As someone who has spent a significant amount of time living and working abroad, I’ve had the privilege of immersing myself in diverse cultures and witnessing firsthand the fascinating ways in which people approach the basic task of maintaining hygiene and cleanliness. From the intriguing chopstick etiquette of East Asia to the bidet showers of the Middle East, the world is full of unique hygiene traditions that can come as quite a shock to the unsuspecting Western traveler.
Hands-on Approach to Dining
Let’s start our global hygiene tour with one of the most fundamental human activities: eating. In many countries across Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, the idea of using utensils to consume a meal is almost unthinkable. Instead, the right hand is the preferred tool for scooping up delicious morsels and transporting them to one’s mouth. As an ICES student from France eloquently put it, “This is perplexing to many foreigners – including my daughters who have grown up in Spain. ‘Mom, it’s so embarrassing, please don’t talk to people you don’t know,’ they beg me.”
The reasoning behind this cultural preference is not merely a matter of tradition, but also one of hygiene. In these regions, the left hand is considered unclean, as it is traditionally used for personal cleansing after using the restroom. To avoid any potential contamination, the right hand is reserved exclusively for the sacred act of dining.
This etiquette even extends to the manner in which food is shared. In Ethiopia, for example, the practice of “gursha” – wherein diners feed one another as a sign of friendship and respect – is a deeply rooted custom. As the saying goes, “Eating with cutlery is like making love through an interpreter.”
Chopstick Choreography
While the handiness of the right hand is celebrated in some cultures, the humble chopstick reigns supreme in the culinary traditions of East Asia. Originating in China over 5,000 years ago, these elegant utensils have evolved into an art form, complete with a set of intricate etiquette rules that serve both practical and symbolic purposes.
In China, for instance, it is customary to use one set of chopsticks for serving the communal dishes and a separate pair for personal consumption. This simple act helps to prevent the transfer of germs from individual mouths back into the shared plates and bowls. Additionally, chopsticks are never placed directly on the table, but rather on a special tray or the edge of a bowl – a practice that speaks to the Asian reverence for cleanliness and order.
Interestingly, the Japanese have taken the chopstick etiquette one step further, with the custom of never passing food directly from one pair of chopsticks to another. This behavior is believed to be reminiscent of a funerary rite, in which the bones of the deceased are transferred using bamboo sticks. Needless to say, this particular nuance can come as a shock to unsuspecting Western visitors, who may find themselves inadvertently committing a cultural faux pas.
The Bidet Boom
As we move our exploration westward, we encounter another intriguing hygiene tradition: the use of water for post-toilet cleansing. While the Western world has long relied on the humble toilet paper, many regions in the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Europe have embraced a more thorough approach to personal hygiene.
In countries like Thailand, Turkey, and Egypt, it is common to find a bidet-like device, known as a “Taharet Muslugu” in Turkish, installed next to the toilet or even integrated into the seat itself. These ingenious contraptions allow users to clean with water, a practice that is considered far more hygienic than the Western reliance on dry toilet paper.
Unsurprisingly, this cultural difference can be quite a shock for European and North American travelers accustomed to a more rudimentary approach. As one Deutschlandfunk Kultur article aptly observed, “Europeans who are only used to using toilet paper at home may feel like they’re back in the Stone Age” when confronted with the technological marvels of Japanese high-tech toilets, which can not only clean the user’s posterior but also offer features like odor extraction and soothing background music.
Stepping into a New World
The cultural divide in hygiene practices extends beyond the confines of the restroom, seeping into the very fabric of domestic life. One prime example is the ubiquitous practice of removing shoes upon entering a home, a custom that is deeply ingrained in many Asian and Middle Eastern societies.
In Japan, this tradition is taken to an even more meticulous level, with the use of specialized “toilet slippers” that are worn exclusively in the bathroom to maintain a strict separation between clean and unclean spaces. This fastidious approach to cleanliness can be utterly bewildering for Western visitors, who may be more accustomed to trudging through the house in their outdoor footwear.
But the shoe-removal etiquette is not merely a matter of keeping floors pristine; it also serves as a subtle yet powerful symbol of respect and hospitality. As one Japanese visitor described, “The Americans were very kind to invite me into their homes for dinner, but always as soon as dinner was over, they would ask if I wanted to take a tour of their house, as if it was some sort of monument. I really did not want to, but I could not tell them no, so I said ‘Yes, please.'”
Perfumed Welcomes and Hygienic Habits
The cultural reverence for cleanliness extends beyond the private home and into the public sphere, where personal hygiene practices can shape the very fabric of social interactions. In Turkey, for example, it is customary to offer guests a few drops of Kolonya, a high-alcohol-content perfume, as a means of cleansing their hands upon arrival.
This fragrant disinfectant, which boasts an alcohol concentration of over 80%, was even used as an alternative to conventional hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it was believed to effectively eliminate viruses and bacteria. For the Turkish people, this ritual of offering Kolonya is not just a matter of hospitality, but a tangible expression of their commitment to hygiene and well-being.
Similarly, the practice of bowing as a greeting or farewell in many Asian cultures can be seen as a subtle yet meaningful nod to the importance of minimizing physical contact and the potential for germ transmission. In contrast, the Western handshake, which was once the ubiquitous symbol of greeting, can come across as jarring and unsanitary to those more accustomed to the respectful bow.
Hygiene Haves and Have-Nots
As we’ve explored the diverse range of hygiene customs around the world, it’s important to acknowledge that access to basic sanitation and hygiene resources is not equally distributed. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that a staggering 17 billion people worldwide still lack access to basic sanitation, such as private toilets or latrines, and an additional 500 million are forced to defecate in the open.
Furthermore, a critical 670 million people are unable to wash their hands at home due to a lack of access to running water and soap. These grim statistics serve as a stark reminder that the privilege of maintaining personal and household hygiene is not a universal experience, and that concerted global efforts are needed to address these inequities.
In response to this pressing issue, the WHO and UNICEF have launched the Hand Hygiene for All Global Initiative, which aims to implement the organization’s recommendations on hand hygiene and ensure that this vital public health measure becomes a mainstay in communities worldwide, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. By working to secure political leadership, strengthen institutional policies, and drive behavior change, this initiative seeks to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots of the hygiene world.
Embracing the Unexpected
As I reflect on my experiences living and working abroad, I’m struck by the profound insight that hygiene is less a matter of science and more a reflection of cultural traditions and societal values. What may seem perfectly normal and acceptable in one part of the world can be utterly bewildering to someone from a different background.
Whether it’s the comforting familiarity of the Western toilet paper or the liberating sensation of a bidet-powered cleanse, our personal hygiene habits are inextricably linked to the worldview we’ve inherited. And as I’ve discovered through my work in the cleaning services industry, understanding and respecting these differences is crucial not only for maintaining personal and public health, but also for fostering a deeper sense of cultural appreciation and global understanding.
So, the next time you find yourself in a foreign land, embrace the unexpected with an open mind and a curious spirit. You never know what unique hygiene traditions you might discover – and the insights they might offer into the rich tapestry of human experience.
