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The Left Hand - Culture - Nairaland

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Why It Is Offensive To Give/Receive With Your Left Hand? / Giving And Recieving With The Left Hand. / Itching Of The Left Hand (2) (3) (4)

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The Left Hand by Naijagurly(f): 9:10pm On Oct 25, 2007
Can anyone tell me why yoruba's consider it disrespectful when you use your left hand to give somone something
Re: The Left Hand by finekid(m): 9:44pm On Oct 25, 2007
Well, I'm no yoruba
Re: The Left Hand by Zandra1(f): 2:12am On Oct 27, 2007
Finekid ure not yoruba so I don't get what ure doing here cheesy cheesygrin grin grin grin.

Well am no yoruba either but I guess its their culture wink. I like lefties though.
Re: The Left Hand by Nobody: 6:40am On Oct 27, 2007
am yoruba but i dnt get it either undecided. . .i've been slapped for using my left hand to give sth to an adult cry cry
Re: The Left Hand by finekid(m): 6:59am On Oct 27, 2007
Aww, sorry about the slap shocked . . . did you turn the other cheek?. . . just kiddin. . . grin
Please stop crying. . . wink
Re: The Left Hand by Nobody: 7:15am On Oct 27, 2007
if it was another chic. . .that day she gon find out how a yoruba beatdown feels angry angry. . .if she can feel afterwards grin grin. i no do words o, just action. angry angry cheesy
Re: The Left Hand by omo07(f): 8:15am On Oct 27, 2007
because they think the left hand is dirty,
because it is "suppose" to be the hand used to wipe ur butt after using the restroom, lol

but its not only yoruba people, i know alot of older Nigerians of other ethnicities that think that way!
Re: The Left Hand by naijadiva2(f): 10:42pm On Oct 27, 2007
its not only yoruba, some igbo people don't like the left hand. this lady came to my house to get money so i went upstairs to get the money. i handed her the money with my left hand unconsciously, and she was like, next time i should use my right hand cuz it disrespectful. i'm like who cares, you should be happy that i'm giving you money.

when i was a little kid learning how to write, i used to write with my left hand but my dad didn't like that so he forced me to use my right hand. now that's the only hand i write with. i forgot how to write with my left.
Re: The Left Hand by Njoy1(f): 10:45pm On Oct 27, 2007
Not only Yoruba - even in Europe - that is considered very rude.
Re: The Left Hand by omoge(f): 11:17pm On Oct 27, 2007
i think the belief is that the left hand is for wiping after yagbe_ing.
Re: The Left Hand by naijadiva2(f): 11:22pm On Oct 27, 2007
omoge:

i think the belief is that the left hand is for wiping after yagbe_ing.


ain't trying be nasty or whatever put i think i use my right hand.
Re: The Left Hand by Njoy1(f): 11:25pm On Oct 27, 2007
shocked

Some ladies do have 'em.
Re: The Left Hand by naijadiva2(f): 11:29pm On Oct 27, 2007
N-joy:

shocked

Some ladies do have 'em.

have what.
Re: The Left Hand by omoge(f): 11:31pm On Oct 27, 2007
LOL grin grin
N-joy:

shocked

Some ladies do have 'em.
Re: The Left Hand by funyin(f): 11:36am On Oct 29, 2007
should i say its part of our culture.some believe it, to be bad luck.that the left hand brings bad luck.

like when i was young, i used to use left to write but my gmama changed it.
so now i use both hands. for instance, i write, eat with right hand. while i sweep, cut things with left. and even most times i wave with left hand but dont give people things with left coz i grew to learn that it is a sign of disrespect.
Re: The Left Hand by londoner: 6:36pm On Oct 29, 2007
@ Njoy, where in Europe is using the left hand looked upon as disrespectful? I have never heard that before. I k now its frowned upon in some Asian countries and the Middle East, but Europe I doubt it.

I grew up being taught not to give or recieve with the left hand and I'm not Yoruba. I think you'll find it common across many African countries, let alone Nigeria. Its not a specific Yoruba thing IMO.
Re: The Left Hand by opokonwa(m): 4:38pm On Oct 30, 2007
I no be Yoruba person
Re: The Left Hand by pilgrim1(f): 11:03pm On Nov 02, 2007
Tsk-tsk! Has anyone noticed that the Yorubas also use the left hand when counting money? grin The left hand issue is simply a joke that is well respected in many places!
Re: The Left Hand by Purist(m): 12:49pm On Nov 03, 2007
Wow! pilgrim.1 outside Religion board? shocked grin cheesy grin

