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People looking forward to a holiday have been advised to brush up on their knowledge of foreign customs and traditions before setting off.

According to Holiday Which? magazine, everyday behaviour in the UK can sometimes be construed as rude or unusual in other countries.

For instance, exposing the soles of one's feet in Egypt is considered an insult.

It is also advisable to research etiquette while eating abroad - in Singapore, it is illegal to eat the pungent durian fruit on public trains, while in Finland the only foods not eaten with a knife and fork are bread and shrimp.

Visitors to China should be sure to balance their chopsticks on the side of their bowl to show they are finished, as positioning them vertically reportedly represents an offering to the dead.

Holiday Which? editor Laura Cowan said: 'Although tourists might be conscious of watching what they say and do when they're on holiday, sometimes there are customs and etiquettes that would be impossible to guess at unless you knew.

'Depending on where you are, something as simple as eating dinner with the wrong hand or drinking cappuccino after breakfast can be seen as a terrible faux pas.'

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