Taboo. Taboo always reminds me of Fred and Wilma’s daughter. You know. The Flintstones. But for no good reason, because she was Pebbles. Maybe I’m thinking of Sam and Darin’s daughter. Tabatha. That’s closer.
Anyway.
Taboo.
To define it is easy in our minds. “Not good.”
But the real definition is lengthy. A “taboo” is a social or religious custom that prohibits us — or forbids us — from even discussing anything about that thing. In that way, it is forbidden to mention any association with that particular person, place, or thing.
If something is taboo, it is worse than just a ban or a restriction. It is completely “Hands Off.”
Where do we see things that are taboo?
Mostly when we come across cultures different from ours. Let’s say it may be okay to spit in Nebraska. But if you spit in, say, Nicaragua, you might be jailed for 120 days. Or something.
Anyway, we really see this when it comes to food.
There are loads of dining-related taboos from around the world.
So. Mind your manners.
In places like:
China
1. According to Chinese tradition, long noodles symbolize a long life. If you’re lucky enough to eat a big steaming bowl of long noodles, don’t cut them. If you do, it means cutting a long life short.
2. While eating at the table, you should never point your chopsticks at another person.
3. Flipping a cooked fish that is on your plate is a serious no-no. If you do, you’re inviting bad luck into your life. Instead of flipping the fish, you should pull the flesh from beneath it.
Japan
1. While eating at the dinner table in Japan, chopsticks should never be used to pass food between two people. Chopsticks are used to pluck bones from the ashes after cremation. So, by using this same gesture at the dinner table, you are both dishonoring a funeral tradition and creating bad luck.
2. Chopsticks have another function for funeral traditions in Japan. In the home, families stick chopsticks vertically into bowls of rice as an offering to the dead. Therefore, you should never place chopsticks vertically in a bowl of food at a restaurant. The gesture is believed to put a curse on the restaurant owner.
Korea
1. As a sign of respect in Korea, you should never begin eating at the dinner table until the eldest or most senior person has begun eating.
Italy
1. While dining in Italy, you should never ask for extra cheese unless it is offered to you. It’s seen as a challenge of the chef’s cooking abilities.
Tanzania
1. While you might think it’s polite to show up just a few minutes early for a dinner party in America, it is actually rude to show up early for dinner in Tanzania. Guests should always arrive 15 or 20 minutes late for a meal to be polite.
Russia
1. If you finish a bottle of vodka, the empty bottle should always be placed on the ground. Russians believe that placing an empty bottle back on the table causes bad luck.
2. Food should never, ever be licked off of a knife. The act is considered rude and a sign of poor manners. Some would even consider you a savage, as it can also be interpreted as a sign of cruelty to lick a utensil that cuts through your food.
So there they are.
Some food taboos. Just for the record, I’ve licked my knife. It is not something I admit to most people. But since it is just us and the Russians. Well. What the heck.
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“Taboos are there to protect the individual, but often they become tools of repression.” — John Berger
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“Taboos are the myths of a society: they carry the weight of history, yet are often irrational and oppressive.” — Deborah Lutz
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“Breaking a taboo is often seen as a triumph of personal freedom, but it also carries the risk of alienation.” — Margaret Atwood
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It’s taboo. Not the game. The bites.
