ASIA

SINGAPORE

  • There is a ban on long hair for men since the 1970s

Afghanistan

  • Kiss the bread if it fell on the floor

Japan

Hadaka Matsuri festival 

  • Slurping in Japan considered as a “Thank you!” to the chief. Sign of enjoying the meal. Some say that slurping also adding more flavour to the noodles

  • On Christmas Eve there is a tradition to dine at KFC.  Approx. more than 3.5 million Japanese head to KFC for Christmas Dinner, including queuing and ordering weeks in advance

 

  • First Geishas were men (13th century). Male geishas were called as taikomochi or houkan. Women geishas become known as geiko- “arts child”

  • #4 is the most unwanted and therefore widely avoided number in Japan and the reason behind of it is the way to pronounce that number – ‘shi’ which is too similar to the Japanese word for death

  • Hadaka Matsuri festival gives a chance to 1000 of Japanese men to strip naked in public to secure a fortune-filled year. Usually take place in city of Okayama on February (in 2022 on February 19th)

 

  • Kit Kat in Japan may sounds like ‘kitto katsu’ – ‘ good luck’ in Japanese 

  • Own seal, Hanko (use of Kanji characters to translate any name), instead of signatures –  usually could be up to three Hankos for different purposes, including signing letters, bank forms and an identify matters

  • Basashi – popular regional Japanese dish of raw horse-meat slices with ginger and onions

  • Shoes must be taken off once you enter the Japanese houses. However you must know where to put your shoes – upper area of the house usually is the living space, the lower area is for shoes 

Examples of Hanko

Thailand

  • Stepping on the Thailand’s money is a taboo

  • Forks are largely used to push no rice-based food into a spoon. 

South Korea

  • Older people eat first and other need to follow and keep the pace with the oldest person the entire meal. 

EUROPE

Portugal

  • To add an additional salt and pepper on the dish is in a way insulting the chef (This is also offensive in Egypt)

Greenland

  • The country’s flag has a polar bear in a blue shield – the polar bear is meant to symbolize the fauna of Greenland and the blue represents the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. 

  • June 21, the longest day of the year, is a national holiday.

Guadeloupe

  • Crab’s Festival is perhaps the most important celebration in the country, according to its citizens. 

South America (Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile) 


  • Have a special ritual to pay respect to the mother Earth(The Andean goddess of fertility and harvest Pachamama) which is called “Ch’alla” – Tip the glass over, spit a few drops on the ground or flick it with two fingers and saying, “Para la Pachamama.” 

OCEANIA

Fiji

  • ‘Fiji Time’ means no rush and take your time. The bus usually not running according to its schedule as the driver might stop to talk to friends, or have unexpected stops to help the family. This all tell about the Fijian lifestyle – a mix of traditional culture and a strong ties with the family and community.

 

  • There is a belief that coconuts have eyes and pick a certain people to fall on from the trees – bad luck for several days. Interesting superstition, is it not?! 

 

  • The sperm whale teeth is the most precious gift to give at funerals, marriages and important rituals or holidays.