Category: Albanian Culture

Albanian culture is sung, danced and stitched. Several of its traditions are recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Here is what to listen for, and what to look out for, at the next wedding or festival.

Iso-polyphony: the sound of the south

Albanian folk iso-polyphony is group singing in which one or more voices hold a steady drone, the iso, while others sing over it. UNESCO recognises it as a masterpiece of intangible heritage. There are northern Gheg styles and southern Tosk and Lab styles, and four-part singing is a Lab speciality.

The lahuta and the songs of the frontier warriors

The lahuta is a one-stringed bowed instrument. A singer plays it to accompany himself in the këngë kreshnike, the epic songs of the frontier warriors. The art of playing, singing and making the lahuta was added to UNESCO’s list of heritage in need of urgent safeguarding in 2025.

Instruments to know

• Çifteli: a two-stringed lute played mainly in northern and central Albania and in Kosovo.
• Sharki: a long-necked fretted lute, often played alongside the çifteli in Kosovo.
• Def: a frame drum that keeps the beat in many ensembles.
• Clarinet: the lead voice of the southern kaba, a soulful improvised piece accompanied by violin, lute and def.

Dances

• Valle: the circle and line dances you will see at Albanian weddings and celebrations.
• K’cimi dancing of Tropojë: a dance from Tropojë in the north, performed by couples facing each other, recognised by UNESCO in 2024.
• The Rugova sword dance: two men stage a mock battle with swords, a famous dance from the Rugova region of Kosovo.

Craft: the xhubleta

The xhubleta is a bell-shaped felt garment worn by women in the northern highlands, decorated with symbolic motifs. UNESCO added the skills of making and wearing it to its urgent safeguarding list in 2022.

Where to see it live

The National Folklore Festival in Gjirokastër, first held at the castle in 1968, brings performers from across the Albanian world together. It is held periodically; the most recent edition was in 2023.

Hear something you love? Share it with us on Instagram.

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Sources: UNESCO: Albanian folk iso-polyphony · UNESCO: The lahuta · UNESCO: K’cimi dancing of Tropojë · UNESCO: Xhubleta · Wikipedia: Çifteli · Wikipedia: Kaba · Wikipedia: Albanian war dances · Albanian government: Gjirokastër festival 2023

Going back this summer, or showing the kids where the family comes from for the first time? Here are the places worth the trip, from UNESCO-listed towns to mountain villages.

Albania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

• Butrint: an ancient city near Sarandë, layered with Greek, Roman and Venetian history. Listed in 1992.
• Berat and Gjirokastër: two Ottoman-era stone towns. Gjirokastër was listed in 2005 and Berat joined it in 2008.
• Lake Ohrid: one of the oldest lakes in Europe, shared with North Macedonia. Albania’s side, around Pogradec, was added to the listing in 2019.
• Ancient beech forests: the Gashi River and Rrajca forests became part of a Europe-wide listing in 2017.

Tirana and the north

• Tirana: Skanderbeg Square was redesigned as a pedestrian space and reopened in 2017. Bunk’Art, inside a Cold War bunker, tells the story of the communist years.
• Krujë: Skanderbeg’s fortress, which held out against Ottoman sieges, now houses the Skanderbeg Museum. Read his story first.
• Shkodër: Rozafa Castle sits on a hill above the Buna and Drin rivers and comes with one of Albania’s most famous legends.
• Theth and Valbona: mountain villages in the Albanian Alps, linked by a classic hiking trail over the Valbona Pass.

The south

• The Albanian Riviera: Himarë, Dhërmi and Ksamil on the Ionian coast.
• The Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltër): a vivid blue karst spring between Sarandë and Delvinë, protected as a natural monument.
• The Vjosa: declared Europe’s first wild river national park in 2023.

Kosovo

• Prishtina: the Newborn monument was unveiled on 17 February 2008, the day Kosovo declared independence, and is repainted every year.
• Prizren: a beautiful Ottoman-era old town with the Sinan Pasha Mosque and the Stone Bridge. The League of Prizren was founded here in 1878.
• Rugova Canyon: a dramatic gorge west of Peja, popular for hiking and climbing.
• Gadime Cave: the Marble Cave, about 20 km south of Prishtina.

Before you go

Brush up on a few Albanian phrases, check the holidays calendar so you know what will be open, and pack something with the eagle.

