Social Life in Jordan
Behavior
How most Jordanians behave and the expectations for how foreigners must behave is deeply rooted in the people's Islamic faith, but today there is great freedom on how to act and behave. Sometimes single women travelers are looked at oddly by conservative Muslims and for these same people it is also considered improper for a man to touch a woman, even holding your spouse's hand or offering to shake the hand of a person who is of the opposite sex can be considered inappropriate to a conservative Muslim. However, in Jordan you'll rarely encounter these issues. While almost no one will take offense at hand holding, don't offer your hand to a local woman unless she does so first.
Another important and noticeable note is that Islamic law forbids pork products and alcohol so both should be avoided. Although some hotels may offer alcohol in their restaurants, pork is nearly impossible to find and consuming either is offensive and is best avoided. For more information on dining in Jordan visit our Jordan Food & Drinks Page. Additionally, avoid sensitive conversation topics, such as politics, finances, religion, and business unless initiated by your local counterpart. Also try to avoid being loud, rude, or showing off wealth.
Dress
Most locals in Jordan wear western-styled clothing today, but many people still wear more traditional clothing. For men this traditional dress is usually a white dishdasha, which is a loose-fitting garment that completely covers a person from the neck down. Women more often wear black and their dress is also called a dishdasha or an abaya; however the decoration and detail of a woman's dress tends to be much more significant than a man's. Both men and women in traditional dress cover their hair; women wear a black cloth called a hijab, which is wrapped around their neck so only their faces can be seen, while men wear a red and white checkered cloth called a keffiyeh or hattah.