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Customs

Greeting

  •  In urban areas when meeting a new person, just shake hands

 

  • If good friends, perform three bise

(three kisses on alternate cheeks) 

  • When men meet eachother, they do not perform bise unless if they are family

  • People in rural areas only shake hands

  • When entering or leaving a group a person must greet and say good bye to all persons in the group

 

 

Gestures

  • It is acceptable to pass objects with the right or both hands

  • It is rude and unclean to pass objects with the left hand

  • To show a vendor one is not interested in the merchendise they are selling, make a pushing motion with their arms and make no eye contact

  • Call a taxi by raising one arm

  • If close to a person, snap fingers to get their attention; if far away, make a "tsssss" sound.

  • Men and women should keep distance in public and act reserved around the oposite gender

  • Don't  keep eye contact with someone of higher status 

  • People of the same gender can hold hands in public as a sign of friendship

  • Couples only hold hands in urban areas, in rural areas it is considered impolite to show public signs of affection

Languages

Official Language:

  • French

Traditional Languages:

  • Wolof

  • Fula

  • Serer

  • Diola

  • Mandinka

"Culturegrams Online Database: Subscriber Area Only".Online.culturegrams.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.

"Culturegrams Online Database: Subscriber Area Only".Online.culturegrams.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.

Images.cdn5.inmagine.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.

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