Cheek kisses, gender rules and table manners: The dos and don'ts of French etiquette

euronews (in English)

One woman in Versailles has made it her life’s work to teach people the correct way to behave in French polite society: from the polite way to eat soup to specific gender rules.

Transcript

00:00Music

00:28The importance of good manners in France is real,

00:32especially today where society has no more landmarks.

00:36And it allows us to stand out and to know exactly what to do,

00:42how to do, whatever the circumstances,

00:45to always feel at ease and to stand out by our ease and our elegance.

00:51Of course, we look each other in the eye.

00:54We need this visual contact.

00:56This is very French.

00:58And if necessary, there is this handshake,

01:01which must be frank, but without crushing,

01:04without showing too much authority or superiority.

01:08Well, there are little codes to know.

01:11And then, if not, if it becomes a little more friendly,

01:14you know we have our famous kiss.

01:17When it is a narrow staircase,

01:19and it is true that at home I have a very concrete example,

01:22the staircase is narrow and high,

01:24if the woman goes up first and the man follows behind,

01:27he will have the right to have the bottom of his back,

01:30which is not necessarily very pleasant for one or the other.

01:33Whereas if he goes up first, there will be less embarrassment.

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