Cultures and Greetings: How people greet across the world

If one cannot learn the language when in a new place, especially a new country, it helps to know the basic forms of greeting, saving oneself from awkward and embarrassing situations. The following are some of the creative ways of greeting in various cultures

The Japanese Bow

Bowing is the official greeting to say hello in Japan; the position, duration, and style of bow are dependent on the formality; to greet someone older or someone of a higher status, the bow is low and firm, while greeting a peer is more of a slight bow.

Japanese Bow Pulse Nigeria

2) The Nose Bump

In the Oman culture, people are greeted with a nose bump; the nose tips are brought close and slightly touch each other. The same form of greeting is also found in Yemen and Qatar. UAE. In the Maori culture in New Zealand, the nose bumps are accompanied by foreheads pressed together as they look directly into each other’s eyes.

The Nose Bump greeting Pulse Nigeria

3) The Face Sniff

In Tuvalu, the traditional way of greeting is pressing the cheeks together and at the same time inhaling deep breaths. The Inuit tradition in Greenland observes kunik; a form of greeting that involves pressing the upper lip and nose to the partner’s cheek while sniffing them; this is usually done for only close and intimate relationships.

The Face Sniff Pulse Nigeria

4) The Tongue Stickout

In Tibet, the Tibetan monks stick out their tongues, pressing their hands together to their chest as a form of the ‘’we come in peace’’ sign. The origin of this greeting was to prove that they (the monks) were not the reincarnated form of Lang Darma, the evil king who was identified for his black tongue in the 9th century.