Before your trip to Russia, you need to learn some habits that may surprise or even shock you.
1. Russians give congratulations on taking a shower or going to a sauna
We say «С легким паром» [s legkim parom] when someone takes a shower or has just taken it. This phrase is hard to translate saving the meaning without the knowledge of the context. This wish in the old days served as a talisman against the intrigues of a Domovoy: a little creature inhabiting a house in Slavic mythology.
2. Посидеть на дорожку [PosidEt’ na dorOzhku ] – to sit a little bit before the trip
Before leaving the house Russians have to sit down for a little bit without doing anything. This habit also has ancient roots. The reason is also Domovoy, which can hide the necessary thing, so you never find it. The ancestors believed that Domovoy does not like loneliness, and, accordingly, the long trips of the owners. Homeowners try to cheat Domovoy by sitting down at the threshold and pretending that they would not leave for a long time. Otherwise, the offended spirit can play pranks in the absence of inhabitants of the house. From a practical point of view, this is an opportunity to think about whether everything is turned off, de-energized, whether all the necessary documents are in place.
3. There is no polite form to address strangers
We can refer to a stranger by calling one “girl” or “woman” or “young man” or just “man”. The foreigners can find this funny or even rude. In the last century, Russians used to say “lord”, then “comrade”. But now such addresses are out of use.
4. Brackets instead of smiling or sad emoticons
Russian during message exchanging online can put brackets instead of the classic smiley at the end of a sentence. This can be a sign of friendship, politeness, or simply trying to make communication less formal.
We think that we “sound nice” when do so)))
5. Drinking tea all the time
Tea is a kind of “sacred” drink. Indeed, Russians like to drink tea and do it very often. According to the results of a public opinion poll in 2014, 94% of respondents had a steady tea habit. The famous Russian writer Lev Tolstoy once wrote: “I had to drink a lot of tea because I could not work without it. Tea releases those possibilities that are dormant in the depths of my soul.”
We always make our students understand cultural features as it is an essential part of communication. That is why our school has been awarded by gooverseas.com as a top-rated school in multiple categories. Check it out here.
