Touch

26 cards in this category — of which 25 complete, 1 under development.

• Caressing a child's head (Buddhist Southeast)Touching the head of a Thai or Laotian child offends the most sacred part of the body.
  CompleteInsult
• La bise française (2, 3 or 4 depending on the region)A regional map of the bise: Paris 2, Provence 3, Alsace 4. For foreign visitors, counting cheeks becomes an exercise in social improvisation.
  CompleteCuriosity
• Three Belgian-Dutch kissesThe third Belgian kiss confuses the Parisians, who are used to two.
  CompleteCuriosity
• The Latin American abrazo: chest to chestThe chest-to-chest embrace embarrasses the Anglo-Saxons.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• No physical contact in JapanNo touching during normal greetings in Japan: strict cultural taboo.
  CompleteOffense
• A masculine kiss for the Middle EastTwo men kiss cheeks: fraternal affinity/close friendship.
  CompleteInsult
• Triple Russian kiss Orthodox EasterThree Russian kisses-Easter above all, deep religious fraternity
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• No heterosexual touching South AsiaNo heterosexual contact South Asia - strict Hindu/Muslim taboo
  CompleteInsult
• No touching of the opposite sex (Thailand)Thai Buddhism advises against unmarried contact: religious/social respect.
  CompleteInsult
• Tapping a colleague's shoulder: hierarchy deniedFriendly shoulder tap: informal equality/camaraderie (Anglophones).
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Number of Brazilian kisses varies by regionOne or two kisses depending on coastal region/indoor: fluid local norm.
  CompleteCuriosity
• No touching of the opposite sex (Orthodox Judaism)Torah/Mishna prohibits unmarried contact: religious law (Shomer Negiah).
  CompleteOffense
• Muslim woman handshake refusalIslam forbids unmarried skin-to-skin contact: respect hijab/modesty.
  CompleteInsult
• Shake hands respect elder (South Korea)Two hands, slight inclination: Confucian hierarchical respect.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Filipino mano: kissing the elder's handDorsal kiss on eldest hand: absolute filial/community respect (Mano).
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Touching elder feet (Hindu India)Pranama: kissing the feet of parents/gurus: absolute Hindu filial respect.
  CompleteInsult
• Tongan kissing ceremonyBrief front cheek kiss: Polynesian ceremonial greeting (Tonga).
  CompleteCuriosity
• Massage culture-salons: implicit sexual legalityAsian massage parlors: non-sexual context (health/relaxation); West suspects prostitution.
  CompleteOffense
• Tickling kids: hyper-stimulation vs. loving disciplineSome cultures (Scandinavian) advise against it, others (Latin) encourage it: divergent standards.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Massage etiquette Japan: strict desexualizationTherapeutic massage: strict professional contact, no sensuality; white uniform mandatory.
  CompleteInsult
• Wai thaï: fins together without contactHands palm-to-palm: Buddhist respect; zero skin contact.
  CompleteMisunderstanding
• Sniffling cheeks Quechua (Andes)Light sniffing on cheek: family affection/Quechua platonic love.
  CompleteInsult
• Arctic nose rub (Kunik inuit)Nose-to-nose rubbing: deep-rooted Inuit ailment (Kunik); respiratory sharing.
  CompleteOffense
• Russian officer embrace + kissEmbrace + triple cheek kiss: greeting between officers and close comrades (Russia).
  CompleteInsult
• Kikuyu blessing spit (Kenya)Light spitting on forehead: blessing/transmission of Kikuyu spiritual power.
  CompleteOffense
• Main gauche offensive (Ghana/Afrique)Main gauche pour manger/saluer : offense majeure islamique/culturelle ouest-africaine.
  Under developmentOffense