People Share What's Normal In Their Countries And Weird In Others

Author image for mattstaff
mattstaff
Oct 17, 2019 8:00 PM EDT

It's a humbling and startling moment when you get out in the world, far outside your comfort zone, and in a foreign land with its own set of cultural norms. You never know what might be totally normally in your country, and considered absolutely bizarre in a different country. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Text - himit 8h S 1 Award In my friend's country, Easter is when gangs of boys roam the countryside, pouring water over girls and beating them (gently) with sticks. The girls then have to thank them for it. I thought that was pretty weird.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 02
    Text - e_ph 7h S 1 Award Leaving your baby alone outside for their nap, even if it rains or snows.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 03
    Text - MichianaMan 4h Men holding hands in public as a display of friendship is normal in Afghanistan but super weird in the west.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 04
    Text - owen-sksk 6h S 1 Award Whole restaurants cheering when a plate or glass is smashed (UK) Once was in a Canadian bar/restaurant on holiday and a waiter dropped a tray of glasses, the local looked horrified wheni was out of my seat screaming "wheyyyyyy"
    via u/ojlol2
  • 05
    Text - boss_bj 8h We have matrimonial ads in newspapers and sites to find grooms and brides which I think don't happen in western countries and they find it strange. The ads are mostly published by parents. It's like tinder supervised by parents.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 06
    Text - Claidheamhmor 8h S 2 Awards Being middle-class with a property having a 6' wall, electric fencing linked to an alarm, automated gate and garage doors (with security clamps over the gate motor to prevent theft of the motor), security gates over every door, burglar bars, and a house alarm system with infra-red sensors linked to armed response with a reaction time of under 3-4 minutes.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 07
    Text - BlyPhon3 8h The cracks that are just wide enough to be able to see in and out of public restroom stalls. (United States) I've heard it's thought of as weird since many other countries enjoy the luxury of privacy.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 08
    White - dogmanbush 8h Being left off of maps
    via u/ojlol2
  • 09
    Text - Toffelhunter 8h In university we thump the tables to "applaud" our professors. Instead of actually applauding. Or doing nothing. During my exchange semester everyone not from Germany was looking at me confused why I did this.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 10
    Text - NorqMarash 7h Eating with our hands. In 1969 (the same year the man landed on the moon), Miss Gloria Diaz coveted the Philippines' first Miss Universe Crown. During the preliminary Q&A, she was asked "Is it true that you Filipinos use your hand when you eat?" To which she replied "Why? Do you use your feet?" and went her way to winning the crown
    via u/ojlol2
  • 11
    Text - pflanzensindgeil 8h Drinking beer before 12 o'clock and seeing it as part of the culture
    via u/ojlol2
  • 12
    Text - Al_Fatman 8h Sprinkles on buttered bread is made by fairies and is perfect for kids parties. And anything negative said about said treat is sacrilegious.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 13
    Text - S 3 Awards Everyone rags on the US for using imperial, but can we talk for a second about how weird we are here in the UK for using both inconsistently? You buy a pint of milk or beer, but a litre of coke and 25ml of whiskey People know how many miles to the gallon their cars get, but you buy fuel at pence per litre You watch the weather forecast and the temperature is in Celsius but the wind speed is in miles per hour Most people can tell you their weight in kilograms, and their height i
    via u/ojlol2
  • 14
    Text - Jansiz 8h Marrying someone without knowing them and only seeing their face once the marriage is agreed on.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 15
    Text - macpherson3301 7h S 1 Award Calling mixed race people coloureds. Im from south africa and im coloured but when i went on holiday in the uk, coloured is a derogatory term but in south africa its completely normal.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 16
    Text - Lost BetweenthePages 7h Putting cable ties, branches, fake eyes etc on helmets, buckets and hats in spring time to scare away the birds. Magpies are vicious bastards
    via u/ojlol2
  • 17
    Text - Toxic-Cuber 8h Calling them all chips, not crisps, hot chips or anything else. Just chips, except you wedges you can have a different name.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 18
    Text - Sarpanitu 7h S 1 Award Cheese curds and gravy over fries.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 19
    Text - jvcscasio 7h Putting broken glass bottler on the walls around you house so burglars can jump it and rob you. I moved to Canada and they don't even have walls around the houses!
    via u/ojlol2
  • 20
    Text - GermaneRiposte101 8h Our wildlife is not trying to kill us.
    via u/ojlol2
  • 21
    Text - CrimeMind 9h Bagged Milk. I know it's normal in some places but not here in the UK
    via u/ojlol2
  • 22
    Text - abrasive_asparagus 9h Putting chips in our burgers
    via u/ojlol2

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

world history country interesting askreddit culture
Scroll Down For The Next Article