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Theoretically, most folk understand that people around the world do things differently. However, it’s pretty easy to fall into the assumption that, by and large, we all have the same assumption about, say, pineapple on pizza or if one can casually ask someone what their salary is.
Someone asked “What's something that's acceptable and widely done in your country that would be considered offensive in many countries?” and people from across the globe shared their examples. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts and stories to the comments section down below.
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#1
Openly carrying a firearm.
Daisydaisy 13 hours ago
I would be terrified if I saw anyone other than a police officer carrying a gun (Australia). I'd assume I was in the presence of a dangerous lunatic
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#3
Having an affair in the US can break your life, in France this is « only » considered as private and none of your business.
The story at the Coldplay concert which broke internet for days reminds me this cultural difference.
#4
I wouldn't say its completely acceptable and there are obviously situations where you should not do it at all.....but generally, swearing is extremely common here and you'd have to be a really special person to be offended by it.
#7
*Not* showing any especial respect for elders, religious figures or politicians.
I’m not saying everyone hates on those groups here but we’re a less hierarchical culture and that knee jerk respect isn’t common.
#8
Being late. it's so past the point of being accepted that punctuality in social events is actually frowned upon in Brazil.
#10
Being naked in sauna with strangers.
#12
FKK stands for Freikörperkultur (free body culture)
Part of a beach or sea where you have to go naked, everyone.
#13
Taking my shoes off as I enter my house. And guests do that as well. They may or may not be offered anything to eat or drink if it’s not an invitation and it’s perfectly fine.
#14
State’s control of individual religion. We’re a multicultural country with 4 big religions, but born-muslims and (official) muslim converts are not allowed to leave Islam officially (on paper), which dictates many aspects of our life.
#15
American work culture with European taxes and salaries. It’s bad.
Smoking grass in public and the ability to buy almost anywhere legally.
LGBT rights and protections.
Multa Nocte 12 hours ago
Original poster is from Canada and Jamaica - interesting combination.
#16
Finnish Sauna where everyone is naked. Especially mixed with men and women together.
Dragons Exist 3 hours ago
The transphobes who think that "men" should stay out of women's restrooms would have a heart attack upon hearing this
#17
Pushing someone's face into their birthday cake. Stupid tradition but still pretty widespread and expected that it'll happen to you on your birthday.
#18
The Israeli style of speech can be perceived as an insult in other countries.
Direct questions like "What is your salary?"
Any style of humor is also accepted here.
I once told a Hitler joke at a party in Germany, and some German was offended by me.
Why was he offended? His grandfather tried to end my grandfather. If anyone should be offended, it's me.
#19
Australia: Stealing road signs (?)
China: Beijing bikini (?) Actually, no. Smoking in restaurants, directly in front of a "no smoking" sign.
#20
Just a simple thing : dip a toast/biscuit/cake/pastry in our coffee/tea. Some think it's disgusting, but here in France, we think that's better well soaked.
Ace 12 hours ago
Dunking biscuits in tea (proper strong black tea with milk, though, none of the dreadful weak teas and infusions so common in France) is almost a religion among many British people. (I hate it myself, always have, even back when I used to drink tea all the time like most other Brits).
#21
Trying to bring thousands of year old religious doctrine into law.
Geoffrey Scott 9 hours ago
"Congress shall make no law establishing a religion, nor the free exercise thereof" The US founders weren't dopes, they KNEW most wars are fought over 'whose God is better'.
#22
Eating raw pork maybe?
Multa Nocte 13 hours ago
This is from Denpasar, Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia - original poster.
#24
In Poland, there's a custom called "Jew for good luck." It involves hanging a portrait of the most stereotypically looking Jewish man counting coins in home, hoping it will bring financial success to the family. Of course, it's based on the classic anti-Semitic trope that Jew = money hoarder.
And if that's not bad enough, sometimes the tradition is to regularly turn the painting upside down so that the money the Jew has accumulated will fall out of his pocket into the hands of his owners.
Forrest Hobbs 15 hours ago
This one is such appallingly bad taste that, erm, I laughed. Turn the rácist Jewish stereotype upside-down so you can steal all his money? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.😬🤣
#26
I don't know about *many* countries, but every now and then on reddit I see an American have a meltdown because we let our pet cats roam outside whenever they want and no one minds.
