Stereotypes of Hungarians – Daily News Hungary
There are stereotypes about every country in the world. The English always drink tea, the Americans drive big cars, while the Italians communicate loudly and gesticulate. Some of these stereotypes are true, some are exaggerated. Some are positive, while others paint a negative picture of the country. What are the stereotypes about us Hungarians? Here are the frequent ones. Let us decide if they are true or not.
Bitter but witty people
Many people consider the Hungarians pessimistic. According to many foreigners, Hungarians are very negative. Often, instead of looking at the positive side of things, we only focus on the negative. This can also be seen in history. But this attitude also appeals to our sense of humor. We try to cheer ourselves up with mocking or self-deprecating jokes. We Hungarians also say that “we laugh with tears”.
Palinga and alcoholism
If we ask foreigners what is the first drink that comes to mind when they think of Hungary, they will most likely say wine. Hungarians love both drinks, many of them make their own. Alcohol and its consumption are part of Hungarian tradition and national consciousness. As a result, according to WHO data, 900,000 alcoholics live in Hungary.
Lack of language skills, strange language
Despite the fact that we like to boast that we have many Hungarian Nobel laureates, foreigners think that Hungarians are not that good at foreign languages. This may have something to do with the fact that coherent speech is so widespread in Hungary. Then people watch very few movies and series in their original language. Speaking of language, foreigners think our mother tongue is very different. It reminds me of the elven language of Lord of the Rings.
Equestrian nation
It is a historical fact that our Hungarian ancestors traveled on horseback. For this reason, many people still believe that Hungarians travel on horses and shoot their bows wherever they want. It is a general stereotype that all Hungarians wear a moustache.