Thx for your interesting comments, guys!

For the future: Please use the disqus comment feature on my site and not the question feature if you want to discuss or comment about something. That would be really helpful! :) Thanks much. Keep it up! :)

phuturetents said:

about the staring: I’m an American currently studying in Marburg, Germany and I think that person meant more so that Germans hold eye-contact longer than Americans do, I wouldn’t call it “staring.” And it has been recorded as an actual “phenomenon” although it’s really just a cultural norm.

You can read about it in the book Unraveling An Enigma by Greg Nees, I just did a presentation for this in my psychology course here at the uni :]

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deutschitforme said:

It really is true that staring is not strange for Germans. I noticed this too. Americans are like…”why is that person staring at me?…is that normal here?”

If I stare at them, it is normal for me to look away the second that they notice it. If you don’t look away, it doesn’t bother them though.

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nnnoir said:

@entropymorphoses: Hi I was born and raised in Germany, but I am African and I know exactly what you’re talking about! :) I’ve had many family/friends from Africa and the US who cam to visit us and they all said the same: Germans like to stare! I found it really hilarious and interesting, because I had never noticed it before, but then I must be used to it. All I can say is that I have experiened that people from Germany and the UK (much lesser than germans, though) tend to stare, it’s in the culture and it’s not meant to offend. Americans are usually very offended. I remember my aunt really felt bad and was like, why are they all looking at me. But that’s just how it is. Also, when talking to Germans, you always look at each other, continiously. If you don’t you’re considered unattentive, maybe thinking of something else. In the UK and US you don’t keep eye-contact during a conversation, it’s considered rude. As is the part of Africa I originate from, we don’t look at each other directly at all when talking!
I think this is a very interesting topic. Behaviour and Such in different countries.

Part 3: PUNCTUALITY

Being on time is very much appreciated in Germany. I’d even go so far and say that punctuality is one of the most important - if not the most important - social etiquette. Being late will usually leave a bad impression, especially when you have a business meeting. But even if it’s just a social event with friends or familiy, arriving a couple of minutes earlier is better than arriving minutes too late. Sometimes a late arrival is unevitable of course. In those cases please make sure to inform the people who are waiting for you.

The stereotype of the punctual German definitely has some truth to it ;)

Part 2: KISSING

Unlike in some countries, kissing somebody on both cheeks to say hello and goodbye is only acceptable when you’re good friends or family members! NEVER do that to strangers or in business situations. It’s also more common among women than men. Guys usually prefer a pat on the back or something similar.

To be on the safe side wait for the reaction of the German person. And even if it’s only a handshake, accept it and respect the physical distance that’s being kept. :)

It’s always good to know basic social manners when you’re visiting a country for the first time. That’s why I’d like to dedicate a couple of posts to German social manners :)

Part 1: SHAKING HANDS

Shaking hands is the most common form of greeting someone in Germany, especially when you meet someone for the first time and introduce yourself. During business meetings and also some social meetings it’s expected that you shake hands to say both hello and goodbye. If you refuse to shake hands with somebody who offers it to you, you’ll be considered impolite and rude.