Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Things Seem Normal In Their Country And Strange In Another Culture

People Break Down Which Things Seem Normal In Their Country And Strange In Another Culture

When traveling abroad, one need only set one foot in a foreign country and realize just how different their culture and customs are to ours.

While Americans would certainly expect this in countries on different continents, where they speak a different language, they might find themselves surprised that even our northern neighbors in Canada still have a noticeably different way of life to ours.

And likewise, visitors from abroad, be it Canada or Cambodia, will likely find themselves startled at things Americans find commonplace.

Redditor kerris2508 was curious to learn about things which are everyday occurrences in some countries which foreigners might find bizarre, leading them to ask:

"What is something that in your culture is normal, but in another place is a weird thing?"


All in one shopping!

"Getting a sausage from a hardware shop."- effjayyelle

Self-sufficient babies.

"To leave the stroller. with the sleeping baby inside it, outside a café, while the mom/dad sits inside, if the weather is good.

"Denmark."

"It's a common thing all over Scandinavia/Scandinavian Peninsula."

"I'm specifically mentioning Denmark because I live here."- Lumisateessa

Don't be fooled by their gaze

"In Vietnam, when you order in places with menus."

"The waiter will stare at you when you chose food."- The-tank-has

Staring Jon Hamm GIF by NETFLIXGiphy

Make up your minds!

"Using a puzzling mixture of metric and imperial measurements, for example, measuring cooking ingredients in grams but measuring body weight in stones."- TailsxCream4Eva

A dark sense of humor?

"Some casual Iranian sayings of endearment:"

“'I want to eat your liver'.”

“'I will sacrifice my life for you'.”

“'My stomach is tight for you'.”

“'Wishing your breath to be warm'.”

"Not endearing, but 'dirt on your head' if you are upset with someone, essentially meaning that you should be buried'."- fatdonkey54

Read my lips. No, I'm serious.

"Pointing to a direction with your lips."- The_Crow

Luv U Better Flirting GIF by LL Cool JGiphy

A unique, national holiday.

"Celebrating a chubby, mystical, groundhog that can predict the end of winter based on its shadow :o."- Senator_Morgana

Be proud of your home, wherever you go!

"I wouldn't say this is part of my culture, but in both Kenya and India, when you go to the movies they play the national anthem on screen before the trailers and everyone has to stand up."

"I'd been away for so long that I'd completely forgotten this craziness and was visiting my mum, went to watch a movie, everyone stood up and I was so confused until the memories were unlocked."- ArterialSludge

We're all family!

"Addressing strangers using terms used for family members like brother, sister, uncle, aunty, grandpa, etc."

"The most common being brother/sister."

"We have unique words representing all 4 variations of little/big brother/sister."

"And guess what, one day you would be calling a girl 'baini' (little sister), that girl be calling you 'dai' (big brother) and a couple weeks later you are dating each other and ditch the sibling style addressing."

"Then you either call each other by name or come up with nicknames."

"I'm from Nepal."- secCcosMOS

Im Good Fx Networks GIF by Reservation DogsGiphy

Worshiping the ground you walk on.

"Touching elders' feet as a greeting and sign of respect."- ScallionUnited192

No restless leg syndrome here!

"Standing while working."

"Bet you’ll never guess where I live."- Th3MysticArcher

Nothing wrong with saving yourself...

"I dunno if it's a culture thing coz some do it, some don't : bride and groom have to tell whether they're virgin or not to the priest / someone who'll perform the wedding...in front of people."

"And they will perform some kind of ritual or some sh*t."

"I wasn't even aware of this thing until a year ago."

"No way in hell I'll do that in future."- calloftheVoid__

Oh My God Reaction GIF by LifetimeGiphy

Nothing wrong with a little affection

"Men holding hands while walking."- born_of_water

"Brazilians, and most Latin people, are super physical when it comes to showing affecting to everyone."

"Even strangers."

"it’s normal to meet someone and hug them and kiss them in the cheek."

