Which Balkan nation would you say has the best sense of humor?
Posted by amazingamy19@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 170 comments
Don’t mind the photo
Moldorancea@reddit
Many years ago I spent 2 weeks in Croatia in a summer school with people all over the Balkans and some nordics and brits.
I had the most fun with the Bulgarians and Bosnians. Stupid jokes and laughing for nothing. Then the Serbs were also fun.
The brits did not understand our stupid humor. Croats were ok, but a little bit distant until they got used to us.
Brain32@reddit
Croats have the exact same sense of humor but are too uptight to let it run as freely as Bosnians or Serbs do.
Source: I'm a Croat.
Traditional_Win_7199@reddit
Croats is a broad term here. If they are from Zagreb the uptitness might suffocate you to death 😂
Bosnian humor is unmatched, especially people from Sarajevo. Their accent also adds to the effect.
markogzg@reddit
BS. I’m from Zagreb and your claim does not stand.
Traditional_Win_7199@reddit
No offence but it is true. As in any generalization, it only means it is true overall or in most cases, not in each and every case. I have many great friends in ZG and some of them have excellent sense of humor, but most of them are uptight.
Compared to Czechs ZG people are not uptight but compared to Dalmatians, Bosnians, Bulgarians they are uptight and bit boring. No biggie, but they are.
Cheers :)
markogzg@reddit
It’s like me saying that all Serbs are belligerent. What a stupid approach to anything.
Traditional_Win_7199@reddit
But I didn't say that. I clearly explained what generalization means. Lets do it again.
If we have 100 ZG people in one room and 100 people from SA in another, and I randomly pick 10 from each room and if we could do an "uptightness" test we would measure 6 out of 10 ZG people to be uptight compared to 3 out of 10 from SA.
On another test, measurint something else, you could get opposite results. Nothing to be ashamed about.
For example: you could say most Serbs are uninformed about region's recent history and you would be right. Not all of them, but most of them. Not all ZG people are uptight, but many of them are.
If you are born in Zagreb that might be normal for you so you may not notice it. That is exactly the point. Also, that is fine. One of the consequences of such cultural trait might be that people in Zagreb are more productive, more professional. I have many clients there and I would take them as a client over any other ex YU city. It takes time to build a relationship with them. While with a new client from Sarajevo I can "click" instantly.
Really nothing to be ashamed or offended about.
markogzg@reddit
Jesus Christ, get over yourself. Your personal experience does not mean all Croats or all Bosnians are whatever.
Traditional_Win_7199@reddit
And I never said that. You fail to read.
You will work hard to find unfunny Sarajevian. You will not work hard to find uptight person from ZG. Nothing to do with my experience it just is.
You can even measure it. The claim reflects, for example, in quantity and quality of comedies produced in each country. After a rock/pop concert in Zagreb people go home. 10 years ago, people in Belgrade would argue at 6 in the morning where to go next.
Belgraders drive like maniacs, they do not follow rules much. People in Novi Sad do. People from Novi Pazar drive like they don't give a shit.
Walk into a store in Dubrovnik and the owner will greet you with "what now" attitude. Walk in a store in Pula and they will greet you with a smile.
Not all people behave as everyone else in their city. Not all Belgraders drive like maniacs, not all NS people drive slow. Many people in Dubrovnik will greet you with a smile. Not all ZG people are uptight.
But the fact that you are so uptight about that is actually proving my point perfectly. You completely missed quite bening joke about a stereotype. It is exactly what is expected.
Ciao :*
markogzg@reddit
I won’t even bother reading…
Traditional_Win_7199@reddit
You haven't been reading before, so...
Tldr: you are too uptight honey :*
determine96@reddit
How many Bulgarians do you know to make such conclusions ?
And from what sphere of life like jobs etc ?
Because I wish sometimes Bulgarians were uptight, so they won't masked their intentions by the mask of humor and invade people's personal space that much.
katakombajn@reddit
we gotta make our crobros drunk so they become funny 😂
Brain32@reddit
True lol 😅
katakombajn@reddit
But still you guys have Gitak TV, which is the funniest post-nadrealisti type show i've ever watched!
Daseagle@reddit
Must be that austrian influence, eh?
OneMore_Anonymous@reddit
Bečka škola 😉
Daseagle@reddit
Ah, a man of culture, I see :D
determine96@reddit
I haven't watched Croat media to know what humor they have, except one show with like few old man and I don't know if this is Croatian show or just one of the guys is Croatian, because he often wears t shirt with the "šahovnica" and judging by that and what I have seen from the Serbian media, the humor is really the same.
