Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People From Around The World Explain What's Common In Their Country But Rare In Others

People From Around The World Explain What's Common In Their Country But Rare In Others
6 different countries dolls and desk globe free image | Peakpx

As we know, "norms" is a misleading term. What is normal is far too relative for that word to carry much certainty.

Normal is defined by the social environment, a context that comes in a variety of sizes. The context could be a particular home, workplace, town, province, cultural group, or even an entire country.


A recent Reddit thread focused on the various norms of daily life established in all different countries. The common, ever-excepted mundane details of a nation apparently compel people to assume those quirks happen across the whole world.

So it's an eye-opening moment when one realizes that common trope is actually unique, weird, and rare literally everywhere else.

getfookenrekt asked, "What is a common thing in your country but rare in others?"

Spanish Rhythms

"Such cheap olive oil. And eating incredibly late. Lunch is more or less at 1-3 pm, and dinner at 9-10 pm. That is why in Spain we have snacks between foods" -- prepelde

"Isn't the reason for eating late having to do with an old dictator's rule or something? I remember reading about that." -- Talldadmn

"I'm sure that's part of it, but Italy operates on more or less the same schedule. It might just be more of a Mediterranean cultural thing." -- HorseMeatSandwich

"It's a bit of both. Especially in summer in hot countries late dinner when it's not as obnoxiously hot just makes sense too" -- ndop

Sweat | Noise | Power

"Saunas in most apartments or at least apartment buildings, haven't lived in a building that doesn't have one."

"A lot of great well known (and underground) metal bands."

"And a nuclear power plant that is at this point 11 years behind schedule and according to Wikipedia the 3rd most expensive building in the world."

-- Under_the_Red_Cloud

Northern Delights

"Poutine. Goddamn are you guys missing out on poutine. Seriously unhealthy, but also good for the soul, so is it really unhealthy? Yes. Yes it is. But you're still missing out."

"For those wondering, it's fries topped with gravy and cheese curds."

-- LookAtMeImAName

Sugar and Fat

"In Colombia, hot chocolate is served with slices of salted cheese in it." -- Damagingking7

"I feel like that is something that sounds disgusting but actually isn't that bad." -- b17pineapple

"It's really good actually. Specially because sugar and fat goes really well together." -- Arturosas

Closed, or Thorough?

"People don't talk to new people here for some reason" -- therealCyborg2300

" 'I'd rather stand than sit on that empty seat next to a stranger' -Every swede ever." -- ithinkericssonhitus

"I remember striking up a conversation with a stranger in Scandinavia."

"She said, 'You must be American. Only Americans talk to strangers. That's one thing I miss about America when I lived in Los Angeles for a few years. Here nobody ever talks to anyone unless they have been formally introduced.' " -- Adam0018

Sudden Darkness

"Scheduled blackouts to reduce pressure on the electrical grid" -- MealieMeal

"Especially the kind they just surprise you with at a random time in the afternoon. Stage tw-four! HaHA, had you going there! Now pay my exorbitant fees, peasant." -- Cereal_Experiments45

The Horrors of Daytime Television

"Pharmaceutical ads." -- cant_help_myself

"And the grocery list of potential life ending side effects they come with." -- XxsquirrelxX

"Antidepressant commercials like: 'You're gonna feel great if you don't get fat, impotent, and violently suicidal! Good luck!!!' " -- hannibalstarship

Necessities

"Bagged milk, legal weed and fermented maple syrup." -- MagicMushroomFungi

"Bagged milk was a mystery I loved in school. Lil square pouch and you'd just shank it with the straw and SUCK" -- S0LDIER-X

Fizzy Paste

"Root beer. In America this is widely available and basically universally liked, but give it to someone from another country, especially a European country, and they will hate it." -- Talldadmn

"My Brother in law is from Denmark and he says root beer tastes like their toothpaste. He hates root beer and cant understand why we love it so much." -- alternateunicorn

Keeps Mental Math Sharp

"Tax not included in advertised price" -- UltimateAnswer42

"Land above you does that too. Greetings from Canada." -- iamthemicx

"Had no idea this wasn't normal up until now tbh. I thought most western societies did this, not just us Canadians and America" -- chowder7


Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Joe Biden; Alan Ritchson
Bruce Glikas/WireImage; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Joe Biden And His Family Accidentally Crashed The 'Reacher' Set And Met Star Alan Ritchson

What do you do when you're the former President and you stumble upon a real-live Hollywood film set? Why, fan boy just like the rest of us, of course!

President Joe Biden and his family were heading to dinner on a recent night in Philadelphia when they happened upon the set of the Amazon Prime show Reacher. In fact, he drove right up to the set itself, seemingly without even realizing it.

Keep ReadingShow less
unidentified female Trump supporter at MAGA rally
Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

MAGA Mom Goes Viral After Revealing Her Son Refuses To Talk To Her Because She Voted For Trump

While people grapple with how to handle family members and friends who voted against their basic human rights, the people in question are dealing with the fallout from their choices.

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and the Republican Party's embrace of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 made clear the rights of women; ethnic, racial and religious minorities; the disabled; immigrants; and the LGBTQ+ community were at risk.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Lee
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

GOP Senator Faces MAGA Backlash Over Plan To Sell Millions Of Acres Of Public Land

Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee is facing harsh criticism—including from Team MAGA—over his proposal to sell off millions of acres of public land in the American West owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to supposedly create more affordable housing.

Lee claimed in his proposal that there is an "extensive process for interested parties like States and local governments to nominate land for disposal to meet housing and community needs," noting that it specifically exempts national parks, monuments, and federally designated wilderness areas from potential land sales.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Ripped For Complaining That Americans Get 'Too Many' Federal Holidays Off Work

While it was ultimately former President Joe Biden who established Juneteenth as a federal holiday, President Donald Trump—who once campaigned on that promise—took to Truth Social on Juneteenth to whine about the number of "non-working holidays" Americans get, claiming that it costs businesses "billions of dollars."

Juneteenth is derived from June 19, 1865, when Union troops led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and declared that all enslaved African Americans in the state were free.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Carlos Barria - Pool/Getty Images

Donald Trump Called Out After Awkwardly Misspelling His Own Name In Post About Iran Attack

President Donald Trump was ripped by critics after he awkwardly misspelled his own name while praising the B-2 pilots who flew the strikes on Iran—only to later delete the post and repost it as if nothing happened.

On Saturday, Trump authorized a series of intense U.S. air and submarine strikes targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities, amid ongoing uncertainty about the status of Tehran’s nuclear program.

Keep ReadingShow less