Meeting and Greeting
. Initial greetings are formal and reserved: a handshake, direct eye contact, and the appropriate greeting for the time of day.
. Some older Romanians kiss a woman's hand when meeting them. Foreign men are not expected to kiss a Romanian woman's hand.
. Close friends may kiss and hug each other when they meet.
. When kissing, expect to kiss twice, once on each cheek starting with the left cheek.
. Allow your Romanian friends to determine when your relationship has reached this level of intimacy.
Titles
. People are addressed by their honorific title ("Domnul" for Mr. and "Doamna" for Mrs.) and their surname.
. Friends may address each other using the honorific title and the first name.
. Only close friends and family members use the first name without appending the honorific title.
Gift Giving Etiquette
. If you are invited to a Romanian's home, bring flowers, chocolates, or imported liquor to the hosts.
. Give an odd number of flowers. Even numbers are used for funerals.
. Roses and carnations are always well received.
. A gift for the children is always appreciated.
. Gifts are generally opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
. Arrive on time if invited to dinner.
. You may arrive up to 15 minutes late for a party.
. Dress in clothes you might wear to the office.
. Check to see if there are shoes at the front door. If so, remove yours.
. Expect to be treated with great honour and respect.
. Table manners follow established protocols of good behaviour.
. Wait to be told where to sit. There may be a seating plan.
. Table manners are Continental -- hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
. Leave your napkin on the table. Do not put it in your lap.
. Wait for the host or hostess to say "pofta buna" (good appetite) before you begin eating.
. Always keep your hands visible when eating. Keep your wrists resting on the edge of the table.
. Expect to be offered second and even third helpings.
. You will have to insist that you cannot eat any more, as refusals are seen as good manners and are not taken seriously.
. It is acceptable to soak up extra sauce or gravy on your plate with your bread.
. To indicate you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate.
. When you have finished eating, place your knife and fork across your plate with the prongs facing down and the handles facing to the right.