Cultural custom is a topic with a wide range and complex content, which involves all aspects of people's social life and communication. Here is a brief introduction to American cultural customs.
First of all, the five symbols of American culture
The Statue of Liberty, Barbie, American Gothic, Bison Nickel and Uncle Sam are called the five symbols of American culture. Americans also regard Uncle Sam's honesty, reliability, diligence and patriotism as the pride and quality of their own nation.
(1), Statue of Liberty. This is 1876, a gift from France to the United States on the 0/00th anniversary of independence/kloc-0. Since the Statue of Liberty was erected in new york Bay in 1886, it has always been the promise of new immigrants to the American dream. The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island near new york, New York, USA. It is an important tourist attraction in America. The Statue of Liberty weighs 450,000 pounds, is 46 meters high and its base is 45 meters high. Its full name is "National Monument to the Statue of Liberty", and its official name is "Statue of Liberty that shines on the world".
(2), Barbie doll. Barbie was inspired by Barbara, the daughter of Handler, the co-founder of an American toy company. Based on a sexy German adult doll, they launched the American doll Barbie on 1959. Since then, Barbie, the doll queen, has become the favorite doll of almost all girls and even adult women.
(3) American Gothic. American Gothic is a painting. Gothic architecture in the United States may not be so famous, but the Gothic windows on the old houses in the portrait, especially the solemn expressions of farmers and long-necked wives, made the painter famous overnight at 1930. This painting shows the solemn pride of American farmers.
(4) Bison nickels. 19 1 1 year, designed by the famous American artist James Earle Fraser, was made between 19 13- 1938. This is also the artist's memorial to bison and Indians, who were victims of the development of the western United States. The bison and Indians on the nickel coin are all created with real prototypes. In the process of painting the portrait of bison, Fraser had to sketch an old bison in the zoo of new york Central Park, because there were no more than four bison wandering on the grassland at that time. Two years later, this bison was sold for only $ 100, and then slaughtered and skinned, and its horns were made into wall ornaments. Bison nickel is one of the coins that many coin lovers want to collect most.
(5) Uncle Sam. This is another name for Americans. His image is a tall man with white hair, a small white beard, a dark blue coat and a star-studded top hat. The nickname "Uncle Sam" came into being during the 18 12 American War of Independence. There is a meat packer named Samuel Wilson in Lowy, new york. He is honest and capable, full of entrepreneurial spirit and has great prestige in the local area. People affectionately call him "Uncle Sam". During the war, he served as a quartermaster inspector in new york and New Jersey, responsible for stamping beef barrels and wine barrels for the army. Americans also regard Uncle Sam's honesty, reliability, diligence and patriotism as the pride and quality of their own nation. 196 1 year, the US Congress officially recognized "Uncle Sam" as the national symbol of the United States.
Second, American customs and habits
Historically, the United States is a young country with a high degree of openness and modern consciousness. The characteristics of Americans are: exposed personality, frankness, sincerity, enthusiasm, self-confidence, and crispness in doing things. He is good at talking for a long time, talking about health, constantly expressing his own opinions, paying attention to reality and pursuing material practical interests. Because of self-confidence, I am good at using strategies, and I also appreciate those negotiating opponents who are good at bargaining. Due to the economic strength and negotiation mode of the United States, Americans are full of interest in the package deal and the momentum is aggressive. Americans have a specific division of labor and clear responsibilities in negotiations. Once the conditions are met, they can make a quick decision, so the decision-making speed is very fast. Americans work faster. In the process of negotiation, they often make a big deal in a short time, and sometimes even take out a prepared agreement from their pockets for you to sign. Expectations are high in the negotiation, but patience is insufficient.
Let's briefly understand American customs and habits from the aspects of American family, marriage, festivals and social interaction.
(1), American family
The traditional American family is called the "nuclear family". The nuclear family includes husband, wife and children. Today, the average American family has two or three children (or several pets). In some cultures, extended families live together, and even generations live together. In America, it is rare for more than one family to live under one roof.
Americans value the warm welcome when their families come home. Many families practice democratic political governance, everyone in the family has the right to speak, and the concept of fairness widely exists in American families; In addition to awe, children also regard their parents as good friends, and husband and wife often share housework; Children in many families have the right to privacy in their own bedrooms; Children have the responsibility of financial management since childhood. They may have pocket money or go out to work every week. Parents often give their children the freedom to make their own decisions. Preschool children can choose what clothes to wear or what toys to buy, while young people can freely choose their careers and marriage partners.