#27
Eating with hands
Just look at Zohran Mamdani's hand eating discourse.
#28
Homophobia.
#29
Being American, from my experience. I'm being a little facetious there but it does get old when people get mad at me for stuff our government does. Trust me, I don't like them either. I wish they weren't doing that either.
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 13 hours ago
I pity the sensible, everyday American citizens who didn't vote for that orange fart-face. They're just being dragged along for the ride.
#30
Maybe not that offensive anymore in other parts of the world, but we pretty much always address teachers by their first name.
Multa Nocte 13 hours ago
I worked in a special education school where all the children called us by our first names, and we then got saddled with a regular education principal who forced the children to call us Ms., Mrs., or Mr. I had one youngster who couldn't get the hang of it. We had a secretary named Deloris and my young man couldn't change from Deloris to Miss Deloris (he literally didn't understand how), even though the principal insisted, and the absolute best he could do was calling her Miss-ter Lors. To this day when I meet someone named Deloris I have to refrain from chuckling and calling her Mr. Lors.
#31
Atheism.
Multa Nocte 13 hours ago
I am happy to say (writing from France) that this poster is French. NO ONE talks about God here - no one. Well, sometimes except when we swear, but it's usually more realistic terms like putain, merde, and bifler. ;-)
#32
Eating licorice.
Nicole Weymann 9 hours ago
Somewhere in the European north, I gather. It could be anywhere between Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and parts of Germany.
#33
Not smiling on the streets.
#34
Men walking around with their shirt off in public in the summer. In supermarkets, pubs etc. .
#35
In parts of the country, wearing shoes inside the home is common. Due the weather in my area, it is rarely done.
What do you think ?
Rose the Cook 17 hours ago
It would help a lot if the countries were mentioned in every item, not just some.
Multa Nocte 13 hours ago
I added in several by going back to the original posts.
Load More Replies...
LilliVB 10 hours ago (edited)
I'm Italian and something I realized is very rude in some other countries but totally normal in Italy is that we interrupt conversations. You aren't supposed to let someone finish before speaking, actually conversation in Italy is really dynamic, like a ping pong match with multiple players, where people go back and forth offering points of view and asking questions about whatever it's spoken about. I've never realized it was considered rude before reading about how many people were annoyed by it (not Italian people of course). EDIT: missed word
Earonn - 12 hours ago
Let's see, what do we have in Britain? Queuing, obvs; not making 'a scene', which includes complaining when one should; mixing football with religion, consideration towards others on the street; bowing to 'royalty' and "good breeding"; pub = everyone is equal, relaxed work culture...
Norfolk and good 6 hours ago (edited)
Putting milk in your tea, having a day dedicated to pancakes, having fireworks to celebrate a failed attempted to blow up Parliament over 400 years ago, talking about the weather, Mother's day celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent rather than May, our general attitude towards tea being the cure for everything, our inability to handle snow.
Load More Replies... Rose the Cook 17 hours ago
It would help a lot if the countries were mentioned in every item, not just some.
Multa Nocte 13 hours ago
I added in several by going back to the original posts.
Load More Replies... LilliVB 10 hours ago (edited)
I'm Italian and something I realized is very rude in some other countries but totally normal in Italy is that we interrupt conversations. You aren't supposed to let someone finish before speaking, actually conversation in Italy is really dynamic, like a ping pong match with multiple players, where people go back and forth offering points of view and asking questions about whatever it's spoken about. I've never realized it was considered rude before reading about how many people were annoyed by it (not Italian people of course). EDIT: missed word
Earonn - 12 hours ago
Let's see, what do we have in Britain? Queuing, obvs; not making 'a scene', which includes complaining when one should; mixing football with religion, consideration towards others on the street; bowing to 'royalty' and "good breeding"; pub = everyone is equal, relaxed work culture...
Norfolk and good 6 hours ago (edited)
Putting milk in your tea, having a day dedicated to pancakes, having fireworks to celebrate a failed attempted to blow up Parliament over 400 years ago, talking about the weather, Mother's day celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent rather than May, our general attitude towards tea being the cure for everything, our inability to handle snow.
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