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30 Peculiar Things That Seem Normal In Some Countries But Not In The Rest Of The World
If you're still unsure (or need reminding) that the concept of normal is relative, there's one online thread that should, once and for all, convince you.
It began when Reddit user SackOfPotatoSacks made a post on the platform, asking everyone to share what's considered routine where they live but would probably be seen as something crazy everywhere else.
Immediately, people started describing the peculiarities of their local area that they've grown accustomed to, proving that culture seeps deeper into us than we often realize.
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My city is EXTREMELY bilingual, everyone speaks both English and French. You’ll hear people speak both languages in conversations quite often, sometimes in the same sentence. In stores, most of the time, people greet you with both languages and you reply in one of them, which tells them which language you prefer to talk in. They go "Bonjour, Hi!" And you say Bonjour back if you want to continue in French or Hi if you rather speak English. It’s kinda crazy.
I’m from Montréal, Canada.
I live in Dublin and when we tell people who live in America that we put crisps in sandwiches they laugh at us. Just try it mate. It’s so good
Free Sundays (germany)
Everything, literally everything is closed on Sundays which is amazing cuz everyone (except from the most essential like doctors, firefighters and the police) have a free day which is awesome!!
In Austria around Christmas/St Nicholas time we have events called "Krampusläufe" where people, mostly young (drunk) men dress up as demonic devil-like creatures called Krampus with fur suits, creepy masks and cow bells and pull of shows that include lots of fire, smoke, witch burns etc while mainly Ramstein plays in the back. They also like to whip people in the audience with cow tails. And hell yea we enjoy the show while getting drunk on hot punch. We even bring our kids along.
In Australian rural towns we all had our back doors unlocked; and friends are allowed to go through the back door and make themselves a cup of tea/coffee while they wait for you to get back from whatever you were doing.
It's not just rural towns. I grew up in Melbourne and this was true for everyone we knew in melbourne suburbs. We would come home and my mates would be in the living room or garage watching tv waiting for me to get home. Doors would never be locked...still rarely are to this day.
Experiencing 4 seasons every day. Jacket on, jacket off, it's sunny but it's raining, freezing and windy, then it's hot again... I like to wear shorts and puffer jacket combos for both extremes. Tasmania.
In the Eifel, germany, on the night to 1st of may, people paint a long line from one house to another. The line means that someone in these households is having an affair. Every year several relationships break up because of this. I love it.
Alligators. Just...everywhere. I live in a swampy area of Florida, and it's pretty normal to come across alligators in small ponds, ditches, around pools, or just chilling in a parking lot. I've nearly tripped on alligators more times than i'd like to admit. Thankfully they're pretty chill and won't really bother you unless you mess with them or go near a nest. The police are even trained to deal with rogue alligator calls.
I live next to a game reserve in South Africa. It's not that surprising to hear baboons in your back yard, or spot a rhino 10 meters from your fence.
One time a whole troop of baboons ran over our roof. It's only corrugated iron and we all shat our pants.
Madagascar. Every now and then we dig up corpses of our loved ones, bring 'em through the village where they lived for a visit, change the tissues they where covered in (several layers) with new ones and put them back in the grave and all that while partying.
I live in NJ and it’s illegal here for you to pump your own gas/fuel. All stations are full service by law. I believe Oregon is the only other state in the USA that has this law.
In Norway it's normal to release two million sheep (read: ***two*** ***million*** ***sheep***) into the *wild*, mostly unsupervised, where an estimated *100.000* of them die to either injuries, illness or predators, with the farmers crying and complaining (usually only to that last one), and then repeat the same process again the next year, and every year after that.
Does Norway kind of have a f****d up and moronic sheep farming practice? Yes, yes we do.
Where I used to live in Manitoba, nobody had fences, mainly because when the properties were divided up, the town planners left space that belonged to the town behind all of them, that was just a strip of forest and Canadian shield. So almost nobody put up fences because it cut off their view & access to what was essentially a super cool nature trail network throughout the town. Everyone knew once you hit mowed grass, that belonged to someone. Us kids barely ever went anywhere on foot via roads or sidewalks, we always took the trails (we rode bikes on the roads though, there were too many rocks on the trails for a regular kid's bike)
Of course, living in a forest had some unintended consequences. We frequently had bears, so I remember when I wasn't even 5 yet being taught what to do if I saw a bear. And two separate years we had a mountain lion, which was a lot worse. The town would hire someone to trap and relocate these animals but it always took a while. I remember watching a bear lying down under the crabapple tree in our front yard just eating all the windfall apples for ages, not a care in the world.
Important distinction: was the bear a black bear or a grizzly bear? One is significantly more dangerous than the other.
