Dining Etiquette:
Meal sharing between friends and business contacts happens more often at restaurants than homes. There are various scenarios for meal sharing; here are a few possible scenarios for American dining etiquette that will provide some
useful tips for dining. Home or Restaurant? It is more common to be invited to a restaurant in the US
due to the variety of cuisines available in this industry. One can choose any cuisine in most large cities and go taste it, however expect that if you go to a restaurant offering cuisine from your home country, it will not be served exactly the same way you are accustomed to eating it at home; you will be offered an Americanized version of your home country food. What should I take as a gift? If invited to a restaurant, there is no need to take a gift. If you are going to a house, then it is a good idea to take a gift. Typical gifts are a bottle of wine or some sweet item to share, or you can
simply ask and you will be given a straight forward and honest answer informing you what you can bring. Most Americans will say that there is no need to bring anything with you when asked but some will give you explicit requests; if your host tells you there is no need to bring anything, it is still acceptable to bring a bottle of wine anyways and your host will appreciate the gesture very much. If you are given an explicit request, you should follow the instruction.
Another common meal sharing ritual in North America is to organize a pot luck, where each guest brings a dish to share with everyone, and the host provides the meeting location and refreshments or some other item. Generally, there are no
foods that Americans don’t eat, however remain conscious in case your host is a vegetarian, doesn’t drink alcohol, is on a specific diet, etc.
Who pays: No confusion in this matter; the one who invites pays the bill and the
guest does not need to offer.
How to return the invitation? You can offer to or agree on a date to invite the
person for a meal at a restaurant or some other social function.
Business meals? It is common that business is discussed around lunch or dinner
in the US, and this is usually done towards closing a deal if you are doing sales.
Using cutlery: if invited at home, people may use plastic cups and paper plates
in group settings and this is common to the culture, you don’t have to be
offended. For individual or small group invitations, expect the cutlery to be nice.
Smoking? Many Americans do not smoke, and smoking in restaurants and other
buildings is in fact prohibited by law in many areas. Government facilities also
prohibit smoking indoors. One should ask permission first before lighting a
cigarette; in most instances smoking outside the building is acceptable.
It is common to be invited to an American Barbeque which is a highly informal
event. There may be many guests, guests who bring their own food, sports games,
socializing, television watching and music which make the event fun. During
summer holidays many Americans like to enjoy barbeques.
Dress Code:
The blue jeans trend came from the US. During the California gold rush of 1849, blue jeans became popularized by the entrepreneur Levi Strauss who sold them as utility pants for gold miners. Blue jeans remained popular and were integrated as representative of the American culture. It is common to be dressed casually in Northern America and it is not offensive to be wearing shorts or flip flops leisurely walking down the street, however, there are certain rules to apply while interacting for business or at a social level.
Official business is conducted within more restricted rules of dress code, and a suit and tie are mandatory for certain meetings. It is recommended to wear a suit and tie for the first meeting until you build a relationship with the
person, when dressed down events will be available. We have a full range of classes that can help you understand the proper dress code in the United States depending on the nature and location of your interaction.
Gift Exchange Etiquette:
It is not common to exchange gifts in the American and Canadian business world. Gifts are personal use items and Americans and Canadians may not understand what the reason was for the gift. In such individualistic cultures, gift exchange has to be approached carefully and there should not be any feeling that a return favor is expected. In most government and professional contexts, there are usually strict ethics regulations that prohibit accepting gifts in excess of
twenty or fifty dollars.
During holidays however, gifts are welcome from close friends and family members; it is the gesture and not the monetary value that counts. The following is a simple guideline for giving and receiving gifts:
How should I react when I receive a gift from an American friend?
• You open it and appreciate it.
Is it appropriate to take alcohol?
• Yes, when invited for dinner a bottle of good spirit is appreciated and a good gesture.
What about perfumes, lingerie and jewelry?
• Those are very intimate items; Americans may feel that you invaded their personal space if you are not a close friend.
When can one offer a gift?
• If a service has been rendered to you or for holidays or special personal events if invited.
I offered a gift and they told me: ‘Oh, this is very nice, you must have paid $50.00 for it! I want to invite you for dinner, is that ok?’
• Yes it is, Americans usually express themselves and return the gift soon after or promise some action of reciprocity.
Masculinity and Femininity:
Men and women are seen to be equal in the Northern American community. It is common to see a woman do what is considered exclusively a man’s job in other parts of the world. There are many women’s organizations calling for equality between men and women, and the gap between the sexes is getting narrower with each generation. In addition, long hair or earrings worn by men are common in many areas unless the area is very conservative. This is normal and does not affect their masculine image. On another note, the English language does not distinguish between female and male: i.e. a table in French is a feminine word and in English it has no gender article.
