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Traditions in Albania


Traditions in Albania

In Albania it's common to kiss cheeks of males of your age or younger (if you are a man), even the very first time you meet them. This is especially for the regions of Fier, Tepelena, Vlora and Gjirokastra. In Northern Albania, you will simply touch each others cheeks, but not kiss them. Women also do kiss one another, sometimes from the very first time they meet, but men and women do not kiss each in the cheek unless they are friends for a long time. Kissing cheeks between young people, 15-20 years old, is however very common. If a baby is in the family, always ask to see him or her, and don't forget to add a compliment (usually "qenka i shendetshem, me jete te gjate" or "what a sweet baby" works best). If you are a man, or a woman with a group of men, don't compliment females, unless they are under 10-12 years. If you dont speak English, but a language where "you" in singular and "you" in plural are not the same (like Italian, Greek, German, etc.), be aware that some Albanians do not use the plural form in their language. Sometimes, even the prime-minister is adressed with "ti" (you in singular, "tu" in Italian, "Du" in German or "Esi" in Greek), if the journalist is a friend of him. However, when meeting people for the first time, its better if you adress them in plural, although they will shortly after ask you to adress them in singular. Policemen in Albania are often polite. They usually never stop foreign cars, but if you rent a car, they may stop you. However, when they see you are a foreign tourist, they will immediately tell you to go on (usually with a "ec, ec, rruge te mbare" which can be translated in "go on, have a nice trip"). When this happens, it's very polite if you respond with a "faleminderit" (thank you in Albanian). Albanians love dancing, especially during weddings. If you are attending a party, don't be afraid to dance! Maybe you don't know the traditional dances, but try to learn.
Image:Albanian wedding.jpg
The bridegroom, held by his brothers during the wedding

The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Albania


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Albania Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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