Interested in knowing about the Austrian culture? Find out how they live, dress, eat and conduct business as we take a look into the lives of the people of the country.
The Austrian culture begins from home as the family forms the nucleus of society in Austria. Families in Austria are generally small and closely knit together. The family gets together very frequently especially during the weekends and other imperative to visit the grandparents on the weekends. For the Austrians home is where the heart is. This is the reason they take great pride in keeping their homes neat and tidy at all times. The general culture outside the home is quite formal hence the home becomes a place to sit back and relax. Informal gatherings take place at regular intervals in their homes as they invite family and close friends over quite often. Another good thing about this attitude is that the Austrians are quite strict in maintaining good ties with their neighbors and they make sure not to cause them any trouble.
The Austrian culture can be classified as a moderate and conservative culture. They are generally organized and humble people who tend to be quite loving and practical at the same time. This can be seen by the fact that they often send invitations for gatherings quite some time in advance. This is done in order to ensure the guest will plan ahead and make him self available for that day. When it comes to carrying your self, the Austrians pay great attention to presentation and dressing. Elegance is an appreciated quality which is why their sense of dressing is neat and conservative and never too flashy. They are very apt on dressing appropriately for the occasion.
Austrian culture of socialization
When it comes to meeting people the Austrians tend to be quite reserved and formal in their approach. The shaking of hands is an important part of greeting and one is required to shake hands with each individual in a gathering. The Austrians are also into the giving of gifts in order to increase love and affection between friends and family. Generally people tend to take a small gift of consumables like chocolates when invited for dinner or another party. When it comes to dinner etiquettes punctuality is of utmost importance as is dressing. Table manners cannot be neglected in Austria. They eat with a fork and knife with the napkin in their laps. They all start eating together and clean their plates all the way when they are done.
The Austrians are hasty to judge people by their first appearances which often make a lasting impression on them. There are special business etiquettes that need to be maintained in Austria. They tend to be quite formal and follow strict protocol while doing business. Rather than chit chatting and wasting time the Austrians get straight to the point when conducting business. A verbal deal is no deal in Austria which is why they document all business transactions in writing. The Austrian culture is deeply embedded into the lives of the locals and they tend to adhere to the social norms that have existed since long.