For a resident of central Russia, the countries of the East, even if they were once part of the USSR, are still exotic and mysterious. For example, the national peculiarities of Uzbekistan surprise the visiting guest with their originality and loyalty to ancient traditions. Naturally, every traveler who gets to this beautiful country needs to know about some moments of behavior, so as not to inadvertently offend the owners.
Generous hosts
Every tourist who has been there or is just dreaming of visiting a sunny country knows about Uzbek hospitality. It is considered a shame for a family if someone from the household refuses to receive or treat a guest, the shame is put on the whole family.
For its part, any guest must also adhere to special rules of conduct. It is impolite to refuse (even for good reasons), you cannot be late. At the entrance to the house, it is customary to greet everyone (great attention is paid to the greeting). At the same time, shaking hands is allowed only with men, a woman can shake hands only if she stretches it out first. In general, in the Uzbek tradition, it is customary to greet the fair half with a hand to the heart.
A guest of an Uzbek house never comes empty-handed, if there is no special reason, he brings sweets, fruits, souvenirs. According to an old custom, Uzbek men and women did not sit at the table together, now this can be observed in remote villages. Any meal, ordinary or festive, begins with a prayer (read by the owner of the house) and a bowl of tea. In general, being in Uzbekistan, a tourist will have to drink a lot of cups of this delicious drink.
Uzbek holidays
Such events are very widespread, they are celebrated on a grand scale, everyone takes part, both the hosts and, of course, guests. The most famous Uzbek holidays are:
- Navruz, local New Year;
- Ramadan Khayit, a holiday of spiritual and moral cleansing;
- Eid al-Adha is very important for any Uzbek.
The Uzbek New Year is celebrated on March 21, when nature wakes up and renews itself, its origins lie in ancient times. After the main festive events, another 13 days follow, when Uzbeks visit each other, visit relatives and friends. It has become a wonderful tradition to hold on the eve of the holiday hashars, Uzbek subbotniks, and planting fruit trees on the most important day.
