| Albanian language and culture were conquered
for almost 400 years in the period of Ottoman rule, though
the Turks were never able to totally control the Albanian people.
It is a fact that Albanian ways of life parcelled as they are in
territories, regions and even villages unfold a surprisingly large
form of customs, dialects and wear.
History or tradition has it that two brothers named Tosk and Gheg,
who lived inside times long gone, established their families and
spread to what are now acknowledged as two areas, Tosk-south and
Gheg-north. This is symbolically demonstrate within the Albanian
national flag by the two headed-eagle. Travelling South to North
via the national road you may soon note that people’s attire
may gradually vary.
A good example of this are the villagers who have kept the old traditions
and costume, unlike urban dwellers who strive to globalization.
Thus, the traditional dress is still common inside rural areas especially
detectable during holidays or as carried by old people. Men wear
embroidered white shirts and knee pants, the Ghegs north with a
white felt skullcap and the Tosks south with flat-topped white fezzes.
Speaking about customs or creeds,
we can’t aid but mention the Kanun code of behaviour. This
or even other counterpart laws, coming through ages from the post
Scanderberg area, used to be a strong tradition within south and
north alike. Kanun law came to be placed as an alternative answer
of the masses who deprived of a proper Albanian rule, and reluctant
to accept a foreign one, created their own. As a phenomenon it is
not unknown inside other parts of Europe, but when in these countries
you can now only read approximately such things as blood feuds in
history books, within Albania it is a painful bizarre reality of
everyday life. This law is alive and heavy only inside the North,
in which honour is "not a breath of air". There we can
still see locked behind the bars of the straight kullas typical
mountainous region buildings in the north whole houses who stay
there as concern that their beloved may be killed.
It is a common view that Albanians develop a hard tradition of
hospitality. If you are hospitable and respect your guest than you
develop a "white" heart, which stands as the Albanian
variation for the English "golden heart" or even being
generous in spite of life conditions. By way of illustration we
can mention the famous expression of the "bread, salt and good
heart". It means that there is always an open door and a hearth
offered with sincerity. Albanians can
be described as loyal, hard and friendly although it takes
some time to really know them. They maintain strong family ties
and have a special feeling for home like people anywhere in the
Balkans usually do.
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