National traditions of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Habits, mentality and the way of living

Bosnians are friendly and hospitable people. They easily start conversations in public transport, offer their help to confused tourists. Bosnians' friendships and family ties are very strong. They are always familiar and friendly with their neighbors, being very respectful to the elderly. Throughout the year, popular places to meet among locals are "kafanas" (traditional cafes) and "kafiches" (modern café-bars). Over a cup of coffee - in a cafe or at home - Bosnians can spend hours with their friends, gossiping and discussing the latest news. Bosnians generally have a pretty relaxed sense of time. Events are often delayed, while late arrivals, even at business meetings, are completely normal. Relatives and close friends can visit each other's homes without prior notice and staying up for hours.

In the Bosnian culture, great importance is given to hospitality and wit. A guest first invited to the new friends' house should traditionally bring a small symbolic gift - a box of chocolate, a bouquet of flowers (only an odd number!), a bottle of wine. Before entering the house, you should remove your shoes. Wishing to praise jewelry, a book, a mug or other thing belonging to a Bosnian, it's important to know when to stop - the owner may feel obliged to give you this thing if you liked it so much. Of course, coffee is a must when it comes to visiting somebody's house. According to the custom, it is poured three times, and each serving even has its name: "Welcome coffee", "Talk coffee", and the third portion, "Farewell coffee", politely signaling that it's time to say goodbye. When a guest leaves the house, its owner waits for some time before closing the door. The door slammed just behind the guest shows that his/her visit was unwanted or unpleasant.

Bosnians are straightforward and outspoken, openly expressing their opinions and feelings. In informal situations, they often use strong words, having no intention to insult anybody. The idea of personal space among Bosnians is different from the western one - "too close" is rare, but "too far" may be offensive, especially during a conversation. The same thing can be said about direct eye contact - it should be almost constant during a talk. People here like to make fun of themselves, their relatives, and politicians. Enthusiastic Bosnians tend to raise their voice - this is perfectly normal, but shouting to someone across the street is considered bad manners. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Bosnian women have long been able to work in many spheres, but home life is often patriarchal and clearly divided by roles. Even a working woman does the cleaning and cooking, while her husband works in the yard or just lies on a couch after work. In younger families, men and women often do housework together. Nevertheless, traditional gender roles are still strong. Bosnian women are often condemned if they want to go in for sports. Quite recently, society did not accept women training in fitness centers - after all, women are expected to be feminine, not sporty.

In general, some prejudices and superstitions are quite strong in Bosnia and Herzegovina: for example, Bosnians never shake hands over the threshold - it is bad luck. Two open windows in one room may bring disease with the wind. The one who brought good news should be treated with something tasty. Local people also believe in spells, some of them wear talismans protecting them from the evil eye, envy, and bad luck.

In recent years, despite the religious prohibitions of Muslim and Christian denominations, more and more Bosnians - mostly citizens - enter into marriage later. People often have sex before marriage and actively use contraception, although in small towns and villages it is condemned. Some Bosnians who are focused on a career refuse marriage and children, which meets misunderstandings on the side of older generations, especially when it comes to women. Inter-religious and inter-ethnic marriages have become widespread in cities.