Cultural Differences

Cultural differences can be seen as various beliefs, behaviours, languages, practices and expressions that are considered one of a kind to the members of a certain ethnicity, race or national origin.
While most members of society have more similarities than they do differences, these differences can result in issues that stem from culture clash.

Every culture will have a certain way of doing things that are deemed polite, but will come off as rude and disrespectful in different cultures.

Here are some examples:

Feeding in Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, it is common to feed another person as a sign of love and friendship and it is deemed rude if you do not accept the food you are being offered.

Nudity in Iceland.

In Iceland nudity is quite a normal sight to behold. It applies to both men and women and it comes with no backlash.
This doesn’t apply to swimming pools, in order to use them you must first shower while the pool guard verifies that you do so and put on your bathing suit. Only then can you enter the pool.

Greetings in Japan.

In Japan it is deemed appropriate to ask a person’s age. Due to the Japanese language being to diverse and complex, there are different words you can use that depend on the age and social status of the person you are talking to.

Hand Gestures in Turkey.

Hand gestures are seen as rude in Turkey, simple hand gestures that could be deemed as harmless could mean something entirely different and disrespectful in Turkey.

Gift Giving in China.

In China, giving people certain gifts can be offensive, such as gifting cut flowers, which is only done at funerals.
Gifting somebody a clock is also deemed inappropriate and is supposed to enforce bad luck.

Touching People’s Heads in Malaysia.

Touching the head of a baby or an adult can come off as rude in Malaysia. Pointing your finger is also seen as a negative thing and should be avoided.

Being Late in Tanzania.

It is considered rude in Tanzania to show up on time for dinner, you must show up 15 minutes late at the earliest. And when you do arrive, do not mention that you can smell the food as that is also a rude gesture.

Throwing Tomatoes in Spain.

There is a festival in Spain called La Tomatina. It consists of people who are participating in the festival who throw tomatoes at each other for around 1 hour. Although it sounds like it could be harmful, there are rules you must adhere to:

• Throwing or ripping t-shirts is not allowed.
• Hard objects or bottles are not allowed.
• The tomato must be squashed beforehand so it can’t be used to harm somebody.
• When you hear the loud signal, this means the festival has come to an end and you must refrain from throwing anything you have in your hands.

Traveling to new countries is always going to be an experience, but in some countries, there are things that are seen as inappropriate or rude that to us seem completely fine and normal. If you are traveling to a new country it is always best to gain as much information as you can before your visit so that you can avoid any misunderstandings with the residents of the country you are visiting.