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Sources: UNESCO: Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra · UNESCO: Ohrid region · Wikipedia: Butrint · Wikipedia: Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests · Wikipedia: Skanderbeg Square · Bunk’Art · Wikipedia: Rozafa Castle · Albanian National Tourism Agency: Blue Eye · IUCN: Vjosa national park · Wikipedia: Newborn monument · Britannica: Albanian League · Visit Kosovo: Gadime Cave

Shqip is one of the most unusual languages in Europe, and one of the oldest stories we carry. Here are ten facts worth knowing, whether you speak it every day or are still learning.

1. It is on a branch of its own

Albanian is the only living language in its own branch of the Indo-European family. It is related to English, Greek and Latin, but has no close sister language. Where exactly it descends from is still debated by scholars.

2. Two big dialect groups

Gheg is spoken in the north, roughly above the Shkumbin river, and in Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Tosk is spoken in the south. Speakers of the less extreme forms can usually understand each other.

3. One standard language

Standard Albanian was agreed at the Congress of Orthography in Tirana in 1972 and is based mainly on Tosk.

4. 36 letters

The alphabet has 36 letters, including 9 two-letter combinations such as dh, sh and xh. It was agreed at the Congress of Manastir (Bitola) in November 1908, which is why 22 November is Albanian Alphabet Day.

5. The oldest written sentence dates from 1462

The baptismal formula (Formula e Pagëzimit), written by Pal Engjëlli, Archbishop of Durrës, is the oldest known sentence in written Albanian.

6. The first printed book dates from 1555

Gjon Buzuku’s Meshari, a missal, is the first known book printed in Albanian. The only surviving copy is in the Vatican Library.

7. Old Albanian lives on in Italy

The Arbëresh communities of southern Italy speak a variety that goes back to medieval Albanian and keeps old features. Italy recognises them as a linguistic minority.

8. About 7.5 million speakers

Estimates vary, but about 7.5 million people speak Albanian worldwide, around 6 million of them in the Balkans.

9. Official in several countries

Albanian is the official language of Albania, official alongside Serbian in Kosovo, co-official in North Macedonia under a 2019 language law, and in official use in Montenegro.

10. Shqip means to speak clearly

Albanians call their language shqip, themselves shqiptarë and their country Shqipëri. Most scholars connect these words to shqipoj, to speak clearly. And remember: po means yes and jo means no.

Ready to practise? Start with our everyday Albanian phrases.

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Sources: Britannica: Albanian language · Britannica: Geg · Wikipedia: Albanian Orthography Congress · Wikipedia: Congress of Manastir · Wikipedia: Albanian alphabet · Wikipedia: Formula e Pagëzimit · Wikipedia: Meshari · Wikipedia: Arbëresh language · Wikipedia: Albanian language · Wikipedia: Names of the Albanians and Albania

Some of the biggest names in music, film, sport and literature have Albanian roots. Some were born in Albania or Kosovo, others grew up in the diaspora with Albanian parents. Here are 16 you might know.

Music

• Dua Lipa: the pop star was born in London to Kosovo Albanian parents from Prishtina, and received Albanian citizenship in 2022.
• Rita Ora: born Rita Sahatçiu in Prishtina in 1990; her family moved to London when she was a baby.
• Bebe Rexha: the American singer-songwriter’s father was born in Debar, North Macedonia, and her mother’s family has roots in Gostivar.
• Ava Max: born Amanda Koçi in Milwaukee; her parents are from Albania and left in 1991.
• Era Istrefi: born in Prishtina, she went viral with “BonBon” and sang “Live It Up”, the official song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Nicky Jam and Will Smith.
• Ermal Meta: born in Fier, Albania, he moved to Bari as a teenager and won Sanremo in 2018, representing Italy at Eurovision that year.
• Inva Mula: the Tirana-born soprano is the voice of the Diva Plavalaguna in The Fifth Element.

Film and television

• John Belushi (1949–1982): the Saturday Night Live and Blues Brothers star was born in Chicago to Albanian-American parents; his father came from Qytezë, Albania.
• Jim Belushi: John’s brother, an actor in his own right, was honoured by Albania in 2008.
• Eliza Dushku: the actress’s father is Albanian-American, with family roots in Korçë. She made the documentary Dear Albania.

