I suppose it can be said that every culture has its share of idiosyncrasies, and Russians are no exception. What follows are examples of how some Russian behaviors may seem odd to people elsewhere. I have been caught exhibiting some of these behaviors myself. What can I say?…You can take a girl out of Russia, but you can’t always take Russia out of a girl 🙂

1. Sit down right before leaving for a trip, usually in complete silence

Ironically, once most of us leave for a trip, we are seated. If we fly, we sit; if we drive, we sit. Why, one might ask, would you sit before you leave when you’ll be seated for most of the duration of the trip anyway? Based on what I dug up on the internet, this tradition goes way back to when Russia was still pagan. During that time every house was believed to have its own spirit. It was important to keep that spirit happy if you wanted him on your side. The reasons you would sit down right before leaving were several: to keep your house spirit happy by fooling him into thinking that you are not going anywhere,  to observe (in silence) for any signs of bad luck – if such signs are present, it might be best to forget about the trip, finally to pray and ask that your trip is a safe one.
Nowadays, most Russians do it either because they believe it brings good luck or simply because it is customary.

2. After having visitors, wait until after your guests (especially out-of-town guests) reach their destination before you clean/straighten your house

This idiosyncrasy also goes back to paganism. Supporters of this belief, and there are still plenty of them, think that cleaning may actually trigger a chain of unfortunate events for the traveler, so it is best to save it for after you have confirmed that all the visiting parties have reached their destination.

3. Long and complex toasts

For those that think that the typical or proper Russian toast is “Na zdorovye” think again. In formal situations such as weddings, business meetings and things like that, a scripted and well-rehearsed toast is not only more appropriate, but in many cases expected. When the setting consists of you and your immediate friends and family, “to your health” may suffice. More often than not, you’ll want to wish people a long, healthy life, prosperity, happiness, and things like that. Kind of ironic that while you may be offering a toast to a long and healthy life, you’re following it with straight vodka 🙂

4. When asked how they are doing, Russians will tell you the whole story

I have noticed that in America, when you ask somebody how they are doing, they’ll usually answer with a one or two word reply such as “fine, pretty good, well, very well” and so on. If they really begin to tell us how they are doing, we may mentally roll our eyes because we really weren’t expecting to hear their life story. When asking a Russian, whether in Russia or abroad, consider that you may get a lengthy explanation. If you ask somebody how they are doing, do it sincerely, or not at all. If you decide to proceed with the question, you might want to get those ears ready to listen.

5. Sitting down for dinners that last longer than most movies

Dinners in Russia, at least when I was growing up, consisted of food that was made from scratch – most of the time. Much preparation and care went into the making of the meal, therefore, it ought to be eaten in the same manner. Eating the food as though somebody is about to steal it off your plate or grabbing your food and finishing it like you were in a race is not usually acceptable. Also, make sure your jaws aren’t too tired from chewing because in addition to eating, you’ll be talking. Dinner on-the-go is something that has a slightly negative connotation in Russia. I would say that life pace in in general is slightly different in Russia, and meals are certainly a big part of this equation.