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People Share 30 Things That They Think Are Normal In Europe But Horrific In America
1.8Mviews
We often read of things that are totally normal in America but look super crazy to the rest of the world. Like free refills, medical debts, the sheer portion sizes, you name it. But hey, the place and time is everything when it comes to which things we view as typical and which ones raise our brows.
So this time, we are setting our eyes on Europe and the weird customs, things, and manners people in its 44 countries have that look totally crazy to Americans. “What's considered normal in Europe but horrific in America?” someone asked on AskReddit, and 12.7k comments followed.
We picked some of the most telling and thought-provoking responses that prove European countries are also home to a bunch of weirdos!
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Old things. Houses especially. "Someone died in this house" yeah no s**t Sherlock, this house has been here more than your country
The metric system
Favorite metric system quote is by Josh Bazell. “In metric, one milliliter of water occupies one cubic centimeter, weighs one gram, and requires one calorie of energy to heat up by one degree centigrade—which is 1 percent of the difference between its freezing point and its boiling point. ... Whereas in the American system, the answer to ‘How much energy does it take to boil a room-temperature gallon of water?’ is ‘Go f**k yourself,’ because you can’t directly relate any of those quantities.”
Taking the bus. There is so much stigma around public transport in the US, especially busses, and in Europe it's just a totally normal way to get around because nobody wants to deal with driving and parking in a big city.
Also from an employer's perspective: 25+ vacation days minimum for all employees and unlimited sick days. The absolute horror.
Songs with swear words being broadcasted on the radio, or swear words not being covered with a beep tone on tv. It’s always felt weird to me that Americans are all about being free and freedom of speech but then again they are scared of some stupid words.
Pro union laws. Pro worker labour laws. Mandatory paid vacation days (including fines for companies if the workers don't take their vacation days or get them payed out. They NEED to actually leave work legally for around 25 days per year).
Letting kids go to school or walk around the neighborhood by themselves without supervision.
A Dutch family moved to the USA and their kids went to school on their bikes like they always do, after a while the police showed up on their doorstep and child protective services letting them know they’re being irresponsible and to not do that again.
Mailman doesnt leave packages unattended on your porch. He eather gives you it on the doorstep or you go get it at the post office. Much less infureating than getting it stolen or thrown accros your yard by a mailman...
I don't know if this would horrify Americans as I've never heard it discussed, but where I live in Europe (Luxembourg), voting is mandatory and you can get fined for not voting in an election. You can still spoil your ballot, so you don't have to decide between lesser evils if you don't want to, but you have to make the effort to go to the polling station or submit a postal vote. It guarantees a high voter turnout and by extension more representative elections, coupled with a proportional voting system so we're not locked into a two-party mess like the UK or the US - not that it's without its issues of course, but I think it's an improvement.
Being expected to know another language other than English.
At least in Germany, nudity. No one cares if you're naked, no one thinks you're a sex offender, no one thinks it's even sexual to be naked unless you're actively having sex, and no one makes it weird.
You can be naked in public parks to soak up sun, on beaches, swim naked in lakes. Saunas are all naked, mixed sex areas in spas and saunas are naked with no issues and in general, it's just not an issue.
At least where I live in Germany it’s NOT usual to be naked in parks or bathing naked in crowded places, except they’re designated as nude areas. Topless is tolerated in most urban parks, if you don’t Walk around. Otherwise it’s a "Public nuisance", which is an administrative offense and is punished by a penalty fee.
From what I’ve heard, allowing retail workers to sit. I’ve heard it’s regular for people to be sitting in Europe as cashiers, but in the us it is seen as lazy. Only store I know of that allows it is Aldi and that’s because it helps their cashiering metrics.
The number of rooms in the description of apartments. 1 room in the US usually means 1 bedroom, a living room ,and separate kitchen. Was shocked when I realized it means everything inside one room in most European countries
In the UK we normally describe properties as 1 bed, 2 bed etc. and give a separate count of other rooms. Studio is normally used to describe rooms of mixed use. So a 1 bed studio apartment will normally be a combined kitchen, living and sleeping space with a separate bath- or shower-room.
Not being super patriotic.
