Gestures loaded with History that you should best avoid in Hungary

History has its way of creeping into the present as it is fused with certain images, sounds, gestures, or customs. For locals, they’re quite obvious (or culturally embedded), but they may not be as clear to those visiting.

Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe, is a land that has been torn by numerous conflicts and wars. Over the centuries, history has left marks on the culture and customs of each population. Admittedly, sometimes these are observed as something you “should not do or say” out of politeness but with hazy or forgotten origins, 3seaseurope.com wrote.

Gestures best avoided in Central Europe

It would also be true to say that today, with globalization making the world seem like a smaller place, customs, especially in larger agglomerations, are leaking into each other, and the present-day younger generations can sometimes also be surprised at the behavior of their elders. Still, they do constitute a part of local identity and, as such, are good to know. We have picked three historically loaded faux pas from Hungary, Croatia, and Slovakia, which are best to avoid.

In the next few paragraphs, we’ll give you some advice on popular worldwide gestures best avoided in Central Europe, as they may be offensive, misunderstood, or for some other reasons forbidden. They include:

• Clinking glasses while toasting in Hungary,
• Showing a certain three fingers in Croatia,
• Using the word Czechoslovakia in contemporary context in Czechia and Slovakia.
• Toast in Hungary without the clink

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When raising your goodness-filled glasses in Hungary, it is not common (anymore) in this country to clink your glasses while making a toast. The custom (or rather the lack thereof) is connected with the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Hungarian Uprising. Crushed by the Austrians in 1848, the Hungarian leaders were sent to be executed. Word has it that the executions were carried out to the sounds of Austrian generals triumphantly clinking their beer glasses while celebrating victory.

The Hungarians vowed not to clink their glasses again for 150 years in memory of those who gave their lives for Hungarian independence. Almost 175 years later, Hungarians are still reluctant to clinking gesture. Admittedly, younger generations are a bit more lenient. However, there are so many other ways to toast with your companions that it is probably better to be safe than sorry.

Three fingers can be worse than one

In the famous Quentin Tarantino movie, “Inglourious Basterds,” a British spy is made when ordering a round of whiskey for his companions. Three glasses, to be precise. To do so, he raises the three middle fingers of one hand. This does not end well for him or his companions, to say the least. The example is so well known and often quoted that it seems pointless to explain that in Western Europe, people count to three starting with their thumb, so he should have raised his thumb, index finger, and middle finger. But that exact gesture can be seen as offensive in Croatia.