RaduZ23@reddit
Solta?
Moldorancea@reddit
Rijeka area and Krk.
bigelcid@reddit
I think the funniest people are the ones one'd least describe as having a sense of humour belonging to their country
distreszed@reddit
Portugal, Serbia and Croatia
Specialist_Elk140@reddit
Speaking of Latin countries, I feel like Mexicans also have a good sense of humor.
Ok_Recording_8059@reddit
I dont see a latin country in his comment tho xD
Specialist_Elk140@reddit
Portugal?
Ok_Recording_8059@reddit
Its kind of a joke. Portugal tends to align with the Balkan and/or eastern European countries more often than with its neighbors. There is even a subreddit dedicated to that. I phrased my comment incorectly tho, but i just wanted to express my joking complaint about you extending the set of countries from the default, Balkans (by the OP), after the OC named 3 countries (where one obviously doesn't belong to the original set), to the set that would also include the Latin countries, which would accommodate Portugal then. But i was like "hey, no need to bring in additional sets, Portugal already belongs to the Balkans"
Specialist_Elk140@reddit
Ahhh sorry you mean the r/PORTUGALCYKABLYAT
Ok_Recording_8059@reddit
Yesss, wasn't sure about this sub's policy on mentioning other subs xD. Portugal is my favourite Balkan country <3
Interesting_Cod9364@reddit
Greeks have great ironic humour, always had, not sure about the other Balkan countries. Also, nothing is to be taken too seriously that I think separates us from Northern Balkans.
FerretExtension7048@reddit
Bosnia for sure
Vitanist112@reddit
Honestly I've never actually heard any joke from the balkans...
abhora_ratio@reddit
Based on my limited experience, I would say Serbs :)) they're read serious when you first meet them and then.. God have mercy.. 😂 everytime we have partner meetings we are the ones sitting in a corner and looking at people doing boring small talk, nodding our heads :))) That's how it usually starts 😂 then usually Poland, Bulgaria and Ireland joins our very small group.. and after that.. oh well..
Dreadscythe95@reddit
Kosovars, thinking they are a real country (it's a jk, have mercy)
zara_anwar@reddit
Everyone except Croatians to be honest, with them it's usually like this
markogzg@reddit
Which tells a lot about you, not the Croats.
anvalua@reddit
True. On a motorcycle trip there, people were awesome, friendly but all the jokes flew past them.
Itchy-Quit-9807@reddit
Montenegro,next question
Fit-Duty-6810@reddit
As a mixed balkan I vote for Bosnia
BigBadCosmo@reddit
Bosnians for sure
Character-Pirate1297@reddit
Since when do Balkans have one (not counting laughing with bullying others)?
Ok_Gur_575@reddit
99% of answers are wrong. MNE ofc
Kicholaa@reddit
I think all the Balkan nations will agree on this one. It's Bosnia easily. Not Herzegovina, but Bosnia. People are just different there.
Maleficent-Ad-1793@reddit
Greeks and Albanians
randomemememe@reddit
Moldovans, Bosnians, and Bulgarians. I’m Romanian so they’ve the same “sort” of humour.
Croatians are a bit drier. Almost felt they didn’t laugh or like to laugh as much but they’re funny in their own way.
I’ve never seen a Hungarian laugh at a joke. So they’re dead last for me.
Leather-Substance-39@reddit
Hungary is not even Balkan, it's Central Europe though they sometimes entertain the idea of having been Balkanized (not a positive statement). When a Hungarian says Hungaray has become Balkan it's always a joke, meaning things are getting chaotic, corrupt, haphazard, wild.
Hungarians have a very absurd sense of humor, dark humor, lots of double entendre, puns, political humor and a lot of Askenazi Jewish humor. And by lot I mean Budapest used to be a center of Ashkenazi Jewish culture, and Jewish actors, directors, journalists, comedians. Which is obviously more Central European than Balkan.
Szekelys in Transylvania are known among Hungarians to have the weirdest sense of humor, dry, deadpan delivery, panface witty, not the knee slapping kind of hilarious, but very smart. Szekely jokes often contain some profound wisdom. But since Romanians don't understand the Hungarian language their humor doesn't come across as remarkable.
