just look and pass by. Typically the greeting starts at about 12 feet away (but can be longer in unpopulated areas). Typical behavior of an American at a long distance: he waves his hand, turns, greets, and the greeters walk towards each other, then extend their hands for a handshake (if they are friends or acquaintances), some men and women kiss, close acquaintances or relatives who have not seen each other for a long time , hugging. An American can smile to a stranger who accidentally meets his gaze, wink at an acquaintance (in cities and towns of the South and West, where people are more connected with each other), nod his head (in rural areas). In American culture, a kiss as a sign of greeting is accepted only among family or very close friends (but not between men); you can kiss an older woman.

Russians shake each other's hands and say “hello” or “good afternoon.”

Arab countries. When meeting, people cross their arms over their chests.

Mongolia. When people meet, they say to each other, “Are your cattle healthy?”

And in ancient times, the Tuareg tribe, living in the deserts, had a very complex and long greeting. It began when two more people were about a hundred meters apart from each other and could last as long as half an hour! The Tuaregs bowed, jumped, made faces...

The Russian peacekeepers were greeted in Yugoslavia in a very original way: during the NATO bombing, the locals said to ours instead of “Hello” - “S-300”, hinting that it was time to start retaliatory strikes.

By the way, in the thirties in Germany, some, risking freedom and life, shouted at rallies instead of Heil Hitler “Halb liter”, that is, half a liter.