Bulgarian Cultural Tidbits

Here are some Bulgarian cultural tidbits gleaned from Peace Corps literature.

Nodding the head in Bulgaria means no. Shaking the head from side to side means yes. The “no” nod is up first then down but it is a very brief nod and if you blink you may miss it. If you are lucky their will also be a finger wagging to let you know that the answer is no. The “yes” head shake is not like an American “no” head shake. The Bulgarian head shake is more like a bobble-head.

When drinking alcohol the word for “cheers” is nazdray. There is one difference from cheers in the American way. In the U.S. we just clink glasses and that’s it. In Bulgaria one must look the person in the eye with whom he is clinking glasses. It is expected that nazdray will occur at the beginning of the meal but throughout. Nazdray comes from the phrase, to your health, and is taken seriously, hence the looking into the eyes.

Alcoholic drinks are served with food such as salad or French fries to make it less harsh on the stomach. Usually rakia (brandy from grapes, plums, etc.) and vodka are served with salads. Beer is usually served with potatoes or cheese. Wine is served with sausages. Sweeter alcohol , like cognac, is usually served with nuts or chocolate, never salads. The American concept of consuming salty things with beer or alcohol is foreign here.

Paper napkins are usually left on the table, not placed in the lap. If there are cloth napkins they will go in the lap.

It is common here to put a large platter or bowl of salad, for instance, in front of all guests and just put out separate forks. You share the salad and leave the fork (usually turned with the tines down) on the side of the platter.

Whenever one receives a plateful of treats(baked goods, fruit, etc.) at his house, it is proper to return the plate full a few days later.

Never give someone an even number of flowers. An even number is reserved only for funerals. Unlike in the U.S. where a dozen or half-dozen is common, here one will truly offend the recipient. In fact flower sellers won’t even sell an even number without asking if it is for a funeral.

Although birthday gifts are common just as in America, here it is expected that the person having the birthday will treat their friends with sweets, baked goods, etc. You do this for your own good health.

Similar to flowers, one never gives an even number of gifts to a newborn baby. This brings bad luck. Also one does not visit the newborn baby during the first 40 days unless invited. This allows time for the mother and child to bond.

When visiting someone, if even for a brief five minutes, one shouldn’t say “no” when offered chocolates, a glass of wine, tea or coffee, juice, etc.

Many, but not all, Bulgarians remove their shoes when they enter their house. This keeps dirt to a minimum. If you are a visitor in such a house, most likely the host will offer you slippers.

You can pay 60 cents for an espresso at a café and you can own the table where you are sitting for the whole day. No worries and no evil looks from the waitress.