Have you ever stood at the international terminal of an airport and watched people greeting one another after a long journey? It doesn't take long to recognize that not every culture greets the same way. You will see some groups of people exclaiming loudly, hugging and kissing, while others bow down to touch feet. Greetings, both formal and friendly, and how comfortable people are being touched can vary widely from culture to culture.
How people greet one another isn’t always so easy to figure out, especially when it comes to intercultural greetings. A kiss, a hug, a handshake, a bow, a fist-bump (which, by the way, is gaining a good deal of germ phobic scientific momentum), all need to be determined in a millisecond. Add to that issues of gender, familiarity or unfamiliarity, status, title… and you’ve got a lot to figure out in a literal instant. And sometimes, as this recent article in The Atlantic points out, what we assume about the way certain cultures react to physical touch, human proximity and greetings might actually be quite different that what is widely assumed and taught. (Who would have thought that people from Finland like hugging more than Italians do?!)
Of course, the medium firm, medium long handshake is the default greeting of the global workplace, but nothing fouls a first impression like going in for a handshake as your colleague moves to hug, or vice versa. Greetings are used worldwide, but types of greeting, and the usages of them, can be very different depending on the culture of the ones greeting each other. Body language and cultural differences mean the words used to greet people are different, and so are the actions that accompany the words.
Even within a culture, greetings have many forms. Two people may greet each other differently depending on familiarity, whether they are acquaintances or closer friends. In addition, greetings can depend on the social status, ranking, or respect level of the people greeting one another.
Although it may be difficult to learn precisely how you should greet every person in a given culture, it is at the very least a good idea to know a general greeting before you visit a new country. Never assume that the way you are used to greeting people will be normal in the place you are going.
Here at CultureWizard we offer this simple formula for cross-cultural greetings.
- Do a bit of research on the ins and outs of where you are going, who you are meeting and how that culture tends to greet.
- Allow the home culture to take the lead. For instance, if you’ve traveled to France, delay a moment to read the greeting you’re about to receive and then react in kind. Or, if Taiwan has come to you, you take the lead in that first greeting.
- Use the medium-firm, medium-long handshake as your default greeting for both professional men and women the world over.
Here’s our Global Greeting Guide:
ITALY, SPAIN AND MUCH OF EUROPE
Go for two quick cheek kisses: first on the right, then on the left. And if you don't know someone well, they may settle for a handshake. This is the standard for most places in Europe.
FRANCE
The bise (yes, it's notorious enough for a name) is complicated: Offer your right cheek as a starting point. The ensuing number of kisses will vary by region, anywhere from one kiss in certain areas to five kisses in huge swaths of the north. Just go with it.
GERMANY
A good firm handshake between colleagues is the norm but you might get the occasional on the left cheek.
THE UK
Fancy folk might go for the kiss, inspired by the other European nations which surround them. But unless you want to risk your colleague recoiling in horror, stick to a handshake.
THE NETHERLANDS
The norm between friends is precisely three kisses, always performed right-left-right. Vague acquaintances won't kiss, and neither will two men. When it comes to work, stick with the handshake.
GREECE
Shake hands for acquaintances, but hug and kiss with someone closer. A two-cheek kiss is almost always accompanied by a back "clap," which can tend to come out more like a well-choreographed slap.
BRAZIL
Women greet with a kiss more often than men do – two kisses will get you by in Rio, but the official number can vary from one to three depending on where you are.
ARGENTINA
The South Americans are known to be touch-y, even to new acquaintances. Go in for a casual hug (but not a full-on embrace), with a single kiss on the right cheek.
AUSTRALIA
A handshake and "G'day" are the standard for your first meeting, but closer friends might issue one cheek kiss.
THAILAND
Press your palms together in a prayer pose, and bow your forehead to touch your fingertips. It's called the wai -- the higher your hands are, the more respect you're showing.
INDIA
People know to shake hands with Westerners, but if you're meeting a local and want to issue a typical greeting, place your palms together in prayer position, tip your head forward (but don't do a full bow), and say "Namaste."
CHINA
The cupped-hand bow has gone out of style in favor of the more modern handshake. In formal situations, though, lower your head to show respect.
THE UNITED STATES
A good ol' handshake will do.
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