The Taboos in Western Culture and Etiquette.pptVIP

The Taboos in Western Etiquette Taboo Food Amphibians and reptiles— Forbidden in Judaism and Islam. A delicacy in France, Portugal, China, Caribbean and parts of the USA and India. Birds— According to the Old Testament of the Bible, the following are not to be eaten: eagles, vultures, ospreys, and bats. In North America, urban pigeons are considered unfit for consumption. Taboo Drinks Alcohol— Some religions, such as Hinduism, Islam, Baptists and other Evangelical Christians, forbid or discourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Blood— It is considered repulsive in most of the US. In Britain and some other Commonwealth countries, “black pudding” or “blood pudding” is made from blood. Followers of Judaism and Islam are forbidden to drink blood or eat food made from blood. Taboo Numbers Six— An evil number in western culture, esp. in Christian world. 666 is associated with the beast, an antagonistic creature in the Bible. And it is a symbol for Satan or the Devil. Thirteen— an unlucky number in the west, which indicates occurrence of disaster or symbol of misfortune. Judas Odd and even number— The westerners see the even number as the symbol of misfortune, but the odd ones as a good luck of symbol. Taboo Color Yellow— means Jaundice and cowardice in English, such as “yellow belly” (in American slang, a coward is said to have a “yellow belly” ) and “yellow journalism. It makes people think of Judas. In America, yellow contains expectation, missing and yearning for return of their far-away relatives. Verbal Taboo Sacrilegious taboos— Christians are forbidden to “take the Lord’s name in vain”. As curses are believed to have magical power, hell and damn are changed to heck and darn. Abusive taboos— Some animal names, such as bitch, cow, and swine (they are called four-letter words.) Obscene taboos— Words relating to sex and sex organs. Taboos of disease and death— English tends to use “th