Driving 3 hours at 100km/h and still being in the middle of nowhere (Australia). In parts of Europe you’d have crossed 3 borders in that time
Starting college, meeting your class on week 1 and then having introductory sauna the next week, boys and girls all drunk & nekkid. Finland :3
Sounds like a good way to instill a healthier attitude towards the human body.
People who are 12-14 driving tractors on the roads in rural Ireland. The legal minimum age is 16, but most farmers don't really care.
EDIT: I didn't realise that this is a rural thing. Still comes as a shock to urban people though.
Driving over the mountains and shouting "mint sauce" out the window to the sheep....
Wales
( And fellow welshys... Don't lie..you know you've done it)
Free public transport in the whole country: buses, trains, trams.
If this were universal it would make such a difference to so many people, as well as to the planet's carbon budget.
Having your birthday party look like this:
Your livingroom is transformed so that there's a great circle of chairs with a coffeetable in the center.
If it's an afternoon party, guests will visit between 14:00 and 17:00 or 18:00 - 21:00, but not both! there's 1 timeslot for friends and 1 for family).
As a guest, you arrive, you congratulate the birthday boy or girl, hand over your present. Then you introduce yourself to the group if you don't know them yet. Then, you go over the circle and shake everyone's hand and ALSO congratulate them with so-and-so's birthday.
After making your way through the circle, you take your empty chair and that is now your seat for the rest of the party.
After everyone arrived, the birthday person will bring you a piece of cake and a beverage (usually coffee or tea). Everyone eats their cake and talks to the person sitting next to him/her.
After everyone is done, there'll be a tour of the house and any new things will be pointed out to you. Now is your moment to ask some questions like "oh, was it expensive?" and also compliment the host on how great it is.
After the tour there'll be another round of food and drinks, snacks will be laid out on the coffeetable, but you shouldn't eat much of it. This is the only food that will be brought out and everyone has to share it.
After guests were there for about 3 hours they'll leave again. Everyone knows they're expected to leave but you need to come off as really wanting to stick around longer but you just couldn't because the dog needs to go for a walk or something, make up any excuse that sounds probable.
Then, repeat the cycle again in the evening with the other group. The weekend after that, invite your close friends to come over and have the real party.
Brazil: Apparently being in a restaurant for hours and hours and only eating in 1% of the time. We talk for hours before and after eating here, so we don't leave right after eating. Everyone I knew from other country found it strange
Drinking alcohol for the first time when you're around 14 y/o. In Germany, it is legal to buy beer and wine when you're 16. So the majority of parents don't see it as a problem when the first drunk experience happens a few years earlier. Actually it is hard to find a teenager here that never tried alcohol before.
Calling an uber instead of an ambulance or going to work while sick during a pandemic.
Gotta love freedom
Romania. Being a witch/medium is an official job, meaning you need a permit, your profit is monitored and you pay taxes.
When killing a pig, raw skin covered in salt is the first food consumed, as it is considered a delicacy.
We also fill the pig's small intestine with a mixture of meat, rice and garlic and put it in the oven for about an hour. Yum!
Many people believe that if you look at a baby for too long, you can unknowingly put a curse on it, which will make it cry until you pour holy water on the child and pray to make the curse go away. Parents are an exception, they can not curse their own child.
Ah yes, that well known method of quieting a crying baby, tipping water on them
Many (but not all) Germans restricting themselves to exactly one hot meal per day. I've heard sentences such as:
"No I can't, I already ate warm at lunch"
"I tried so hard to find a breakfast place that sells cold food"
"Let's just eat bread, I've had hot lunch"
"You can't eat two hot meals, that's too much"
I still don't get why it has to be no more and less than one hot meal? And why do breakfast pancakes not count as hot food?
This is one thing I struggle with. I am Asian, born and raised in Germany. While being little i hated having rice every day. Sometimes up to three times. Then I moved in with my ex, with whom I still live with. He has bread for breakfast and bread for dinner, almost every day. If you add two pickled cornichons and two cherry tomatoes and maybe even a soft boiled egg for dinner, it's considered a feast. I couldn't function without proper hot meals and learned to appreciate my rice now 😅
Today (in Japan)over a hundred people lined up (staggered for social distancing) at 9:00 am on a Saturday. First one hundred get a ticket. At 10:30 we all line up again. One at a time we draw a number; 1 to 5. Then we go over to a big basin of the best quality of rice and take as many scoops as the number we drew. You are encourage to make each scoop heaping. This is not a food bank thing (I hope) just the promise of “good rice” draws a crowd.
It was at a roadside tourist shop/complex.