The problem is that since the Hungarian language is not related to any other of its neighbors nobody understands their jokes. Like who other than Hungrians would understand a Hungarian double entendre or a pun? Hungary was considered the happiest prison cell in Soviet occupied Eastern Europe.
Hungarian culture and comedy is much closer to Ashkenazi Jewish, Viennese-Austrian and Czech culture than to Balkan.
randomemememe@reddit
Alright then Immigrant Shakespeare you can relax. I just gave my opinion. I mentioned Hungary because I’m Romanian and there’s a lot of Hungarian speaking Romanians in Romania.
I apologise for bringing the Hungarian Utopia into a discussion with us, the Balkan hoi polloi.
Leather-Substance-39@reddit
I only added my humble opinion to point out that Hungarians indeed have great sense of humor just in Hungarian, not Romanian. And more Central European leaning, much closer to Bohumil Hrabal. If that makes sense.
Glittering_Lab2992@reddit
AccordingLychee5818@reddit
As a Croatian woman jebote, I say Bosnian people.
Alarming-Flamingo567@reddit
We all have more or less same sense of humor. It's not because I'm Bosnian but I'd say we Bosnians are just a tiny bit above everyone else😁
Ok-Emu7844@reddit
Mine obviously.
banosbananos@reddit
Race between Bosnia and Sebia
cryptotirmizi@reddit
Bosnia?
Daseagle@reddit
Which Balkan nation? All of them - as long as the joke is about the other balkan countries :D
amazingamy19@reddit (OP)
Funny until it’s you lol. Funny until it’s not.
Daseagle@reddit
Heh. The magic is being able to take it in good faith, not just dish it out :)
amazingamy19@reddit (OP)
Pls, dishing out, while not being able to take it, is what the Balkan is all about.
Daseagle@reddit
Dooh, that's a classic blindspot. Tho the younger generations are somewhat less blind to the irony of the situations we joke about, so there's hope for the whole thing yet.
Martha_Fockers@reddit
_WinterBoy_@reddit
Bosnian then 10 places emty then maybe Serbian
lazni_racun@reddit
everyone except croats. croats are great too, but they need too much time to relax.
i am a bosnian living in croatia, i am primarily interested in having fun and i like to turn every situation into humor, because we only have one life and i don't have time to pretend to be politically correct or sophisticated. i just want to have fun while i'm here.
Dembus22@reddit
Bosnia. But weakest humor in Balkans is stronger than strongest humor in rest of the world anyways
lukaaaaam@reddit
Serbs definitely
fragmuffin91@reddit
Serbs. Bosnian humor is painfully overrated.
Nemzethy@reddit
Best by far: Bosnian, self-deprecating humour with a hint of absurd. Also in real life often situational and good - feels a bit British with a strong Balkan twist. Croatian commercial humour can be tragic, but real life deadpan delivery of some individuals is fantastic. Serbian humour is also good, second to Bosnian only. Unlike Bosnian humour it has a slight American vibe. Big nations and stuff probably.
tR1Xt3r@reddit
Definitely Bosnians.
bogtemazo@reddit
Bosnia 100%
Karapampula1234@reddit
Montenegro, Nikšić
Miserable-Ground-379@reddit
Bosnians
NOTExETON@reddit
Heeeeepeek
Constant_Profile_436@reddit
Pa to ti je mir’kl
CuriousEvilWeasel@reddit
Totalni Hrkljuš!
FloppyDiskDrives@reddit
The best. Grew up with it in my household.
amazingamy19@reddit (OP)
Honestly not for me. My father loved it though. Maybe it’s a generational thing, or maybe we are more removed now from that Yugoslav type of humor now.
Familiar-Dig-9778@reddit
Honestly most of their stuff holds up pretty well, even today. Peak Bosnian humor was the series "Sex i selo" for me tho. Check this out if you find the chance Sex i selo
amazingamy19@reddit (OP)
Thanks! Will do
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
How is that different from the Books of knige?
RandomVariable44@reddit
Way older than books of knjige
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Ok, but not unique and special.....
happy_mf_@reddit
idk, but I can tell u it's not people from Bosnia
krisvelde@reddit
Everyone except Croats. Bulgarians and Bosnians are on top
determine96@reddit
Interesting, many here say Bosnians are funny.
Plus, I'm pretty sure you aren't familiar with Bulgarian humor lol
elmanager@reddit
For me the serbians
Arge_Deianira@reddit
All
Substratas@reddit
Greeks.