Comfort Zone:
American society is a structured society and less emotional than others. Personal space while talking to an American is more than while talking to a Middle Easterner or Latin American, but may be similar to the personal space
when talking with an Asian or European. It is good to know and learn about personal comfort zones; this point is usually not noticed when the conversation becomes casual, however subconsciously it affects how the people interact
together. If Americans or Canadians are talking to someone and the guest is physically closer to them than their comfort zone allows, they tend to feel nervous without knowing why. In the same way, when a visitor is accustomed to a
close personal space and perhaps touching, the North American personal space may feel distant. While interacting, recognize this aspect of the culture and try to allow enough space for the other person to relax in their comfort zone.
Time Values and Management:
The American society was founded mainly by immigrant communities that learned to work hard and were rewarded based on results and work ethic. This is sometimes referred to as the Protestant work ethic which was derived from Puritan and Calvinist communities that immigrated from England during the early stages of colonialism of what would become the United States of years ago. Taken together with the economic principles of capitalism, the American way of life has a unique color to it because of the combination of Capitalism and the underlying Protestant work ethic. This combination, among others, highlighted the value of time within the US culture. Time is consequently a valuable commodity in the US and when one is given time to socialize or for a business meeting, it is a positive sign of the intent of the American to build a relationship. The North American sense of time management led to the commonly known expression about Americans that “Time is Money.”
Body Language:
North American society is an explicit society with a structured train of thought when analyzing and very little amount of emotional expression. This fact leads to the conclusion that when talking to an American one should not expect large
amount of bodily expressions, hand movements or hugging. Americans tend to be calm when talking to others, even if they are angry. Eye contact is important and one should maintain good and friendly eye contact that will set up the
nature of any kind of meeting.
The US and Mexico:
With the large flow of Latin Americans into the US, especially immigrants from Mexico, many states exist with a growing Latin influence in their culture, which is impacting their economy, society and political system. Among the many states with large Mexican immigrant populations are: California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Historically speaking, however, the US and Mexico have fought over land since the 1840s, when during the period of western expansion of the United States much territory was seized from Mexico and this became the present day American southwest and California. The state of Texas was annexed by the United States after fighting the Mexican government for independence, and again in 1916, the United States invaded Mexico. Although immigration is an issue of much debate today in the United States, Mexican communities have in fact lived and worked in US territories ever since the first days of American control, and both their indigenous and immigrant populations have steadily increased.
Illegal immigration into the US from Mexico has been a major concern of the policy makers for a long time and there is a discussion of building a wall separating the two countries in or
Dining Etiquette:
Meal sharing between friends and business contacts happens more often at restaurants than homes. There are various scenarios for meal sharing; here are a few possible scenarios for American dining etiquette that will provide some
useful tips for dining. Home or Restaurant? It is more common to be invited to a restaurant in the US
due to the variety of cuisines available in this industry. One can choose any cuisine in most large cities and go taste it, however expect that if you go to a restaurant offering cuisine from your home country, it will not be served exactly the same way you are accustomed to eating it at home; you will be offered an Americanized version of your home country food. What should I take as a gift? If invited to a restaurant, there is no need to take a gift. If you are going to a house, then it is a good idea to take a gift. Typical gifts are a bottle of wine or some sweet item to share, or you can
simply ask and you will be given a straight forward and honest answer informing you what you can bring. Most Americans will say that there is no need to bring anything with you when asked but some will give you explicit requests; if your host tells you there is no need to bring anything, it is still acceptable to bring a bottle of wine anyways and your host will appreciate the gesture very much. If you are given an explicit request, you should follow the instruction.
Another common meal sharing ritual in North America is to organize a pot luck, where each guest brings a dish to share with everyone, and the host provides the meeting location and refreshments or some other item. Generally, there are no
foods that Americans don’t eat, however remain conscious in case your host is a vegetarian, doesn’t drink alcohol, is on a specific diet, etc.
Who pays: No confusion in this matter; the one who invites pays the bill and the
guest does not need to offer.
How to return the invitation? You can offer to or agree on a date to invite the
person for a meal at a restaurant or some other social function.
Business meals? It is common that business is discussed around lunch or dinner
in the US, and this is usually done towards closing a deal if you are doing sales.
Using cutlery: if invited at home, people may use plastic cups and paper plates
in group settings and this is common to the culture, you don’t have to be
offended. For individual or small group invitations, expect the cutlery to be nice.
Smoking? Many Americans do not smoke, and smoking in restaurants and other
buildings is in fact prohibited by law in many areas. Government facilities also
prohibit smoking indoors. One should ask permission first before lighting a
cigarette; in most instances smoking outside the building is acceptable.
It is common to be invited to an American Barbeque which is a highly informal
event. There may be many guests, guests who bring their own food, sports games,
socializing, television watching and music which make the event fun. During
summer holidays many Americans like to enjoy barbeques.
