Formality

A formality is an established procedure or set of specific behaviors and utterances, conceptually similar to a ritual but typically secular and less elaborate. In Western contexts a formality can be as simple as a handshake in greeting, while Japanese business culture involves more elaborate formalities such as bows, formal greetings, and the exchange of business cards, and diplomatic settings include formal procedures such as welcoming a visiting head of state with a national anthem. Different societies maintain distinct levels of formality, which can create misunderstandings between groups: people raised in less formal cultures may perceive formal behavior as hollow or excessive, while people raised in more formal cultures can struggle, or feel long-term discomfort, in casual settings where their more refined manners go unappreciated. Formality is often confused with politeness, a distinction that people from less formal cultural backgrounds find particularly difficult to draw, and it functions overall as a cultural convention that shapes how people interact across different social contexts. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/