Shqiptar89@reddit
Aren’t you the Albanian tool that used the map with Kosovo in Serbia?
rimtaph@reddit
It’s also the guy who used those god damn gifs for everything
Substratas@reddit
Oh god, not another stalker 🙄
Shqiptar89@reddit
Shqiptar nuk je. Tradhar ma mir mi than vetvetit.
Substratas@reddit
Apapapa, oooo Zot nuk m’u ndanë, o Zot!
PromiseTop7113@reddit
Culturally (movies, tv-shows, lierature etc) - Serbs General folk - Bosnians Micro-location - Dalmatians
ppcrn122@reddit
majkro lokeishn aperentli yu hevent bin oko leskovac..
amazingamy19@reddit (OP)
I love being culturally funny
333syco3333@reddit
Bosnians I d say
DeeaM36@reddit
Romanians. because they have "bancuri cu Bulă" - this is unique in the world.
KrunoOs@reddit
Gotta be Bosnians
AdWonderful3621@reddit
The Best humor movies and shows are Serbian. Many of the quotes from old movies are still in common language. Bosnians also have good humor.
aleksj123@reddit
Always bosnians, those guys are so funny
BrutalMonkey100@reddit
Bosnia
Mravac_Kid@reddit
Bosnia, for sure.
Bibiasimov70@reddit
Bosnians are the best.
InMediasStres@reddit
Can't be. I heard every bosnian joke is actually a true story.
PeroCigla@reddit
I'd say Bosnia.
Jake24601@reddit
Bosnia. Repeat of others but needs stating again.
No-Specialist-1435@reddit
Bosnians for constant humor, but Serbs have the dirtiest humor.
dupeni@reddit
Bosnia, answering as Macedonian
HYBRIDLqTHEORY@reddit
probably all of them.
wintermute86@reddit
Albania hands down
Stverghame@reddit
Bosnian humor ain't it. It is that boomer humor most of the time.
Croats (despite my regular conflicts with them) really changed my mind about their humor, regardless of the fact that they aren't considered funny.
Before, I really thought that their humor is German-like and weak, but reading them as a third-person viewer on Reddit really changed my mind. They might not be the most funny ones, but their jokes are what I enjoy the most here (unless they make dumb jokes about Serbs, which is not uncommon).
Brain32@reddit
I wrote above but I'll repeat here because you totally get it. Croats have awesome sense of humor but are in most cases too uptight to express it freely. I'm a Croat and I wasn't born with the same reserve as my family was batshit crazy from both sides and even I have to watch out what kind of jokes can I tell depending on the social surrounding. In small groups and when anonymous(like on reddit) this uptight suppression is gone and then you can see it... I don't know why are we so fucked up but it's just the way it is...
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
I very much agree with this. I wonder if all the people that listed them really like the humor or is it that they find the accent funny.
Stverghame@reddit
Or the third choice: They just go with the flow and say Bosnians are funny simply because that's the stereotype
floare_salbatica@reddit
From what I've seen in this sub, Bulgarians are my fav. They can be silly, don't take themselves too seriously, have a sharp sense of humour, but lack meanness, it's like they never mean harm. We, Romanians, can be more critical at times.
Spare_Item3882@reddit
Think Bosnians because we aren’t afraid to make fun of ourselves you know. Even if we are the butt of the joke we will laugh
Mesni1@reddit
Bosnia
vozdovac6@reddit
Montenegro
Barnylo@reddit
I've just arrived in North Macedonia, and they seem to be very funny as a Balkan Turk. I've been meaning to write a post about it. I lived in Spain and Italy before; Skopje feels better than both of them so far. No Islamists, no foreign people, etc.
People look and behave just like our family, it's insane. I'm ethnically a Bosnian/Serbian/Greek/Pomak, though. I traveled far and wide, and Balkans seem to be immune to Islamists and darkies so far.
AssumptionEmpty@reddit
bosnians and it's not even close
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
It's always super boomer humor.
Kol'ko ima nogara sto i jedna ovca?
Alone_Power_0@reddit
na ku*cu te nosam
amazingamy19@reddit (OP)
Why is this funny to me though 😂
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Maybe because you don't spend a lot of time with them. It gets old REAALY fast when you have to hear it on the daily.
ravajloo@reddit
Thing is that with this joke, you will always say wrong answer.
EntertainmentDeep73@reddit
As a Croat, honestly Serbs
Prize_Ad_6030@reddit
Albanians from Shkodra.
Logical_Muffin_7685@reddit
Serbia and Bosnia.
