The Best Traits of Bolivian People

If you are living in Bolivia and you need to know the best traits of Bolivian people. Bolivia is a place that is famous for tourist attractions so you can expect courtesy from this place. Bolivia is a formal country that holds its old fashioned values which are still alive.

  • Whenever you will be in the Land in Bolivia you can see that people are greeting one another before they are starting any conversation. It is said that if a person fails to greet another person then it is considered to be a rude gesture. Even in small villages and places the strangers will have to exchange greetings if they pass one another. Two of the most important wishes are Thank You and Please.
  • Most of the Bolivians will treat you with a lot of respect and they will expect the same from you. Using of formal title for addressing someone seniors is very important whenever you are in Bolivia. All the Bolivian people are generous, but when it comes to getting offended, then there is a high chance that they won’t be happy with you if they are offering you any food or drink and you are denying to have it. So if you are opting for alcohol, then the session won’t get stopped after 3-4 drinks.
  • In Bolivia, people exchange gifts during Christmas, New Year and birthdays. Whenever you are sending gifts in Bolivia it must be of good quality and the price is not a big factor. Bolivian people will not open the gift when they will receive it and make sure that you are not giving any knife or scissors. These two things will indicate that you are willing to end the relationship. Bolivian people also provide pastries, spirits, flowers, chocolates, sweets whenever they are invited to any house for having food. Bolivian people refrain themselves from sending purple or yellow flowers as it indicates negative connotations. See the psychology behind gift-giving.
  • In Bolivia, you can see that family life is very important and generation after generation try to live in one house together. This type of extended family helps in promoting strong support or network system. There is a very traditional role of every member of a family. You can see the mentality of Machismo here, which indicates that there is an existence of male superiority and the urge to maintain dignity and face.
  • The common type of greeting that you can see in Bolivia is a handshake and eye contact is quite usual here. If two people share an informal relationship then they will embrace and pat one another on their shoulder.
  • In Bolivia race is considered to be a sensitive issue. All the indigenous people must not be referred by using the word Indios because it is one of the racist comments which are deeply offensive. Indigena must be referred by the specific ethnic.When it comes to the religion both indigenous and Christian holds a serious matter. So always try to take permission whenever you are intruding in any ceremonies and try to behave sensitively and respectfully whenever you are in any ritual events or in churches. Asking for permission before you take a photo of anyone is very important in Bolivia otherwise it is considered to be very offensive.
  • In Bolivia, you can see that the thought of wearing appropriate clothing is very important. They believe that showing too much flesh is not important, but they won’t stop anyone from wearing it. In several remote villages wearing short dresses can be a real offense. During the summer season, one can wear a sleeveless vest and shorts.
  • The dining etiquette of the Bolivian people is also good. Whenever you are at the dining of social function it is not a good idea to discuss any type of business. It’s a time of allowing yourself to know people. All the guests will be served first at the table. While having food it is always ruled to keep your elbows off the table. The host will make a toast and everyone must have fruits with a fork and knife as well. Bolivian people will stay on the dining for half an hour, even after completing their meal.
  • When you are in Bolivia there are few things that you should keep in mind. It is a place that is rich in culture and which is why having proper etiquette is very important. As it is a tourist destination, so you can see that most of the locals are friendly with tourists and there are no restrictions for the tourist. If you are visiting and staying in Bolivia for a long time, then you will know that Bolivian, people are very friendly in nature, but they are very strict when it comes to following their etiquettes.
  • Bolivian people believe that they must treat everyone properly and with respect. If you are not following any rules then there is the highest chance that you will offend anyone and which is not a good thing to do. In Bolivia, there are different manners for different places. Once you start living here you will adopt many things from them. It’s a place that follows all the ways of greeting people and which is why even a stranger and the local can develop a great relationship in the first meeting. If you’re not staying in Bolivia or have not visited Bolivia then it is a wrong thing to stereotype the culture of Bolivian people.

 

Bolivia is a place where you can see that most of the religion will be female dominated and most of the Bolivian are Roman Catholics. In Bolivia maintaining a decent level of professionalism is very important and you can see most of the Bolivians are talking to you by using formal language. All the traits together make Bolivia a great place to stay or visit. You could learn a lot about etiquettes from this place. Whenever you are in Bolivia you are going to encounter the mentality of Machismo.