etiquette in europe.doc

8/12/2019 Etiquette in Europe.doc

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Etiquette in Europe

Etiquette in Europe is not uniform. Even within the regions of Europe, etiquette may not be

uniform: within a single country there may be differences in customs, especially where there

are different linguistic groups, as in Switzerland where there are French, German and talian

spea!ers."#$

%espite this heterogeneity, many points of etiquette have spread through Europe and many

features are shared. &he ancient 'oman Empire is an historical source, and the cosmopolitan

royalty and also nobility were effective in spreading etiquette throughout Europe. For

e(ample in the ch)teau of *ersailles, where French nobility was concentrated, a complicated

etiquette was developed.+ontents "hide$

Language and forms of address

t is never acceptable to write an anonymous letter or one that purports to be signed by

somebody other than the writer but does not ma!e that clear-.

any languages use different pronouns to denote formality or familiarity when addressing

people the &/* distinction-. &his also applies in common phrases such as 01ow are you20.

"3$ &he use of an inappropriately familiar form may be seen as derogatory, insulting or even

aggressive. +onversely, forms that are inappropriately formal may be seen as impolitely

snobbish"4$ or distant.

&he way politeness is e(pressed varies greatly with language and region. For e(ample,

addressing a person with an honorific or title may be e(pected in some languages, but seen as

intrusive or too formal in others.

n many parts of Europe, using someone5s first name also denotes a certain level of

friendship. n social interactions with strangers, the last name and6or more formal mode of

address is used, usually until the people involved agree to move to an informal level. 7ut this

may not apply among young people, among members of particular groups e.g. students- or

in informal settings."8$

Flowers

+hrysanthemums are only appropriate for funerals.


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n some countries, certain flowers such as chrysanthemums- are given only at

funerals"citation needed$. n France, red roses are given when someone is in love."9$ n

Finland, the same applies e(cept that school leavers are often given red roses on passing their

matriculation e(amination abitur-."$ ;ellow flowers are inappropriate at weddings in

origin of this is that !nights were e(pected to remove their helmets when meeting their !ing@

not to do so would be a sign of mistrust and hostility."A$

Shoes

n some European countries you have to wear your shoes indoors, but in others, such as

=ustria, 7elarus, 7ulgaria, Boland, Slova!ia, +zech 'epublic, +roatia, Estonia,

Germany"citation needed$, Finland, Sweden, %enmar!, 1ungary, 'omania, celand, 'ussia,

considered rude not to ta!e your shoes off, unless you are told to !eep them on. t is usual all

over the world to remove shoes when entering someone5s home if they are wet or dirty.

Money

&al!ing or as!ing about one5s personal wealth, possessions or success in business is widely

viewed as vulgar. Beople will rarely say how much money they ma!e or have in the ban! nor

will they request such information from someone else. t is impolite to as! colleagues about

their salary and in some places of wor! it is forbidden."$ Even elsewhere, for e(ample wheregovernment employees5 salaries are publicly !nown, it is still considered e(tremely rude to

as! individuals how much they earn.

Transport

>hen using escalators in the Cetherlands, France, Spain, 'ussia and the


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gehen0 / 0stand on the right, wal! on the left0. =ll European countries e(cept 7ritain, reland,

alta, and +yprus drive on the right. n early times, medieval nobility !ept their sword ready

to draw with the right hand, so that pedestrians and equestrians would pass one another on the

left. 1owever, later, teamsters would drive large wagons with no driver5s seats. >hile

!eeping the whip on the right hand and the reins on the left, they would sit on the left horse,and drive on the right side of the road, in order to see that the wheels on the left would not

collide with oncoming traffic. Cowadays cars drive on the right with driver5s seat at left-,

and pedestrians wal! on the left if there is no footpath. &his is included in road safety

guidelines as it is easier for pedestrians to see oncoming traffic than traffic approaching from

behind. See 'ight and lefthand traffic.-

Queuing


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Spitting in the street is generally frowned upon and can actually be considered a

misdemeanour in 7ritain, though such laws are rarely enforced"citation needed$.

Source : http:66en.wi!ipedia.org6wi!i6EtiquetteHinHEurope

etiquette in europe.doc

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