(2) American marriage
On the issue of marriage, Americans emphasize emotion first: freedom of communication, freedom of spouse selection and freedom of love. Men and women in love generally don't need a matchmaker's introduction, and parents rarely interfere. Emphasizing sexual freedom is the love concept of many Americans. They believe that both men and women don't need to know too much. Beautiful appearance, strong body and sexy temptation are enough to form the foundation of feelings. They attach importance to the marriage contract: before marriage, both men and women go to the law firm to sign a "marriage contract", the main contents of which are the ownership of money after marriage, the sharing of housework and the preconditions for divorce. They also emphasize the freedom of divorce and regard divorce as a happy event. The divorce rate in the whole society is very high.
Traditional American weddings are full of surprises. Generally speaking, their weddings emphasize the characteristics of "new, old, borrowed and blue". The so-called "new" means that the bride must wear a brand-new white dress to show the beginning of a new life; "Old" means that the white gauze on the bride's head must be old (usually used by her mother when she gets married) to show her gratitude to her parents. "Borrowing" means borrowing the bride's handkerchief from his girlfriend to show friendship. "Blue" means that the ribbon worn by the bride must be blue to show that she has won sincere love. Most modern American weddings are held in local courts, and a judge is in charge of the wedding. Newcomers often don't wear dresses, accept gifts and hold wedding banquets. Other weddings are held outdoors in the form of picnics, and only parents, brothers and sisters of both parties can attend. They attach great importance to their wedding anniversary and think that every year is more precious as time goes by. The names of their wedding anniversaries are very interesting: the first year is called paper wedding, the second year is called cotton wedding, followed by leather wedding, wooden wedding, iron wedding, bronze wedding, ceramic wedding, crystal wedding and so on. Since the fifteenth year, there has been a name every five years. They are: enamel wedding, silver wedding, pearl wedding, coral wedding wedding, ruby wedding, sapphire wedding, emerald wedding and diamond wedding. During these festivals, husbands and wives often exchange gifts, praise and thank each other, which makes each other feel gratified.
(3) American festivals
1, an important holiday in America
1 month 1 day ~ New Year
The third Monday in January ~ Martin Luther King Day
The second Monday in February is President's Day (in memory of the birthdays of George Washington, the founding father of the United States, and President Lincoln).
Last Monday in May ~ Memorial Day
July 4th ~ National Day (American Independence Day)
The first Monday in September ~ Labor Day
The second Monday in October ~ Columbus Day
1 1 month 1 1 day ~ Veterans Day
Tuesday after the first Monday in November ~ Election Day
The fourth Thursday in November ~ Thanksgiving Day
1February 25th ~ Christmas
Social taboo
1, never hitchhike.
Don't hitchhike when traveling in the United States, which is caused by the security situation in the United States. In America, cases of being robbed of money or humiliated by hitchhikers are common. Some gangsters will take the initiative to stop and politely ask for a ride when they see a woman coming by the roadside. If you mistakenly think that he means well, it is tantamount to sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth. In this case, it is best to refuse coldly and don't make any more mistakes. Not only that, people who ask for a ride should not easily agree, because some gangsters, including young girls, wait for a ride after getting on the bus and cheat money by threatening.
You'd better not take the subway at night.
The subway in new york is extremely messy, and it becomes a gathering place for triad members at night. Drug addicts, thieves, hooligans and drug dealers gather here, and the whole atmosphere is chilling; If you don't care about this, the police in new york will not sympathize with you after the accident, and may even blame you: "Taking the subway at night doesn't mean swimming in the water where crocodiles gather? If something goes wrong, the responsibility lies with yourself. "
3. Don't call black people "Negro"
Negro means "black" in English. Especially a black man sold from Africa to the United States as a slave; So don't call black people "Negro" in America, especially when talking to white people. Otherwise, the black man will feel your contempt for him; When it comes to black people, it is best to use the word "black", and black people will accept this title frankly.
You can't just say "I'm sorry"
"I'm sorry" and "I'm sorry" both mean "I'm sorry" and "I'm sorry", but the tone of "I'm sorry" is very heavy, which means that I admit my fault or mistake; If you say it easily for politeness, you will often be caught by the other party; It's not your responsibility to investigate. At that time, there will only be "dumb people eating coptis", because the sentence "I'm sorry" has admitted that I was wrong. How can I change my mind?
Modesty is not a virtue.
China regards modesty as a virtue, while Americans regard modesty as a synonym for hypocrisy. If a fluent English speaker apologizes that he doesn't speak English well and then speaks fluent English, Americans will think that he lied and is a hypocritical person. Therefore, when dealing with the United States, you should boldly say your abilities, one is one, ten is ten, and you don't have to be modest and polite, otherwise it will be counterproductive.
Step 6 say hello to strangers
On the road, in the elevator, or in the corridor, you will often meet people coming face to face and meet their eyes. It is an American habit to say hello with eyes at this time. We shouldn't look away at once, or turn our faces to one side and pretend not to see them. Only those who are not pleasing to the eye and disdain to do so. The United States walks on the street in the morning, and if it meets people passing by, it is customary to say "good morning"; Of course, in a street with many pedestrians, you don't have to say hello to all the people passing by.