Sport

• Granit Xhaka: born in Basel to Kosovo Albanian parents, he has captained Switzerland and won an unbeaten Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen.
• Xherdan Shaqiri: born in Gjilan, Kosovo, he was part of Champions League-winning squads at Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
• Tie Domi: born in Windsor, Ontario, to Albanian parents, he is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ all-time leader in penalty minutes. His son Max Domi also plays in the NHL.

Letters, science and faith

• Ismail Kadare (1936–2024): the novelist from Gjirokastër was the first winner of the Man Booker International Prize, in 2005.
• Ferid Murad (1936–2023): born in Indiana to an Albanian immigrant father, he shared the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on nitric oxide.
• Mother Teresa (1910–1997): born in Skopje to an Albanian family, she won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. Read her story.

And the one who started it all

Before any of them there was Skanderbeg, the 15th-century national hero whose flag became Albania’s. Read his story.

Who did we miss? Tell us on Instagram.

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Sources: Wikipedia: Dua Lipa · NPR: Dua Lipa citizenship · Wikipedia: Rita Ora · Wikipedia: Bebe Rexha · Wikipedia: Ava Max · Wikipedia: Era Istrefi · Wikipedia: Ermal Meta · Wikipedia: Inva Mula · Britannica: John Belushi · Tirana Times: Jim Belushi honoured · Boston Globe: Dear Albania · Wikipedia: Xherdan Shaqiri · Wikipedia: Tie Domi · Britannica: Ismail Kadare · Nobel Prize: Ferid Murad

Planning a call home, a party or a gift? Here are the public holidays in Albania and Kosovo, plus the dates Albanians everywhere mark. Holidays that fall on a weekend usually move to the next working day.

Coming up in 2026

• 22 November: Albanian Alphabet Day
• 28 November: Flag Day and Independence Day
• 29 November: Liberation Day (Albania)
• 8 December: National Youth Day (Albania)
• 25 December: Christmas

Albania: public holidays

Date	Holiday
1 and 2 January	New Year
14 March	Summer Day (Dita e Verës)
22 March	Nevruz Day
Movable	Catholic Easter and Orthodox Easter
1 May	International Workers’ Day
Movable	Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bajrami)
5 September	Mother Teresa Day (Saint Teresa Canonization Day)
22 November	Albanian Alphabet Day (since 2024)
28 November	Flag Day and Independence Day
29 November	Liberation Day
8 December	National Youth Day
25 December	Christmas

Mother Teresa’s holiday used to be on 19 October; since 2018 it has been on 5 September.

Kosovo: public holidays

Date	Holiday
1 and 2 January	New Year
7 January	Orthodox Christmas
17 February	Independence Day (2008)
9 April	Constitution Day
Movable	Catholic Easter and Orthodox Easter
1 May	International Workers’ Day
9 May	Europe Day
Movable	Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
25 December	Christmas

28 November is not a statutory holiday in Kosovo, but it is widely celebrated, and the government has sometimes given public institutions the day off.

North Macedonia

22 November, Albanian Alphabet Day, marks the Congress of Manastir (Bitola) in 1908, which agreed the Albanian alphabet. It is a holiday for ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia.

Movable holidays in 2027

Holiday	Expected date
Eid al-Fitr	around 9 March (depends on the moon)
Catholic Easter	Sunday 28 March
Orthodox Easter	Sunday 2 May
Eid al-Adha	around 16 May (depends on the moon)

Eid dates are provisional until they are officially announced.

Dates the diaspora marks

Wherever we live, 28 November is the big one: flag raisings at city halls, community concerts and family dinners. Kosovo’s 17 February and Dita e Verës on 14 March are close behind. Read how Albanians celebrate Flag Day or find a gift in our gift guide.

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Sources: Bank of Albania: 2026 holiday schedule · Wikipedia: Public holidays in Albania · Albanian Prime Minister’s Office: Alphabet Day · Wikipedia: Public holidays in Kosovo · Wikipedia: Public holidays in North Macedonia · Almanac: When is Easter · Khaleej Times: expected 2027 Eid dates

She is known around the world as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. To Albanians she is Nënë Tereza, Mother Teresa, and her story starts in the Balkans.

Early life in Skopje

Anjezë (Agnes) Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born on 26 August 1910 in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire and today the capital of North Macedonia, into a family of Albanian descent. She was baptised the next day in the city’s Sacred Heart church.

Ireland and India

At 18, in 1928, she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto, trained in Dublin and took her first vows in India in 1931. She taught in Calcutta (Kolkata) until 1948 and later became an Indian citizen.

