Albania customs

Albania (Albania: Republika e Shqipërisë; English: Republic of Albania), abbreviated as "Albania", is a country located in southeastern Europe and southwestern Balkans. Albania faces Italy across the Adriatic Sea and the Strait of Otranto in the west, Greece in the south, Macedonia in the east, Serbia in the northeast, and the Republic of Montenegro in the north. The capital, Tirana, has an international code of AL. The official language is Albania, sometimes French and Italian are also spoken, and Greek is spoken by the Greeks. The legal tender is Lek, with the currency symbol "L".

The country covers an area of 28,000 square kilometers. Albania means mountain country, three-quarters of which are mountains and hills, and only the western coastal area is plains. The population is 2.886 million (statistics as of January 2016), of which Albania accounts for 82.58%. The main ethnic minorities include Greeks, Macedonians, etc. 56.7% of its residents believe in Islam, 6.75% believe in Orthodox Christianity, and 10.1% believe in Catholic Christianity.

The living customs of Albania people are quite interesting. Their habit of shaking their heads to express approval and nodding their heads to express disapproval. If acquaintances meet each other, they often have to say hello to each other in a series and generally perform a face-to-face salute, the degree of which is also very different: generally, they only put them on the left and right faces; the more affectionate ones are to stick to each other's left and right cheeks; the most affectionate ones are to hug each other, kissing each other's cheeks while touching each other's faces.

in rural areas. People usually slaughter a whole lamb or use the sheep's head to entertain the most distinguished guests. According to their custom, the whole lamb is cut open by the guests first, and then everyone shares the food. If the guests don't eat it, the owner will feel very unhappy.

The animal husbandry industry in Albania is developed. Ordinary families have household carpets in their rooms. Guests usually have to take off their shoes when entering the house. However, sometimes it is okay to leave their shoes on, but taking off their shoes shows respect for the living habits of the host family. When the guests enter the house, everyone sits on the ground. If there is a kang, they sit on the kang.

In addition, whether in rural areas or cities, most Albania people have the habit of taking a walk after dinner, not in a few people but in groups. However, it should be noted that when men and women walk together, there are rules for walking. Generally, the man has the left and the woman has the right. If there are two men and one woman, the woman must be in the middle.

Albania people also have an interesting habit of wearing expressions and gestures when speaking, such as shrugging, waving, booing, etc. If the other party expresses courtesy or gratitude, in addition to verbally speaking, use one hand to touch his chest and tilt his upper body forward slightly.

Locally, some Albania men also like to wear white pleated skirts, and white symbolizes good luck.

Corn and wheat are the main food crops in Albania. Therefore, Albania people eat bread as their staple food and eat European-style western dishes. In terms of taste, they like hot and sour, and usually like to put white vinegar, pepper and other seasonings in their dishes. They usually like to eat dishes cooked by frying, roasting, and frying, and also like to cook them with butter. They also like to eat mutton, and a few eat bacon and fish.

In addition, they generally like to eat vegetables, fruits, sweets, and also like to drink coffee. However, it must be noted that most Albania people do not like to eat China tea. The local people's eating habits are that most of them believe in Islam, so they avoid eating pork and lard, believing that pigs are dirty. I also don't like seafood, seafood, and I don't like to eat braised, boiled and sauced dishes. I like to use orange wine, ice water, beer, coffee and ice cream after meals. Cakes, breads, etc. made with chocolate are very popular.

The modern wedding ceremony of young people in Albania is relatively simple. After receiving their marriage certificate, some people hold several banquets and entertain some relatives and friends, and the ceremony ends. An ancient marriage custom is still preserved in some mountainous areas. In some mountainous areas, there is still a wedding custom of jumping charcoal fires, and in other places, newlyweds should spend half a month in the open wild and withstand the test of wind and rain, so that the couple's life will be better in the future.

In Albania, generally one should not ask casually about other people's religious beliefs, political attitudes, etc., and one would not be taboo when talking about literary creation. Many Albania avoid December and Friday. They are very interested in red, but many people don't like gray and green.