In Khiva to meet and greet a friend or acquaintance is quite an occasion with established procedures for both what you should say and what you should do. Verbally, both individuals begin with a barrage of questions

Women greeting women will also shake hands and while doing so will kiss each other two or three times on each cheek. Again, a younger woman greeting an older one will put her right hand on her heart and nod her head before shaking hands. When arriving as a guest, it is important not to shake you host’s hand on the threshold, as this is considered bad luck, but rather shake hands outside or inside the house. On arrival other guests and family members will stand up and, if they are of the same sex, shake hands. If your hand happens to be covered in food or is otherwise un-presentable, it is quite acceptable to proffer your wrist to be shaken instead. 

• Women greeting women will also shake hands and while doing so will kiss each other two or three times on each cheek. Again, a younger woman greeting an older one will put her right hand on her heart and nod her head before shaking hands. When arriving as a guest, it is important not to shake you host’s hand on the threshold, as this is considered bad luck, but rather shake hands outside or inside the house. On arrival other guests and family members will stand up and, if they are of the same sex, shake hands. If your hand happens to be covered in food or is otherwise un-presentable, it is quite acceptable to proffer your wrist to be shaken instead. 

Tourists can expect raucous greetings from children who will yell ‘Good Morning’ at you regardless of the time of day, and possibly experiment with ‘Bonjour’ if that elicits no response. By far the most bizarre greeting is when children shout ‘Aiwa! Aiwa!’ This is not a greeting in the Khorezm dialect but rather a fascinating example of brainwashing. In the early nineties as Uzbekistan experienced its first taste of global capitalism, the electronics firm Aiwa broadcasted a series of adverts. In them, Aiwa users passing each other on the street would say ‘Aiwa’ to each other, with the slogan, ‘Aiwa in any language’. Children assume that this is an international greeting and call ‘Aiwa! Aiwa!’ to passing tourists. They, in turn, assume that it is a local greeting and shout ‘Aiwa’ back, thus perpetuating the myth.

• Tourists can expect raucous greetings from children who will yell ‘Good Morning’ at you regardless of the time of day, and possibly experiment with ‘Bonjour’ if that elicits no response. By far the most bizarre greeting is when children shout ‘Aiwa! Aiwa!’ This is not a greeting in the Khorezm dialect but rather a fascinating example of brainwashing. In the early nineties as Uzbekistan experienced its first taste of global capitalism, the electronics firm Aiwa broadcasted a series of adverts. In them, Aiwa users passing each other on the street would say ‘Aiwa’ to each other, with the slogan, ‘Aiwa in any language’. Children assume that this is an international greeting and call ‘Aiwa! Aiwa!’ to passing tourists. They, in turn, assume that it is a local greeting and shout ‘Aiwa’ back, thus perpetuating the myth.

Customs and traditions

People from Uzbekistan can be chiefly described as hospitable - Uzbek hospitality is something to be experienced. You will certainty find yourself as a guest in an Uzbek house. There is a short information about Uzbek national dish –Pilav.

Pilav is the most popular dish in Uzbekistan. You will almost always be served pilav as a guest. This dish basically consists of cooked meat, rice, onion,garlic and spices. During the autumn hunting season, gourmets would use quail, pheasant, wild goose, wild pigeon's as a substitute for mutton. This, however, is not very common.