Forms of greeting in different countries. How people greet each other around the world

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Travel notes

Getting ready to travel to new country, we try to learn a few phrases in the language of the country we are going to. And we are interested, and people are pleased when they say "thank you" or "please" on their mother tongue. We have collected for you unusual greetings from the peoples of the world, which will surely remain in your memory, and if fate suddenly throws you to Samoa or Kenya, you will remember our article and greet local residents according to all customs and canons.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the indigenous people, the Maori, touch each other with their noses when they meet. This tradition goes back centuries. It is called "hongi" and symbolizes the breath of life - "ha", ascending to the gods themselves. After that, the Maori perceive the person as their friend, and not just as a visitor. This tradition is observed even when meeting at " highest level”, so do not be surprised if you see on TV how the president of a country rubs his nose with the representative of New Zealand. This is etiquette and should not be broken.

Iran

Iranians shake hands at a meeting, then put their right hand to their hearts (moreover, the youngest or lower standing on the social ladder, if he was not greeted with a handshake, only puts his hand to his heart) - a sign of greeting and deep respect; in the Middle East, respect and deep respect to a high-ranking person they express it 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.

Andaman Islands

A native of the Andaman Islands sits on the knees of another, hugs his neck and cries. And do not think that he is complaining about his fate or wants to tell some tragic episode from his life. Thus, he rejoices in meeting his friend, and tears are the sincerity with which he meets his fellow tribesman.

Samoa

Samoans sniff each other when they meet. For them it is rather tribute ancestors than a serious ritual. Once upon a time, in this way, the Samoans tried to find out where the person they greeted was from. The smell could tell how many people walked through the jungle or when last time ate But more often than not, a stranger was identified by smell.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, after shaking hands, the host puts the guest's left hand on the right shoulder and kisses on both cheeks. If the owner’s wife is at home at this moment, then you will be introduced to her, you need to be friendly with her, but restrainedly, it is not customary to shake hands with a woman.

Kenya

The Maasai tribe is the most ancient in Kenya, it is famous for its ancient and unusual rites. One of these rituals is the welcome dance to Adam. It is performed only by the men of the tribe, as a rule, these are wars. The dancers stand in a circle and begin to jump high. The higher he jumps, the brighter he will show his courage and courage. As the Maasai lead natural economy, they often have to jump like this when hunting lions and other animals.

Tibet

In Tibet, when they meet, they show each other their tongue. Such a custom goes on from IX, when Tibet was ruled by the tyrant-king Landarma. He had a black tongue. So the Tibetans were afraid that the king, after his death, might settle in someone else, and therefore they decided to show their tongue in order to protect themselves from evil. If you want to follow this custom as well - make sure you don't eat anything that stains your tongue in dark color otherwise misunderstanding may occur. The arms are usually held crossed over the chest.

Mongolia

During the meeting of the guest, the owner of the house gives the visitor a silk or chintz ribbon - khad. Its color is white, pale blue or light yellow. Taking the hada with both hands, the guest should bow slightly to the host.

Baffin Island, Canadian Arctic

The main population here is the Eskimos, and so they strike a friend with a fist on the head and shoulders as a sign of greeting. They hit hard and hard - this is how the residents check how ready a person is for adversity and frost, which literally “hit” the inhabitants of this region. The tradition is centuries old and is popular with this nation in many places of residence.

Greenland

At northern peoples inhabiting Greenland, there is a tradition: when meeting close people, one of them presses his upper lip and nose to the face of the other and breathes. This ritual is called "kunik". There is a misconception that this tradition arose among the Eskimos due to the fact that their lips freeze to each other in severe frost during ordinary kisses. In fact, this action does not have an erotic meaning, but is a form of friendly greeting between close people who, when meeting, often have only their nose and eyes bare with clothes.

Philippines

When you visit the Philippines, you will see a very unusual greeting. At a meeting, the one who is younger bows to his right hand takes the right hand of an older person, and then with the knuckles of his fingers touches his forehead, saying: "Mano po." These words mean hand ("mano") and respect ("po"). In general, the age cult in the Philippines is very important. You will never see an old man standing and a young one sitting. Also, you will not see that one hundred of the elders carry a heavy bag, there will always be someone younger who will help carry the burden home.

