Greetings Etiquette
Comorian men shake hands whenever they meet another man, but in public, at least, they greet women only verbally because touching women in public is considered improper. In private and among relatives, men and women may sometimes kiss one another on the cheek. Women might also greet their female friends with a kiss.
Upon greeting, Comorians exchange any of several standard phrases, depending on the level of formality. The Shingazidja version of an exchange between social equals is Edje? (an informal “Hello”) followed by Ye yapvo? (“What’s up?”). More formal terms are used to greet elders, superiors, or strangers. Bariza husha (“Good morning”), Bariza hazi? (“How’s work?”), and Bariza masihu (“Good evening”) are all common Shingazidja phrases.
When calling out to someone, Comorians often say Bo before the person’s name. A child shows respect to his or her elders by greeting them with both hands cupped and extended while saying Kwezi. In response, the elder clasps the child’s hands and says Mbona. The exchange is like asking for and receiving a blessing.
Comorians make frequent informal visits to close friends; it is impolite to lose contact with any friend or family member for more than a few days. Extended families are large, so social obligations are numerous. Within a village, Comorians visit freely without prior arrangement; time for visiting is usually set aside from 4 to 6 pm. When visiting someone in another town, it is polite to give advance notice to allow the hosts time to prepare. Guests are offered food and drink, which it is impolite to refuse. Weekday visits are short (an hour or less) but weekend ones may last all day.