Israel. Where I live, it is normal.for about 15% of the population not to work and get paid by the government since they are praying to God and that's important too. Off course, the rest of the ppl pay for them. f**k them and their god
15% unproductive adults is a hell of a lot for a society to carry. Although, I read, it's just the men that do this. The women are raised to be the workhorses in those cults (sorry, but if you raisechildren into this, it's a cult not a cloister/temple/monestary) and do ALL the work.
Welp, in Lithuania we have hill of crosses with over 200 k. crosses, we have a hotel where you live in a jail cell and ex KGB agents shout at you and dogs bark at you all the time.
Sweden: The government has monopoly on any alcohol above 3.5% and can only be bought at one store dedicated to it.
Same thing in Pennsylvania. You can only buy hard liquor like vodka, rum and whiskey at 'state stores'
New Hampshire is similar. In Massachusetts, were alcohol sales on Sundays are not allowed, it was not uncommon for a short border crossing to the New Hampshire state liquor store just over the state line to stock up before the Sunday game. Same thing with fireworks around the Fourth of July; illegal in MA, sold out of tents on the side of the road in NH.
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Same thing in Virginia. You have to go to an ABC(Alcohol Beverage Control) store. Kinda like a liquor store only controlled by the state. I swear if Virginia could find a way to tax the air you breathe, they would.
Ahh Just like Utah. There's a good scene in SLC Punk about that.
Same in North Carolina. We have 'Alcoholic Beverage Control' or ABC stores run by the state. There's a big board by the exit that shows where the booze money gets allotted in the state budget.
We used to have state liquor stores in Washington, US, but in 2011 they got rid of them, a move backed by Costco. When we had them you could only buy beer and wine at grocery stores, but now you can get everything.
We don't have state stores.herr in SC , but NC does. We can only buy beer and wine at grocery store., Liquor store is where you buy liquor but only between 9am- 7pm and none on Sunday
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In QC we can buy alcohol pretty much anywhere (at the SAQ, grocery store, corner store). This is more comparable to Ontario (before the law changed) where alcohol could only be bought at the LCBO and the Beer Store.
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Come to Wisconsin. Even our gas stations are like 25% liquor store 25% deli counter.
Having lived in California my whole life, where alcohol is available 7 days a week at every grocery and convenience store, the idea of a "state store" or other things like dry counties is such a foreign concept.
No, Quebec also sells in convenience stores.. so this is totally false.
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A lot of states also have ABC stores where you can only buy hard liquor. Other states sell it at grocery stores
Its called Systembolaget, and they are a profit making company just like anyone els. They have commercials about drinking and its all so fake. They want to sell more alcohol to get more money, they dont care as they want it to look
Eh. All their commercials are about how good the restriction to buy alcohol is. And why they have restrictions. Nothing like you’re describing. Swedens alcohol laws are very strict.
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That is not quite accurate. Ordinary grocery stores sell beer and cider up to a 3,5%. AND everything that’s for sale there, including beer, are taxed! Not for the ones owning the store, just for the customers. It’s really crazy. First taxes ar withdrawn directly from the paycheques, then every thing you buy have taxes and if you own a car or house you yearly pay taxes for that too!
Reed it right lady! We have beer as strong as 18,5%! The name is Ace of Spades by Sigtuna Brygghus.
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Sounds like Salt Lake City when I was there in the 90’s. Only “state stores” sold alcohol and only at certain hours.
Idaho has the state liquor. Wine and beer can be bought in grocery stores,
I love that you think 3.5% is 'hard liquor'. Come to the UK, wine is 12% plus.
I love being white to get hard liquor in grocery stores now. Moved to Panamá from US. Best decision of my life.
Colorado used to only have 3.2% beer and you couldn't buy a car, mattress or liquor on Sunday. Certain parts of Tacoma wouldn't sell malt liquor and only the liquor store could sell liquor. Thankfully that is a privilege I no longer abuse
wow I thought sweden was liberal? this sounds more like prohibition mentality.
Virginia is the same way. Only liquor and Virginia wines are found in state-run stores.
Same in Norway but the limit is a bit higher at 4,7%. You can also order delivery by mail.
Yup, my state in the US has ABC (alcoholic beverage control) stores. They're the only place you can buy alcohol that isn't beer or wine.
I think it is more and more common now, a great income source for governments. In Hungary, it is the same for cigarettes/tobacco. Not yet for alcohol, but there were mentions about this in the past... I guess the "resistance" against alcohol monopolization was just too strong.
It's the LCBO in Ontario, Canada. ALL alcohol is sold there, beer included. We only just started selling wine and beer in grocery stores and it's still so weird to me. When I go to the US I am blown away by the bulk outs of beer in walmart like it's normal...