I love being Scottish, I love living here, the people (mostly), the accepting and open culture, the sarcastic swearing humour, that we can take the piss out of ourselves - but I don't feel the need to fly a flag on my doorstep or cover myself in Scottish symbols and scream about my freedom and rights and chant some verse every morning - im sure there are plenty of Americans who also think that the stereotypical over the top patriotic American is as odd as outsiders do - but they do tend to be the loudest
Long paid parental leaves and month long holidays (vacations).
Fun fact: These are all things that Unions achieved and next the government made them law. Some Americans would go bat shyte crazy over that. "The government has no right to force 25 mandatory vacation days on me!!!!"
Oh man... europe has so many different countries. Something that is completely normal where I live could be frowned upon as soon as I cross the next border. But in general we tip for good service, not bc we have to. A rude waitress won't get tipped by me. Also we usually remove our shoes before we enter a home. And yep, "free" healthcare.
Absolutely, what's acceptable in Spain wouldn't fly in Denmark and vice versa. All countries have their own cultures. The first time, years before the internet through reading American magazines, I came across 'Europe' being referred to as a homogeneous whole I was extremely confused. I was also highly entertained by all the adverts stating 'Everyone in Europe is using this product' for something I'd never seen in my life.
Not giving your debit/credit card to your server but doing it yourself
It prevents them from copying you card information and using them to commit fraud by buying stuff online with your creditcard information. In fact I think we ought to memorise the control numbers on the back of the card and then remove them for the card. Having them there is like writing the pin code on the card with a marker, it is just making abuse way too easy.
Sitting a foot away from a complete stranger and then completely ignoring them.
Americans get so bend out of shape over naked children running around the beach.
On every beach in Bulgaria I've been, naked children is the norm, women sunbathing in monokini is considered absolutely normal, while naked men are okay only in the nude sections of the beaches. And every beach has a nude section.
Not enrolling your kid in extracurricular activities. In Europe, some kids are enrolled in a sport or club and the older ones are mostly responsible for getting there and figuring out their schedule. In America, some parents are so obsessed with kids sports that the whole family's existence revolves around it, or they get judgemental when they hear that a kid isn't involved in any sports or clubs.
Almost every car having a manual transmission. when i visited ukraine, i only saw rich people with automatic cars
Charging for water at a restaurant.
In Norway you'll get tap water when you ask for water, and that's free.
Bidets? I was born and raised in the US and I think they're efficient and far more hygienic than TP, but apparently most other dudes in this country think it's gay to clean up after your business is done lol
The only really gay thing I know is falling in love with someone of the same gender as yourself. If cleaning your ass after you've been to the toilet is 'gay' to you, you have some real issues.
In Germany, looking for a apartment doesn't automatically mean it will come 100% with a kitchen. 90% they don't have them in and you have to buy them yourself.
That's one of the most stupid things in Germany. The kitchen should belong to the apartment.
Underage drinking seems more of a crime in the US - in most cases of a kid is caught with alcohol in the UK it's just confiscated and poured away. Strictly speaking the age you can drink alcohol is really low as well, so long as you're home with a parent I think it's like 5/6. When you're in a restaurant you're also allowed low percentage alcohol like cider with a meal so long as you're with an adult.
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Gotta say that "things normal in Europe" means you take more than 40 very different countries together. Example; The Netherlands doesn't have bagged milk at all, we don't allow underage drinking in the general sense and we don't leave kids in strollers outside. We're one of the few countries that use diseases as swear words, though :)
The same could be said for the United States. People love to generalize Americans, but the truth is we're vastly different from one another. I notice a lot of ignorance from Europeans about the differences in Americans. Like someone made a southern Texas joke towards me and I had to explain I'm from the east coast. It seems like they forget how big America really is.
I don't think you can compare those differences. The same level of different between Texas, the East coast and the West coast, can be found in one country. For instance, if you are in the Western part of The Netherlands, it's just one big city, which can be compared to the West coast of the US. Move over 150 km's to the east and you're in a vastly rural area where live is about as different as if you were to go to Texas. Go another 100 km's north or 200 south and you will be stunned by the difference in dialect and behavior. And just like the US we have a lot in common in our daily lives, but Carnaval in the south is huge, a part of daily live for 10 months a year (preparations!), while Friesland even has its own distinct language. I think you vastly understimate the cultural diversity in Europe. Because each country has these extremes. Although, we tip our hat to Florida man. He's a legend.
