Chinese culture: Cigarettes

In China, smoking cigarettes is not all about lighting up and smoking but more importantly, it involves a lot of social etiquettes. It is not  a personal activity but a complicated process in any public spaces (just for those who smoke). 

Sharing cigarettes with whether your friends or your peers is the most important etiquette. For example, when four or five people gather together and one of them want to smoke, he or she cannot, or would be impolite if he or she just takes out a cigarette and smoke by him/herself. Instead the person should give each person a cigarette unless someone doesn't want it. Furthermore, if someone is lighting up a cigarette for you, you should tap his/her hand softly two times with one of your fingers to show the respect.

The previous situation is just about smoking with your friends, or someone who has the same social status as you. If you are in a situation with your boss, or someone you try to please, there is a different "rule". First of all, you have to prepare a high-class cigarette, not something cheap. Then you cannot share the cigarette with your boss by throwing or give it to him/her in one hand, like you do to your friends. Instead you should give it to your boss by two hands, hold it steadily like you are holding something heavy. Finally, light it up for your boss, and it doesn't involve "tap" etiquette because he/she has a higher social status than you.

Those are not social rules or norms that everyone has to obey them, but potentially it is a social etiquette to show the respect, and leave others a good impression.

(Sorry I can't find a image associate with this topic....)