Albanians
At a polite Albanian dinner, to whom should go the honor of smashing the sheep’s skull with his fist? And what is the etiquette guide for such conundrums?
Turn to the Kanun, the oral tradition of Albanian law that was codified in the 1500s and whose roots go back possibly to the Bronze Age. First set down in print and published as a handy reference in the early 1900s, it provides guidance on, for example: The etiquette of dinnertime sheep debraining An appropriate …
Why does everything I drink remind me of murder?
People living on these lands have been dominated by murderous foreign powers for longer than they’ve even considered themselves Albanian. They’ve also gotten most of their ideas about what makes for good social drinks from these same powers. The result: some very disturbing associations with each drink, as below. Popular Drinks in Albania Associated Atrocity …
I don’t feel like drinking, but I’ve just been offered a glass of raki by a boisterous group of Albanians. What is about to happen?
You are about to get extremely drunk. You cannot refuse a glass of raki. Doing so is considered extremely rude. You must at the very least drink a little bit. But of course, that’s just the beginning. The group will likely have already selected its krye dolli bash, or the leader of the drinking. …
What is the most classic place to lose my virginity?
Useful for fans of public fornication, and an absolute classic for first-timers escaping from the watchful eyes of their families, the concrete bunkers strewn over the Albanian countryside are infamous outdoor sex spots. The former dictator Enver Hoxha established 750,000 of these indestructible domed love nests in the ’70s and ’80s, far more than could …