You may be having the best time on a vacation, still you would want to be careful about shaking someone’s hand, flashing a peace symbol or even hailing a cab in certain parts of the world. Certain social faux pas can land you in a world of trouble, especially because languages, cultures and ideals vary all over the world and so do the symbols and gestures.

Now you wouldn’t want to end up insulting your hosts unknowingly? If it’s difficult to remember what sort of hand gesture means trouble in which country; it’s a better idea to banish mostly all of these while you’re on your travels. However, for those who think they can handle learning a few and for everyone who wants to know why they’re frowned upon, here’s a list…

1. IT’S NOT OKAY!

Where to avoid it: Greece and Turkey

The Greeks seemed to have used several hand symbols to make their (often unsavoury) points hit home – and Turkey seems to have followed suit on this one. Joining two fingers together to form a circle that symbolizes ‘okay’ is a great tool to use in other countries. After all, it’s so simple – you don’t have to use your words – a simple nod and two fingers can do the job when you’re letting someone know you’re in agreement. In these countries however, it’s pretty much a sign that you (as a man) are attracted to other men. We’re not sure how it works for women though. This isn’t really an insult or an offensive term at all, but it may lead to a high level of misunderstanding!

2. PUT THAT THUMB DOWN

Where to avoid it: Thailand and Arabic countries

We’re not sure what these countries think of the Facebook’s ‘Like’ symbol yet, but as far as showing the universal sign for ‘everything is good’ goes in these countries, you’re going to get in a lot of trouble! It’s best to just say that everything is fine or that you agree, because in Thailand and most Arabic countries, it has a less than positive meaning. In Thailand, the thumbs-up is actually a childish, often obscene symbol or animosity, disapproval or even criticism. So, when you’re saying that you think something is great, they’re seeing it as you dislike it! In Arabic countries on the other hand, it’s almost as good as an insult, or a sign that resembles flipping them off!

3. PEACE OR WAR?

Where to avoid it: Australia and Great Britain

Hippie musicians and people who are really into the flower power generation should beware of where they throw the peace symbols around. The almost universal (or so we thought!) sign for peace, is not really as peaceful Down Under, or in the Queen’s country for that matter. We’re sure you’re really surprised about this one too! Although in the modern day and age it isn’t likely that you will get beaten up over a sign like this, it’s more or less the same as showing someone the middle finger here, so it’s best avoided if you don’t want to ruffle any feathers.

4. TALK TO THE HAND

Where to avoid it: Greece

While this isn’t a very pleasant gesture to begin with, it’s pretty much better than what it means in Greece. You would usually use this gesture to shut someone up, disrupt a conversation or even indicate that you’re done listening to someone, but usually it’s all in good fun, or at least in a more casual setting. However, in Greece, this gesture is known as the moutza. What’s so bad about it? Well, there’s a little history that explains it best. Apparently criminals were paraded with blackened (by charcoal or in extreme cases, excrement!) faces through the streets during the Byzantine Empire. Although this was way back when, the gesture still indicates that that’s what you wish upon someone – a horrible, blackened face.

5. CROSS YOUR FINGERS

Where to avoid it: Vietnam

Sure, you’re crossing your fingers and hoping that everything goes according to plan, so why are all those people talking about you in hushed tones, staring you down angrily and threatening to beat you up, if you continue? Well, you’re probably in Vietnam. Still doesn’t quite make sense right? We thought so too, but apparently the symbol for hope and often even good luck is not even close to that when you’re visiting the Asian country. Here, it actually is incredibly obscene! The symbol (according to them) resembles the privates of a woman, so walking around waving that symbol in everyone’s face is definitely not a good idea, don’t you think?

6. HAIL A CAB

Where to avoid it: South Korea

If you need a cab when in South Korea, you need to find another way to do this, because the usual symbol is really not going to get you one. It may however, get you a few stares and some admonishments. Confusing, isn’t it? The seemingly harmless gesture is actually used in this country to summon dogs. So, unless you really want to offend the people while you’re there, we suggest calling out to a cab and finding out how to wave at someone without insulting them.

7. SHAKE HANDS WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX

Where to avoid this: Arab countries


Not only will this get you in a pool of trouble, it can actually see you in a jail cell! When you visit any country that follows Sharia laws, you have to remember that any sort of interaction between the opposite sex is considered incredibly immoral. In fact, even conversing openly with the opposite sex is more or less against the law, unless you’re with your marital partner! So, you can imagine how actually shaking someone’s hand or hugging them would go down. Keep your public greetings to very subtle nods if you will.

8. ROCK ON

Where to avoid this: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Colombia

Sure, you can use it to show people that you’re having a great time at a party, that you’re really into rock music or that you’ve just been to a headbangers ball, but if you’re in any of the countries we mentioned above, they’re not going to see it that way. Putting your hands up in a symbol where you look like you’ve got hooked horns raised to the sky, is a phrase that means a pretty awful thing. It’s often used to indicate that the person you’re insulting is thick enough not to know when their partner’s cheating on them. There’s a lot of it floating around at soccer games and sports events across the world, so we’re now wondering how many in the crowd are doing it as a fun-loving gesture and how many are actually insulting everyone around them!

9. GESTURE TOWARDS YOU

Where to avoid this: Singapore


This is more serious than you would’ve imagined. While in most countries, moving your arm towards you in a gesturing fashion means you’re telling them to come towards you, for some reason though, if you’re in Singapore, you’re actually saying something very, very sinister. It means that death is coming and it’s not just insulting, it can actually see you facing a jail sentence to match the insult. Just call out to people instead.

10. LEFT HAND FORWARD

Where to avoid it: Asia, Africa, Middle East

It’s tough to pinpoint exactly where this is appropriate, so it may be a better idea to simply stop doing it altogether. Indians are familiar with this though – you never give a gift with your left hand, or eat your food with it, right? Lefties may suffer a little bit because of this unfortunately, but it’s better to be on guard and a little uncomfortable, than insult an entire culture when you’re visiting their land, right? Giving someone something, shaking their hand or even eating with your left hand is insulting because the left hand is used for more… unsanitary purposes than the right. The more we think about it, the less we want to go around shaking other people’s left hands!

11. PAT IT OUT

Where to avoid it: Buddhist countries

This isn’t so much of a country blooper as it is a cultural slight. And since you often won’t know who is from what culture around you, leave the patting to people you’re overly familiar with. To most of us, patting someone on the head is affectionate, it’s almost a sign that you think they’re cute! Well, it’s strange that the meaning is so vastly different amongst people from this culture. Buddhists however, believe that the spirit lives on top of the head. So, patting their head is literally like touching them somewhere really private!

12. SUMMON FORWARD

Where to avoid: Singapore and Japan

Alright, so you can’t tell people to come towards you with your hand. What about using a single, index finger instead? Don’t you dare! Just as it is in Korea, several hand gestures in Singapore and Japan are reserved only to be used for dogs, never humans. This is one of those few. They actually signify death, so it’s a pretty bad thing to go around waving your finger at someone to call them!

Nicole

A poet with a penchant for prose and the itch to travel, Nicole Reed is an assistant editor and features writer for a daily newspaper, struggling to find a way out of the concrete mess by dreaming of one day living and breathing off words in an idyllic country setting somewhere. Having been editor of her college magazine, written for a number of publications including Shamiana’s short film newsletter and as a current student of Literature from the University of London, Nicole sees writing like travel - an adventure – a journey to find her place, to define and redefine who she is over and over again and to live and learn through the process.

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