The Missionaries of Charity

On 7 October 1950 the Missionaries of Charity were founded in Calcutta to care for the poorest of the poor. The congregation grew to serve people around the world.

Recognition

• 1979: Nobel Peace Prize, “for her work for bringing help to suffering humanity”.
• 5 September 1997: she died in Calcutta. The date is now her feast day.
• 19 October 2003: beatified by Pope John Paul II.
• 4 September 2016: canonized by Pope Francis as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

How she is remembered

Albania honours her with a public holiday on 5 September, and Tirana’s international airport carries her name: Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza. In Skopje, the Memorial House of Mother Teresa opened in 2009 on the site of the church where she was baptised.

Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia all hold her close, and her work also drew criticism from some doctors and former volunteers about care in her homes, which her supporters reject. She is one of several famous people with Albanian roots. What nobody disputes is where she started: a girl from an Albanian family in Skopje who spent her life serving others.

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Sources: Nobel Prize: Mother Teresa biography · Britannica: Mother Teresa · Missionaries of Charity: Our history · Vatican: Beatification homily, 2003 · Wikipedia: Memorial House of Mother Teresa · Bank of Albania: 2026 holiday schedule

Every Albanian knows the name. His statue stands in the main square of Tirana, his eagle is on the flag, and his story is the one grandparents tell. Here is who Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg (Skënderbeu), really was.

From hostage to Ottoman commander

Gjergj Kastrioti was born around 1405 in northern Albania, the son of the nobleman Gjon Kastrioti. He was given as a hostage to the Ottoman sultan, converted to Islam and was educated at Edirne. Sultan Murad II named him Iskender, after Alexander the Great, with the rank of bey. That is where the name Skanderbeg comes from.

1443: the return to Krujë

During the Battle of Niš in 1443, Skanderbeg left the Ottoman army with a few hundred Albanians. By tradition, on 28 November 1443 he took the fortress of Krujë and raised a red flag with a black double-headed eagle, the flag that inspired Albania’s flag today. Read more about the flag.

The League of Lezhë

On 2 March 1444, Albanian noble families met in the church of St Nicholas in Lezhë and formed an alliance, the League of Lezhë, with Skanderbeg as its commander. A few months later, on 29 June 1444, he won his first major victory at Torvioll.

Nearly 25 years of resistance

• 1450: Sultan Murad II besieged Krujë in person and failed to take it.
• 1451: with the Treaty of Gaeta, Skanderbeg accepted Alfonso V of Naples as overlord in exchange for support.
• 1460–61: he campaigned in Italy for Alfonso’s son, Ferdinand I.
• 1466–67: Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, besieged Krujë and failed as well.

Several popes called him Athleta Christi, champion of Christ, and planned a crusade with him that never happened.

Death and legacy

Skanderbeg died of fever in Lezhë on 17 January 1468 and was buried in the same church of St Nicholas. Krujë held out for another ten years before it fell in 1478.

Today he is the national hero of the Albanians. His bronze equestrian statue in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, was unveiled in 1968 for the 500th anniversary of his death. The National History Museum in Krujë Castle is named after him, and a helmet with a goat’s head crest, attributed to him, is kept in the Imperial Armoury of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Carry the eagle he raised: see the first pieces in our shop.

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Sources: Britannica: Skanderbeg · Wikipedia: Skanderbeg’s rebellion · Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs: League of Lezhë · Wikipedia: Treaty of Gaeta · Kunsthistorisches Museum: Skanderbeg helmet · Wikipedia: Skanderbeg Monument · Wikipedia: Skanderbeg Museum

Every Albanian home has a smell that means Sunday. Here are the dishes and drinks that turn up at family tables from Tirana and Prishtina to Toronto, and what to say before you eat: Ju bëftë mirë! (enjoy your meal).

Savoury

• Byrek (also burek, or pite in Kosovo and some regions): a savoury pie of thin, layered dough filled with cheese, spinach, minced meat or pumpkin. Baked as one big round pie or as small triangles. It belongs to the wider börek family found across the region.
• Tavë kosi: baked lamb and rice under a yogurt and egg topping, linked to the city of Elbasan and often called one of Albania’s national dishes.
• Fërgesë: peppers and tomatoes baked with gjizë, a fresh curd cheese. A Tirana classic, with versions made with liver or other meat.
• Flija (flia): from northern Albania and Kosovo. Thin layers of batter brushed with cream and baked one at a time under a saç lid, served with sour cream. It takes hours, and it is worth it.
• Qofte: grilled or fried (të fërguara) patties of minced meat with onion and herbs.
• Speca të mbushur: peppers stuffed with rice and minced meat, or with vegetables, cheese or egg, then baked.
• Japrakë and sarma: grape-leaf or cabbage-leaf rolls filled with rice, minced meat, onion and herbs.

