Whether you’re in a relationship with an Egyptian, friends with

Whether you're in a relationship with an Egyptian, friends with one, or just simply traveling to Egypt there are things you should not do. As in any foreign culture there are little quirks that you will find to offend the country's natives. Some do not even realize that countries have different gestures that they find offensive due to the United States not really having any.

Some of the rules of Egyptian ways you would never even think of as being disrespectful. One being that you should not eat with your left hand at any meal. In their eyes eating with your left hand is eating with the Devil's hand. This can pose to be difficult to the natural left hander, or if it's just habit to use your left. Also dealing with food, you should not begin eating a meal before everyone else. You have to wait until everyone at the table gets their food to begin eating.

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The Faro Caudill [family] eating dinner in their d...

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A third issue with food is that Muslims do not eat pork products therefore it would be in your best interest not to eat pork products in front of them. This is offensive due to their religion. If you are visiting a Muslim country get used to eating beef and chicken, chances are you won't find much on the lines of ham, bacon, etc.

As in some other countries, sitting while pointing the bottoms of your feet at someone is not looked at fondly. To them when they see this it's found as disrespectful. So while sitting down you should not rest your feet on the back of your heels or prop your feet up so that the bottoms face someone.

One gesture you may have never thought of as being disrespectful or having any actual meaning behind it is slapping/hitting someone on the back of the neck. If for any reason you felt compelled to do so, this is not an issue if the person you've done it to is younger than you. If you happen to do this to someone older it's disrespectful and chances are they will become fairly angry with you.

As a woman in a relationship with an Egyptian you should be a fairly modest woman. You should not flaunt your body in public, (cleavage, etc.). Seeing how in their country women's arms are covered with sleeves and most of their legs are covered. To them this is distasteful and not something anyone but their partner should ever see. Now if you are in the United States they do not mind so much, but you should still not flaunt it or "let it all hang out" so to speak. Another rule of thumb for being in a relationship is that you should not talk excessively with their guy friends. To an Egyptian man you should not speak a lot to his friends because it makes him, as your boyfriend, etc, look bad because his girlfriend would rather talk with his friends than him. It also does not make you look good because you will seem like an unfaithful woman in their eyes.

Most of these gestures do not only apply in Egypt, but in most Arab countries. You would not want to cause any unnecessary issues while in a country that is far different from your own. So in an Arab country you would want to make sure not to do these things as to show respect and not to offend anyone while visiting in a foreign place.

Egyptian V

The arrival of 20 kilograms of fine pork products ...

English: Pork products in Borough Market.

English: United Arab States, 1958 to 1961