7. Topics in the dialogue
Attend American parties, don't just talk about the topics you care about and are good at. Talking about topics that are only familiar to you will embarrass others and produce a sense of disgust. Talking about personal business matters and showing off will also make others think that you are narrow-minded and know nothing but your own affairs. In conversation, we should look for topics of common interest; Doctors can talk about literature, scientists can talk about music, and educators can tell stories about travel, which makes the whole party full of relaxed atmosphere. It should be noted that Christians regard suicide as a sin. In the United States, the topic of "suicide" is unpopular, so it is better to say less whenever and wherever.
8. Don't forget to say hello to the children.
Americans pay attention to the equality between adults and children. When they are guests in American homes, their children will definitely come out to meet the guests and say hello. At this time, don't just focus on adults and ignore children. That will definitely make their parents unhappy. Say hello to children by shaking hands or kissing their faces. If a child kisses you, you must also kiss his face.
9. Same sex can't dance together.
Same-sex people can't dance together, which is one of the social etiquette recognized by the United States. Dancing with the same sex, others will definitely cast a reproachful look, or think they are gay. Therefore, even if you can't find a partner of the opposite sex, you must never dance with the same sex.
10, don't take off your shoes in front of others.
In America, if you take off your shoes or go barefoot in front of others, you will be considered a rude savage. Only in the bedroom, or between men and women in love, can you take off your shoes; If women take off their shoes in front of men, it means "you can do whatever you want"; Men take off their shoes; Will be despised as barefoot natives in the jungle. It is impolite for men and women to pull down their socks and garters in front of others; If your shoelaces are loose, you should go to a place where no one is there to tie them.
1 1, women can't drink alone.
Women should not drink alone, if they drink alone or several women drink together. Are regarded as "women and other men"; Women who are not familiar with this situation may be harassed by offering their own men.
12, don't stick out your tongue in front of others.
Americans think sticking out your tongue in front of others is an unsightly and impolite behavior, which gives people a feeling of vulgarity and indecent, and can even be interpreted as looking down on others. Children can stick out their tongues when they make mistakes, which makes them look innocent and lovely. Adults must not do this.
13, don't laugh casually.
Smiling can bring friendship. But on some occasions, a smile often represents a commitment to something. Especially women, it is best not to smile for no reason, because ambiguous smiles are sometimes mistaken for "ridicule" and sometimes mistaken for "default", which causes great misunderstanding.
14. Bend over when passing in front of the seat.
When passing in front of others in a narrow place, such as a cinema, you must say "I'm sorry"; At this time, the posture of Americans is to turn their backs on the person sitting, bow their heads and bend over. This is different from the habit of entering Europe. Europeans must face the person sitting and bend over.
15, don't get drunk at the party.
Drinking moderately at the banquet and always maintaining a gentle manner are the etiquette observed by Europeans and Americans. At American banquets, it is rare to see people who are drunk as mud. Even if you drink too much, you should stick to the end of the banquet and go back to your room before you can fall down. If you get drunk and make trouble on the spot, you will attract everyone's contempt.
16, don't give gifts indiscriminately.
Gifts must be meaningful, such as friends' birthdays and colleagues' weddings, which can be sent as tokens of heart; But you can't give gifts on the track, so that the other party will not only be grateful, but also suspect that you have other plans; When you don't know what gift is appropriate, you can send flowers, be a guest or attend a banquet. Flowers are always suitable, and perfumes and bogey are also popular.
17, don't eat garlic before going out.
Americans are generally very sensitive to smells, especially the smell of garlic. If you have eaten garlic before going out, you'd better brush your teeth and rinse your mouth. Otherwise, the smell of garlic will definitely make you unhappy.
18, don't pay for others.
China people's habit is that when several friends go out together, they always scramble to pay for tickets and tickets. But if you do this to Americans, you won't get their thanks. This will make Americans feel indebted. Psychological discomfort; When Americans go out together, they always go Dutch, including fare, meal and tip.
19, after going to the toilet
China people's habit is to close the door behind them, and it's best to close the toilet when no one is around. Americans are used to opening the toilet door a little, indicating that there is no one inside; If the lock is tight, it means that someone is inside and others have to wait outside.
20, the meaning of gestures
When the United States introduces itself, use your fingertips. If you point to your chest according to your own habits, you will often make them confused and unable to understand. When calling someone over, our habit is to wave, which seems to Americans. It is precisely "goodbye"; They point their fingers at themselves and greet people, and then gently shake them with their middle and index fingers two or three times. Americans have many gesture habits, such as using the index finger and thumb to form a circle, and the other three fingers reaching up to make an "OK" gesture, indicating "good" and "agreement".