Different countries and cultures have norms and traditions that are so ingrained that they seem completely commonplace to anyone from there. However, to outsiders, these practices can be totally baffling. So Redditor u/CandyxEve asked, “What’s something that seems normal in your country, but would completely confuse someone from another place?”
1. “Having a maple syrup reserve. The most lucrative heist in Canada’s history was the Maple Reserve. Many millions of dollars in maple syrup were stolen. I just listened to the ‘My Favorite Murder’ podcast episode about it.”
2. “In Japan, tipping in general is seen as a sort of taboo, and some people feel insulted if you tip them. This is a big difference from other parts of the world, like the US, where tipping is essentially mandatory.”
3. “Going to the sauna with the whole family naked. It’s completely normal where I live (Finland) but for almost the whole planet it would be very confusing.”
4. “Here in Sydney, the police regularly deploy drug detection dogs at train stations. They bring them into pubs as well. People visiting overseas seem genuinely shocked by it, but most people here ignore it.”
5. “In Sweden, it’s a common tradition to watch Donald Duck (known as ‘Kalle Anka’ in Swedish) cartoons on Christmas Eve at 3 p.m. sharp. This isn’t just a casual thing. It’s a full-blown national event! Every year, millions of Swedes gather around their TVs to watch a specific 1958 Donald Duck Christmas episode.”
6. “I’m an American, but when I lived in England for three months, I realized just how rude and unacceptable Brits view the act of pointing fingers. Any kind of pointing even remotely in the vicinity of someone else’s direction was a major no-no, regardless of context.”
7. In Asian cultures, relatives fight with each other because each one wants to pay the bill for the whole family when eating out at a restaurant. A conversation might sound something like: ‘I will pay. I am the eldest person. I have a responsibility to the family.’ And in response: ‘Even though I am young. I earn well enough. Let me pay this time.'”
8. “In Australia, we cheer when someone accidentally drops and smashes something in a restaurant or pub.”
9. “Weights and measurements in Canada. I’m 5’10” and weigh 195 lbs. My oven cooks at 350 degrees, and my pool is 72 degrees. But I drive 80kmh, the temperature outside is 21 degrees, I buy meat in either lbs or kg, milk comes in 1-litre bags, and liquor in 26 fl oz bottles.”
10. “My husband is from the Republic of Georgia, and he had to get used to how Americans smile all the time. He says it’s very strange to him how Americans ‘fake smile.’ I’ve had people in customer service here tell me that they find him intimidating because he sounds so serious.”
11. “Rootbeer floats. I tried to introduce this American delicacy to some German friends. They thought I was playing a trick on them. They thought it was so weird and gross they wouldn’t even try it.”
12. “Living with parents is very common in India. People aren’t considered ‘losers’ for living with their parents. I never understood why being 30 and living with your parents was considered ‘bad.'”
13. “In The Netherlands, you’ll find it’s normal to congratulate everyone who is present at a birthday party.”
14. “In Malaysia, calling older people not related to you uncle or aunty.”
15. “Slurping: In Japan, slurping your soup, especially ramen, is telling the owner or the ramen chef that their food is good or they enjoyed it. Meanwhile, in the West, it’s considered rude to make a sound when eating soup.”
16. “In Norway, we actually tell people how we’re doing when they ask. We don’t use many polite phrases just for the sake of being polite, so when someone asks, “How are you?” it’s interpreted as a genuine question rather than a polite small talk or a greeting.”
17. “In Vietnam, you can buy anything you want (and as much of it as you want) from the local pharmacy without doctor’s prescriptions.”
18. “In India, arranged marriage is still the norm. I went to law school with a guy who already had an engineering degree. He told me he only enrolled in law school because his family expects him to return to India when he’s finished schooling and have an arranged marriage. As a result, he keeps enrolling in new higher education programs to postpone his engagement.”
19. “I’ve been living in China for two years and I still can’t bring myself to shout in a restaurant to get a server’s attention. I’m British, so I’m so used to awkwardly raising my hand and saying, ‘Excuse me’ when the server looks in my direction. But in China, oh boy, you just have to shout and hope you’re louder than the next table.”
20. “I’m Irish, and we tend to swear a lot in ordinary conversations. It means nothing most of the time, just a normal part of speech, but some of my non-Irish friends seemed a bit taken aback by it. Also, ‘slagging’ someone (i.e., playfully making fun of them). A sign of affection most of the time. We’re not being mean, and if you can take it and give back some of the slagging you get, it’s all the better.”
21. “In New Zealand being barefoot out of the house is considered normal. Many children walk barefoot to school (they have shoes, just choose not to wear them). You’ll also see barefoot people in supermarkets and fast food restaurants.”
Do you have one to add? What’s a custom or norm in your home country (or a country you’ve visited) that outsiders might be surprised or confused by? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
