"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.