One of the best things about travelling is learning a bit about other cultures, but learning about other cultures comes with the risk of faux pas. Avoid these hand gestures while you travel, just to not offend your hosts. Some of them may be familiar, but others are pretty unique.
Most people probably know that the peace sign can, if your fingers are the wrong way, be the equivalent of flipping someone off in the UK, but you may not know that the “come hither” beckoning gesture you’re probably familiar with is pretty disrespectful in Japan and some other southeast Asian nations.
The same applies if you hold up your palm to signal someone to stop. Perfectly normal in some countries, and in some cases just a signal you want someone’s attention. In Greece however, it’s pretty rude. The video above explains all of these and a few more gestures — and it’s worth remembering that if you’re a tourist, most people will understand culture clash on some level and give you a pass — but a little education goes a long way, and ideally you won’t need that pass at all. Hit play to see more.
Hand Gestures to Avoid Abroad (in 90 seconds) [Cyplon Holidays (YouTube)]
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.