National Chopsticks Day

February 06: National Chopsticks Day

National Chopsticks Day

National Chopsticks Day celebrates the ancient tools called chopsticks.

Chopsticks have been used in East Asia for over 6000 years. They are used in China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. There are chopsticks used specifically for cooking and some for eating. Each person has their own set of chopsticks.

There are several types of chopsticks. For example, Japanese chopsticks are pointed while Chinese chopsticks have blunt ends. Chinese chopsticks are the longest and made of bamboo. Korean chopsticks are medium in size and made of metallic material, wood, or plastic with a blunt at the end.

How to Use Chopsticks

Note there are a few different ways to use chopsticks, this is just one way.

  • Rest the upper half of one stick between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand (or left, if you’re left-handed).
  • Hold the lower half of the stick firmly against your ring finger.
  • Hold the second chopstick as you would hold a pencil.
  • To work the chopsticks, keep the first stick stationary.
  • Move the second stick up and down to pick up your food.
  • This takes practice, but once you get the hang of it, you won’t be able to stop.
12 common ways to use chopsticks

Some Guidelines for using Chopsticks Authentically

  • Chopsticks should never be stuck in or used as spears for food.
  • Do not pass food from your chopsticks to someone else’s.
  • Do not use your chopsticks at a pointer or wave them around to express yourself.
  • Do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice.
  • Do not place your chopsticks crossed over each other on your plate, bowl, or the table.

Chopsticks Facts & Trivia

  • Using chopsticks involves over 30 joints and 50 muscles in the fingers, wrist, arm, and shoulder.
  • Almost one third of the world uses chopsticks every day.
  • The royal family used silver chopsticks to test for poisons. The silver turned black if toxins were present.
  • In China they are kuàizi. In Japan, they are hashi and otemoto. In Korea, they are jeotgarak. In Taiwan, it’s Hokkien. In Vietnam, đũa. Cambodia, chang keuh. And in the Philipines, they’re sipit ng intsik.
  • The English word “chopstick” may have derived from Chinese Pidgin English, in which chop chop meant “quickly.”
  • The fear of chopsticks is called Consecotaleophobia.

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⇴ image purchased from vecteezy; chopstick poster Marcosticks, wikipedia, (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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