How to say hello in different countries?

How many times a day do we say hello? "Good afternoon!" We welcome the client. "Hello!" - we say to a friend. "Hello!" - talking on the phone Do you know what these words mean? Where did the custom of greeting each other come from?

If you look at how it is customary to greet in different countries, then the conclusion simply suggests itself that the greeting has some kind of deep meaning:

For example, in France they say: "Comment ca va" - which can be translated: "How is it going?".

And the Italians greet each other with the words: "Come sta", which means: "How are you standing?"

An Arab would say to you: "Salaam alei-kun!" - "Peace be with you!"

An Englishman would ask "How do you do?" which literally means "How are you doing?"

In India, for example, in the morning you would be asked: "Did the mosquitoes bother you too much last night?"

The traditional greeting in Thailand is called "wai", in which hands clasped together are applied to the head or chest, with the position of the hands and the duration of the whole gesture determined social position welcomed: the more significant the status of the person, the higher the palms rise, and the longer the wai lasts.

The origin of this gesture is deeply rooted in ancient history states. Unlike the handshake adopted in European countries, in Thai society they greet at a considerable distance from each other, pressing their palms to their chest and slightly bowing their heads. At first glance, it only seems that all Thais do “wai” in the same way. You will be right if you say this, because, for sure, you can judge by the way they do it when they greet you, foreigners. As soon as you observe a little how this happens in a normal home environment, where there is a difference in age and position between family members, you will very soon see clear differences.

Obviously, people of different nations in greeting emphasize what is most important in their lives. For Russians, it is health, from which our "Hello!" comes, i.e. live healthy, be healthy. For the British and Americans, this is work. For the Italians - stability, and for the French, on the contrary, - change. For the Arabs, as well as for some African peoples, peace. And if you try, you can certainly find confirmation of this in the history of countries.

In addition to words and expressions, we also use gestures to greet.

The most common is probably the handshake. It is studied by psychologists, believing that it says a lot about a person's character. Etiquette ascribes a whole ritual, who, when and to whom should shake hands.

It was customary for the Indians to run up to each other and rub their noses. So they expressed their joy from meeting a person and good disposition towards him.

And in the old days, it was customary for noble gentlemen to bow to each other, taking off their hats and sweeping the floor with feathers? Insanely beautiful and romantic custom! But this, too, was not just an elegant ritual. The style of greeting, the number of steps and the waving of the hat spoke of the nobility and position of the nobleman, even his rank and privileges. Thus, the gentlemen showed each other what place they occupy in society.

Later, this greeting became simpler, as, in fact, the hats themselves. The men began to greet each other, slightly raising their headdress. And now hardly anyone wears hats. And the custom itself, greeting, taking off your hat, came to us from knightly times, when two knights, greeting each other, raised the visor of the helmet, or even took it off to reveal their faces. So they demonstrated sincerity and purity of intentions.

In Europe and New Guinea, it is a common custom to greet each other at a distance with a "take-off" of the eyebrows, when both eyebrows simultaneously rise, fly up. Only in Europe this gesture is used to greet good friends and relatives, in New Guinea - to greet foreigners.

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

Now, perhaps, many of these customs may seem meaningless. But they have their own history and their own motives. The Tuareg, for example, tried in this way to recognize if a stranger was approaching him in order to prepare, in case of danger, for defense.

The same goals were pursued by the special greetings of the members secret societies or organizations. Remember the Angelica books? The inhabitants of the Court of Miracles, beggars, greeted each other and spat on the ground. The Nazis threw forward a hand with a straightened palm. Even the divers from Sergey Lukyanenko's book had their own special greeting - extending their hand, they cunningly folded their fingers.

There are several theories about the origin of the custom of shaking hands when greeting each other.

The most common is that in ancient times, when people gathered in small groups-tribes, often at war with each other, meeting each other, they, like the Tuareg, held out their hands to each other, showing that they had no weapons, that they had come with the world.

But there is another theory.

Sociologist Spencer believes that the handshake is a residual phenomenon ancient custom.

In ancient times, warriors did not leave alive defeated enemies. But later a man came up with the idea that the enemy can be kept as a free servant, a slave. And recognizing himself defeated and subdued, as a token of gratitude for the fact that life was given to him, 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 is why in Latin and the words "hand" - "manus" and "submit" - "manus dare", and later also "mansuetus" - "tamed", "slave" are the same root.

