Don’t Make These Faux Pas When Traveling

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When traveling abroad, many travelers forget that actions that might be acceptable at home are actually big faux pas in other countries.
Understanding different cultures can help you avoid looking like the stereotypical tourist when on the road and even prevent you from offending someone. In some countries, something as seemingly innocent as a simple hand gesture could be enough to warrant arrest, fines or — at the very least — dirty looks.
Here’s what you shouldn’t do when you travel.
DON’T: Give a Thumbs Up

Giving the thumbs up in the United States may have positive connotations, but in the Middle East and Greece, it’s a vulgar gesture meaning, essentially, “Up yours.”
No wonder Gayle Cotton, author of “Say Anything to Anyone Anywhere: 5 Keys to Successful Cross-Cultural Communication,” wrote in “The Huffington Post,” “When it comes to body language gestures, the wisest advice might be to keep your fingers to yourself!”
DON’T: Wear Clothes in a Spa

When taking a steam bath or enjoying a sauna in Turkey or Scandinavian countries such as Norway, don’t wear a swimsuit, undies or a robe. They will find you a prude.
In these countries, a sauna is meant to cleanse and purify, and should be done fully in the nude. You can enter in a towel, but should remove it and use it only as cover when you stand. If you are too shy, skip the sauna.
In Finland, it is also considered rude to talk while in a sauna. Shhh!
DON’T: Eat With Your Left Hand

Even if you are a lefty, use your right hand to eat in India and the Middle East. The left hand is considered unclean, as it is the hand one uses to clean unmentionable body parts.
It’s also considered bad luck to pour a drink using your left hand in places in Latin America.
DON’T: Make a Come-Hither Motion

Using your index finger to ask someone to come to you is offensive to people in many Asian countries, where it is only used to beckon dogs. In Singapore, the gesture actually symbolizes death. And there are reports of people being arrested in the Philippines for using the gesture.
If you want to have someone come to you, raise your hand, palm out, and wave your fingers down instead. This is also how it is done in Greece.