Same thing in Iceland. Also, their opening hours are very conservative. I suppose it has to do with drinking responsibly... or be very organised about it.
Utah too. Beer in grocery storers, wine and liquor in state stores, with a large mark up.
In Cincinnati we eat spaghetti noodles topped with a soup-like chili and a 1/4 pound of shredded cheddar cheese.
And it’s delicious.
Putting a block of cheese in your hot chocolate. Colombia.
Note: this post originally had 66 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I'm Malaysian. We have the culture of 'open house' during festivities. During this time, anyone, even strangers can come to your house to celebrate. They'll be treated with foods, drinks and a token sum of money (only for kids) . Back when I was little, my friends and I made rounds to neighbors' houses to collect these token money. And kids from neighboring villages did come to my house and my parent gave them money too. Nowadays though, only relatives and close friends come for a visit. No strangers come anymore. I suppose if strangers do come, we are still culturally obliged to offer them food and drink. In the last 20-30years, our Government has adapted this culture by having open house for major Malaysian festivals. During Eid celebration for example, our prime minister will set 1 day for an open house for anyone to come; regardless whether they are Malaysians or not. This year, the attendance was in excess of 100K people.
I was wondering if the Easter whip tradition we held in Czech Republic will be on the list because I know that people from different countries find it quite crazy. On the morning of Easter Monday, men gently spank women with a special handmade whip. The whip called pomlázka consists of withies (willow rods or other twigs), is usually from half a meter to two meters long and decorated with coloured ribbons at the end. Women wear multiple long dresses to avoid the minor pain that would be caused by the whipping. If men arrive at women's houses after 12 o'clock, women throw a bucket of cold water on them. In some regions the men also douse girls with water or spray perfume on them. When going house to house, the male first sings a verse relating to eggs and spring themes like bountifulness and fertility. If the young woman doesn't have any decorated eggs she turns around and the man takes a few whacks at her legs with the whip.
Ah yes, so many of my friends are still traumatized by this idiotic, degrading tradition. Someone tries to whip me now I'll whip them right back. What does a stranger or WORSE a creepy uncle or a family member have to do with my fertility. F**k it so much.
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Is anyone else getting ads at the top of the page that take up 3/4 of the page? I use an add blocker, but it doesn't seem to always do its job properly. It is very frustrating! It wasn't happening yesterday when I was on the site. Why is it happening today? Anyone have any tips?
Here in Brazil, the host at a birthday part is expected to lay all gifts over their bed and show the guests how many gifts they got before leading them to the actual party. Also, you *HAVE* to cut the first piece of the cake yourself if it is your birthday and can only give that one to the friend you love the MOST! While you are cutting, it is common that those around you will start shouting the reasons why you should give THEM the first piece (things like "remember that time we did X together?", "remember when we went to that place?" etc), which is a cool way of being reminded of good moments with your friends in a humorous tone. If you are too shy, confront adverse, a huge spoilsport or simply a coward, you can take the safest, most diplomatic (and by far the most boring) road and give that precious first slice to one of your parents, a significant other or your own kid. People will usually boo that a bit as being super artificial and a coward's choice, but it's all in good fun.
I remember seeing a video online of a kid giving the first slice to his little brother. It was adorable, little brother burst into happy tears.
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This an interesting look at other cultures. I am fascinated by all the different things that each area does . Sometime soon I hope to travel to each place . Thank you to all whom contributed.
Growing up in country Australia, we wandered at will into all our neighbours houses, called everyone’s parents Aunty and Uncle.
The State of Texas has a rich history. Being that it was literally once considered (and in some parts, still is) the "Wild West" there are a lot of things that happened. So when you drive through the state, even in the middle of nowhere, be on the look out for Black Iron Plaques called Historical Markers, that tell the story of what happened there. Growing up there was one near our home that told the story of a Comanche raising party that slaughtered (and I do mean, in detail how they died) a small family of settlers and stole the children. Sure enough, you go back into the woods in the middle of nowhere and there is still a tiny family plot of graves with nothing but prairie grass and oak trees to watch over it
It's really not, the water throwing happens on a very small scale compared to the whipping. It would also happen quite often that the men get progressively drunker during the day and end up basically whipping the s**t out of women and calling it "a bit of fun".
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Well, here's another BP post with nothing but negativity for the US. Look, I know there's a lotta things that suck here. We're aware of that. But there's also a lotta GOOD things, and good PEOPLE. Please stop putting us all in one ugly basket. Thanks.