And, perhaps, this is where the custom of kissing the hand of a more noble and influential person comes from? The nobleman - to the king, the servant - to the nobleman, the man - to the woman, demonstrating his humility, bowing before someone else's greatness.

Spencer doesn't stop there. He further suggests the following. Let us fast forward to later times, when the phenomenon of slavery was already in the past, but the division into castes still remained. Imagine a not very powerful person wants to please a more influential person by kissing his hand, demonstrating respect. But an influential person, to the best of his own reasons, not just modesty, but perhaps disgust, opposes this and tries to pull his hand away. The first insists on his own. And what happens? It is quite possible that the custom of shaking hands, greeting each other, could be born from such a pulling of the hand.

Interesting theory? Therefore, the next time a man kisses your hand, you can safely consider yourself a queen!

Yuri Nikulin in his book recalled that in the first days of the war, our territory in large quantities the Germans, dressed in the uniform of the Soviet military, were thrown. One of these saboteurs was summed up by an unexpected meeting on the street with Soviet general: instead of taking it under the visor, he threw his hand up.

In the Akamba tribe of Kenya, as a sign of deep respect, they spit on the oncoming one. Also spitting greet in the Maasai tribe. True, they spit on their own hands, and then shake hands with another.

Memento more - "remember death." The famous phrase, it turns out, was also a greeting: this is how members of the Trappist order greeted 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.

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

In some Indian tribes, it is customary to squat at the sight of a stranger until the stranger approaches and notices you.

The Japanese are very responsible for greetings. They use three types of bows - very low, medium and light. The most respected and wealthy people are greeted with a low bow.

Tibetans at a meeting take off their headdress with their right hand, lay their left hand behind their ear and stick out their tongue.

In the New Guinea tribe, the Koiri tickle each other with their chins when they meet.

In Samoa, you will be misunderstood if you do not sniff your friend when you meet.

Native New Zealand greetings: when meeting, they first shout out words in a ferocious and staccato manner, then slap their thighs with their hands, then stomp their feet with all their might and bend their knees, and finally inflate chest, bulging eyes and sticking out tongues from time to time.

* Russia. People at a meeting wish each other good health and exchange friendly handshakes.
* Germany. Strictly! Until 12 noon they say " Good morning", from 12 to 17 - "Good afternoon", after 17 - "Good evening".
* USA. Question: "How are you?" Answer: "Everything is great!", even if not everything is great. Saying "bad" is the height of indecency!
* Malaysia. Question: Where are you going? Answer: Walk.
* Israel. People say to each other "Peace be with you!"
* Iran. People say to each other "Be cheerful!"
* Greenland. People say to each other "Good weather!", even if it's minus 40 degrees outside and a damp wind is blowing!
* France. When meeting and parting in an informal setting, it is customary to kiss, touching each other's cheeks in turn and sending one to five kisses into the air.
* Italy. People say "Chao" to each other.
* Countries Latin America. When meeting, it is customary to hug even if it is an unfamiliar or complete stranger.
* Lapland (a region in Finland, Sweden and Norway). When meeting people rub their noses against each other.
* Japan. When meeting, people bow in one of three types of bows - the lowest, medium with an angle of 30 degrees, or light.
* China. When meeting, people bow with arms extended along the body.
* India. As a sign of greeting, people fold their hands together and respectfully press them to their chest.
* Arab countries. When meeting, people cross their arms over their chests.
* Samoa (an island state in the Pacific Ocean). When meeting people sniff each other.
* Tibet (a region in China). When meeting, people take off their headgear with their right hand, and put their left hand behind their ear and stick out their tongue.
* Zulu (Negroid people in South Africa). When they meet, they exclaim "I see you!".
* It is customary for some African tribes to spit at each other when they meet, and a more delicious spit is a sign of more respectful attitude, and if they didn’t spit at you, this is a sign of complete disrespect, if not contempt.
* Some Indian tribes in America have to squat when meeting. This position is considered the most peaceful.
* Some Indian peoples take off their shoes when they meet.
* Mongolia. When meeting people say to each other "Are your cattle healthy?".
* Representatives of some people in China shake hands with themselves when they meet.
(from internet)

Going on a long journey, do not forget to study at least elementary rules behaviors accepted in this or that exotic country. A respectful greeting is the first thing that will not only ensure a good mood for you and those around you, but also help you make new friends.

