[firmbeliever]

I have seen on Tv and movies that many in the West eat with their left hands.

Is this recommended practice or not?

I am curious because we specifically use the right hand to eat as the left hand is used for cleaning after going to the bathroom.

Thanks in advance:)

[savedsinner7]

Wow. Never heard of using separate hands for different functions.

[shygrneyzs]

I am right handed so I eat with my right hand. My two sons are left handed. It is not a matter of using the left hand for toileting purposes but I do remember hearing that when I was growing up. When I was in school the nuns absolutely forbid anyone from using their left hand for writing or eating. But now? I really don't think people, in general, apply that rule too rigorously. However I am sure there are cultures or relgions that would teach the left hand purposes.

[savedsinner7]

I'm right, one son lefty, one righty. Lefty and I shoot pool opposite, I shoot left, he shoots right. Eat with whatever is convenient. Fork in left if cutting with right, etc.

[lollipopgrl]

I have seen on Tv and movies that many in the West eat with their left hands.

Is this recommended practice or not?

I am curious because we specifically use the right hand to eat as the left hand is used for cleaning after going to the bathroom.

Thanks in advance:)

Well no you don't have to eat with your left hand I just think that is how they used to eat back then I mean if everyone had to eat with their left hand then most people would be outcasts!♥

[Wondergirl]

In Latin, the word for "left" is "sinister" (from that comes bad, evil). The word for "right" is "dexter" (from that comes dexterous, skillful).

From that comes expressions like, "His right hand doesn't know what his left hand is doing". Thieves would steal with their left and transfer to their right. Cleaning oneself after using the bathroom would be done with the left hand; eating would be done with the right. (In Europe, in order to cut meat, one puts one's fork in the left hand to steady the meat while the knife in the right hand does the cutting. Then the fork stays in the left hand to eat a chunk of meat. The right then puts down the knife across the top of the plate and takes back the fork for further eating. That's probably why some of you have the idea of eating with one's left hand.)

There are many allusions to handedness (left vs. right, bad vs. good) in literature.

Throughout history, left has gotten a bad rap. Right is good.

When I was in school and printing, and later cursive, was being taught, if a student tried to write with his or her left hand, the teacher slapped it with a ruler. We all had to use our right hand with no argument. (This was in public school. Parochial school students had the same experience. Thank goodness I was a righty... )

[firmbeliever]

We use our right hand as it is hygienic since we are recommended to clean ourselves with our left hand after using the bathroom.

I am not sure about writing and other things,but we do always use the right hand when giving or receiving things from people,shake hands,eat etc.

Shy,
I did not know that about the nuns forbidding using the left hand for eating.

Wondergirl,
I can see why the left vs right has been practiced from the very beginning of human civilization because I believe the rules must have come from the same source (Almighty).

Thank you all for your thoughts on this.

[Clough]

In Latin, the word for "left" is "sinister" (from that comes bad, evil). The word for "right" is "dexter" (from that comes dexterous, skillful).

From that comes expressions like, "His right hand doesn't know what his left hand is doing". Thieves would steal with their left and transfer to their right. Cleaning oneself after using the bathroom would be done with the left hand; eating would be done with the right. (In Europe, in order to cut meat, one puts one's fork in the left hand to steady the meat while the knife in the right hand does the cutting. Then the fork stays in the left hand to eat a chunk of meat. The right then puts down the knife across the top of the plate and takes back the fork for further eating. That's probably why some of you have the idea of eating with one's left hand.)

There are many allusions to handedness (left vs. right, bad vs. good) in literature.

Throughout history, left has gotten a bad rap. Right is good.

When I was in school and printing, and later cursive, was being taught, if a student tried to write with his or her left hand, the teacher slapped it with a ruler. We all had to use our right hand with no argument. (This was in public school. Parochial school students had the same experience. Thank goodness I was a righty....)

It's true that doing things with the left hand has gotten a pretty bad reputation throughout the years. Excellent post, Wondergirl! I tried to spread the "love" some, but could not.

[Clough]

I use my right hand as a preference. But, since I am a professional pianist, I tend to be ambidextrous. Sometimes there is no preference as to which hand I will use. For my culture, it doesn't matter which one I use for eating or for using the bathroom. There may be some activities where it might be frowned upon to use one hand or the other in my culture. But, I have not experienced what they might be yet. This includes the schooling that I have had.

[excon]

Hello firm:

Different cultures do different things. Muslims also believe something, our culture doesn't, about showing the soles of one's shoes being an insult. I'm sure there's more, but I'm really ignorant about Islam.

Do you live in an Islamic country? Your English is so good I always took it for granted that you were a white Christian girl from NY who converted. Interesting how we make up stuff...

I love the differences between people. I celebrate them.

excon

PS> I tried to utilize my left hand in the bathroom... Useless...

[NeedKarma]

It's not a "in the west" issue it's an islam issue I believe. There is no restriction as which hand to use outside of your religion as I understand it. After using the facilities one would hope that people wash their hands, both of them, that takes care of the hygiene issue.

[templelane]

I use both hands to eat, right hand for my knife and left for my fork. It is considered uncouth to use a fork in the right hand where I live, reserved only for informal occasions such as if you are eating on your lap. My left hand will do most food holding if I am doing something else so that my dominant hand is free.

I heard American soldiers got in trouble in Iraq by doing the thumbs up sign with their left hands to Iraqi civilians. They were trying to be nice but it was interpreted as an insult due to the hand. Is this an urban legend or did it happen?