Shqiptar89@reddit
Serbia. They’ve lost every war and they still think they’re the big dog. Great humor…
IvanMSRB@reddit
Every war … so far … woof 😎
Shqiptar89@reddit
There is still hope that Sanxhak will be liberated.
saleomkd_@reddit
My vote goes to Montenegro. The accent also adds more points without even trying
yourdaddyxoxowuw@reddit
Bosnia I had a few friends I love them best memories
Smart_Reporter9231@reddit
It depends; drop a gypsy joke to a Balkaner and he will laugh his ass off; drop the same joke to an Westerner and he will start sweating, especially the Germans
LaVeriteEstDansLeVin@reddit
It's hard to judge a language's level of humour when you're not a native. This question makes sense for serbocroat speakers.
But from the languages I speak fluently, greek is the funniest. It allows you to reach very high levels of sarcasm.
silentmarrow@reddit
Bosnians def
s_zlikovski@reddit
I would go with Bosnia
Most of Balkan humor is mocking someone while Bosnians will make fun of themselves while basically mocking you.
At least that’s how I see it
Hopeful_Addition7834@reddit
The corrupt one, with agressive men, potholes, and good food. /j
No_Writing_184@reddit
All the balkan nations share the same braincell
Willy995@reddit
Don't kid yourself, as if we have one whole brain cell between us. What an exaggeration
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Fun fact: Serbian realism novels are actually comedies.
0-Satisfaction@reddit
Bosnia no doubt
Miami-Novice@reddit
Portugal.
Substratas@reddit
The bots from Israel identified that I found out about them mass downvoting me with VPN set on USA, identified my location (Sweden), and now I suddenly have a so many viewers from Sweden - IN THIS BALKAN SUB 😂😂😂
Good lord, I thought they were cool & smart baddies but this is still lame af 😂
ThePurpleKing159@reddit
Bosnia or Serbia. As a Croatian Ive seen all 3. Croatia is dead last.
spezigotten@reddit
North Macedonia
Small-Importance6082@reddit
I would say Bosnia, Serbia, and (no one listed them here) Montenegro.
Radiant_Put_3609@reddit
Fiery_Flamingo@reddit
I can’t talk about other Balkan countries, but the Balkan part of Turkey (Thrace) is definitely way more relaxed and subsequently funnier than the Anatolian part.
Obvious-Desk4573@reddit
I must know the source of this image!
Radiant_Put_3609@reddit
June 16, 2013. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, at the “Respect for the National Will” rally in Kazlıçeşme, Istanbul, calls for a campaign encouraging people to hang Turkish flags in their windows. Even though he says “Istanbul, hear my voice,” his voice is answered in Dursunbey, a district of Balıkesir, which later confirms its loyalty to the AK Party with 78% of the vote in the November 1 elections. Who could have known that in that district, a balcony, a man in a striped T-shirt standing on it, and even the white plastic chair in the corner would, three years later, become accessories of our happy memories.
od3795486159601@reddit
Romanians
Legitimate-Glove5126@reddit
Alpainia
kuhinjski@reddit
Still havent met anyone from Bosnia in person so cant judge about that. So far i had the most fun with people from Montenegro. Somehow we really get along.
MrOphicer@reddit
I have some Romanian buddies and they're the quickest with the wit. Hilarious.
Early-Show2886@reddit
Hmm, I can more accurately say who doesn't have it: Balkan Turks.
Outrageoused@reddit
Bosnia definitely
LowPsychological6734@reddit
not turks. they get butthurt easily. its like national sport for them
g_oldis@reddit
Montenegirl@reddit
Bosnian humour is undefeated
Dimmesdalea@reddit
Bosna, obviously.
WolfGroundbreaking36@reddit
Romanians, their jokes they are not in eastern europe
Ujemegaz@reddit
Not balkan, but Italians.
RustCohle_23@reddit
I have not met many but it has got to be some of the ex-yugo countries, they seem to be cool.
EdgyNationMemes@reddit
Greece has the best and worse at the same time,I just can't explain it
apoprosanatolismos@reddit
I think we are all the same 😊
LenaLena93@reddit
I don’t know, but it’s easier to “banter” with ex YU people.
Arina1234567@reddit
Bosnia
Fantastic-Reading-78@reddit
Croatia! /s
Sunbee_Peanut@reddit
Bosanci😬🤣
shko-der@reddit
Its mostly be areas/cities.