Sunday, April 22, 2012

Vodka in Russia


Russian taboos comprise of many sorts of idea, views and superstitions. However, when a person thinks of Russia, the first word that comes up is 'Vodka'. Therefore, although this is a very generic Russian topic, it is a huge part of the culture and its' history.

It is still unclear today where these remedies have come from. It has now become a social norm in Russian society. It is not only a tradition, a remedy, or a stereotype, but it is what I personally believe, the heart of Russian culture.

Vodka is used for many occasions, such as celebrating an unexpected gain and to ease pain, to welcome back a long-absent friends and bid them good buy, to overcome stress and to cure depression. Vodka in Russia is irreplaceable all-purpose drink, the subject of novels and poems, songs and legends.

The funniest thing I learnt from my father who is Russian, was when he told me how his mother would give him vodka to drink when he was younger, when he was sick, to make him feel warm and better. I found an article which is exactly about this topic, which is :


The article skims over some of the facts of vodka for health. However, of course this was all tradition in the Russian culture, but in the present day the negatives of drinking vodka is well known.

Tell us what you think and post other remedies that you know of.

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