美国的风俗习惯

GREETINGS

As a gesture of friendliness, if a person offers you his hand, you should shake it; however, shaking hands is not a necessity in most greetings, especially informal ones. Many times men are the only ones who shake hands in a mixed group. It is customary for a man to shake a woman's hand only if she offers her hand first. An acknowledgment such as"How do you do," or "I'm glad to meet you," is appropriate. Just because people say, "How are you?" does not mean they want to hear about your health conditions. They simply are using it as a greeting or recognition of you. A common response is "I'm fine, thank you." Informal greetings include words such as "hello," "hi,"and "hey."

FIRST NAMES

Texans adopt a friendly, casual attitude with new acquaintances and will call you by your first name immediately after being introduced. Most people prefer being called by their