HOME  |  BULGARIA IN EU - DID YOU KNOW THAT...?

Did you know that...?

Tipping ...
... is generally accepted by the waiting staff in restaurants, bars and cafes. Taxi drivers expect the fare to be rounded up and hairdressers also accept tips. At petrol stations the attendants who fill your tanks and clean your windows will hope for some gratuity. Chambermaids in hotels would also expect a small token of recognition at the end of your stay. Tipping is recognised as a means of expressing one's satisfaction and you are in no way obliged to tip if you feel the service did not merit it.


Nodding and shaking head ...
... the opposite way would not confuse you. Always remember: shaking your head means 'yes' and nodding means 'no' - exactly the opposite way the Western Europeans do. Besides some funny situations, it might sometimes bring you into trouble, so you'd better ask to be sure what your collocutor means. It can cause great confusion and it is best always to say the word.


Driving ...
... according to Bulgarian law seat belts must be worn by all passengers, mobile phones can only be used with 'hands-free' sets, and the legal alcohol limit is 0.5 pro mil. Recent new rules also restrict the wearing of dark sunglasses, high heels or flip flops, as well as forbidding eating and smoking at the wheel, although just how this will be enforced remains to be seen!!!


Hospitality ...
... Bulgarians can overwhelm with hospitality. If you are invited to someone's home, you'd better not go empty handed - if you are invited it is customary to take some flowers or wine or other small gesture. Many Bulgarian families remove their shoes at the door. Of course they will not allow you as their visitor to do this, but if weather conditions are particularly bad you can always pre-empt any embarrassing situation by bringing along a pair of clean shoes to slip on.


Starter ...
... Bulgarians always start the meal with a salad. The most popular, Shopska salad, is made with chopped tomatoes, cucumber, fresh or baked peppers, onion and sirene (salty sheep or cow's cheese). A variation on this is the Ovcharska (Shepherd's), which has all the ingredients of the Shopska plus grated egg, mushrooms and occasionally ham. Also very popular is snezhanka (chopped cucumber with garlic in strained yogurt), russka salata (small chunks of vegetables in mayonnaise). The salad is washed down with a glass of rakia, the local spirit made of grapes or plums.