You said "I don't think you can compare those differences", and then you literally compared those same kinds of differences. Trisha wasn't saying that America is the only country with distinct regions, she was saying that people who are not American may not realize that.
Agree with you, just want to add we can't possibly comprehend the size of (anything in) the USA.
Yeah, America is big, but I think you meant to say the US. Which is also large.
Well said, thank you! North American is comprised of Canada, the US and Mexico. Then there are the Central American, the many island nations and South American countries, for a total of 35 sovereign nations.
There is a difference between forgetting and never having realised. Most Europeans get the chance to see the differences even if it is through the twisted lense of television many americans don't necessarily get that opportunity. At the end of the day every bit you see makes you realise how much more there must be that you haven't had the chance to glimpse or even imagine.
Truth!!!
I’m from Washington state and needed someone to translate what people in Northern Florida were saying. It took me a month for begin to understand people.
Absolutely. Just moved back to East Coast, after 23 years in the beautiful Paradise of California. It's a different world (one I don't care to be in, but cannot leave, for now). Also, I went to University in Utah, & that was its own bizarre planet. Married a Southeast Texan, & that was yet another world. Lived in the Midwest & Virginia as a kid... But don't remember enough to remember the differences... Just that I was an outsider when I got to Virginia from Wisconsin, & a serious outsider when I got to NY from VA. But, the difference between California & NY is STARK & depressing. And, Utah had some beautiful LAND, but the culture was too bizarre--even for a Mormon from the East Coast. Even more bizarre & hostile, when I LEFT Mormonism, while still in Utah. The USA IS like many different countries. In my experience.
The same Thing can Happen everywhere, as Hamburg is north and munich is south germany.
But pledge of the in school is horrible for children. To me it is abuse
Americans aren't afraid of their nationalism.
Wrong. Only the right-wing/fascist element has swallowed the nationalist turd. The rest of us find it disgusting & appalling. We are NOT *all* mindless Trump supporters.
Don't leave us hanging, Susie, tell us a swear word! :) Lol just joking. It's so cool to learn about the Netherlands.
Kanker, tyfus, tering, klere. Respectively cancer, typhus, tbc, cholera. Mainly combined with the well wishing of the disease upon the other or to describe an unwanted situation. In a sentence. "Krijg de klere, achterlijke tyfuslijer". It translates to something like: "Get cholera, you retarded sufferer of typhus.". Yes, we have a beautiful language.
Hahaha it sounds like something you would say to a medieval witch!
We sort of do that in italy too, mostly with venereal diseases.
We're an educated people :')
yes and over the border in Belgium (where we also speak dutch) we don t use diseases as swear words So to us it is always " what's the fuss about?" when someone uses the word cancer on a soc media discussion and all the dutch people go wild on it.
Oh we use cholera in Poland too, it's used like a comma in a sentence. Similar to s**t or famous polish kurwa
Tuberculoses thing = an annoying thing. Tuberculoses sufferer = an annoying person. We're such sweet ppl. Better learn something else about the Netherlands. Oh and kids in school say c**t.
Well kids in school here say things like that here too. What we would call c*nt that is. I'm guessing you translated and it's not c*nt in your language?
I once read that each culture creates swear words based on what they fear/discomfits them the most. For example, the Germans are all about dirt or animals they consider dirty, the Italians are about the "honour" of their mothers and French Canadians use Catholic Church references.
And maybe one day you'll use covid as a swear word. Gotta ask about the stroller thing..was that mentioned here? If so I missed it. Who the hell leaves their child in a stroller outside.. =/
everyone in certain countries. Denmark, Iceland I think. no one would ever take them, it's completely normal.
We do this in Norway too, and in Sweden I’m sure.😄 It’s completely normal and perfectly safe. It doesn’t mean that we don’t keep an eye on them, or leave them unattended. Often the parents will sit at the window where they’ll be able to see both the stroller and the kid. And the kids (almost from birth) sleeps/naps in a stroller at daytime outside all year round. If the temperature drops to -20 degrees celcius, they’ll nap in the bedroom with the window open. Also most of us adults will sleep with the bedroom window open all year round, no matter what the outside temperature is.
