Thread: Foods to try?

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Don't sit at the corner of a table

...because you will never get married. So technically the married people may sit at the table's corner.
About the empty bottles on a table... the matter is that the empty bottle takes a place which needed to another stuff.

Originally Posted by JJ

...because you will never get married. So technically the married people may sit at the table's corner.
About the empty bottles on a table... the matter is that the empty bottle takes a place which needed to another stuff.

Well now that the subject is at hand, perhaps someone could tell me when I would get to smash my empty glass into the fireplace. Now that is a custom!

Originally Posted by Moryachka

pickled mushrooms

Маринованные грибы

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Originally Posted by American

Are there any superstitions that are common that I should abide by?

Put the bottle on the floor!
Don't shake hands through the enterance door.
Sit down before going on a trip
Don't sit at the corner of a table

I've never heard of any of the above. If you're not a superstitious person I don't see why you should abide by such nonsense. Act your normal self.

Come on VM, I can't beleave it. It's more traditions than superstitions have you never heard "присядем на дорожку", or "через порог не здороваются"?

Originally Posted by JJ

About the empty bottles on a table... the matter is that the empty bottle takes a place which needed to another stuff.

Nope, that's not about it.

Пустую бутылку на столе не держи - денег не будет. - Примета относится к любой пустой посуде, ибо она уже исчерпала свои функции. На мистическом уровне это объясняется тем, что в пустую бутылку может вселиться нечистая сила ("свято место пусто не бывает"). По этой причине хозяйки на ночь переворачивают кверху дном кастрюли, горшки, банки, если они пусты.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Put the bottle on the floor!
Don't shake hands through the enterance door.
Sit down before going on a trip
Don't sit at the corner of a table

I've never heard of any of the above.

A blatant lie.

NEVER give an even number of flowers!
Don't drink before the toast. When someone holds their glass and begins to make a toast you must stop eating and raise your glass also. Be prepared to say a toast to honor your hosts. Something sincere and flowery (not "here's mud in your eye!" )

To those screaming "blatant lie", I repeat - I have NEVER heard of the things you mentioned. NEVER. The only "superstition" I know is about black cats crossing your path, but that's spoken about tongue in cheek by most people. Oh, yeah, I've remembered one more - for those of you in the theatrical profession - MACBETH!

Пустую бутылку на столе не держи - денег не будет...На мистическом уровне это объясняется тем, что в пустую бутылку может вселиться нечистая сила... По этой причине хозяйки на ночь переворачивают кверху дном кастрюли, горшки, банки, если они пусты.

Which mental instituation did you gather that bit of wisdom at?

Originally Posted by JB

NEVER give an even number of flowers!
Don't drink before the toast. When someone holds their glass and begins to make a toast you must stop eating and raise your glass also. Be prepared to say a toast to honor your hosts. Something sincere and flowery (not "here's mud in your eye!" )

As a teetotaller I can comment by saying that it's really up to you - it's liberty hall here, you are not supposed to do it if you don't feel like it. Act your normal self - when someone holds their glass and begins to make a toast and you are supping your favourite juice, no problem, by all means continue - I always do. There's no pressure, it's the people who drink alcohol and stick to silly rules that have a problem, not you. Just act your normal self. Regarding flowers: we do give an even number of flowers .... to those who have passed away! That's why you shouldn't give an even number of flowers to those who are still overground.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

There's no pressure, it's the people who drink alcohol and stick to silly rules that have a problem, not you.

Etiquette is a "silly rules"?

Originally Posted by pisces

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

There's no pressure, it's the people who drink alcohol and stick to silly rules that have a problem, not you.

Etiquette is a "silly rules"?

Etiquette has it that every guest should be made to feel at home - if someone doesn't wish to participate in rediculous performances involving holding your glass up and talking about nothing for half an hour without taking a sip, he/she should not be forced to. Politeness is not when you turn red as a tomato and appologise profusely and promise to commit suicide after spilling your wine onto someone's tablecloth, but when the host pretends not to have seen you do it.

I think American is wise enough not to heed VM's advice for the rude and less cultured.

VM, are you really Russian? I find it hard to believe!

Идёт празднование дня рождения, гости сидят за столом едят и разговаривают. В очередной раз наливают вино и водку. Один из гостей встаёт и начинает говорить тост в честь именинника. Все остальные замолкают, поднимают свои фужеры и рюмки и внимательно слушают. Вдруг их внимание привлекает неожиданный хруст. Все поворачивают свои головы в сторону непонятного звука и, открыв от удивления рты, видят VM который умело расправляется с бараньей ногой. VM непонимающим взглядом смотрит на гостей и с полным ртом, не отрываясь от бараньей ноги, говорит "Что? Я же не пью алкоголь, но вы можете продолжать, вы мне не мешаете".

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

VM, are you really Russian? I find it hard to believe!

Much do you know about Russians... So, tell me, what should a Russian look like, act like, speak like, drink like? Tell me everything, next time I'll do my best to live up to your standards.

I am not making a comment about how you look, act, speak or drink. But that you say things like you don't know any of the Russian traditions (or as you said NEVER heard of) can only hold true if you have lived in a cardboard box all your life. I really hope for your sake, you don't live in a cardboard box.

So, I guess you are learning alot about your own culture on this site! Great!

Originally Posted by alexei

видят VM который умело расправляется с бараньей ногой. VM непонимающим взглядом смотрит на гостей и с полным ртом, не отрываясь от бараньей ноги, говорит "Что? Я же не пью алкоголь, но вы можете продолжать, вы мне не мешаете".

I don't really eat red meat. And, don't twist my words, I never said you should go "Что? Я же не пью алкоголь, но вы можете продолжать, вы мне не мешаете" - you just carry yourself so that no one takes offence at your not taking part in their histreonic performances, you just act your normal self. Most people are quite laid back about that sort of thing and will not insist on your participation if you happen to be teatotal. And those who do are not worth your spending your time on them. I always treat my guests like that - when they come to stay I make them feel as much at home as possible, when I go visit someone I expect them to treat me with the same respect.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

I am not making a comment about how you look, act, speak or drink. But that you say things like you don't know any of the Russian traditions (or as you said NEVER heard of) can only hold true if you have lived in a cardboard box all your life. I really hope for your sake, you don't live in a cardboard box.

Let's continue this in PM, shall we? Please tell me which aspect(s) of the Russian "culture" I'm not aware of? Maybe you don't really know our culture all that well? It's very easy to make generalizations about a foreign culture. For example, many people in Russia think that every Englishman likes dogs, eats porridge, is a real gentleman, etc. - and are they surprised when they meet real people and discover that hardly any of their stereotype is true!

So, I guess you are learning alot about your own culture on this site! Great!

Learning? Hardly. What I am doing is seeing a lot of silly stereotypes being tossed about thread after thread after thread after thread...

P.S. Please notice that at no point did I say I didn't know any of the Russian traditions, I only pointed out those which were either a) incorrectly portrayed, b) misinterpreted, c) propagated by Holywood and therefore existant only in the mind of an ignorant and prejudiced foreigner.