World Country Guide

Social Profile

Food & Drink
There is a wide variety of restaurants and bars in Tegucigalpa and the main cities. Typical dishes include curiles (seafood), tortillas, frijoles, enchiladas, tamales de elote (corn tamales), nacatamales, tapado, yuca con chicharrn and mondongo. Typical tropical fruits include mangoes, papayas, pineapples, avocados and bananas.

Nightlife
There are cinemas and discos in the main cities.

Shopping
Local craftsmanship is excellent and inexpensive. Typical items include woodcarvings, cigars, leather goods, straw hats and bags, seed necklaces and baskets. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1330-1800, Sat 0800-1700.

Special Events
A great many religious celebrations and local festivals take place throughout the year in Honduras; for a full list, contact the Embassy of Honduras (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in Honduras in 2005:
May Fiesta de San Isidro (carnival festivities), La Ceiba. Jun Fiesta de San Antonio, Tela; Fiesta de San Juan Batista, Trujillo. Sep 15 Independence Day Celebrations, nationwide. Oct Morazan Day (Soldiers Day), nationwide.

Social Conventions
There are strong Spanish influences, but the majority of the population is mestizo, mainly leading an agricultural way of life with a low standard of living. Many rural communities can still be found living a relatively unchanged, traditional lifestyle. Social courtesies should be observed. It is customary for a guest at dinner or someone’s home to send flowers to the hostess, either before or afterwards. Conservative casual wear is widely acceptable with dress tending to be less conservative in coastal areas. Beachwear and shorts should not be worn away from the beach or poolside. Men are required to wear dinner jackets for formal social occasions. Hotels, restaurants and shops include a 12 per cent sales tax on all purchases. Tipping: Service is included in most restaurant bills. In hotels, cafes and restaurants, 10 per cent of the bill is customary where service is not included. Porters and cab drivers should be tipped when helping with the luggage (La0.50 to La1). Hotels, travel agencies and tour operators charge an extra 4 per cent for tourism services.