Belarus
Christmas, like in most of Christian Europe, is celebrated in Belarus. One third of the population, the Catholics and Protestants, celebrates on December 25 and another third, the Orthodox, celebrates on January 7.
In Belarus, New Years' is very whimsical. People often dress up in silly Christmas-themed costumes because of its proximity to Christmas. The main language of Belarus is Belarusian. It is very similar to Russian and is considered by some to be a Russian dialect. |
Bulgaria
September 22 is Bulgarian Independence day. Since it is a national holiday, most people take the day off from work.
The predominant language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian. It is a the oldest Slavic language. Interestingly enough, it lacks the infinitive verb tense. Most people in Bulgaria hold low-level jobs, although not necessarily sector 1 and 2 jobs. These jobs include security guards and supermarket employees. |
Czech Republic
These are a few common Czech last names. The last name Novak is actually also a company that makes electric motors and speed controllers and Dvorak is the last name of a man who designed a more efficient keyboard layout than QWERTY, and subsequently the name of that layout.
In Chicago, Illinois in 1886, workers went on strike to try to win shorter work days. Now, including on May 1 in the Czech Republic, the holiday of Labor Day is celebrated, giving people a time off from work. |
Hungary
In Hungary, some superstitions include:
For traditional events, men wear shirts with tucked-into-boots pants. Women typically wear skirts, embroidered aprons, and bright headdresses. These are mostly for folk events as most people wear modern clothing. The first nomadic Hungarians first came to the land of Hungary in 895 A.D. In 1000, the first king founded the Catholic state of Hungary. This is why Catholicism is very present in Hungary. |
Poland
Sports are somewhat significant in Poland, and one of the popular sports, soccer, or football to Europeans, is played in a stadium such as this.
One story of folklore in Poland is that of King Boleslaw, the Polish equivalent of King Arthur. He is noted for being brave and accomplishing feats. In Poland, conversing with your hands in your pockets is considered a taboo. It should therefore be avoided, especially in professional relationships or conversations. |
Moldova
The government of Moldova is based on a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The multi-party government is headed by a Prime Minister. Corruption is a problem in Moldova.
Houses in Moldova are of typical English style: a slanted roof, a front entrance, and a backyard. People can also opt to live in apartment complexes. |
Romania
Romania's climate is temperate continental, meaning hot summers and cold, snowy winters. Winter here is similar to the rest of Europe, with major holidays Christmas and New Year's.
Romania is located on the shores of the Black Sea and extending into Europe. The climate on the coast is therefore very different than inland. Coastal settlements partake in nautical activities whereas those aren't found inland. |
Russia
The modern Russian alphabet has thirty-three letters. It is similar to the Roman alphabet in that it has consonants and vowels. Used as the main medium of communication, it is found everywhere in Russia.
The Russian naming system is patronymic. People have first names given at birth, last names inherited from the family, and patrynomic middle names. The middle name is the first name of the father followed by -vich or -ovich for boys and -ovna for girls. The official currency of Russia is the ruble. It has both paper bills and coins. Since Russia is not part of the European Union, the Euro is not accepted in Russia. |
Slovakia
In Slovakia, children attend kindergarten from ages 3 to 6 which teaches life skills. Children then attend Level 1 school for 1st to 4th grade and Level 2 school for 5th through 9th grade, ending around age 15. Like other countries with schools, graduation is the ultimate goal of students.
Christmas is a major public holiday in Slovakia. This picture shows a large tree in Bratislava. Unlike in America, presents are opened on Christmas Eve in Slovakia. Everyone, especially children, anticipates opening presents. |
Ukraine