Opa (expression)

"Opa" exclaimed by a waiter in a Greek restaurant in Chicago while lighting saganaki on fire

Opa (Template:Lang-el) is a common Mediterranean emotional expression. It is frequently used during celebrations such as weddings or traditional dancing. In Greek culture, the expression sometimes accompanies the act of plate smashing. It can also be used to express enthusiasm, shock or surprise, or just after having made a mistake.

Opa is also used in Italy, Switzerland, Albania, Malta, Cyprus and by some of the South Slavic nations, such as Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia and North Macedonia as an expression of shock and surprise, or in their traditional folk dances. In Jewish culture, it is used for mazel tov. Arabs, Israelis, and Turks in the Eastern Mediterranean sometimes pronounce it as "obah" (in Arabic, due to the absence of the letter 'p'), and especially use the expression when Playing sports, picking up or playing with children.

Opa also appears in both Brazil and Portugal. A less common variation is "epa". Opa (or epa) can also be used as a way of getting someone's attention (similar to "Hey!" in English). similarly, the phrase is used in Spain, South America, and Mexico as "Aupa". It also appears in Denmark as "Hoopa". In Romanian (hopa), Russian (опа), Ukrainian, and Bulgarian culture, it is used during the short phase of concentration on an action, the expectation of successful process during the action and the subsequent completion of it, for example, when throwing a basketball into the basket, getting off the bike or picking up a child.