When we mention Serbian culture, the first thing that can come across someone’s mind is Serbian music or cinematography.
The culture of one nation includes a lot more. For example, how people spend a day, what are their habits, how they communicate with others and similar.
We want to introduce you more closely to Serbian mentality, so here is the list of 9 things that are typical for Serbs!
1. Drinking coffee is a top priority.
Drinking coffee in Serbia does not mean drinking it quickly.
First of all, it is a ritual that begins with the very act of preparing coffee. Coffee is drunk in Serbia on every occasion, and it is considered a basic courtesy to offer coffee to someone when they come to visit.
Serbs usually drink Turkish coffee, which is also called domestic or domaća kafa or simply domaća. Espresso and Nes kafa (instant coffee) are also very popular. Nes kafa is very similar to the well-known caffe latte.
We are well known in the world as the nation with the most crowded bars and cafes, especially in the summer season, where people sit, talk and drink coffee.
Serbs are so devoted to coffee that if they see someone drinking tea, they will usually ask: Da li si bolestan? (“Are you sick?”)
2. Serbs looove coffee shops.
It’s typical for Serbs that when you walk through some of the Serbian streets, you will see a lot of people sitting and chatting and maybe working on laptops in cafes.
Even Serbs sometimes say: How are these cafes full at any time of the day? These people seem to be doing nothing.
As we already mentioned, Serbs love coffee, hang out, and spend their pauses at their favorite cafe. 😁
We also say that you should always have at least a bit of money to get a cup of coffee with someone. So, to invite someone to grab a coffee, we usually say in Serbian: Hoćeš na kafu?
3. You can smoke almost anywhere. Inside.
20 years ago (or maybe even less), you could smoke a cigarette even in Faculty halls near classrooms. And just a couple of years ago, you could smoke in shopping malls.
Today, smoking is still allowed in streets, in almost every cafe and restaurant.
But, even if Serbia has a lot of people who identify as smokers (a little bit less than 3 million, which is basically half of the country’s population), there are more and more bars and restaurants where you can choose between smoking and non-smoking areas. What is funny about this is: these areas are often next to or close to smoking areas, so you can still smell the cigarette smoke. But it is the Balkan logic we all love. 😁
Smoke-free places are becoming increasingly popular.
4. Curse words are part of everyday vocabulary.
If you visit Serbia and hear people mouth-sipping curse words like they are arguing with someone, don’t be surprised. In most cases, they are not arguing; they are just talking.
Curse words have that special touch, allowing you to show an emotional rush.
For example:
– Kako ste se proveli juče? (= How was yesterday?)
– Baš je bilo dobro. (= It was really good.)
Spot the difference:
– Kako ste se proveli juče? (How was yesterday?)
– Jebote, kako je bilo dobro! (= It was fucking amazing!)
You still don’t see it?
Maybe it’s time to start learning Serbian and mastering Serbian vocabulary with inevitable curse words. 😃
5. A bag for bags is a must in every Serbian kitchen.
There is more and more talk about ecology, which is also the case with Serbia.
Some of the measures to make people environmentally conscious are really being followed. People increasingly use paper or reusable bags, but some habits are hard to cut off.
If you visit a Serbian family, be sure that they “hide” a huge plastic bag in the kitchen with a bunch of other bags in it.
Hmm, considering that Serbs don’t throw them away but keep them until they need them, can we say that we have been environmentally conscious for decades?
6. Serbs are huge meat lovers.
Did you visit your Serbian family and inform them that you become a vegan? Did they look at you like you transformed into a fairy?
Jokes aside, Serbs include meat in almost every meal. Whether it is an appetizer called meze, cabbage rolls with minced meat (sarma, to be exact), chicken or pork roast, or something similar, Serbs adore it.
They are convinced that Snaga i zdravlje ulaze na usta (= Strength and health enter through the mouth.), so meat is a source of strength and health alongside fruits and vegetables.
7. Markets are for fruit and vegetables
Since we are already talking about food, you should know where you can find the healthiest fruits and vegetables when you come to Serbia.
It’s part of Serbian culture that we love going to fresh markets, and every city has at least one market with numerous stalls where people (often people who live in villages) sell their organic or less organic products.
Of course, you can buy fruit and vegetables in stores all across the cities, but people still have the most trust in those who sell on markets.
8. Siren is the best friend of any Serbian driver
In the middle of the day, when people go home after work, all you can hear on the busy city streets is the sound of the sirens.
If you ask them what they expect to happen if they continue honking, you will probably get an angry answer. But after a long day of work, the last thing you want is to wait in the crowd.
And we Serbs tend to be impatient sometimes. 🙂
9. Don’t throw, reuse!
In Serbia, we started recycling before it was one of the main topics in the world. 😀
We never throw glass jars or bottles. Jars serve as good packages for jams, marmalade, or pickled vegetables known as turšija or the famous paprika source called ajvar.
Glass bottles can store rakija or homemade juices. For example, earlier, people cooked tomatoes to make homemade juice and used it during winter.
But, we go even further with the reusage of packaging, so if we think that some paper or plastic box can be used again, we will keep it.
In almost every Serbian household, you can find a metal box with pictures of cookies, but once you open it, you will be disappointed—there are probably plenty of buttons, threads, and needles inside.
Old ice cream boxes are perfect utensils for packing sarma or some other Serbian dish and giving it to guests to take home as a tasty meal.
Find Out More About Serbian Culture and What’s Typical For Serbs!
In one of our previous blog posts, we talked about Serbian mentality. We also mentioned some of the most popular Serbian dishes, movies, most famous Serbs. They can help you immensely to get to know Serbs and understand them better!
But if you want to explore Serbia and its people further and start learning Serbian, you’re in the right place!
Click here and start with your Serbian lessons for foreigners!