Sweet

• Bakllava: thin pastry layered with walnuts or almonds and soaked in syrup. The centrepiece of the Bajram table in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
• Trileçe: a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and usually topped with caramel. It comes from the Latin American tres leches cake and has become a favourite across Albania and Kosovo.
• Ballokume: buttery cornflour cookies from Elbasan, traditionally eaten on Dita e Verës (Summer Day, 14 March). More on Dita e Verës.

To drink

• Kos is yogurt, and dhallë is a chilled drink of yogurt, water and salt. Try it with byrek.
• Raki: a fruit brandy, usually made from grapes, or from plums and other fruit in colder regions. Skrapar is famous for it. Raise a glass with Gëzuar!
• Çaj mali (mountain tea): an herbal tea made from Sideritis, which grows wild in the mountains of Albania, Kosovo and the wider Balkans.
• Coffee: Turkish coffee boiled in a small xhezve is still made at home, while cafés serve espresso and macchiato. Going for a coffee is less about the coffee and more about the company.

Shared with the neighbours

Many of these dishes are shared across the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean, and every family swears theirs is the right recipe. That is part of the fun. Planning a trip to taste them at the source? See places every Albanian family should see. Learn a few table phrases in our Albanian phrase guide.

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Sources: Wikipedia: Börek · Wikipedia: Tavë kosi · Wikibooks: Fërgesë of Tirana · Wikipedia: Flia · Wikipedia: Trileçe · Wikipedia: Ballokume · Albanian National Tourism Agency: bakllava · Wikipedia: Rakia · Wikipedia: Sideritis

Whether you grew up hearing Albanian at home or you are learning it for your partner’s family, these are the phrases you will use most. Formal forms are for elders and people you do not know well; informal forms are for friends and family.

How to read the pronunciation

Albanian is written almost exactly as it sounds, so once you know a few letters you can read anything. The guides below are simplified for English speakers. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

• ë sounds like the “uh” in about, and is often almost silent at the end of a word (mirë sounds close to “meer”).
• ç is “ch” as in church, and xh is “j” as in judge.
• q is a soft sound between “ch” and “ky”. If in doubt, say “ch”.
• gj is a soft “dy” or “j” sound, like the gu in argue.
• dh is the “th” in this; th is the “th” in think.
• j is “y” as in yes, nj is “ny” as in canyon, and c is “ts”.
• rr is a rolled r; ll is a dark L as in pull.

Greetings and basics

Albanian	English	Say it like
Përshëndetje	Hello	puhr-shuhn-DEH-tyeh
Tungjatjeta / Tung	Hello (Tung is casual)	toon-jah-TYEH-tah / toong
Mirëmëngjes	Good morning	meer-uh-muhn-JES
Mirëdita	Good day	meer-uh-DEE-tah
Mirëmbrëma	Good evening	meer-uhm-BRUH-mah
Natën e mirë	Good night	NAH-tuhn eh MEER
Mirupafshim	Goodbye	mee-roo-PAHF-sheem
Si jeni? / Si je?	How are you? (formal / informal)	see YEH-nee / see YEH
Mirë, faleminderit	Fine, thank you	MEER, fah-leh-meen-DEH-reet
Faleminderit	Thank you	fah-leh-meen-DEH-reet
Ju lutem / Të lutem	Please; also “you’re welcome”	yoo LOO-tem / tuh LOO-tem
Më falni / Më fal	Sorry, excuse me	muh FAHL-nee / muh FAHL
Po / Jo	Yes / No	poh / yoh
Si quhesh?	What’s your name? (informal)	see CHOO-hesh
Unë quhem…	My name is…	OO-nuh CHOO-hem
Nga je?	Where are you from? (informal)	ngah YEH
Jam nga…	I’m from…	yahm ngah
Gëzohem që u njohëm	Nice to meet you	guh-ZOH-hem chuh oo NYOH-huhm

In Kosovo and the north you will also hear Gheg forms, such as Qysh je? for “How are you?”, and the short greeting Tung.

