France
- Do’s
- Greet people with “bonjour madame/monsieur” which means “Good day, sir/mam”
- Shake hands with people when you arrive or leave work
- Kissing the person on the cheek as a greeting or when you leave
- Talk formally
- Bring gifts when you invited to other people’s parties and celebrations
- Don’ts
- Do not come empty handed to social occasions
- Do not begin drinking until all guests expected to attend have safely come
- Do not or avoid sensitive speaking topics or bragging and do not use inappropriate voices
Germany
- Do’s
- Come early to scheduled meetings and appointments
- Shaking hands as greetings (arriving and leaving)
- Use respectful/formal language
- Call people by their last name and add “sie” at the end
- Wish the people that you are eating with a good meal or “Guten Appetit”
- Wish people good day or “Guten Tag”
- Call people by their last name and add “sie” at the end
- Respect other’s privacy and knock on doors for permission
- Using your fork and knife to make a shape like an “X” as indication that you will still continue your meal
- Set your eating utensils aside once you do not wish to continue your meal or have completed your meal
- Come early to scheduled meetings and appointments
- Don’ts
- When in business matters, do not greet people by kissing their cheeks
- Do not be late
- Do not force people to do things they wish not to do such as drinking alcoholic drinks
- Do not play with your eating utensils
- When in business matters, do not greet people by kissing their cheeks
United Kingdom
- Do’s
- Offer presents to friends and families on special occasions and events such as holidays
- The presents picked are fitting for the person it is addressed to
- The presents picked are fitting for the person it is addressed to
- Address people with a proper title that is accompanied by their last name
- Shaking hands as greetings when you have arrived or when you are leaving
- Pay the bill for yourself and the people you came with
- Following the formal/class system
- When introducing someone to another person, show the person whose position is lower to the person whose position is higher
- When introducing someone to another person, show the person whose position is lower to the person whose position is higher
- Offer presents to friends and families on special occasions and events such as holidays
- Don’ts
- Do not make surrounding people uncomfortable by unnecessary actions and gestures such as long eye contact
- Do not situate or sit yourself until you have been asked to do so
- Do not address people informally until having agreed to it
- Do not come empty handed to a place where you have been invited to come to to attend
- Do not make surrounding people uncomfortable by unnecessary actions and gestures such as long eye contact
Switzerland
- Do’s
- Keeping your areas clean and organized as the Swiss take cleanness highly
- Shaking hands while keeping direct eye contact
- Standing tall and still in public
- Saying “Herr Ober” to waiters and “Fräulein” to waitresses to dismiss them
- Waiting for the host or organizer of the event to start off the drinks
- Politely finishing all the food that is offered to you as it might be deemed rude to not finish
- Being respectful to those of higher position
- Keeping your areas clean and organized as the Swiss take cleanness highly
- Don’ts
- Calling someone that you are not close with by their first name
- Lazily stand in public
- Showing up late to an event with no proper explanation
- Drinking before the person who is hosting the event has made a toast
- Being demanding at a party that you are invited to
- Making no effort in clean appearance
- Littering
- Putting your elbows or feet/legs on a table where people eat
- Calling someone that you are not close with by their first name
Ireland
- Do’s
- Take jokes lightly and return the joke with another playful banter as it is in the culture to be funny
- Greet people by shaking their hands
- Make eye contact when talking to and greeting people
- Open gifts upon receival
- Exchange of gifts during holidays
- Take jokes lightly and return the joke with another playful banter as it is in the culture to be funny
- Don’ts
- Gifting lilies that are traditionally for events and celebrations leaning towards the religious side to people
- Gifting white flowers that are traditionally for events of those deceased to people
- Gesturing people to go away with your hand
- Coming late to a party that you are invited to since parties usually contain food that can spoil or become cold
- Gifting lilies that are traditionally for events and celebrations leaning towards the religious side to people