What etiquette should you pay attention to when meeting an Egyptian for the first time?

Everyone says that the cultural differences between the East and the West are very different, but how big are they in reality?

Let’s take Egypt as an example.

Speaking of Egypt, many people think that this is a mysterious country, and there are some strange taboos that make people feel incredible. For example, Egyptians do not talk to each other in formal dining settings because speaking during a meal is considered sacrilegious. Next, let me talk about some taboos in Egypt.

Egyptians like to have dinner together as a family after sunset, and all members of the family are not allowed to have appointments at this time. Failure to participate will be considered a rude behavior.

Egyptians are very hospitable and like to make homemade desserts to entertain their guests. If you refuse their kindness and refuse to eat, the host will feel uncomfortable and feel that he has not entertained you well.

Egyptians are taboo about drinking alcohol, they drink black tea; not only are they not allowed to talk about any topics related to pigs and dogs, they are also taboo about eating pork and dog meat, and ugly-looking shrimps, crabs and other foods are also not allowed.

In Egypt, men are not allowed to talk to the opposite sex. Since fat is considered beautiful in Egypt, never use words such as "You are so slim" or "You have lost weight recently" as compliments. If you compliment her on her slimness, the other person will think, "This person is humiliating me." Also, try not to praise the furnishings in other people’s homes. If you compliment them, they will think you are reaching out to ask for something from them. Of course, the most important point is never to talk to Egyptians about the situation in the Middle East, relations between men and women, and religious beliefs.

There is another interesting "taboo" in Egypt, that is, they are very taboo about "needles" between 3 and 5 pm. People will not go out to buy needles during this time, not even businessmen. Selling "needles", even if you give 10 times the price, no one is willing to take out the needle and sell it to you.

According to legend, the Egyptian god in charge of wealth will come to the world from 3 to 5 pm every day to distribute wealth to the Egyptians. However, the Egyptian God of Wealth is a god who "dislikes the poor and loves the rich". When he meets the poor, he will not pay attention to them at all and will not give you a penny; but when he meets the rich, he will take the initiative to send large amounts of money.

How does the Egyptian God of Wealth distinguish between the poor and the rich? It depends on whether the family has needlework and sewing. If so, it must be poor; if not, then it is rich.

As time went by, the poor people in Egypt all knew the God of Wealth’s tricks, so they hid all the needles from 3 to 5 pm and never mended them again. In this way, the God of Wealth cannot tell who is the poor and who is the rich, so he can only disperse fairly. Later, this became a taboo.