Russia is a very large country with a long history. There are many traditions, habits, and quirks in my country.
The first thing foreigners immediately notice in Russia is that Russians are very superstitious. Sometimes it is even impossible to understand what these superstitions mean. Here are some of them:
If a black cat crosses the street in front of you, it means something bad will happen.
You cannot whistle in the house, because we believe that there will be no money.
Single girls better not sit at the table opposite the corner, this means they will not get married.
And many others!
Also at a party they always eat all the food on the plate, because the hostess might think that the food was not good. .
Another interesting feature is that, for example, if some party takes food that is left in a container, then when the container is returned, it is necessary to put in them, for example, sweets or something small but pleasant. Returning empty plates is very rude.
As a gift it is better not to give sharp objects (knives, cutlery, pins) or scarves either, because sharp objects mean bad luck. Also the reason why the scarves are a bad gift: in Russian the scarf is ‘platok’ and we have another word ‘plakat’, which means ‘cry’. So for people it means that you can cry in the future, because something bad will happen.
Clocks cannot be given either, but if the person you want to make that gift buys them, they can. For example, if you want to make a gift for a friend’s birthday and give the watch, then he needs to ‘buy’ this watch from you, it is enough to give a coin (little money). When you give a watch as a gift it means that friendship can end, when the watch stops or breaks. But if the person ‘buys’ this watch the friendship will never end.
In Russia, a woman, when married, always takes the name of her husband. Russian wedding rings are made to be worn on the right hand.
If you move to a new house or apartment, before going to the new place of residence, a cat must be put in the room. The animal comes first, and then it is possible to move. Some real estate agencies offer to rent a cat to clients if they suddenly don’t have their own. 🙂
In Russia it is normal to take off your shoes at the entrance when you get home. This is customary for all visitors as well. But do not worry, in the apartments in Russia it is always hot, all the houses have heating. The hosts always offer flip flops or slippers if you need.
Of course, there are still many unusual and interesting traditions in Russia … that can be learned by visiting that country. Welcome!