Anyway, this topic has been discussed previously: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-22862.0.html
Re: The Left Hand by mellow(m): 2:43pm On Nov 03, 2007
During the African medieva era, only a very few people uses left hand to do some certain chores,

those people where therefore looked upon as abnormal and the elders then beleived that that

abnormality can be curbed by stopping the child at an early age to stop using the left hand. It is not

a Yoruba thing as I can see remember the first time we went to the village how a wicked uncle bore

a hole on my skull with a knock for collecting Agwu' Azi from the wife with a left hand, still can't seem to

forget or forgive that man till he died, and I am not Yoruba.
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Re: The Left Hand by chiogo(f): 4:57pm On Nov 03, 2007
Yup, it's not only the yorubas, the igbos do that also. My mother looks at me like am crazy when i do that but i guess she doesn't really care these days. it's been long she gave me that look,
Re: The Left Hand by younghoodi(m): 5:08pm On Nov 03, 2007
oh shit in hausa culture to.
Re: The Left Hand by mamaput(f): 7:15pm On Nov 04, 2007
Not only Yoruba - even in Europe - that is considered very rude.



thats not true
Re: The Left Hand by funyin(f): 11:02am On Nov 05, 2007
the yorubas lay emphasizes on the left hand issue than any other tribes in Nigeria.
True or false?

Yorubas see it as a sign of disrepect, the igbos no get respect. Hausas them get but no emphasizes on whether na left or right.
Re: The Left Hand by omowhyou(m): 2:29pm On Nov 05, 2007
It's so common among we Africans. I did a survey by asking people if they will accept money from a left the hand, you will be surprise because many said they will accept it. Why because it's money.
Re: The Left Hand by chiogo(f): 11:35pm On Nov 05, 2007
funyin:

the yorubas lay emphasizes on the left hand issue than any other tribes in Nigeria.
True or false?

Yorubas see it as a sign of disrepect, the igbos no get respect. Hausas them get but no emphasizes on whether na left or right.

Yo, am sorry but that is one of d most ignorant thin' anyone has ever said. Just because yoruba people has in it's culture that they bow when greetin' elders doesn't mean they have respect.Take it from me, i have yoruba friends and i ain't tryin' to be tribalistic but most yoruba people know this. A yoruba girl would see an elder, bow down and all that and after walkin' past u, talk mad shit about you.now tell me what respect gotta do with that?? this doesn't apply to all of 'em but am just sayin' If u want to be respectful, just be. Be real with yourself, c'mon.If u're going to diss smbody, why u greetin' them?? for real, that's hypocrisy.Say what u mean and mean what u say.In d olden days, igbos bow down if u see in their movies.I guess they are only respectful 'cause they're forced to be. Again, this is not all of 'em but i have seen this stuff.
Re: The Left Hand by omowhyou(m): 11:09am On Nov 06, 2007
You are very right bro
Re: The Left Hand by spoilt(f): 1:16am On Nov 07, 2007
whenever i am in nigeria, i use both hands intentionally and freely . when people tell me to use my right hand, i tell them that if their left hands are cursed, mine is not. what about left handed people?
Re: The Left Hand by mamaput(f): 2:47pm On Nov 07, 2007
one of my kids is left handed
if any one should tell hersomething about it., i will insult the hell out of the person.
Re: The Left Hand by romeo(m): 1:20pm On Nov 09, 2007
In many European languages, "right" is not only a synonym for correctness, but also stands for authority and justice (source wikipedia)

If right stands for correctness and justice what does left stand for? Incorrectness and injustice? i think the left and right thing is not only in africa but worldwide!! check out politics of left and right
Re: The Left Hand by londoner: 1:54pm On Nov 09, 2007
The rest of the world does not view the left hand the same wayas  people in Africa/Asia/Arab societies. If you check out British etiquette, when you lay a table, the fork is ALWAYS on the LEFT, ie you  eat with the left hand. Even in awards ceremonies, the protocol is to shake hands with your right hand, while[b] recieving the award/certificate etc with your left. [/b] The other person gives to you with his/her left hand while shaking with their right. Its not really considered rude to give or take with your left hand, it would be bad manners not to say "thankyou" after being given an object.

Cultures differ the world over.


The truth is that many people actually use the hand they use in the loo to give and take. If you use your right hand to clean up in the ladies/mens room, chances are you are using that same hand to give and recieve.
Re: The Left Hand by funyin(f): 3:36pm On Nov 09, 2007
Chiogo,
can u imagine what you have said "In d olden days, igbos bow down if u see in their movies" why in the olden day? so what about now? they are too big to bow down?

Also

A yoruba girl would see an elder, bow down and all that and after walkin' past u, talk mad shit about you. this doesnt have anything to do with tribe. tell me which tribes dont do that?i believe this depends on individuals and also on ones relationship with the elderly person


Bia forget, The Igbos no get respect. Period!!!

- They talk to elderly people the way they like, call their father's mate by name.

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