Are There Any Cultural Norms In Iran?

There are many cultural norms in Iran, one of the strangest to foreigners, is the concept of Ta’arof, which governs rules of social interaction and hospitality. It is form of exaggerated politeness.

For instance, restaurant owners or taxi drivers as a sign of respect will often say there is no charge, and in return you will show your respect by insisting on paying until they accept.

This also applies to hospitality at the home, where hosts are obligated to offer their guests as much as they can and guests are supposed to reject, sometimes several times, before accepting.

In this video Hadi Khorsandi the famous Iranian satirist show you how to Ta’arof when you have a company and how to respond to Ta’arof.

If you want to learn more about Iranian Ta’arof see this funny video by Leyla Shams.