Multicultural Manners : Be Appreciative, ‘Act Like a Pig’

Donna and her family have just arrived from the Philippines. American friends, the Gordons, invite them over for a welcoming dinner. At the end of the meal, Donna’s brother, Peter, belches loudly. The visiting family pays little attention to his behavior, but the Gordons think Peter acts like a pig.

What went wrong?

Peter was attempting to show how much he enjoyed the Gordons’ food. In many areas of the Philippines, as well as in Saudi Arabia, belching is considered a compliment to the chef. As in other parts of Asia and Indonesia, table noises including noodle slurping and lip smacking are the sounds of satisfied diners.

American table manners sometimes revolt others. Many foreigners find it repugnant when Americans eat corn on the cob, believed to be more suited for livestock than humans. Europeans, especially, consider it uncouth to hold the cob in one’s hands with butter or margarine dripping onto the fingers and chin.

Much of dining etiquette in the U.S. has been influenced by European traditions. Yet even in Europe, bodily sounds such as belching, passing gas, coughing, hiccuping, sneezing, commonly punctuated dining events until the 16th Century, when these noises became socially taboo.

Rule: Depending on who does it, belching at the table is not necessarily a sign of rudeness.

Norine Dresser is a folklorist and author of “I Felt Like I Was From Another Planet,” (Addison Wesley). Tell her your experiences c/o Voices.