IN Greenland it is customary to "kiss" with noses, pressing the upper lip and nose to the face (nose, cheeks or forehead) of the other person. True, such a greeting is acceptable only between relatives, and is by no means used by strangers. When they meet, the Greenlanders say: “Great weather!” - even if it is -40 °С outside. Nose rubbing as a greeting is common in New Zealand.

If you are lucky enough to visit Tibet, get ready to be surprised: instead of the traditional Ukrainian handshake, passers-by show their tongues to each other. The tradition originates from the 9th century, in which King Landarma, the persecutor of Buddhism, ruled. According to legend, the ruler had a black tongue. The Tibetans were afraid that Landarma might be reborn. To prove that You are not a cruel king reborn after many centuries, it is supposed to show the oncoming tongue.

In a Kenyan tribe Maasai before giving an oncoming hand, you need to spit on it. Also, representatives of the tribe can greet guests by jumping high. The unusual tradition comes from the adumu military dance, at the end of which the warriors stand in one line and begin the high jump competition.

IN Africa there are still tribes (for example, the Zulus) in which the words “I see you” are used instead of greeting.

If you are going to say hello to your French friends, don't forget about the famous "la bise" - a double kiss on both cheeks. French people they love to kiss when they meet and send from one to five air kisses.

Filipinos show respect for elders by bending down and pressing their forehead against their right hand. And if You also say the respectful “Mano Po” (“Let me have your hand, please”), you can count on a special location.

In Lapland, it is customary to rub noses when meeting. Keep this in mind if you're planning to spend Christmas in Santa Claus' home. And here eskimos lightly hit a friend on the head and shoulders (although only men greet like this).

And if you are taken into China, do not forget: they greet each other, bowing to each other with arms extended along the body, or exchanging remarks that are strange for a European: “Have you eaten rice today?” “Yes, thank you, and you?” In fact, no one cares if you had breakfast in the morning - it's just a tribute to tradition.

The Japanese greeting is a whole ritual. Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun bow to each other. Moreover, in Japan there are three types of bows: "sekerei" - the lowest bow, used for the most honored guests; middle - at an inclination of 30 °; light - at an angle of 15 °, as a sign of a friendly greeting. Bowing, the Japanese say: "The day has come."

Traditional greeting in India(the famous Namaste) looks like this: a person joins his palms, presses his hands to his chest and bends slightly. The word "namaste" comes from ancient Sanskrit and means "I bow to You".

An interesting habit of greeting exists in Zambezia: there they applaud the one they meet, slightly squatting. But in Samoa(island country in the Pacific Ocean) friends sniff each other.

The traditional greeting of the inhabitants of Botswana - "Pula" - is translated as a wish: "Let it rain!" It is not surprising, because a significant territory of this African country is occupied by the Kalahari Desert.

IN Arab countries cross their arms over their chests, and some Indian tribes take off their shoes when they meet. IN Congo stretch out their hands towards their friends and blow on them.

Very nice hello Thailand. Such a greeting is called "Wai" - the palms are folded together and brought to the chest or face, bending slightly.

And if you visit Mongolian, be on the alert: when inviting a stranger into the house, the owners favor them with a khada - a long piece of silk or cotton. Take it with both hands and bow slightly. Accepting a gift with one hand is the height of disrespect.

Do you know that different nations they greet each other differently when they meet. For example, an ordinary handshake, in addition to that adopted by us, 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 respect for other people's customs, no matter how strange and absurd they may seem at first glance.

In Africa, the handshake is most common, but you should not squeeze your friend's hand. The handshake should be looser than is customary in the US and Europe. This conveys special respect for the interlocutor. If the handshake is done with both hands (the left hand supports the right one), 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 spitting on the oncoming one. Also spitting greet in the Maasai tribe. True, they spit on their own hands, and then shake hands with another.

A resident of the Gambia will be mortally offended if he is given a left hand instead of his right hand. Such a gesture of greeting is unacceptable.

