Do you hug, kiss or shake hands? Or maybe you should bow? One of your first opportunities to commit a cultural faux pas, or to look like a cultural expert, comes up right when you first meet a
In many cultures, a simple handshake will do, whereas in others a bow is more appropriate. And then, of course, there's the matter of how much you should bow. Bow too much, and it could be construed as mockery, at which point you've dishonored your host (and yourself).
Social media this week has come alive with the video of US President Donald Trump embracing French President Emmanuel Macron. You've likely seen the images by now, but if you haven't, on Tuesday, during President Macron's state visit to Washington, D.C., President Trump went in for a hug as the two stood outside the White House. President Trump embraced his French counterpart and then proceeded to kiss him on the left cheek and then on the right.
Since then, social media has been awash with talk of the "bromance" between the two world leaders, with some folks praising the relationship and others criticizing it.
We won't jump into that argument, of course, but we do want to touch on the cultural aspect of what President Trump did. After all, Americans are typically very respectful of personal space and kissing is not a common greeting between men in the U.S.
A quick visit to the CultureWizard Country Profile would tell you that kissing upon greeting is common among friends. Additionally, some regions of France are more prone to kissing than others (regions in the south of France tend to give as many as four kisses on the cheek with a greeting, as opposed to just one kiss, which is more common in northern France).
Though a kiss between men is not as common in northern France, it's not inappropriate at all! So, was President Trump on the right track?
It would appear that by kissing President Macron, President Trump not only acquiesced to French cultural norms, but he may have communicated to the French leader that he views their relationship not so much as a professional one between heads of state but rather as a genuine friendship (or at least that that's what he wants their relationship to be). In addition, by sticking to just one kiss per cheek, he more closely matches the norms typical of northern France, which is where the Amiens-born French president is from.
It would appear, then, that President Trump made the right call, culturally-speaking!
The same may not be said, however, about his decision to pick dandruff off of President Macron's shoulder in front of the press. Unfortunately, we can't be sure because there's nothing in the Country Profiles about dandruff-picking!
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