You may have already forgotten the days when you had to learn how to use chopsticks. Every Chinese kid manages to use them for some time. But chopsticks are not just simple tools to pick up food. They come with their own special rules and traditions.
Generally, people should not make noise with chopsticks. Playing with chopsticks is seen as bad manners, just as playing with forks and knives in a western country would be rude.
There are also some superstitions(迷信) about chopsticks. For example, some people believe that chopsticks should not be left standing upright in a bowl. It looks like the incense (香) that the Chinese use to honor the dead. Doing it at the dinner table is believed to bring bad luck.
You should not tap (敲) chopsticks on the edge (边沿) of the bowl either, because beggars (乞丐) do this to ask for food. Parents might get angry if children do this as they don' t want their children to be as poor as beggars in the future.
Besides, chopsticks can also be a great gift. In Chinese, chopsticks are known as " kuaizi" , so newlyweds (新婚夫妇) feel happy to receive chopsticks as a wedding gift, especially for parents expecting their grandson or granddaughter.