Bulgaria

Greetings

Man greeting Man - Men shake hands when greeting one another and maintain direct eye contact. A relatively firm handshake is the way to go. Light hugs are common between good friends and family.

Woman greeting Woman - A kiss on each cheek is common if two women know each other. A light handshake is the norm if they are meeting for the first time.

Man greeting Woman - At a first meeting a handshake will do.

Communication Style

• Bulgarians are champions at indirect communication. One needs to observe the manner and tone of the speaker to understand fully.
• Many Bulgarians are direct but use non verbal communication extensively.
• Sometimes it is helpful to ask the same question numerous times to see if the response changes. For example, when inviting someone out the initial answer might be “no” but if asked again the response sometimes changes with a little encouragement by asking again.
• Bulgarians are not afraid to raise their voices. Even if they sound upset and it appears they quarreling, usually they are not and the conversation will end in a friendly manner. The closer people are the more they may actually argue and fight but it's never taken personally.

Personal Space & Touch

• Depending on the relationship, personal space when speaking may vary.
• Between family and friends there is little personal space. With members of the opposite sex and business colleagues, it is appropriate to keep and arm’s length of personal space when conversing.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is fine in most situations. Looking in a person's eyes while conversing shows honesty.
• In communication between men and women, holding the gaze a bit longer is usually viewed as a sign of interest (goes both ways). Between men this is usually viewed as a threat or competition.
  

Gestures

• Unlike most of the world, Bulgaria has different head gestures to signify “no” and “yes.” Shaking your head from side to side indicates“yes” and an up and down movement means “no.” This is an extremely hard habit to break and very confusing for Bulgarians to understand when speaking to a foreigner. The best thing to do is keep your head still and just say “yes/da” or “no/ne.”
• “No” is also expressed with a sudden downward jerk of the head and a clicking sound made with the mouth. Many children use this method.
• Pointing is acceptable in and when beckoning someone the backwards hand wave is used, use the whole hand, not just one finger.
• Making a circular motion using the index finger while pointing to the side of one’s head is a rude gesture indicating that someone is crazy or deranged.

Views of Time

• For business, punctuality is expected for meetings, arriving to the workplace and deadlines. However for social situations and engagements time is much more fluid and negotiable.
• Dinners in usually take at least a couple of hours, and if it is for a special occasion expect at least 4 hours of eating and drinking.
• When socializing Bulgarians take their time and enjoy the others’ company.
• For buses and trains it is hard to predict in most rural areas. Most of the bus stations have timetables for all the buses, but when the schedule was last updated is unknown. It is better to ask about the times for buses and trains. Also some bus drivers will decide to take a break and pull of the side of the road at a café and enjoy and coffee and cigarette.
• Right now in most urban areas, the buses have GPS systems and they tell you the ETA for the next bus. In large cities the buses schedules are fairly dense (sometimes every 3 minutes but can go up to 15-20 minutes in off hours and low traffic routes).
• Be aware of pickpockets in buses.
• All in all, transportation is becoming more reliable but don’t become angry or shocked if there are delays – it happens.

Gender Roles

• Gender roles while still mostly traditional but are beginning to change rapidly. For over 30 years the quota in universities has been 50/50 for men and women.
• The flight of people from the villages and small towns is also changing the traditional roles.
• Men are usually the workers and providers for the family and women are expected to do the cooking and cleaning. While the women play a large role in child rearing, men are also involved.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking age is 18 but it is not heavily enforced.
• The legal smoking age is 18 and has a high percentage of smokers.

• Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines. Foreigners charged with a crime may be denied permission to depart.
  

Dress

• For men: Suits are the norm. Dark colors are the way to go.
• For women: Standard business attire. Stylish, yet conservative.
• Jeans are usually not appropriate but this may vary depending on the industry one is working in.

Titles & Business Cards

• Mr. and Mrs. are used during formal occasions and when first meeting someone, but don’t be surprised by being called by your first name.
• Formality wanes as time goes on.
• There is little protocol surround the giving and receiving of business cards.

Meetings

• It is best to allow for a good amount of small talk before speaking about business.
• Direct eye contact is a must. It is viewed as showing sincerity.
• Meetings can take awhile. Bulgarians tend to be detailed oriented. Remain patient.
• Business moves at a slower pace and paperwork is very important in business transactions. Especially when dealing with the Bulgarian government, business transactions can be hampered or stalled by bureaucracy.

Negotiations

• Bulgarians are not afraid to raise their voices. Even if they sound upset and it appears they quarreling, usually they are not and the conversation will end in a friendly manner.

Gift Giving

• If you are asked to visit a business associates house it is expected that you bring a gift.
• A typical gift would be a box of chocolates, dessert of some sort, a bottle of wine or fruit. They do not have to be wrapped because the host will usually serve the gift right after it is given.
• Gifts to avoid include lilies and chrysanthemums (used at funerals), overly expensive/lavish gifts, and even (odd numbers are lucky) sets of gifts. Odd/Even only applies to flowers not other objects.
• Gifts are usually opened right away.

In the Classroom

• The school year begins September 15th and ends in May/June. (different grades end on different days).
• Dress is a little more formal than universities in the USA. Students usually wear slacks or nice jeans.
• Grades are usually given on a 2-6 scale, with 6 being the highest and 2 being failing.

Other Observations

• Bargaining for prices in markets or stores is not usually done. However some vendors will raise their prices for foreigners, which under EU law it is illegal for them to do.
• When traveling to Bulgaria, it is very helpful to know the Cyrillic alphabet. It is easy to learn and can be accomplished on the plane ride to Bulgaria.
• Besides Sofia, some ski resorts and the Black Sea Coast English is not commonly known. So knowing useful phrases is helpful. Especially if you have to use a taxi, have the destination written in Cyrillic or know how to pronounce it clearly.