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Cultural Etiquette
Cultural Dos and Taboos
1. Romanians shake hands constantly. No matter how many times they might encounter each other during the day, they will shake hands each time. As a foreigner, you should shake hands, firmly but briefly, with everyone (including children) when introduced and again upon each encounter including departures. Men should wait to see if women extend their hands in inter-gender meetings. Close friends may embrace, and cheek to cheek contact on the left cheek followed by the right cheek may also ensue between locals. Some older Romanians will kiss a woman's hand. Good friends will greet each other expansively. Men may kiss each other on the both cheeks.
2. Only close friends and relatives address each other by their first names. Adults address the young by their first names. The decision to address each other by first names may be decided by mutual consent, although the best practice is to err on the side of formality and use titles and surnames when first meeting.
3. Waving or beckoning should be avoided, as well as placing feet upon any furniture other than a footstool. Generally, Romanian gestures tend to be expansive, reflecting both Italian and Slavic influences.
4. Punctuality is expected for both business meetings and social occasions.
5. Western business practices are quickly becoming the norm across Europe, including such things as business lunches. One should not, however, enter into business discussions without substantial attention to social conversation, politesse and other such niceties. In this regard, it is acceptable to ask about your counterpart's family. If the lunch or dinner meeting is your idea, you should insist on payment being your responsibility.
6. If you are invited to dinner at a Romanian home, bring a bouquet of flowers for your hostess. Other gifts include coffee, special soaps, candy (especially chocolate), perfume, and cigarettes. Even if you don't smoke, bringing your duty-free limit of two hundred American cigarettes may be well appreciated. A pack of cigarettes as a tip can improve service everywhere from taxis to restaurants.
7. Politics and other complicated issues, such as religion and culture, are acceptable topics of discussion in most European countries, although in Romania, relations with surrounding nation states or amidst the Roma (sometimed called "Gypsy") population is apt to be controversial. Suggested topics of conversation include food, wine, sports, travel and sightseeing are good topics to discuss.
8. Generally, Romanians dress in a casual but conservative manner in business, and with more fashionable attire at dinners or other more formal engagements. Conservative suits (dark in color with ties and white shirts) are usually worn by businessmen, while women's business attire consists of dark skirts and dresses. Discretion is advised in the realm of business, while trendy fashions may be more acceptable in other less formal domains of life. Women should wear conservative skirts or dresses in Orthodox churches. Shorts are appropriate only for the country or the shore, not in the cities. Many businessmen in Romania wear hats. It is considered polite to remove one's hat when indoors, even in the lobby of a large building.
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