"I was shocked when my best friend, who’s a Canadian, said she never hugs her friends because it’s really weird to do it there."

"LOL."- brazilian-queen

Depending on where you're from...

"The Pledge of Allegiance."- Guska-siilka

Some places are luckier than others

"Constant disasters."

"I thought it was normal until i saw a video talking about how my country is screwed."- thinkwithmorethanone

An effective healthcare system? The Very Thought!

"I love the Dutch healthcare system."

"Went to the doc, everything was arranged."

'No calls, all visible in online environment."

"A message your prescription can be picked up outside the pharmacy with code xxxxx."

"I pick it up from an automat, no need to wait in a line."

"And the next appointment was already made online automatically."

"All free of any charge, love it."- Remseey2907

Health Care GIF by Creative CourageGiphy

Bidets are due for a comeback.

"Apparently, washing our a** with water."- themachinedoll

Will cash soon be a thing of the past?

"Paying for everything via phone."

"Even some beggars will have a code for people to scan so they can donate."

"Cash is really uncommon nowadays."

"Most people don't carry cash anymore when going shopping except old people."

"We use AliPay/WechatPay in China."- Thetrucksimfan2

Thats quite a variation on "red sauce"...

"Strawberry sauce and pasta."- SakuraSpice

Strawberry GIFGiphy

Culture shock is very real, and takes some getting used to.

But rather than gape at things with an open mouth, try thinking about them with an open mind in your new surroundings.

And who knows, you might find yourself bringing these customs back home with you.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Rob Schneider
Fox News

Rob Schneider Is Launching His Own 'All Ladies Talk Show' To Compete With 'The View'—And Oh Brother

Actor Rob Schneider was widely mocked after he announced during a Fox News appearance that he is launching a women’s talk show to "compete" against The View.

Schneider announced that filming for the episodes will kick off in January in Los Angeles. He and his production company, No Apologies Media, are inviting fans to submit title suggestions on X (formerly Twitter).

Keep ReadingShow less
Kylie Kelce; Jason Kelce
Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce; Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Jason Kelce's Wife Sparks Debate After Revealing He Never Watches The Kids When She's Busy

The profiles of Travis and Jason Kelce have skyrocketed since the former took up dating superstar Taylor Swift last year.

With this rise in popularity beyond the realm of NFL devotees came an interest in the family lives of the Kelces, including that of Kylie Kelce and husband Jason.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nikko Santo Pietro; Nikko and Vanna White from Instagram video
Entertainment Tonight; @officialvannawhite/Instagram

Vanna White's Son Reacts To Becoming Instant 'Heartthrob' After Viral Cooking Video

Wheel of Fortune's co-host Vanna White responded to her son Nikko Santo Pietro's sudden heartthrob status after their December 2 Instagram cooking video went viral.

In honor of the game show's "Fabulous Food Week," White, who at 67 continues turning letters on WOF's puzzle board since starting in 1982, was joined by her 30-year-old son, Nikko, in the kitchen to share the creation of her favorite dish, "Uncle Roy’s Chicken" for fans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman with cherry in mouth; Usher
@travelmoore2022/TikTok

Usher Hilariously Shocked By Fan's Overtly Suggestive Way Of Eating A Cherry At His Concert

Usher was not expecting his popular cherry challenge to reach an erotic high during a stop on his ongoing Past Present and Future tour.

The suggestive cherry-eating gimmick involves the "Hey Daddy" singer feeding women in the audience cherries or handing them out to couples in the audience to feed each other.

Keep ReadingShow less
Blue sticky note that reads, 'Fun Fact'
Photo by Walls.io on Unsplash

People Break Down The Most Unusual Facts They Know

Everyone loves a good fun fact, especially one that's unexpected, unusual, and can lead to a quirky conversation.

Anyone who wants a good conversation starter for a holiday party or a company event could use some interesting pieces of trivia they could bring out at a moment's notice when the conversation has stalled.

Keep ReadingShow less