Taboos Related to Chopsticks

Today's topic is about taboos when we use chopsticks here and how to hold them.

We are familiar with using chopsticks, but we have some taboos related to the use of them.

Please remember not to spoil the good atmosphere at the table.

1, Touching foods Unnecessarily

Don't touch foods unnecessarily from one to another without eating.

2. Pull Plates or Bowls to you

Don't pull a plate or bowl toward you with chopsticks.

3. Licking

Don't lick chopsticks to clean many times or scoop up attached food into your mouth.

4. Sticking

Don't impale food with chopsticks.

5. Stirring

Don't stir in a plate or bowl to pick up favorite food.

6. Dropping something liquid

Be careful not to drop something liquid like soup.

7. Pointing at someone

Don't point at someone with chopsticks.

8. Setting in foods

Don't stick and set the chopsticks in food, as on upper picture.

9. Laying chopsticks across plate or bowl

Don't lay chopsticks across a plate or bowl.

10. Passing Foods

Don't use your chopsticks to take something from someone else's chopsticks.

This way of passing things relates to Japanese funerary custom.

《Additional Explanations about Number 9》

We often place chopsticks across the plate at home, and not many of us pay attention to keep it in mind.

You will see some people fold a chopsticks’ paper holder and make the place to put them on at a restaurant. Let’s see the following a photo.

And this is the signal to finish eating, the lower one.

How to hold chopsticks

Please check whether you can use chopsticks well while looking at the below pictures.

Could you pick up something and use them well??

今回はお箸のマナーと持ち方について、紹介したけれど、日本人ならほとんど知っている話だと思うので、別の話を書きますね。
ついに、言ってた三番目の5年生のクラスが学年閉鎖になりました・・・。
我が子の班では、うちの子以外、みんな休んでいるという状況の中、何故か元気で通っている末っ子。
今日もう少ししたら帰ってくるけれど、果たしてもう貰っているんだろうか。
中学生も、高校生もテスト期間中や、間近なので、この時期からインフルエンザになることは絶対避けたいなあ。

今日の予定していたマラソン大会は、閉鎖中のクラスのみ延期らしいです。
今日すっごく天気が良くて、マラソン日和なのにねえ・・・。