Agreed! Even in a single country in Europe, some of these things are specific to certain areas. The same is true in the US. Something that might be horrific in one part of the country is widely accepted in another. Naked kids at the beach, for example. No big deal where I'm from - although the beach is pretty cold so you don't see many. :)
As an european who spend so much time in the states I just can't see the US as one country... there are so much differences depending on where you are... and I'm so just tired of those meaningless comparison...
This is even more true for Europe. They are lumping 40 different countries into this comparison.
Yes, which makes the "Americans don't travel" and "Americans are too stupid/lazy to learn a second language" crap so annoying. Those 40 different countries take up roughly the same area as the US. Americans and Europeans travel roughly the same amount, on average traveling the same distance from the place they were born throughout their lives. It's just that America is a massive country.
One could argue that the US is really just a country made of up 50 countries...
Have your read the book "American Nations" by Colin Woodard by any chance? It talks about exactly that. The author basically breaks down the US (and I believe Canada as well, though it's been a while, so I'm not sure) into 11 different "nations", with distinct dialects, values, etc.
It's socialist nonsense that always gets posted on bp
Yep, too many different states, accents, culture, laws, etc.
Sounds like someone just realized their white a*s has no culture.
About half of these are just cultural differences that aren't "Horrific" one way or the other, and some even reflect badly on the Europeans, not to mention the whole "not all of Europe, but n a few places..." thing. So basically, the author is full of s**t.
A lot of them were innacurate too.
Wich ones we're in accurate? I've never been to England so I don't know.
*innaccurate stupid autocorrect.
Thank you! I’m so tired of these one sided American articles! Many of these were just ridiculous. 🙄
Definitely not horrific. Just different.
Gotta say that "things normal in Europe" means you take more than 40 very different countries together. Example; The Netherlands doesn't have bagged milk at all, we don't allow underage drinking in the general sense and we don't leave kids in strollers outside. We're one of the few countries that use diseases as swear words, though :)
The same could be said for the United States. People love to generalize Americans, but the truth is we're vastly different from one another. I notice a lot of ignorance from Europeans about the differences in Americans. Like someone made a southern Texas joke towards me and I had to explain I'm from the east coast. It seems like they forget how big America really is.
I don't think you can compare those differences. The same level of different between Texas, the East coast and the West coast, can be found in one country. For instance, if you are in the Western part of The Netherlands, it's just one big city, which can be compared to the West coast of the US. Move over 150 km's to the east and you're in a vastly rural area where live is about as different as if you were to go to Texas. Go another 100 km's north or 200 south and you will be stunned by the difference in dialect and behavior. And just like the US we have a lot in common in our daily lives, but Carnaval in the south is huge, a part of daily live for 10 months a year (preparations!), while Friesland even has its own distinct language. I think you vastly understimate the cultural diversity in Europe. Because each country has these extremes. Although, we tip our hat to Florida man. He's a legend.
You said "I don't think you can compare those differences", and then you literally compared those same kinds of differences. Trisha wasn't saying that America is the only country with distinct regions, she was saying that people who are not American may not realize that.
Agree with you, just want to add we can't possibly comprehend the size of (anything in) the USA.
Yeah, America is big, but I think you meant to say the US. Which is also large.
Well said, thank you! North American is comprised of Canada, the US and Mexico. Then there are the Central American, the many island nations and South American countries, for a total of 35 sovereign nations.
There is a difference between forgetting and never having realised. Most Europeans get the chance to see the differences even if it is through the twisted lense of television many americans don't necessarily get that opportunity. At the end of the day every bit you see makes you realise how much more there must be that you haven't had the chance to glimpse or even imagine.
Truth!!!
I’m from Washington state and needed someone to translate what people in Northern Florida were saying. It took me a month for begin to understand people.
Absolutely. Just moved back to East Coast, after 23 years in the beautiful Paradise of California. It's a different world (one I don't care to be in, but cannot leave, for now). Also, I went to University in Utah, & that was its own bizarre planet. Married a Southeast Texan, & that was yet another world. Lived in the Midwest & Virginia as a kid... But don't remember enough to remember the differences... Just that I was an outsider when I got to Virginia from Wisconsin, & a serious outsider when I got to NY from VA. But, the difference between California & NY is STARK & depressing. And, Utah had some beautiful LAND, but the culture was too bizarre--even for a Mormon from the East Coast. Even more bizarre & hostile, when I LEFT Mormonism, while still in Utah. The USA IS like many different countries. In my experience.
