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Holiday or tradition? Alcohol in the Balkan culture and its consequences

Shkruar nga Anabel

24 Nëntor 2024

Holiday or tradition? Alcohol in the Balkan culture and its consequences

Many stories that begin as fun end with a heavy head and deep regret. Yes, we have all gone through that phase of "one more glass" that leads directly to the "Why did I drink?" chapter.

In the show "Not only cullera" on "Andale", Tomas, Salion, Aldi and Eno shared personal stories related to alcohol, from the earliest memories of youth to the darkest periods that turned into serious problems.

Eno remembers the time when alcohol was an inseparable part of the holidays.

"I used to drink a lot, when we were young people going to parties. When we were little," he says. It all started as a way to have fun, but the situation often got out of hand. "I start to enjoy myself, to flirt with some girl. Then I overdid it and alcohol seemed to me like water. I couldn't eat bread the next day," he confesses.

Tomasi, who used to be a drummer, has another story.

"I remember that I dragged the stairs, stories from the most different. At one festival I drank so much I slept in a tire. A half tire protruding from the stone. When I woke up in the morning, he woke me up with the umbrellas," he recalls.

Salioni shares a deeper and more painful story. "It could have been 2019-2022. Three good years since I was an alcoholic. There had come a point where I didn't even understand myself. Was I alcoholic or not? Do you know how it comes? It's like your day isn't delayed if you haven't had 2-3 glasses. I've been drinking since morning." For him, alcohol was no longer just a part of the party, but a problematic everyday life. "The only specific reason was that my day felt very empty if I didn't drink alcohol," he says. Problems appeared in every aspect of his life.

The discussion also mentioned the strong connection that alcohol has with Balkan traditions.

"The boy is born, drink a glass. Something else happens, have a drink. At the wedding, happy with wine. At the funeral, coffee and brandy.” A continuous cycle that, for many people, becomes a part of everyday life, making it difficult to distinguish the line between fun and addiction.

At the end of the conversation, a clear message remained: Alcohol may be a normal part of social life, but when it gets out of control, the consequences affect every aspect of life.