Everyday Behavior
What unites people living in this fair country of ours? What makes Austrians feel, well, Austrian? One thing uniting people across the country is love of the outdoors.
Welcome to Austria
Whether skiing in the Alps, paddling the country’s lakes and rivers, biking, or hiking Austrians from Vorarlberg in the west to Vienna in the east like spending time in nature. Austrians generally prefer to spend their holidays in the countryside, under the vast blue Alpine sky, along rivers or lakes, on a farm, or among vineyards. They cherish the fresh water, music, good wine and time spent in cafés. Where you’ll find regional differences is in the cuisine – Tiroler Gröstl (a sauté of potatoes, onions and meat topped with an egg) in the west, and Palatschinken (a crepe-like pancake usually filled with jam) in the east, styles of traditional dress (Tracht), and dialects.
The German spoken in Austria is similar to that spoken in the Bavarian state of Germany, differing from the rest of German-speaking Europe. Instead of saying “Guten Tag” (Good Day), they say "Grüß Gott," which literally translates to “Greet God” as an expression for “May God greet you.” But there are regional dialects as well, and how you express yourself, the phrases you use, become embedded in your identity.
Navigating informal, versus formal German is an important and often complex distinction in Austria. There are still many instances in which you are expected to use the formal form of “you (“Sie”), (akin to the French “vous”), namely if you do not know the person you are greeting or you are in a business environment. It is generic business etiquette to stick to formal German. The informal “you” (du) is used for friends and collegial acquaintances. The informal plural “you” is Ihr. “Servus” is also an informal greeting, used often in Vienna among friends.
