China customs

China is a huge country both territorially and culturally. Within its borders live more than fifty ethnic groups, each with its own language and customs. Some of them are surprising to travelers. Here are some very curious Chinese customs.

Wave

The Chinese are people with deep-rooted customs. That is why until recently the most common thing was to greet a stranger with a slight bow of the head but shaking hands in the Western style is a gesture that is beginning to be accepted. However, at the moment they do not welcome greet kissing on the cheeks, not even women.

Superstitions

In China people are very superstitious. The government has been campaigning for years so that the Chinese do not spit on the ground, an ancient custom that they practice anywhere because they believe that this is how they expel evil spirits from within.

Chinese Food

Appreciated for its variety of dishes and its delicious taste, Chinese food is surely the most formal act. It is customary to eat with chopsticks, usually accompanied by a short-handled spoon to serve yourself or to take the soup.

Chopsticks should never be stuck vertically into a bowl of rice. It is a gesture of bad manners since it is reminiscent of a ritual of offering to the deceased. Nor should it be left inside the plate when you have finished eating or gesturing with chopsticks in hand. Once the meal is finished, the best thing to do is to place the chopsticks on the side of the table on the tablecloth.

Also, unlike the West in China, it is polite to slurp the soup or eat with a noise. And they do not bring the chopsticks to their mouths, but the other way around: they bring their head closer to the plate.

Gifts

It is customary in China to reject gifts three times before accepting them, so you have to insist. In addition, they never open them in the presence of the person who gives them unless it is a greeting or thank you card in which case it must be read instantly.

Funeral tradition

In traditional Chinese funerals, white is the official color of mourning, unlike in the West, which is black.

Image | Pixabay

Tea tradition

Since time immemorial, tea has been the traditional drink of China. The origin of Chinese tea is in its consumption as a medicinal product. Starting in the Ming Dynasty, numerous tea shops began to appear throughout the country and the drink became popular among all social classes. In this way, tea went from being a medicinal drink to a daily drink among the Chinese.

They take it anywhere at any time and the most consumed is green tea for its fresh taste. Red tea, Oolong tea, Pu Erh, and floral and fruit teas follow in popularity.

During a family or business gathering, teacups are always refilled. The hosts make sure they are not empty and when they are refilled it is customary to touch the table to show gratitude for this gesture. In addition, the Chinese usually serve the drink to their companions but not their own glass. That must be done by another diner.

Chinese wedding traditions

In ancient China, weddings were arranged by matchmakers. Currently, this is no longer done, but families continue to play an important role in deciding who their children marry.

Chinese tradition states that the groom's family must make gifts to the bride's family, including food and sweets, before they are married. After the marriage, the woman goes to live in the husband's house and becomes part of his family. From then on her main responsibility is to her husband's family rather than her own.

Image | Pixabay

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is the most popular and familiar tradition in the country. It takes place when the year ends according to the Chinese lunar calendar, so the date is not always the same.

On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, all Chinese return to their home towns to celebrate it with their family. In this way, the largest migratory movement in the world takes place in China every year.

During the week of the Chinese New Year it is customary to visit temples to pray for the family and the deceased. The Chinese profess great respect for their ancestors.

In addition, feasts are held in which the whole family gathers around a table to celebrate the entrance of the new year. At these dinners it is customary for married couples to give red envelopes with money (hongbao) to children and young people.


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