15 Very Common Things Americans Do That Other Countries Consider Rude

11Crossing your fingers

Crossing your fingers has always been seen as an innocent act. In some cultures, it is also considered to bring good luck but in places like Vietnam, this is considered to be bad or impolite and rude. It is advised to never cross your fingers while in the company of others while in this country.

Image Source: www.procaffenation.com

12Telling people to help themselves

It is an American tradition that when you call people over to have a feast the host isn’t all that involved in the serving of the food and the guests can just help themselves. But in Asian countries, this is not the case and a host that does not serve the food to the guests is considered to be a rude and unprofessional one.

Image Source: www.rewireme.com

13Asking ‘What do you do for a living?’

In America and some other countries, this is a very common question to ask someone to begin a conversation but in places like the Netherlands, this is a very rude question. This is basically asking someone how much do they earn indirectly which is considered rude in that country and should never be asked.

Image Source: cnbcfm.com

14Hugging, touching and shaking hands

What is the first thing you do when you meet a new person? You shake their hand. When you meet an old friend you hug but in countries like China, Thailand, Korea, India this is considered rude as the people there like to maintain a healthy personal space. So, no touching is maintained and welcoming someone is done via hand gestures.

Image Source: dnaindia.com

15Adding salt or pepper

Not everyone likes the same amount of salt or pepper in their food. Some of us like a bit more than others. We have a habit of adding salt or pepper even before tasting the food. This is, however, a very rude thing to do in a country like Egypt. Here even asking for the salt or pepper bottles is an insult to the chef who prepared the meal for you.

Image Source: www.gsh.al