Kosovo

Kosovar Culture

Located in Southeastern Europe, Kosovo is slightly larger than the state of Delaware. Its landscape consists of broad plains, hills, and mountains. Kosovo is known for its incredible hiking opportunities and quaint mountain towns. About 93 percent of Kosovo’s population is ethnic Albanian. The other 7 percent includes Bosniaks, Serbs, Turks, Ashkali, Egyptians, Gorani, and Roma. Many Kosovar Albanians value besa, which roughly translates as “trust,” and manifests as a general sense of responsibility and hospitality.

Host a Kosovar student in the U.S.

Family Dynamic

Family is an extremely important part of Kosovars lives. Families have an average of two children, but families in rural areas may have more. Children tend to live with their parents until they’re financially independent. Girls tend to help their mothers with domestic duties, while boys often help their fathers with external repairs and gardening. While today’s Kosovar families experience greater equality between men and women, patriarchal structures still exist in rural areas.

Teenage Life in Kosovo

The most popular sport in Kosovo is soccer. Other popular sports include basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis, and ping-pong. Kosovar teenagers enjoy visiting each other, having drinks in coffee bars, watching movies, or attending plays at the theater. Kosovars love board games, especially chess and dominoes, and card games are also popular. Teenagers often go to nightclubs and listen to live music, and sing karaoke.

Holidays in Kosovo

Official Language

The official languages of Kosovo are Albanian and Serbian.

Communication Styles

While a lack of information exists on Kosovo communication styles, the vast majority of its population is Albanian. Albanians have a direct style of communication with their family members and relatives. Parents and elders are highly respected. Culturally, Albanian teenagers are taught to keep negative emotions to themselves and not express their negative feelings or thoughts directly to their peers. Albanians try to be careful in the way they express their thought/feelings, especially with people they do not know very well. In Kosovar, making eye contact during a conversation is an important sign of showing respect to anyone older than you, such as parents and teachers, as it shows that you are paying attention to what they are saying. Not making eye contact is considered rude.

Kosovar Diet

Staple foods in Kosovo include potatoes, rice, beans, and pasta. Meat is usually grilled and served with side dishes of stewed potatoes and vegetables. Popular meats include chicken, beef, and lamb. Popular vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and onions. Ҫorbë (Albanian goulash with beans, cabbage, potatoes, and other vegetables) is one of the most common national dishes. Another common dish is byrek, a pie made of phyllo dough layered with a filling of spinach, feta cheese, leeks, cabbage, and pumpkin.

The center of the Balkans