Shepherds stand on a trail with sheep in Prevencheres, in the Lozere département. (Photo by Pascal GUYOT / AFP) From the history behind the Olympics mascot to the French greetings foreigners mess up ...

In the charming streets of France, from the bustling avenues of Paris to the romantic lanes of Provence, lies an unspoken rule that is sacrosanct among the locals: the customary greeting of bonjour.

You say hello, I say goodbye but what do the French say? Photo by SUJIT JAISWAL / AFP You might think saying hello and goodbye is pretty basic French, but there are lots of social nuances to greeting ...

'Although we want to be welcoming to everybody, we should be proud and we should encourage people to only say Bonjour' You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an ...

If you want to greet Gaelic-speaking Irish friends you can do so by telling them ‘Casca sona’ – or, if it’s Scottish Gaelic they’re speaking you can say ‘Caisge Shona’ ...