How people say hello and goodbye tells you a great deal about a culture.
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How people say hello and goodbye tells you a great deal about a culture. A bow in Japan, a namaste with joined hands in India, a nose press in New Zealand, three kisses in the Netherlands, a long enquiry after the family in West Africa: each is a small ritual of respect. They teach us who speaks first, how close to stand, whether to touch and whether to look in the eye. Farewells have their own forms, from the gentle refusal to let a guest leave to the blessing given to a traveller. Knowing a few of these customs helps a visitor feel welcome and avoid giving offence.
A greeting acknowledges another person, offers a sign of peace and sets the tone of the meeting. It is also a way of showing rank, age and relationship, since many languages and customs differ in how they greet an elder, a stranger and a friend. A good greeting is quick but not careless, and a parting is a chance to leave a warm feeling. Many cultures treat greetings as a duty, so that to pass someone without a word would be rude. They are among the first things a child is taught.
The main forms are the bow, the handshake, the kiss, the embrace, the hand on the heart, the joined palms and the touching of noses or foreheads. Speech often asks about health, family or the journey, and the questions are customary rather than literal. Who greets first, how long the greeting lasts and whether to use titles are all governed by rules. Gifts, such as a bunch of flowers, tea or a small present, may accompany the greeting, and goodbyes often involve walking a guest to the door or the road.
Many greetings come with food and drink: coffee in Arabia, tea in Central Asia, bread and salt in Slavic countries, kola nuts in West Africa, a kava cup in Fiji. Dress may be part of the greeting, as in the lei placed on a visitor in Hawaii or the scarf, khata, offered in Tibet and Mongolia. Music welcomes guests in some places, with a song of welcome sung at a Maori powhiri, a drum greeting in Africa, or a blast of pipes in Scotland.
Greetings have shifted with travel, business and technology. Handshakes became less common during the pandemic, and many people adopted a nod, a wave or a hand on the heart. In business the handshake and the exchange of cards have become global, but local forms remain among friends. Online, new rituals of emoji and short messages mark a hello and goodbye. Many schools and companies now teach basic greeting customs to help people from different cultures to work together comfortably.
Namaste, with palms pressed together and a slight bow, is the common Hindu greeting, and young people touch the feet of elders to receive a blessing. Handshakes are used in business, though many people wait for the other to offer.
Read: NamasteThe wai, a bow with palms together, is given higher according to the status of the person greeted. A younger person wais first, and monks are given the highest wai.
Wai, being writtenThe bow, ojigi, ranges from a nod to a deep bow, and the depth shows respect. Business cards are exchanged with both hands and a small bow.
Read: Bowing in JapanA bow is used with a handshake, supported by the left hand on the right forearm as a sign of respect. Elders are greeted first, and age decides the form of address.
Korean honorifics, being writtenMen greet with a handshake, a hand to the heart and a long enquiry about health and family. Women often use a hand on the chest, and a guest is offered tea.
Read: As-salamu alaykumSalaam alaikum, peace be upon you, is answered with wa alaikum salaam. Friends may kiss on the cheek or touch noses in the Gulf, and the hand over the heart follows a handshake.
Read: As-salamu alaykum
NamasteThe Indian greeting with joined palms.
Bowing in JapanOjigi and its degrees.
Cheek kissingLa bise across Europe.
Bread and saltThe Slavic welcome.As-salamu alaykumThe Muslim greeting of peace.Also part of it, and being written: Wai (Thailand's greeting.), Hongi (The Maori nose press.), Shalom (Hello, goodbye and peace.).
In many places a hand to the chest or a nod is a polite alternative, and it is often used for religious reasons. A quick explanation and a smile usually put people at ease.
It shows that you value the person and their household. The answers are expected to be brief and positive, and the exchange is a ritual rather than a request for news.
It signals sincerity and respect, and is used in many countries of the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Latin America, often after a handshake or in place of one.
With a bow, a hand on the heart or a touch of the feet, depending on the culture, and with a title rather than a first name. Letting them speak first is always a safe choice.
Many cultures give the farewell as much weight as the greeting, with blessings, gifts and walking the guest out. A guest who leaves abruptly may seem to be ungrateful.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
The traditions written up so far, best known first.