Family

Albanian	English	Say it like
Gjysh	Grandfather	JÜSH (ü as in German)
Gjyshe	Grandmother	JÜ-sheh
Nënë	Mother	NUH-nuh
Baba	Father, dad	BAH-bah
Vëlla	Brother	vuh-LAH
Motër	Sister	MOH-tuhr

At the table

Albanian	English	Say it like
Ju bëftë mirë! / T’bëftë mirë!	Enjoy your meal (formal / informal)	yoo BUHF-tuh MEER / tuh BUHF-tuh MEER
Bukë	Bread (also “food”)	BOO-kuh
Ujë, ju lutem	Water, please	OO-yuh, yoo LOO-tem
Kafe	Coffee	kah-FEH
Çaj	Tea	chai

Celebrations and wishes

Albanian	English	Say it like
Gëzuar!	Cheers! / Happy…	guh-ZOO-ahr
Shëndet!	Health! (a toast, “bless you”, or a casual goodbye)	shuhn-DET
Urime!	Congratulations!	oo-REE-meh
Gëzuar ditëlindjen!	Happy birthday!	guh-ZOO-ahr dee-tuh-LEEN-dyen
Gëzuar Vitin e Ri!	Happy New Year!	guh-ZOO-ahr VEE-teen eh REE
Gëzuar Ditën e Flamurit!	Happy Flag Day! (28 November)	guh-ZOO-ahr DEE-tuhn eh flah-MOO-reet
Gëzuar Ditën e Pavarësisë!	Happy Independence Day!	guh-ZOO-ahr DEE-tuhn eh pah-vah-ruh-SEE-suh
Rroftë Shqipëria!	Long live Albania!	RROHF-tuh shchee-puh-REE-ah

Love and affection

Albanians use these with partners, but also with children, family and close friends.

Albanian	English	Say it like
Të dua	I love you	tuh DOO-ah
Të dua shumë	I love you very much	tuh DOO-ah SHOO-muh
Zemër / Zemra ime	Sweetheart (literally “heart”) / My heart	ZEH-muhr / ZEM-rah EE-meh
Shpirt / Shpirti im	Darling (literally “soul”) / My soul	SHPEERT / SHPEER-tee eem
Të kam shpirt	You are my heart and soul	tuh kahm SHPEERT
Dashuria ime	My love	dah-shoo-REE-ah EE-meh

Keep practising

Want to hear real voices? Omniglot has audio recordings of many of these phrases. Want the backstory? Read 10 facts about the Albanian language. Then try them at the next family dinner, and tell us how it went on Instagram.

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Sources: Wikivoyage: Albanian phrasebook · Omniglot: Albanian phrases · Omniglot: Gheg Albanian · Wikipedia: Albanian alphabet · Omniglot: Albanian family words

Albanians do not need much of an excuse to celebrate. Here are the dates worth marking on the calendar, and a few ideas for gifts that mean something. For the full list of public holidays, see our holidays calendar.

17 February: Kosovo’s Independence Day

Kosovo declared its independence on 17 February 2008, and the day is a public holiday there. Expect both the Kosovo flag and the red and black Albanian flag.

14 March: Dita e Verës (Summer Day)

A spring festival that marks the end of winter, traditionally centred on the city of Elbasan and an official holiday in Albania since 2004. Look out for ballokume, the classic Elbasan cookies, and the red and white verore bracelet that people tie on for good luck.

28 and 29 November: Flag Day and Liberation Day

The biggest dates of the year for Albanian pride. Here is how people celebrate.

Weddings, birthdays and new babies

The everyday occasions where a small nod to home goes a long way, especially for family who live far from Albania or Kosovo.

Gift ideas that say “Albanian”

• Something with the eagle: a piece they will use every day, like our eagle clear phone case.
• A watch for the big moments: the TROY watch with its deep blue dial arrives in a gift box.
• A flag for the balcony: simple, and always in use come November.
• Something to eat: a tray of ballokume or homemade byrek never goes unappreciated.

Questions about any piece, or want to order for a group? Email sales@albanianandproud.com.

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Sources: Wikipedia: Public holidays in Kosovo · Wikipedia: Dita e Verës · Wikipedia: Verore · Wikipedia: Independence Day (Albania)