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5 things to never do in Hungary!
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Clinking your pint of beer or joking about who is hungry are two mistakes foreigners make. Many articles mention these but miss other things. No need to worry, though, we are here to help you. Check out five other things that you should not do in Hungary but that nobody mentioned. Until now.
Don’t say Bucharest instead of Budapest
There are some people who say that the Hungarian capital city’s name is Bucharest. That is a problematic thing to say as Bucharest is the capital city of Romania. In 2017, even Snoop Dogg made a mistake. He was in Bogota, Colombia, but checked in from Bogata on Instagram. Bogata is a settlement in Romania, and the mistake made headlines in the country. So, this is a great example of why names matter.
Don’t wear shoes in other people’s houses
In many countries in Europe, including in Hungary, people do not wear shoes in the house. Normally, people take their shoes off, and so do guests. In some cases, guests are offered house slippers to wear. There are exceptions to the rule, though. If someone is ill or old, they do not have to take off their shoes. There are also cases when the host tells guests not to take off their shoes. In that case, it is up to them.
Don’t greet people with “How are you?”
Greeting people with “How are you?” or similar formulas is common abroad, especially in English-speaking countries. In Hungary, however, this question is meant to genuinely ask what is going on with the other person. It also serves as a conversation starter, especially when people have not seen each other in a while. In Hungary, instead of saying “how are you” back, people always answer the question – sometimes even with details of how they feel and what happened.
Another one is don’t lend money to Hungarian. They are quick to borrow and very slow to pay it back (if ever). That was tip given to me by a Hungarian friend here in Budapest. % years later I am still waiting for a few people to pay me back, but there’s always an excuse….
The “how are you?” greeting in Nova Scotia is SO annoying. Rude people even do it REPEATEDLY when calling in to radio programs despite having heard the poor host having answered ‘fine’ then next time “good” then next time….you get the picture. RUDE. What ever happened to all the other greetings we used in the past? Esp. when airtime if so valuable per minute, per second. But in person, it is even more rude on a different level…it sets a tone that your entire interaction will be on a nominal superficial level if the person does not then allow the other to properly answer the question after thinking for a moment or two. So I hate to think that this thoughtless greeting has spread across the pond.