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreName day
A calendar tradition where people celebrate the feast day of the saint after whom they are named.Festival
🇫🇷 France and 5 moreCheek kissingfaire la bise
A greeting gesture where people touch cheeks or lips to cheeks to show friendship or respect.Etiquette
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreHandshake
A brief clasp of hands to greet, part or seal a deal, with local rules on how it is doneEtiquette
🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao)
A Lao rite that calls the soul home and ties a thread on the wrist for good luckSpiritual
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 moreTalofa
The Samoan hello and goodbye, also heard in Tuvalu and on LifouEtiquette
🇳🇿 New Zealand and 2 moreMarae
A cleared, sacred gathering place at the heart of Māori and Polynesian community lifeSpiritual
🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and 4 moreMajlis
A traditional sitting room and community assembly for hospitality and civic counselEtiquette
🇳🇿 New ZealandKarakia
Māori incantations and prayers recited for spiritual guidance, safety and ceremonySpiritual
🇰🇼 KuwaitDewaniya
An evening gathering and reception central to Kuwaiti social, business, and civic lifeEtiquette · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇳🇿 Auckland, New ZealandWharenui
A Māori carved communal meeting house at the centre of tribal life in New ZealandHome
🇦🇺 AustraliaSmoking ceremonyNumbuk Yabbun
An Aboriginal Australian ritual of burning native plants to cleanse, heal and welcomeSpiritual
🇬🇷 GreeceXeniaξενία (xenia)
An ancient Greek code of hospitality and guest-friendship rooted in reciprocity and divine duty.Etiquette
🇮🇳 IndiaNamasteनमस्ते
A respectful greeting made with joined palms, spoken in South Asia and beyondEtiquette
🇧🇪 Belgium and 5 moreSaint Nicholas Day
The feast day of Saint Nicholas, kept in Advent with gifts, shoes and church servicesSpiritual
🇾🇪 Mokha, Yemen and 7 moreArabic coffeeqahwa (Arabic: قهوة)
A bitter, spiced brew served as a gesture of hospitality across the Arab world.Table custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇷🇸 SerbiaSlavaСлава
An annual Serbian family feast honouring their patron saint with blessed bread and wineSpiritual · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreMehreganمهرگان
An Iranian autumn festival honoring Mithra, friendship, and the harvestSeasonal
🇳🇿 Waitangi, New Zealand and 2 moreWaitangi DayTe Rā o Waitangi
New Zealand's national day remembering the 1840 founding agreement.Ceremony · Breakfast
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 2 moreTsagaan SarЦагаан сар
The Mongolian Lunar New Year festival of peace, elders, white foods and renewalSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇱🇦 Luang Prabang, Laos and 5 moreLao New Yearປີໃໝ່ລາວ
A mid-April water festival and Buddhist celebration marking the Lao new yearFestival
🇩🇪 Cologne, GermanyCologne CarnivalKölner Karneval
A street festival in Cologne with parades, masquerades and a ruling trioFestival
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreLebaranHari Raya Lebaran
Indonesia's festive season of homecoming, seeking forgiveness and shared feastsFestival · Breakfast
🇪🇹 Ethiopia and 1 moreEnkutatashእንቁጣጣሽ
The Ethiopian New Year festival of song, yellow daisies and family feastsSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇳 Sambalpur, IndiaNuakhai
An agricultural festival in Western Odisha welcoming the first rice of the seasonSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanJapanese New Year正月
An annual celebration of renewal, seasonal foods, and bell ringing across JapanSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇷🇸 Serbia and 5 moreSerbian ChristmasБожић
A three-day midwinter observance focused on oak logs, floor straw and family gatheringsSpiritual · Dinner
🇵🇭 Philippines and 3 moreManoPagmamano
A Filipino greeting where a younger person bows and asks an elder for a blessingEtiquette
🇻🇳 VietnamTếtTết Nguyên Đán
The Vietnamese festival of the lunar new year, welcoming spring with family gatheringsFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇳🇿 Waitangi, New ZealandPōwhiri
A formal Māori welcome onto a marae, with calls, speeches, song and the hongiEtiquette
🇨🇮 Ivory Coast and 1 moreAbissa
A week-long New Year festival of the Nzema people in Ivory Coast and Ghana, marked by sacred drums, dance, and forgiveneFestival
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 3 moreChaand Raatचाँद रात, چاند رات
The South Asian night of moon-sighting and celebration before EidFestival
🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreBread and saltхлеб-соль
Bread and salt offered to a guest: a welcome kept from Russia to AlbaniaEtiquette
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreEid al-Ghadirعید الغدیر
A Shia Muslim festival of prayer, gifts and shared meals, kept on 18 Dhu al-HijjahSpiritual
🇯🇵 JapanBowing in Japanお辞儀
The Japanese bow, used to greet, thank, apologise and show respectEtiquette
🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreVisitation
A Christian feast commemorating Mary's journey to visit her cousin ElizabethSpiritual
🇨🇳 ChinaKowtow叩頭
A traditional Chinese prostration of deep respect by kneeling and bowing to the groundEtiquette
🇩🇪 GermanyHat tip
A gesture of lifting or touching one's hat to show respect, greeting, or thanksEtiquette
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreHip hip hooray
A traditional celebratory cheer of call and response to honour someoneFestival
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreStatue rubbing
A global custom of touching public statues to seek luck, love, or a return to the city.Festival
🇮🇳 IndiaPranamaप्रणाम
A traditional Indian gesture of reverent bowing, prostration, and touching the feetEtiquette
🇮🇱 Safed, IsraelShalom Aleichemשָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם
A traditional song sung on Friday night to welcome Sabbath angels into the homeSpiritual
🇺🇬 Mengo, UgandaEkisaakaate
A royal Buganda cultural retreat teaching heritage, crafts, and manners to the youngRite of passage
🇺🇬 UgandaEkisaakaate
A Buganda youth retreat teaching traditional manners, crafts and life skillsEtiquette
🇬🇧 United KingdomStirrup cup
A farewell drink served to guests as they depart, often while mounting a horse.Etiquette
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
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