Belarus
Its like Russia without the communist influences.
The Basics
Location: Eastern Europe, east of Poland.
Weather: Cool, humid winters and warm summers.
Climate Type: Continental and Maritime.
2 Physical Features: Generally flat with lots of marshlands.
Languages
Belarusian and Russian are the official languages.
Other common languages are Polish, Ukrainian and Hebrew.
Folkway 1
It is common to eat 3 meals a day, and typically a meal will contain a type of red meat and potatoes.
Folkway 2
The greeting "How are you?" is not used in informal atmospheres.
Taboos
Setting the table with food is a womans job and it is an embarrassement to the man if he does so.
In the matchmaking proccess the suitor will show up with vodka for the matchmaking meal(s) and the womans parents will provide the food.
Children under the age of 14 will be taken care of by women, not men.
Folkway 3
When leaving or meeting with friends/loved ones it is common to give 3 kisses, the first beginning on the left cheek.
Folkway 4
People in this culture are relatively restrained when they first meet and will only offer you a handshake.
Subcultures
Two subcultures of Belarus include Russians and Polish.
Evidence of Culture Change
Many Primary and Secondary schools have now switched to instruction in Belarusian versus Russian and even places of higher education have made this change as well.