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 NETFLIXGiphyMake 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 JGiphyA 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 DogsGiphyWorshiping 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 LifetimeGiphyNothing 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 CourageGiphyBidets 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 GIFGiphyCulture 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.
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