Culture
This Polish Easter Monday tradition involves playful water splashing among friends and family.
What is Śmigus-Dyngus (Wet Monday)?
Nicknamed “the Joker,” this Serbian center has won multiple NBA MVP awards with the Denver Nuggets.
Who is Nikola Jokić?
Frédéric Chopin, famed for his nocturnes and polonaises, was born in this country.
What is Poland?
The only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences (Physics and Chemistry), she was born Maria Skłodowska in Warsaw.
Who is Marie Curie?
Tallinn is the capital of this Baltic nation known for digital innovation.
What is Estonia?
Intricately decorated Easter eggs are a folk tradition in parts of Europe.
What are pysanky (pisanki)?
This Croatian playmaker won the 2018 Ballon d’Or after leading his national team to the World Cup final.
Who is Luka Modrić?
The composer of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake was from this country.
What is Russia? (Who is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky?)
This Slovenian basketball star made his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks at age 19.
Who is Luka Dončić?
The Danube River flows through Budapest, Belgrade, and this Black Sea country’s capital region before reaching the sea.
What is Romania?
Colorful “nesting dolls” most associated with Russia and other Eastern European countries?
What is a matryoshka?
Poland co-hosted this major soccer tournament with Ukraine in 2012.
What is the UEFA European Championship (EURO 2012)?
The Oscar-winning director of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus, he was born in Czechoslovakia.
Who is Miloš Forman?
A supernatural witch from Slavic folklore, known for her ambiguous and complex nature. She lives in a hut on chicken legs, travels in a mortar and pestle, and can be a frightening, cannibalistic figure or a wise, sometimes helpful, guide.
Who is Babayaga?
This Baltic country’s official language is related to Latvian: it’s the one spoken in Vilnius.
What is Lithuanian (Lithuania)?
In Romania and Moldova, small red-and-white trinkets called these are given on March 1 to celebrate the arrival of spring.
What are Mărțișor charms?
This Serbian tennis star has the most men’s Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era.
Who is Novak Djokovic?
This Moldovan–Romanian pop hit by O-Zone became the “Numa Numa” internet sensation in the 2000s.
What is “Dragostea Din Tei”?
A chess grandmaster from Norway. Often regarded as the best chess player in the world.
Who is Magnus Carlsen?
This landlocked country’s capital is Bratislava, sitting on the Danube across from Austria.
What is Slovakia?
Popular across the Balkans, these small grilled, skinless sausages are often served with flatbread and onions.
What are ćevapi (ćevapčići)?
This Polish striker—record goal-scorer for his national team and former Bayern Munich star—plays for Barcelona.
Who is Robert Lewandowski?
This lively dance and music style—also a dotted fashion pattern’s namesake—originated in the Czech lands.
What is the polka (Czech Republic/Bohemia)? Who is Béla Bartók?
The author of The Metamorphosis, he was born in Prague and is known for surreal, existential stories.
Who is Franz Kafka?
The Carpathian Mountains arc through Ukraine and Romania into this country whose northern border includes the High Tatras.
What is Slovakia?