If you happen to be with a group of Macedonians and you open a bag of snacks or candies, or in general any food that can be shared, you should always offer some to your Macedonian friends. This sharing is part of Macedonian bonding and builds solidarity with others. Macedonians will find it strange and unfriendly if you disregard their presence by just eating the snacks yourself.
If you have Macedonian guests you should bear in mind that sometimes you need to offer your guests something to eat or drink more than once because they might feel uncomfortable to accept your offer the very first time. They are used to people being as generous as they can be, or even more generous than they can afford, so in their minds it is only prudent to wait to see whether the invitation to partake is real, or merely a formality.
Sometimes even food already set out on the table isn’t clear enough to guarantee that a Macedonian will help themselves. Many will wait for your second or third urging before they take you up on an offer to partake.
Every culture has a dance that guests and hosts play while getting to know whether the visit will be short or long. Learn this one well and you will have many happy hours with your Macedonian friends!
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