In the Congo River basin, there is a custom to give each other both hands and, bending down, blow on them. The inhabitants 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, open their fists and finally let their hands fall freely.

The people of New Zealand do not need hands at all to greet someone. When greeting, they lightly rub their noses, moving their heads up and down or from side to side.

New Zealand Aboriginal greeting, Maori. Get ready for a little gymnastics. When meeting, the Maori first shout out words in a fierce and staccato manner, then slap their hands on their thighs, then stomp their feet with all their might and bend their knees, and finally puff up their chests, bulge their eyes and stick out their tongues from time to time.

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

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

The Egyptians and Yemenis greet each other with the same gesture, reminiscent of the salute of the Soviet military, with the only difference being that in the Arabic gesture, the palm is applied to the forehead and turns to the one who is being greeted.

The Chinese in the old days, when meeting another, shook hands with himself, in modern times he makes a slight bow or nod of his head, or shakes hands if he greets 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 - saikerei (the lowest), medium bow - with an angle of thirty degrees and light - with an angle of fifteen. The most respected and wealthy people are greeted with the lowest bow.

Ainu ( ancient population Japanese islands) at a meeting, they fold their hands, raise them to their forehead, turn their palms up and slap themselves - men on their beards, and women on their 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 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 person greeting and being greeted. Now the handshake is becoming more common (especially in the North). Moreover, the elder gives his hand first, the man - to the woman.

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

In some Indian tribes, it is customary to squat at the sight of a stranger until the stranger approaches and notices you.

In most Latin American countries, in addition to shaking hands at a meeting, one can observe a stormy expression of joy, hugs, especially among acquaintances. Women exchange kisses on the cheeks, but at the first meeting - only a handshake.
Latinos embrace.

Residents of Tibet, when meeting, take off 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 do not sniff your friend when you meet.

The Eskimos, as a sign of greeting, strike a familiar fist on the head and shoulders.

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

Samoans sniff each other.

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

In Singapore, the greeting can be in the Western manner - a handshake, and typical for China - a slight bow. In Thailand, it is not customary to shake hands when meeting: the hands are folded in a “house” in front of the chest, and the person bows slightly. But in the Philippines, shaking hands is traditional. The handshake is typical among men and 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 puts the guest's left hand on the right shoulder and kisses on both cheeks. If the owner’s wife is at home at this moment, then you will be introduced to her, you need to be friendly with her, but restrainedly, it is not customary to shake hands with a woman.

In Australia, the handshake is quite vigorous.

In India, when greeting and parting, men often shake hands. Women do not shake hands. When greeting a Hindu woman, you should bow slightly with your hands clasped in front of your chest in a “house”. The traditional gesture of greeting in India is the exchange of bows and the folding of the hands with the palms up on the chest.

It is customary for Europeans to shake hands when greeting (today it is also a sign of respect), but even here there are some nuances. The British, unlike Russians, very rarely give each other a hand when they meet (they limit themselves to a slight nod of their heads forward) and almost never do this when they say goodbye. Hugging is generally not accepted in England. English police officers do not welcome people who turn to them for information or help.

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

In the US, the handshake is more common on formal occasions than on Everyday life, and is also used as a greeting when meeting. Usually, a handshake is not observed between people who see each other often or know each other on business. Women shake hands if they meet for the first time, and one of the interlocutors is an honored guest. If 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 due to the fact that people of the opposite sex do not know whether they should shake hands.
If two Americans meet who know each other, then they have such a moment of greeting as a “flash of eyebrows”; this movement is, as it were, a signal to approach each other, and not just to look and pass by. Usually the greeting starts at a distance of about 12 feet (but may be more in deserted places). Typical behavior of an American at a distance: he waves, turns, greets, and the greeters go 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 met his eyes, wink at a friend (in the cities and towns of the South and West, where people in more connected to each other), nod your head (in rural areas). In American culture, a kiss as a sign of greeting is accepted only within the circle of family or very close friends (but not between men), you can kiss a woman who is older.

Russians greet each other by the hand and say “hello” or “good afternoon”.

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

Mongolia. When meeting people say to each other "Are your cattle healthy?".

Russian peacekeepers in Yugoslavia were greeted 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 their freedom and life, shouted at rallies instead of Heil Hitler "Halb liter", that is, half a liter.