There was a really good set of adverts for a bank of all places which showed cultural differences. It had people making mistakes like the OK index finger circle to thumb which is rude in some counties, showing of palms and soles of feet etc. It was quiet interesting.

[firmbeliever]

NK,
I know what I practice in Islam.

And I know it is not an issue for many.
But as Shy said nuns also seems to forbid using the left hand for eating.

Tl,
Iraqis taking offense about the left thumbs up maybe more of cultural thing than religious thing as we do not take offense at any such thing,but the recommended practice is to prefer the right hand,giving,receiving,eating etc.

I know Indians also will not like to have us receive anything they give us with our left hand or for us to give them with our left hand, I am not sure of the reason though.
Maybe not all Indians,but the ones I met prefer it that way.

[templelane]

After using the facilities one would hope that people wash their hands, both of them, that takes care of the hygiene issue.

I am always shocked how often I see people not doing this! :eek: Makes me worry.

[ebaines]

I know the tradition of eating with only the right hand is prevalent in many countries - I remember being "warned" about this before traveling to Indonesia, for example. And the tradition of not showing the soles of your feet is common as well - it's considered an insult in Thailand, for example - if you visit a temple you are advised to sit on the floor with your legs curled under you, because of you sit with your legs extended the soles of your feet will be pointing in someone else's direction.

We westerners have our own traditions. For example if someone burps while eating it is considered rude - we think that at the very least one should cover his or her mouth - but in many other cultures they think nothing of it.

Bottom line is to heed the old saying, "when in Rome do as the Romans do."

[firmbeliever]

I know the tradition of eating with only the right hand is prevalent in many countries - I remember being "warned" about this before traveling to Indonesia, for example. And the tradition of not showing the soles of your feet is common as well - it's considered an insult in Thailand, for example - if you visit a temple you are advised to sit on the floor with your legs curled under you, because of you sit with your legs extended the soles of your feet will be pointing in someone else's direction.

We westerners have our own traditions. For example if someone burps while eating it is considered rude - we think that at the very least one should cover his or her mouth - but in many other cultures they think nothing of it.

Bottom line is to heed the old saying, "when in Rome do as the Romans do."

I do agree burping without covering their mouths or loudly is not too nice.
I too have heard of a culture which actually approves a burp after a meal as a guest (not sure which one though).

[RubyPitbull]

I have seen on Tv and movies that many in the West eat with their left hands.

Is this recommended practice or not?

I am curious because we specifically use the right hand to eat as the left hand is used for cleaning after going to the bathroom.

Thanks in advance:)

This is a great post FB! I am sorry I didn't see it sooner.

As others have said, years ago (in the U.S.), doing anything with your left hand was very much discouraged and the ruler was used to correct those that tried to use their left hand. My older brother was originally left handed and was forced by his teachers to use his right hand. Both my younger brother and I are left handed and were never forced to use our right hands. I do remember having a terrible time in school with those little scissors that were supposed to be made specifically for left handed people. I was forced to learn to do certain things right handed because the people teaching me were right handed. So although I consider myself left-handed, I am ambidextrous.

I remember reading what Wondergirl posted. I also remember reading that sometime around the Middle Ages the concept was created that if you were left-handed you were considered to have the mark of the devil upon you. I don't remember why and your posting here has made me want to research that again. I also remember reading that it was around the same time in which "Bless you" was instilled in western societies when someone sneezed. Supposedly, when you sneezed, you were off guard and were allowing the devil to enter into you and saying "Bless you" was a way to keep the devil from entering someone's body. Originally, from what I remember, the reason for the separation of eating and cleaning yourself with your right and left hand, was done to avoid fecal & urinary contamination of your food. With the advent of our sanitary laws and being taught from a young age, that we must always wash our hands after relieving ourselves, western society does not insist that we use one hand over the other anymore.

I am curious as to what is the specific law and the reasoning behind it, in Islam, that has you follow the right/left rules. If you have the time, you would post with that please?

[KISS]

I'm ambedexterous too. I can write script with my left, right, forwards and backwards (mirror image). The right is much better all because I don't haven't practiced enough. If it's more convientent to use my left, I will.

[ebaines]

This is a great post FB! I am sorry I didn't see it sooner.

I am curious as to what is the specific law and the reasoning behind it, in Islam, that has you follow the right/left rules. If you have the time, you would post with that please?

I could be wrong here, but I don't believe it's a religious thing regarding which hand to use when you eat, but rather simply a cultural difference. As stated previously, the concept being discussed here is that you use the left hand to "facilitate" going to the bathroom and "cleaning up" afterwards (I hope I don't have to draw a diagram), and hence you do not want to use that same hand to eat with. Keep in mind that in many non-western countries the custom is to eat using your hands, not silverware or chopsticks. So it's important to make sure the hand you eat with is clean -- just as here in the west you wouldn't want to eat with a spoon that your waitress just pulled out of the toilet.

[RubyPitbull]

Thanks EB, but I do understand the reason for why this is done, so I will spare you from having to draw me any diagrams. LOL.

Whaa? You won't eat with a spoon your waitress just pulled out of a toilet? My how picky you are.

I know there are other cultures and countries that do not use utensils and follow this rule of using your right hand such as in Ethiopia. I guess that I assumed that since the British were very much in control of India for a period in history, that most of the people in the larger cities adopted the eating habits of the British. Well, I guess tomorrow when FB signs back on she can clarify if it is a religious or cultural difference. Perhaps both?