"A man needs to be polite - not just to me, but to everyone," said Adriana Lima. "How does he treat the waiter? The coat-check girl? The driver?" And in China in particular, this emphasis on etiquette has never been more prevalent – for businesses and patrons alike.

Babies born in China in 2015 (the Year of the Sheep) are thought to be unlucky. So unlucky that thousands of mums rushed to have a baby in the more favourable Year of the Horse. Superstitions still hold fast in rapidly modernising China. How can international brands avoid making cultural mistakes?

Omotenashi– which roughly translates as ‘selfless hospitality’ – is a complex concept; one the Japanese pride themselves on. As the 2020 Olympics approach, Japan is preparing to serve it up on a mass scale, turning to robots for help. But are androids advanced enough to emulate such a human service?

Once upon a time, we were told to keep our elbows off tables, and we didn’t wear hats indoors. Now, in the digital age, social etiquette poses a rather different set of questions. Luckily, Debrett's is here to help with its guide to modern British etiquette.