Greetings From

Around the World

 Let’s sum things up

 1. Stick out your tongue

Tibet
 It all began with monks,
who would stick out their
tongues to show that they
came in peace
2. Bump noses
Qatar, Yemen, Oman,
United Arab Emirates
 The traditional Māori greeting is performed
by two people pressing their noses together;
some include, at the same time, the
touching of foreheads. The greeting is used
at traditional meetings among Māori
people, and at major ceremonies, such as a
pōwhiri.
3. Air kiss on the cheek
France, Italy, Spain, Portugal,
Latin America, Ukraine, and
Québec, Canada

 In Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico, São

Paulo (Brazil) and Colombia, one air
kiss is standard, whereas in Spain,
Portugal, Paraguay, Italy, and cities like
Paris and Québec, it’s two. In Russia
and Ukraine, three is the norm, and in
some parts of France, it’s up to four air
kisses on alternating cheeks.
4. Rub noses (and
sometimes foreheads)
New Zealand
 This pressing together of forehead and
nose is what New Zealand’s indigenous
Māori people call a “sharing of breath.”
5. Shake hands
Botswana, China, Germany,
Zambia, Rwanda, and the
Middle East
 A handshake isn’t as simple as it seems
when you take it on the road. In Middle
Eastern countries, for example,
handshakes involve the right hand only,
where the left hand is considered
unclean.
6. Clap your hands
Zimbabwe and
Mozambique
 In Zimbabwe, the clapping of hands
comes after folks shake in a call and
answer style—the first person claps
once, and the second person twice, in
response. Just be careful how you slap
those palms together. Men clap with
fingers and palms aligned, and women
with their hands at an angle.
7. Put your hand
on your heart
Malaysia
 Take the opposite person’s hands lightly
in yours. Then, release the other
person’s hands and bring your own
hands to your chest and nod slightly to
symbolize goodwill and an open heart.
It’s polite for the other person to return
the gesture.
8. Bow
Cambodia, India, Nepal,
Laos, Thailand, and Japan
 in India, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, and
Thailand, press your palms together in an
upward-pointing prayer position at heart level
or higher, then bend your head slightly
forward to take a bow.
 In Thailand, taking a bow is referred to as
the wai, and the higher you place your hands,
the more respect you’re showing. In Japan, on
the other hand, a deeper bow indicates a
higher level of respect and prayer hands aren’t
used.
9. Sniff faces
Greenland and
Tuvalu (Oceania)
 In Greenland, kunik, the Inuit tradition
of placing your nose and upper lip
against someone’s cheek or forehead
and sniffing, is limited to very close
relationships.
10. Revere your
elders
Asia and Africa
 This means greeting seniors and older
folks before younger people and always
using culture-specific titles and terms of
respect upon first meeting.
 In the Philippines, they take an older
person’s hand and press it gently to
their foreheads.
 In India, locals touch older people’s feet
as a show of respect.
Handshake Etiquette Around the World