Global Etiquette: Manners In 10 Countries (Slideshow)

Afghans are gracious hosts, and when invited to visit, you will be greeted warmly, seated comfortably, and offered a chai, which is the ancient word for tea. Traditionally made with either green or black tea leaves and served very sweet, the amount of sugar in your glass corresponds to the honor they are bestowing on you as their guest, so you should be properly thankful. Depending on your host, you may be served your chai in a typical mug or tea cup, or in an istakhan, a traditional small narrow glass set on a saucer that will be filled repeatedly as you visit or dine. The proper way to politely decline another glass of chai is to simply turn your glass over.

Chileans, like other South Americans, have Continental table manners, and some Old World customs are still observed, such as the seating arrangements. When you are invited to sit, women go first, and if there is a guest of honor, he or she will be seated next to the host or hostess depending on his or her gender; women will be seated to the right of the host and men to the left. No matter what your gender, never pour wine with your left hand, and when you are finished with your meal, it's proper to indicate this by placing your knife and fork parallel to each other with the tines of the fork pointing north.

For mealtime pomp and circumstance, certain cultures get high marks for their elaborate or confounding table manners, and the French have their fair share. They of course use the fork and knife in the continental fashion, but have a host of other traditions — many just related to bread because they cannot live without their beloved baguette. Never cut your bread with a knife; it is proper to pull off a morceau, or morsel, and then place it directly on the table, unless the table setting is formal and bread plate has been provided. If you are at a close friend's home, or a casual bistro, it is acceptable to use small pieces of your bread to sop up sauces, or essuyer son assiette, to enjoy every last drop, which also helps you comply with another rule about finishing everything on your plate to let your host or hostess know you enjoyed the meal. 

"Chakula tayari," or "Come to the table" in Swahili, is the warm and welcoming way gracious Kenyans offer their hospitality. The image of a hostess gently greeting her guests — arms outstretched in an embracing hello, dressed in a colorful kitenge with a kanga headdress wrapped attractively around her head — is a familiar and heartwarming scene. Should you be lucky enough to get invited to someone's home, remember that in Swahili the word for right is kulia, which means "to eat with," and this custom of using only the right hand to shake hands or pass food is an ancient taboo. Having clean hands is essential because eating with utensils (many Kenyans follow continental rules for forks, knives, etc.), especially in rural areas, may not be possible. To ensure every guest's comfort, dinner guests wash hands before and after dinner, sometimes in a basin brought to the table.

Turkey is an ancient country with a rich, sophisticated social history that holds entertaining and hospitality in high regard. However, the dining and entertaining customs have highly stratified rules about the titles, food and drink taboos, and gender roles. Religious and ethnic cultural traditions can often clash with more casual westernized attitudes toward status, honor, respect, women, and religious practices, so you have to be on your toes. When dining in someone's home or at a more formal restaurant, honored guests sit at the head of the table in the seat furthest from door, next to the male host. Often in more traditional homes men and women eat separately and it's common for the guest of honor to eat first, followed by the oldest man, then the host, the children, and finally the women — which isn't surprising since the women do the cooking and serving.