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 the interlocutor with the traditional greeting home country. However, the gestures and words of all the peoples of the world are different, therefore, when going somewhere, it is important to know how people greet people in different countries so as not to lose face and win over others.

What does greeting mean

Even when humanity was developing and growing all over 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 is most important to them. The greeting personifies the 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 inhabitants of the earth gathered into peoples, created their own countries, and traditions and customs are kept to this day. sign good manners is the knowledge of how people greet each other in different countries, since to greet a foreigner according to his customs is nothing but the deepest 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 do they greet in different countries" or "what are the customs of this or that people." For example, in most business handshakes, it will be enough to negotiate with another person and not run into a conflict. Condescending Germans, French, Italians, Spaniards, Norwegians and Greeks will be pleased even if the stranger cannot choke out greetings in their own language, but say something in their own. However, if we are talking about more distant inhabitants of the planet, then knowing how it is customary to greet in different countries will be more than useful.

Words that are spoken at a meeting

The culture and logic of other peoples is sometimes so fascinating and interesting that it is difficult to resist inadvertently starting to greet like other people. What are the only ones that 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, incorrectly answering such questions is considered a kind of huge disrespect, at least it is tactless. Even not the most inveterate 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 will 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 off with a simple handshake, then, when paying a visit, it is still customary to greet in the language of the country in which the tourist was lucky enough to be.

The French at a meeting say the famous Bonjour, and then add: "How does it go?" In order not to be considered a fool, you need to answer this question as neutrally and politely as possible. It is not customary in Europe to hang your problems on other people at all.

The German, by the way, will also be very interested to know how everything is going in your life, so in addition to the Hallo 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 fulcrum is good enough, so they ask: “How is it worth?”, 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 all this - "Chao!"

In England, things are not considered to be independent of human intervention, and therefore they are interested in how, in fact, you do them: "How do you do?" But before that, the Englishman will smile fervently and shout: “Hello!” or "Hey!" Which, in fact, is similar to how people say hello in different countries. The greeting "Hey" is the simplest, most understandable, friendly and universal, like the English language.

Greetings in Asian countries

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

Japan - Land of the Rising Sun. As befits a place with such a name, the Japanese often rejoice at the new day. "Konnichiva" - it seems that this is 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. In this case, any greeting is accompanied by a bow. The lower and slower a person bows, the more he respects the interlocutor.

The Chinese, having heard a 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 do. This is not an invitation at all, but a simple courtesy!

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. Greeting“Wai”, which can be pulled for a very long time, is also part of the ritual familiar to Thais.

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

Many Australian, African times, instead of repeating after the rest of the world and saying hello the way they say hello in different countries (in words), prefer to perform their ritual dances, which are unlikely to be understood by a person who is completely far from their culture.

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

Greetings in Russia

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

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

Welcome gestures

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

Loving French people lightly kiss each other on the cheeks, send air kisses. It costs nothing for an American to hug a barely familiar person and pat him 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 headgear. After making sure that the spirit of the evil king did not inhabit the person, they continue their acquaintance.

In Japan, every 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, then a simple handshake will not be an insult to them. Unlike the residents of Tajikistan, who grab both hands when they meet. Giving one hand is considered a gross mistake and disrespect.

In Thailand, the palms are folded together in front of the face so that the thumbs touch the lips, and the index fingers touch the nose. If the person is respected, they raise their hand even higher, to the forehead.

Mongols at a meeting are interested first of all in the health of livestock. Say, if everything is fine with him, then the owners will not die of hunger. It's a kind of care level.

Arriving to the Arabs, you can see the hands clenched into a fist, crossed on the chest. Do not be afraid - this is also a kind of greeting gesture. Well, the most inventive were the peoples 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 greet in different countries of the world, you can adapt to everything.

World Hello 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 various traditions. Now knowing how to greet people in different countries of the world is a necessity.

However, during cold war it was not like that at all: the countries lived their lives in proud silence. In order to somehow solve the problems of distrust between peoples, the World Day of Greetings 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 trying for for long years loyalty of peoples to each other. The McCorman brothers - Brian and Michael - decided in 1973 to unite the peoples with the help of simple letters, and this tradition continues to this day.