Typical Serbian gifts

People talk a lot about how Serbs are good hosts. They like their guests, they are welcoming and friendly, etc. But do you know how to be a good guest?

There are actually unwritten rules what we do as guests. There are usual gifts that are common for people of certain age and in different situations. In this blog, as in the video below, you’ll learn what’s expected from guests in Serbia and what are the most typical gifts we usually bring to our hosts.

Typical Serbian gifts

Would you like to learn how to be a good guest in Serbia? People talk a lot about how Serbians are good hosts, how they like their guests, how they are welcoming and friendly, etc. But do you know how to be a good guest?

There are actually unwritten rules about what we do as guests. It’s typical that we bring presents to our hosts.

But what kind of presents? What are typical Serbian gifts?

The most typical gift in Serbia is coffee.

Dvesta grama kafe – 200 grams of coffee is the most typical present that we bring to our friends or relatives when we are going to visit them.

100 grams is too little, more than 200 grams is too much, like if you really want to show off, so 200 grams is the most normal thing to bring to your friends or relatives in Serbia.

Another typical Serbian gift is chocolate.

We also commonly bring chocolate, čokolada, or anything sweet. But mostly chocolate. If you want to show off, or to show extra style, you will bring bombonjera (a fancy sweet-box). Bombonjera is very stilish.

Different gifts for women, men and children in Serbia

For your lady host, domaćica, you can bring some flowers.

For your male host you will bring a bottle of drink, usually rakija or wine – these are the most typical. If you know what your host likes to drink, that’s what you’ll bring. Or you’ll just grab what you have at home and bring that.

If there are children, you can bring them chocolate or sweets, but nowadays there are ever more conscious parents and conscious mothers that don’t like giving sugar to their children, so they will prefer to get fruit: voće – banane, jabuke, mandarine, any kind of fruit. That’s really beautiful and as a mother, I would prefer that.

Visiting an ill friend? Here’s how to show your care!

Fruit is a typical gift we bring to a sick friend. If you have an ill friend and you’re going to visit them, bring a lot of fruit with you, that’s what we do.

Pick an old-fashioned typical Serbian gift for elders

If the people that you’re visiting are old, if you’re visiting grandmas and grandpas, then apart from coffee and chocolate, you can also bring ratluk. Ratluk (in English: Turkish delight) is another typical gift.

Have you made your Serbian gift list yet?

If you’re visiting your friends in Serbia, now you know what to do and how to be a good guest and return their hospitality. You can bring some chocolate or drinks to your friends. If you’re coming to my home, please bring some fruit instead.

These are the general guidelines for picking typical Serbian gifts. Of course, you can be creative and bring anything you know your friends will like, just to show that you care.

Among friends, I believe the nicest gifts are the ones that we can share and enjoy together.