The same Thing can Happen everywhere, as Hamburg is north and munich is south germany.
But pledge of the in school is horrible for children. To me it is abuse
Americans aren't afraid of their nationalism.
Wrong. Only the right-wing/fascist element has swallowed the nationalist turd. The rest of us find it disgusting & appalling. We are NOT *all* mindless Trump supporters.
Don't leave us hanging, Susie, tell us a swear word! :) Lol just joking. It's so cool to learn about the Netherlands.
Kanker, tyfus, tering, klere. Respectively cancer, typhus, tbc, cholera. Mainly combined with the well wishing of the disease upon the other or to describe an unwanted situation. In a sentence. "Krijg de klere, achterlijke tyfuslijer". It translates to something like: "Get cholera, you retarded sufferer of typhus.". Yes, we have a beautiful language.
Hahaha it sounds like something you would say to a medieval witch!
We sort of do that in italy too, mostly with venereal diseases.
We're an educated people :')
yes and over the border in Belgium (where we also speak dutch) we don t use diseases as swear words So to us it is always " what's the fuss about?" when someone uses the word cancer on a soc media discussion and all the dutch people go wild on it.
Oh we use cholera in Poland too, it's used like a comma in a sentence. Similar to s**t or famous polish kurwa
Tuberculoses thing = an annoying thing. Tuberculoses sufferer = an annoying person. We're such sweet ppl. Better learn something else about the Netherlands. Oh and kids in school say c**t.
Well kids in school here say things like that here too. What we would call c*nt that is. I'm guessing you translated and it's not c*nt in your language?
I once read that each culture creates swear words based on what they fear/discomfits them the most. For example, the Germans are all about dirt or animals they consider dirty, the Italians are about the "honour" of their mothers and French Canadians use Catholic Church references.
And maybe one day you'll use covid as a swear word. Gotta ask about the stroller thing..was that mentioned here? If so I missed it. Who the hell leaves their child in a stroller outside.. =/
everyone in certain countries. Denmark, Iceland I think. no one would ever take them, it's completely normal.
We do this in Norway too, and in Sweden I’m sure.😄 It’s completely normal and perfectly safe. It doesn’t mean that we don’t keep an eye on them, or leave them unattended. Often the parents will sit at the window where they’ll be able to see both the stroller and the kid. And the kids (almost from birth) sleeps/naps in a stroller at daytime outside all year round. If the temperature drops to -20 degrees celcius, they’ll nap in the bedroom with the window open. Also most of us adults will sleep with the bedroom window open all year round, no matter what the outside temperature is.
Agreed! Even in a single country in Europe, some of these things are specific to certain areas. The same is true in the US. Something that might be horrific in one part of the country is widely accepted in another. Naked kids at the beach, for example. No big deal where I'm from - although the beach is pretty cold so you don't see many. :)
As an european who spend so much time in the states I just can't see the US as one country... there are so much differences depending on where you are... and I'm so just tired of those meaningless comparison...
This is even more true for Europe. They are lumping 40 different countries into this comparison.
Yes, which makes the "Americans don't travel" and "Americans are too stupid/lazy to learn a second language" crap so annoying. Those 40 different countries take up roughly the same area as the US. Americans and Europeans travel roughly the same amount, on average traveling the same distance from the place they were born throughout their lives. It's just that America is a massive country.
One could argue that the US is really just a country made of up 50 countries...
Have your read the book "American Nations" by Colin Woodard by any chance? It talks about exactly that. The author basically breaks down the US (and I believe Canada as well, though it's been a while, so I'm not sure) into 11 different "nations", with distinct dialects, values, etc.
It's socialist nonsense that always gets posted on bp
Yep, too many different states, accents, culture, laws, etc.
Sounds like someone just realized their white a*s has no culture.
About half of these are just cultural differences that aren't "Horrific" one way or the other, and some even reflect badly on the Europeans, not to mention the whole "not all of Europe, but n a few places..." thing. So basically, the author is full of s**t.
A lot of them were innacurate too.
Wich ones we're in accurate? I've never been to England so I don't know.
*innaccurate stupid autocorrect.
Thank you! I’m so tired of these one sided American articles! Many of these were just ridiculous. 🙄
Definitely not horrific. Just different.