We all say this all the time - that all countries have their negatives and positives, just like all people have their negatives and positives. But the people at BP that make these continuous divisive, stereotypical and biased posts do not care. But we keep saying it anyway. Maybe just for our fellow Pandas to know that we object and that it's unbalanced and unfair. Oh well.
Load More Replies... I'm Malaysian. We have the culture of 'open house' during festivities. During this time, anyone, even strangers can come to your house to celebrate. They'll be treated with foods, drinks and a token sum of money (only for kids) . Back when I was little, my friends and I made rounds to neighbors' houses to collect these token money. And kids from neighboring villages did come to my house and my parent gave them money too. Nowadays though, only relatives and close friends come for a visit. No strangers come anymore. I suppose if strangers do come, we are still culturally obliged to offer them food and drink. In the last 20-30years, our Government has adapted this culture by having open house for major Malaysian festivals. During Eid celebration for example, our prime minister will set 1 day for an open house for anyone to come; regardless whether they are Malaysians or not. This year, the attendance was in excess of 100K people.
I was wondering if the Easter whip tradition we held in Czech Republic will be on the list because I know that people from different countries find it quite crazy. On the morning of Easter Monday, men gently spank women with a special handmade whip. The whip called pomlázka consists of withies (willow rods or other twigs), is usually from half a meter to two meters long and decorated with coloured ribbons at the end. Women wear multiple long dresses to avoid the minor pain that would be caused by the whipping. If men arrive at women's houses after 12 o'clock, women throw a bucket of cold water on them. In some regions the men also douse girls with water or spray perfume on them. When going house to house, the male first sings a verse relating to eggs and spring themes like bountifulness and fertility. If the young woman doesn't have any decorated eggs she turns around and the man takes a few whacks at her legs with the whip.
Ah yes, so many of my friends are still traumatized by this idiotic, degrading tradition. Someone tries to whip me now I'll whip them right back. What does a stranger or WORSE a creepy uncle or a family member have to do with my fertility. F**k it so much.
Load More Replies... Is anyone else getting ads at the top of the page that take up 3/4 of the page? I use an add blocker, but it doesn't seem to always do its job properly. It is very frustrating! It wasn't happening yesterday when I was on the site. Why is it happening today? Anyone have any tips?
Here in Brazil, the host at a birthday part is expected to lay all gifts over their bed and show the guests how many gifts they got before leading them to the actual party. Also, you *HAVE* to cut the first piece of the cake yourself if it is your birthday and can only give that one to the friend you love the MOST! While you are cutting, it is common that those around you will start shouting the reasons why you should give THEM the first piece (things like "remember that time we did X together?", "remember when we went to that place?" etc), which is a cool way of being reminded of good moments with your friends in a humorous tone. If you are too shy, confront adverse, a huge spoilsport or simply a coward, you can take the safest, most diplomatic (and by far the most boring) road and give that precious first slice to one of your parents, a significant other or your own kid. People will usually boo that a bit as being super artificial and a coward's choice, but it's all in good fun.
I remember seeing a video online of a kid giving the first slice to his little brother. It was adorable, little brother burst into happy tears.
Load More Replies... This an interesting look at other cultures. I am fascinated by all the different things that each area does . Sometime soon I hope to travel to each place . Thank you to all whom contributed.
Growing up in country Australia, we wandered at will into all our neighbours houses, called everyone’s parents Aunty and Uncle.
The State of Texas has a rich history. Being that it was literally once considered (and in some parts, still is) the "Wild West" there are a lot of things that happened. So when you drive through the state, even in the middle of nowhere, be on the look out for Black Iron Plaques called Historical Markers, that tell the story of what happened there. Growing up there was one near our home that told the story of a Comanche raising party that slaughtered (and I do mean, in detail how they died) a small family of settlers and stole the children. Sure enough, you go back into the woods in the middle of nowhere and there is still a tiny family plot of graves with nothing but prairie grass and oak trees to watch over it
It's really not, the water throwing happens on a very small scale compared to the whipping. It would also happen quite often that the men get progressively drunker during the day and end up basically whipping the s**t out of women and calling it "a bit of fun".
Load More Replies... Well, here's another BP post with nothing but negativity for the US. Look, I know there's a lotta things that suck here. We're aware of that. But there's also a lotta GOOD things, and good PEOPLE. Please stop putting us all in one ugly basket. Thanks.
We all say this all the time - that all countries have their negatives and positives, just like all people have their negatives and positives. But the people at BP that make these continuous divisive, stereotypical and biased posts do not care. But we keep saying it anyway. Maybe just for our fellow Pandas to know that we object and that it's unbalanced and unfair. Oh well.
Load More Replies...