Spanish (23.08%) was the most unpopular language in the Friday poll, which means I’ve now got to write something in the least unpopular language. Not, because Arabic and Spanish sign language tied for last place, and that’s no way to start a week. Here instead are six twentieth century Albanian salutes. Select a political affiliation for each and then check the answers. There are no prizes.

Someone sent me these photos a few years back without saying where they were from. Please tell me if they’re yours and you want them credited or removed, or whether you would prefer to receive a ridiculously glamorous postcard of Barcelona.

Categories: Les bourgeois, Liberals & locals, Theatre

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1. Iliriana Koka
   May 4th 2005 17:25

   Hi there,

   I came across your Albanian salutes you have put up here: http://oreneta.com/kalebeul/2004/03/08/albanian-hand-salute-quiz/ and I would like to point out that the ‘three fingers’ in picture number1 is an Orthodox Chrisitan sign and it is used in souther Albania. They are ythe fingers used to make the sign of the cross. Here’s some info:

   The sign of the cross

   The most common Catholic gesture is the sign of the cross. Latin (Western) Catholics make the sign of the cross by using their right hand to touch the forehead, then the middle of the breast, then the left shoulder, and finally the right shoulder. As they do this, they say, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.” This one complete gesture makes a cross — an intersection of a vertical line from forehead to breast and a horizontal line from left to right shoulder.

   Byzantine Catholics make a similar sign of the cross but go to the right shoulder first and then to the left. Byzantine Catholics are former Eastern Orthodox Christians who split from Rome in 1054 and who came back into full communion in the 17th century by accepting the authority of the bishop of Rome as pope and head of the Church. They include the Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Greek , Melkite, Romanian, and Italo-Albanian Byzantine Churches. In addition to the Byzantine, Eastern Catholics also include Maronite, Coptic or Chaldean Catholic Churches, which are in union with Rome as well. Taken from:
   http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1865.html

   Therefore it is not the salute of Kosovo Lib Army.

   Cheers,
   Iliriana

2. Iliriana Koka
   May 4th 2005 17:29

   P.S. The orthodox use three finger to make the sign of the cross. Here: http://www.antiochian-orthodox.co.uk/sign_of_cross.gif

   I enjoyed the quiz by the way.
   Ciao