Cultural greetings around the globe can vary greatly. As an avid traveler, learning to say “hello” in the local language is one of the first things you must try to pick up. It’s a sign of respect that goes a long way in connecting with new people.
The most common greetings used worldwide and their cultural significance
1. Tibet: Sticking out your tongue
In traditional Tibetan culture, sticking one’s tongue out is a polite greeting and a sign of respect. The tongue is considered the organ of speech, so protruding it is a way to honor someone by symbolically offering your speech or voice to them.
However, the tongue greeting is more common among older Tibetans, especially in rural areas. The younger generation has started adopting more Western-style greetings, but tongue protrusion is still valued as an important cultural tradition.
2. UAE: Bump noses
Called the “nose-to-nose” or “esh-Shona,” this traditional greeting signifies friendship and respect. This cultural custom stems from the Bedouin tribes that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula.
Rubbing noses was seen as a way to show affection while allowing the parties to check each other for signs of disease or poor health. Today, it continues as a symbolic gesture of pride in regional traditions and solidarity.
3. New Zealand: Rub noses
The traditional Maori greeting in New Zealand is called the hongi, which involves pressing noses together. Some variations of the hongi include touching foreheads and rubbing noses.
This physical touching is an important part of the greeting as it represents the exchange of the “breath of life.” While the hongi is mainly performed on formal occasions or when groups come together, nose pressing can also be used as an informal greeting between close friends and family.
4. Zimbabwe and Mozambique: Clap your hands
Zimbabweans clap as a way to say both “hello” and “goodbye.” Men clap with flat hands, while women traditionally cup their hands. All participants clap twice after shaking hands.
Additionally, further east in Northern Mozambique, clapping three times is customary. Mozambicans clap their palms together swiftly three times upon meeting, accompanied by the greeting “moni.”
The clapping in both countries is a symbolic way to welcome others enthusiastically. These multiple claps even represent an abundance of goodwill and joy at connecting.
5. Malaysia: Hand on your heart
In Malaysia, a common hand greeting involves placing the right hand on the heart. Known as Salam Malaysia, this gesture signifies sincerity and is a traditional Malay greeting.
Salam Malaysia was popularized in the late 1990s to foster national unity and has since become an important part of Malaysian culture. Using this sincere, hands-on-heart gesture is a meaningful way to greet friends, colleagues, or new acquaintances in Malaysia.
6. Japan: Bow
Japan has different types of bows, such as the casual eshaku bow and the more formal saikeirei greeting bow. The eshaku bow is a quick bending of the head and upper body, about 15 to 30 degrees. This casual bow is used to greet friends or say “please” and “thank you.”
The saikeirei bow is deeper, at about 30 to 45 degrees, and is meant to show respect. This formal bow is used to greet superiors, elders, customers, or people you meet for the first time. The deeper and longer you bow, the more respect and sincerity you convey.
7. Greenland and Tuvalu (Oceania): Sniff faces
In Greenland, people practice “kunik,” where they gently sniff each other’s cheeks as a sign of affection and welcome. Reserved only for close loved ones like family members, kunik is an important cultural tradition. To perform kunik, people softly rub their noses while inhaling, allowing them to recognize each other by scent.
Similarly, in Tuvalu, people welcome each other by pressing their faces cheek to cheek. This practice stems from Tuvaluan cultural values of warmth, affection, and community. To properly greet someone face to face, Tuvaluans approach the other person, often a friend or family member, bow their heads, and lean in to touch cheeks. They may also grasp hands or hug in a friendly embrace.
8. Asia: Honor your elders
In Chinese and other Asian societies, elders are revered for their life experience and wisdom. It is common to address elders as “uncle” or “auntie” as a sign of respect, even if there is no direct relation. According to Confucian tradition, filial piety — respect for one’s parents and ancestors — is a fundamental virtue. This value is even enshrined in Chinese law.
Similarly, in South Korea, elders are honored through specific speech and bowing. When greeting an elder, one bows to show deference. The depth and duration of the bow depend on the elder’s status. Their language also has different levels of speech to indicate the speaker’s relationship to the listener. The most formal and respectful level is used when addressing elders.
The art of saying hello
Understanding these cultural nuances is more important than ever as the world becomes increasingly connected. Next time you meet someone new from another country, surprise them with a greeting in their native tongue. You’ll likely put a smile on their face and make a good first impression.
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