You can't say "bless you" if someone's coughed, burped, broken wind, choked on something or if they have the hiccups. You can only say it after someone's sneezed.
In China and Taiwan, burping is the highest form of flattery—it means you like the food! “The host considers the noise a compliment,” says Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick, founder and president of the Etiquette School of New York. Slurping your noodles pays the same respect.
There's nothing improper about burping itself, whether you say “excuse me” or not. That said, if you were mid-sentence when the burp came out or if your burp disrupted whatever else was happening, then it's appropriate to say “excuse me” for the interruption or for causing a disturbance.
Burping is seen (and heard) as rude and crude. But burping (or belching) serves an essential purpose and shouldn't be silenced.
When eating from shared dishes (as it is commonly done at some restaurants such as izakaya), it is polite to use the opposite end of your chopsticks or dedicated serving chopsticks for moving food to your own dish. Blowing your nose at the table, burping and audible munching are considered bad manners in Japan.
British people are sticklers for dinner table manners. When you are eating you should keep your elbows off the table, hold your cutlery appropriately and keep your mouth closed while chewing. Eating noisily is a big no-no. Most importantly, do not, under any circumstances, burp at the dinner table.
However, it is not polite in Japan to burp, nor is it polite in China to slurp. It's probably for the best that you keep these two rules straight in your head.
Egypt. Contrary to the West, where burping after a meal is considered rude, in Egypt burping loudly after a meal is considered good dining etiquette and signifies your appreciation of the food you've just eaten.
A lot of business organizations provide handbooks to their employees about the policies and rules of the office. Even if not mentioned, it is understood that belching audibly is not socially acceptable. Your boss expects you to at least be civilised enough to conduct yourself with grace and dignity.
It is OK to burp in public, but please pardon yourself:
"Australians often say, 'excuse me' to get a person's attention and 'sorry' if they bump into them. They also say, 'pardon me' or 'excuse me' if they burp or belch in public or in a person's home." This is slightly confusing.
Burping isn't considered rude at all. If you burp after a meal, it signifies your enjoyment of the food, and is a compliment to the chef.
Burping, inherently, is not considered bad manners. Letting everyone around you know that you are burping with that sound and that smell is bad manners. So basically a loud burp in a public place.
In English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person's sneeze is "bless you", or, less commonly in the United States and Canada , "Gesundheit", the German word for health (and the response to sneezing in German-speaking countries).
Heck, in some cultures burping after a meal is considered a way of vocalising your compliments to the chef. It's a way of letting your host know that you are full and that they've done their duty in providing you with adequate sustenance.
Old-fashioned: after the second sneeze, "to your loves," and after the third, "may they last forever." More archaically, the translation is "God bless you". "Health." or "Live long."
If you're traveling abroad it's important to make sure you stick to the cultural norm so you don't step on anyone's toes. And of course show your gratitude! Apparently it's polite to burp after a meal in China, and some Inuit groups in Canada don't mind when you fart because it shows that you enjoyed the meal.
In China, burping isn't considered rude. In fact, it's actually a sign of gratitude to the cook and satisfaction with the meal. It's a great compliment, so don't be surprised when you hear a burp or two at the dining table.
Some good news, while slurping can be a sign of bad manners in other countries, in Japan it's completely acceptable and encouraged. In Japanese culture slurping your noodles shows how MUCH you are enjoying your meal.
It can announce its presence with an unapologetic, thunderous sound or a lingering, comedic melody. Sometimes, much to the relief of the perpetrator, it can stealthily go unnoticed. It's considered both rude and crude — something you simply shouldn't do around other people.
Don't burp: In some countries, for example in India, burping is a sign of satisfaction and satiety. But in Italy, it's unacceptable. Basically, you should avoid every loud sound—slurping is another good example.
Burping may be rude to other countries, but it's a sign of a happy tummy enjoying the meal for Filipinos. So, get used to it, and if you burp, don't forget to say “excuse me” or “sorry.”
Burping or belching sends the same signal when eating in India, Turkey and some of the other Middle East countries even though doing so in our country is considered very vulgar. Some other dining practices that we do not follow in our country, but are considered very appropriate in others, are very interesting as well.
Also called: Belch, Burp, Eructation, Flatulence, Flatus.
When eating soup or other food served with bowl and spoons, the spoon is always pushed away from oneself, rather than being drawn toward oneself. Food is never slurped. This stems from aristocratic views that drawing the spoon toward oneself portrayed negative images of either hunger or gluttony.