The term Balkans refers to the Balkan Mountain in Bulgaria, comprising the countries located on the peninsula of southeastern Europe: Bulgaria itself, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Romania; as well as parts of Turkey and Italy. Popularly, the term Balkans is often used to refer to the countries between this mountain, the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Black Sea.
In this article, I will list only some curiosities and interesting facts from the countries I visited in the region – Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and Romania. If you are interested in tips, memes, jokes, and anecdotes about the Balkans, I recommend following the work done by people from Slavorum, in English, on social media.
The Cyrillic alphabet comes from Bulgaria
The Cyrillic alphabet, known as the Russian alphabet, was actually invented in the territory of Bulgaria and North Macedonia today. This alphabet was developed by the missionaries of the Orthodox Church St. Cyril (or Constantine) and St. Methodius, known as the “Apostles of the Slavs“. While in the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania), the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets are used simultaneously; in Bulgaria (and in most of the former Soviet republics neighboring the Balkans), only the Cyrillic alphabet is used.
Balkan people are good at learning languages
People in the Balkans are really good at learning languages. In Belgrade, Bucharest, Novi Sad, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, or Ljubljana, you will have no trouble finding people speaking at least one or two foreign languages, in all walks of life. Many young people in the region end up emigrating in search of work and better salaries, in addition to being open to contact with different cultures, which encourages them to learn languages aiming to a future life abroad. Nowhere else in the world have I seen so many people speaking Portuguese as a foreign language, often starting through capoeira, forró, and watching Brazilian soap operas. It is normal to see people gathering in groups to practice languages, as well as immersing into them through music, dance, films, series, reading, and other cultural activities.
Death notes on the murals
A curiosity that caught my attention while backpacking through the Balkans was seeing death notes when I walked the streets in residential areas and around local businesses, on the doors of houses, buildings, and walls. The notes include a photo with the name and statement of the death of a resident of the area.
Refusing drink is an offense
Once in the Balkans, offering a dose of rakija or another (alcoholic) drink is an honor, but refusing is an offense. So, be prepared to take one shot after another, or make up a good excuse that you are taking medicine. Women have the advantage of saying that they are pregnant. At least the rakija you must try as well as the local beers. In Romania, I recommend tasting the palinka.
They are party people
People in the Balkans may, at first glance, appear to be cold and reserved until they open up. Then, you will see that they are partygoers who rock side by side with music, singing loudly, going up to the table, and drinking hard. Let alone if you go to bars, clubs and a kafana, which is a kind of tavern and bar where people go to enjoy the night.
Fetish for German cars
During the communist regimes, German cars were exclusive to senior officials of the communist party and the secret services, or the mobsters. Brands like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi are symbols of status and power in the Balkans. Even in the western European ghettos, when you see such a car, it is from some immigrant from the Balkans. There may be no food at home, but there is a German car in the garage. Or as a saying goes: “the woman has to be from the village, but the car has to be German”.
Gun shots at wedding ceremonies
It is a custom in the Balkans to shoot in the air, as far as I know, during wedding ceremonies or whenever a celebration gets wild. Don’t be frightened if you see someone on a local newspaper classified, or buying and selling page, announcing a Kalashnikov that “was used only at a wedding”. If you are against guns, you will open your mind as soon as you are fascinated by the pretty women you will see in the Balkans and will wish for a gunshot at your wedding, too. The countries in the region have the highest quantities of weapons per capita than the rest of Europe, but it is good to remember that most weapons are not officially registered.
This was just a sample. In the Slavorum content, for example, you can see countless jokes about the peculiarities of the Balkans, including weapons, drinks, meat and babushka.
Originally posted 2021-05-02 02:02:41.