Dress Code:
The blue jeans trend came from the US. During the California gold rush of 1849, blue jeans became popularized by the entrepreneur Levi Strauss who sold them as utility pants for gold miners. Blue jeans remained popular and were integrated as representative of the American culture. It is common to be dressed casually in Northern America and it is not offensive to be wearing shorts or flip flops leisurely walking down the street, however, there are certain rules to apply while interacting for business or at a social level.
Official business is conducted within more restricted rules of dress code, and a suit and tie are mandatory for certain meetings. It is recommended to wear a suit and tie for the first meeting until you build a relationship with the
person, when dressed down events will be available. We have a full range of classes that can help you understand the proper dress code in the United States depending on the nature and location of your interaction.
Gift Exchange Etiquette:
It is not common to exchange gifts in the American and Canadian business world. Gifts are personal use items and Americans and Canadians may not understand what the reason was for the gift. In such individualistic cultures, gift exchange has to be approached carefully and there should not be any feeling that a return favor is expected. In most government and professional contexts, there are usually strict ethics regulations that prohibit accepting gifts in excess of
twenty or fifty dollars.
During holidays however, gifts are welcome from close friends and family members; it is the gesture and not the monetary value that counts. The following is a simple guideline for giving and receiving gifts:
How should I react when I receive a gift from an American friend?
• You open it and appreciate it.
Is it appropriate to take alcohol?
• Yes, when invited for dinner a bottle of good spirit is appreciated and a good gesture.
What about perfumes, lingerie and jewelry?
• Those are very intimate items; Americans may feel that you invaded their personal space if you are not a close friend.
When can one offer a gift?
• If a service has been rendered to you or for holidays or special personal events if invited.
I offered a gift and they told me: ‘Oh, this is very nice, you must have paid $50.00 for it! I want to invite you for dinner, is that ok?’
• Yes it is, Americans usually express themselves and return the gift soon after or promise some action of reciprocity.
Masculinity and Femininity:
Men and women are seen to be equal in the Northern American community. It is common to see a woman do what is considered exclusively a man’s job in other parts of the world. There are many women’s organizations calling for equality between men and women, and the gap between the sexes is getting narrower with each generation. In addition, long hair or earrings worn by men are common in many areas unless the area is very conservative. This is normal and does not affect their masculine image. On another note, the English language does not distinguish between female and male: i.e. a table in French is a feminine word and in English it has no gender article.
Comfort Zone:
American society is a structured society and less emotional than others. Personal space while talking to an American is more than while talking to a Middle Easterner or Latin American, but may be similar to the personal space
when talking with an Asian or European. It is good to know and learn about personal comfort zones; this point is usually not noticed when the conversation becomes casual, however subconsciously it affects how the people interact
together. If Americans or Canadians are talking to someone and the guest is physically closer to them than their comfort zone allows, they tend to feel nervous without knowing why. In the same way, when a visitor is accustomed to a
close personal space and perhaps touching, the North American personal space may feel distant. While interacting, recognize this aspect of the culture and try to allow enough space for the other person to relax in their comfort zone.
Time Values and Management:
The American society was founded mainly by immigrant communities that learned to work hard and were rewarded based on results and work ethic. This is sometimes referred to as the Protestant work ethic which was derived from Puritan and Calvinist communities that immigrated from England during the early stages of colonialism of what would become the United States of years ago. Taken together with the economic principles of capitalism, the American way of life has a unique color to it because of the combination of Capitalism and the underlying Protestant work ethic. This combination, among others, highlighted the value of time within the US culture. Time is consequently a valuable commodity in the US and when one is given time to socialize or for a business meeting, it is a positive sign of the intent of the American to build a relationship. The North American sense of time management led to the commonly known expression about Americans that “Time is Money.”
Body Language:
North American society is an explicit society with a structured train of thought when analyzing and very little amount of emotional expression. This fact leads to the conclusion that when talking to an American one should not expect large
amount of bodily expressions, hand movements or hugging. Americans tend to be calm when talking to others, even if they are angry. Eye contact is important and one should maintain good and friendly eye contact that will set up the
nature of any kind of meeting.
The US and Mexico:
With the large flow of Latin Americans into the US, especially immigrants from Mexico, many states exist with a growing Latin influence in their culture, which is impacting their economy, society and political system. Among the many states with large Mexican immigrant populations are: California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Historically speaking, however, the US and Mexico have fought over land since the 1840s, when during the period of western expansion of the United States much territory was seized from Mexico and this became the present day American southwest and California. The state of Texas was annexed by the United States after fighting the Mexican government for independence, and again in 1916, the United States invaded Mexico. Although immigration is an issue of much debate today in the United States, Mexican communities have in fact lived and worked in US territories ever since the first days of American control, and both their indigenous and immigrant populations have steadily increased.
Illegal immigration into the US from Mexico has been a major concern of the policy makers for a long time and there is a discussion of building a wall separating the two countries in or
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