My List of Ukrainian Superstitions & Cultural Oddities

Every six months there is a new group of Peace Corps Volunteers who arrive into Ukraine. And every six months there is a new Facebook group created for the new group to share ideas, interesting information, get to know each other, etc.  The next group to arrive comes in March and is named Group 47. Kinda like my group who arrived in March of 2011 and was Group 41.

Today someone posted a list of superstitions and cultural oddities from Reddit.  I thought it was interesting and much of it is true for me. I have changed some things and added a few of my own. The list is a true reflection of the cultural differences I face every day.

• men who flick their necks at you are inviting you to drink or signaling that someone is drinking, drunk or an alcoholic
• never whistle indoors in anybody's home or business; this brings bad financial luck on the homeowners or the business owners
• women never sit at the corner of a table when having a meal; very bad luck, indicates you will never be married
• always take your shoes OFF at the door when you enter someone's home; they will either give you slippers or you walk around with your socks on
• Ukrainians rarely hug/kiss strangers unless there is a reason (like a formal welcoming of an honored guest)
• if you are a man and you accept an invitation to drink, it will either be vodka or beer. If it's vodka, you're expected to chug it down in one swill and eat some food. They will pressure you to do at least 3 shots. If you drink less than three, they will be offended.
• if you are a woman do not accept an invitation to drink at a table of only men...there needs to be at least a couple of women at the table as well...the other women will help keep the men civilized the longer the drinking continues; it's acceptable to drink only wine or ask for only half-shots of vodka...do as the women do.
• once a bottle of alcohol is empty, put it on the floor…never put an empty bottle back on the table
• never put your purse or carry-all on the floor…always on a table or chair
• if you accept an invitation to dinner..block off several hours of your day...a meal is an event that lasts hours
• NEVER make ANY jokes about Chernobyl; EVER. It's like making 9/11 jokes in the USA and it is in incredibly poor taste. And it still affects many families, especially in the north.
• don't make any jokes about WWII or refer to anybody as a "Nazi"; serious stuff there...Ukraine was a gigantic battleground TWICE; (once as the Germans invaded and occupied, and again when the Soviets liberated)
• if you see a coin or money on the ground as you're passing by, leave it there and keep walking; A) you'll stand out as a foreigner b) local folklore is that gypsies place curses on the coins
• if you are a woman, don't sit down on a cold/icy bench or wall. the superstition is that you will chill your reproductive organs and other organs, risking infertility
• if you try something to eat or drink and you don't like it, don't say it's "gross" or "nasty"; simply say that you do not like the taste and leave it alone
• if you're a man, you'll be expected to shake EVERY man's hand upon greeting him and saying goodbye to him; likewise, don't shake a woman's hand, as women don't expect their hands to be shaken and receive a handshake awkwardly...it's part of their customs
• birthday celebrations are a big deal, but the birthday boy/girl always does the inviting and the paying
• don’t shake hands over thresholds or pass money over them…it is bad luck
• most waitresses and barmaids do not expect to be tipped, especially in villages. More commonly a 10% tip is becoming the norm in larger cities
• get used to people talking on their phones everywhere…in meetings, on buses, during concerts
• never open a window in a hot train or marshutka if there is a kid nearby…the kid will get very sick from the breeze