Meeting and Greeting Etiquette
Mongolians are accustomed to greeting Westerners by shaking hands, and common salutations include "Sain bainu?" and "Saixan namarjinuu?" ("Are you enjoying this fall?"). You must always respond positively to the first question by saying "Sain sain" ("I'm well"). Additionally, Mongolians are at ease offering embraces to one another when they are near.
The customary way to welcome someone in Mongolia, especially in the rural, is to hold out your arms with your palms up and grab the elder person by the elbows. The older man performs the identical action, but with his palms facing down. When people first meet each other or around the Lunar New Year, this kind of greeting is most common.
When people meet for the first time in the new year or during the Lunar New Year, they typically greet each other in this manner. Only close friends and relatives normally perform it. The older individual may also deliver a classic kiss by quickly sniffing their forehead or both cheeks.
It's imperative to extend a warm welcome by "Presenting the Hadag." A silk or cotton strip known as a "hadag" is given as a greeting to both Tibetans and Mongolians. Hadag in Mongolia is predominantly sky blue, but it can also be white or pale yellow. If one is fortunate enough to receive a hadag, one should take it with both hands and bow a little. Giving and receiving hadag is a highly significant part of Mongolian culture since it is a visible expression of respect for one another.
