Why You Might Not Want to Wear Green hat in China.

– The wearing of green hats is heavily associated with infidelity

– In 2015 Shenzhen police used green hats to embarrass jay-walkers.

–  A number of historical explanations exist

The world has become so globalised and interconnected that it is sometimes easy to forget we that different cultures can have hugely different perceptions. Misunderstandings are still rife all over the world, especially as more and more people begin to travel to distant countries.

In Greece and Russia for example, some people might consider a thumbs up equivalent to a middle finger. In some Latin American countries, it could also be considered rude to turn up completely on time to events, and inversely in some countries turning up fashionably late would be thought of as incredibly inconsiderate. These sorts of potential misunderstandings mean that most travel guides often direct travels on the correct etiquette. For example, my Lonely Planet guide book of Japan points out that eating on public transport and wearing shoes indoors are not acceptable, and that travellers must queue in neat lines, and never cut in front of people.

With thousands of years of history and dozens of diverse cultures, it is unsurprising then that China too has a few customs that westerners may be unaware of. Some customs make immediate sense to visitors, for example, many Chinese people would consider it rude if you were to open a gift they gave you immediately and in their presence (a custom I myself have fallen foul of in Hong Kong). On a similar note some Chinese cultures suggest that people should decline gifts three times before accepting. Some Chinese cultures may also think guests polishing off food to be rude because it implies you are hungry for more. However, in the United Kingdom, where I’m from, leaving food on a plate could be considered rude. All these little customs lead to protentional misunderstandings and embarrassment for first-time travellers.

One Chinese cultural quirk that many may not be aware of is the wearing of green hats. The seemingly innocuous act of wearing a green hat could easily cause derision in China. This is because wearing a green hat signifies to others that you are a cuckold. If an Oakland A’s fan were to travel to China wearing the iconic green and yellow hat, they might be setting themselves up for a fair few hidden laughs. One American politician from Washington State even went round China gifting green baseball caps to people, only to realise late in his tour that the reason no one was wearing his gifts was due to the fact they didn’t want to be thought of as cuckolds.

The embarrassment associated with green hats has even been used by local Chinese governments. In 2015 Shenzhen police started using green hats to shame jay-walkers. Pedestrians disobeying traffic signals would have to don green hats and jackets and help police find other offenders for a short time, as well as having their pictures shared on social media by the police. The shame created by the green hats is highlighted by the fact many jay-walkers selected fines rather than facing embarrassment.

The story behind why green hats symbolize being a cuckold is itself partly a mystery. Not because no one has any idea what started it but because there is a handful of plausible explanations. The most famous explanation is that during the Yuan Dynasty the government decreed that the husbands and male family members of prostitutes would have to wear green hats so the public knew they who they were married to. Another explanation on a similar tone suggests that during the Tang Dynasty workers at brothels would have to wear purple clothes, if they were female, or green headbands, if they were male.

 One of the more eccentric explanations is a story of a husband and wife from many hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The story goes that the husband often used to work far away from home and that when he was going away for a long time his wife would give him a green hat to wear. If the wife’s lover saw the husband leaving the house in a green hat the lover would know he could go and meet with the wife. The village soon realised what was happening and began mocking the husband and his green hat.

One of the most logical explanations is that the Mandarin word for cuckold and tortoise is the same. The association is made because tortoises hide from the world in their shell, as perhaps cuckolds also do; hence they are blind to their partners’ infidelity. The green hats therefore might represent the green of the tortoises’ shell.

The origins of why “wearing a green hat” means being a cuckold may not be known. But if you don’t feel like being sniggered for your clothing choices perhaps refrain from wearing one in China.