Chopstick (Ohashi) Etiquette

There are 2 Rules my mom told me about chopsticks when I was growing up.

1) Never put chopsticks sticking straight up in a bowl of rice or any food you are serving guests.  Food served like that is only for the dead.  I always wondered why they were serving food to the dead.

2) With forks, knives and spoons, you wash them and then reuse them.  This is the same with chopsticks except you are never supposed to give used chopsticks to guests.  This is why Japanese American homes always have an abundance of wooden or bamboo chopsticks.