Birch sap and superstitions: Russian habits that surprise Americans

Each nationality has its own customs and traditions. We are all accustomed to certain stereotypes about a particular people. Edition boom talked about Russian habits, which are very surprising to Americans and other foreigners.

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Ventilate the room in winter

It is clear that in other countries windows are not kept closed all winter, but here the point is different. Foreigners are used to saving resources. In winter, they heat the room to their usual comfortable temperature and maintain it. Sometimes this temperature is very low, around 15 degrees Celsius. They wear sweaters, but they still endure.

The Russians, on the other hand, are accustomed to heating so that it is hot, and then ventilating. It is these actions that shock foreigners a little.

Take off your shoes

Foreigners, and mostly Americans, who live in warm states, are used to walking around the house in shoes. Surely this is dictated by the fact that many move in cars, so they do not have time to get very dirty. It is customary for Russians to take off their shoes. In the best case, the guests will receive slippers, otherwise you will go barefoot, but this will not surprise anyone.

Make a visit

Foreigners are rarely invited to visit their homes; it is generally customary to meet with friends in cafes, parks and other places. In Scandinavia, it is customary to warn you of your intention to visit a visit a few weeks in advance, so that the owner of the house can agree on a visit with relatives.

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But Russians go to visit when they want, and sometimes they can without warning, they say, he passed by and decided to drop in. Moreover, not empty-handed, usually guests come with a cake or cookies for tea.

Portions

When food is brought to you abroad, at times it may seem that it is for a cat or even a hamster. At the same time, the locals are somehow surprisingly missing. Our tables are bursting. The hosts are afraid of offending guests if there are few dishes on the table. Guests do not want to offend the owners and eat all evening, and then drag their feet home with the thought that the cake was superfluous.

Birch juice

Explaining to a foreigner what birch sap is can be very difficult. Here you will not surprise anyone. Of course, we do not drink it every day, but it is also not some surprisingly outlandish drink.

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Superstitions

Russian people are very superstitious compared to foreigners. Even among very progressive youth, who have long been accustomed to not paying attention to superstitions, there are those who do not pass over the threshold, sit down on the path or spit over their left shoulder. Sometimes it seems that here a person from birth knows all these grandmother's signs.

Self-medication

Russians try not to go to a doctor until they "get it". Usually our people try to be treated with folk grandmother's remedies. And the problem is, when they see a doctor, it might be too late.

These are not all Russian habits that surprise foreigners. As undoubtedly, they also have a lot of oddities that do not fit in our heads.

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