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The more you learn about people, the more you learn about the world. After all, there are so many cultures around the globe—each with something important to teach about life and nature.

So, to broaden his cultural awareness, Nasr, who is known on social media as Nas Alive, asked TikTok users "What is something that's normal in your country but weird to the rest of the world?"

"Growing up in an immigrant family from Syria, while living in Canada and going to a French school, I was naturally exposed to many languages and cultures," Nasr told Bored Panda. "So I tend to find myself asking a lot of questions. For example, what's the origin of phrases like 'break the ice' and 'break a leg'? And why do we knock on wood?" This TikTok was a result of such thoughts.

And it went viral. As of this article, the video has over 2.4 million views and 18.7K comments, many of which are replies to Nasr's interesting question. From installing saunas in Finnish apartments to congratulating someone on getting their degree in Argentina, continue scrolling and check out some of the most popular ones.

More info: TikTok | Instagram | YouTube

#1

Pre-Pandemic Mask Wearing In Asian Countries

Pre-Pandemic Mask Wearing In Asian Countries

Wearing a mask. In Hogh Kong, if you're even slightly sick, you wear a mask. If you feel ugly, you wear a mask, if you're just lazy, and don't want to do anything - you wear a mask. Most Asian countries actually wear masks, and it's not because we want to, it's because we grew up knowing that as a society, we need to protect each other

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engineer_nope.avi
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Vietnam, we have a thing for wearing masks LONG before the pandemic simply because our main transportation are motorbikes and let's just say that we have a lot of dust and smoke coming from bikes and other sources (construction, cars, etc.)

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Nasr believes that languages are a reflection of cultures, so his passion for the two is equally immense. "You'll find that languages have opinions too!" he said. "For example, topics like sex and God are taboo in Arabic. But say 'omfg' in English and no one bats an eye."

"Here's another example: time travels vertically in Mandarin from up to down. That's why in Mandarin last week is 'shangge xingqi' (up week) and next week is 'xiage xingqi' (down week). In English, however, time travels from back to front. That's why we say phrases like 'leave the past behind you' and 'I look forward to it'."

#2

In Norway, Parents Leave Their Babies Outside To Nap, Even If It's Cold

In Norway, Parents Leave Their Babies Outside To Nap, Even If It's Cold

I thought this was a normal thing everywhere until my American friends were like "what the [hell], why do you do that? That is so weird".
So we leave our babies outside when they're supposed to sleep. For example, If you're going to a restaurant, there will often be strollers outside with babies sleeping in them. It's normal in most of the Nordic countries. I just thought it was a thing everywhere. And also when they're in kindergarden and it's nap time, you'll just see a bunch of strollers outside. And no they are not cold, they are always packed in the stroller with a bunch of clothes

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engineer_nope.avi
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tbh, most countries find it weird and, albeit, dangerous simply because of the sad truth about child kidnapping in these countries. This really goes to show how much trust the Nordic people put on each other without fear. It's remarkable.

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"I believe learning about other languages and cultures makes us more empathetic as people. Every culture has something cool that we can learn from, and that's what I hope to share in my videos."

Right before he came up with the idea for his now-viral TikTok, Nasr was at home for lockdown, just like all the locals in Ontario, Canada. "I was trying to brainstorm new video ideas. TikTok has a feature that allows people to 'stitch' your video so they can respond to it. So I thought it would be fun to ask basically the world 'what's something normal in your country but weird to the rest of us?' and see what kind of quote on quote weird things people in other countries do."

#4

In Slovakia, We Keep Live Fish In Our Bathtub Before Christmas

In Slovakia, We Keep Live Fish In Our Bathtub Before Christmas

You go to a store, you purchase a live fish, that you bring home in a plastic bag, and you let it live in your bathtub. Because this kind of fish, it's a karp I believe, and it live in muddy waters. And it's kinda gross, so it needs to cleanse itself in clean water before you can eat it. My family used to do this every year up until a few years ago, and every year, I named the fish Michael. So before people took a shower, we needed to put Michael in a bucket.

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The culture and language fan said the collective response to his video has been thrilling. "People 'stitched' the video from all around the world. It got attention from big Internet celebrities and even a news anchor from the US," Nasr cheered.

#5

In Ireland, If Your Friend's Mom Offers You Food, You Have To Say 'No' A Bunch Of Times While She Insists And You Finally Give In

In Ireland, If Your Friend's Mom Offers You Food, You Have To Say 'No' A Bunch Of Times While She Insists And You Finally Give In



In Ireland, we Speak English, so the way you say you say 'no' is 'no', and the way you say 'yes' is 'yes'. However, if you're in your friend's house nad your friend's mom offers you food, 'yes' is then pronounced 'ah, no sure, I'm grand'. To which she'll respond 'ah, you will'. To which you'll respond ah, no honestly'. To which she'll respond 'ah, go on you will'. To which you'll finally respond 'ah, sure, wouldn't say no'. Despite the fact, you've just said 'no' twice, and you've been secretly starving the whole time. It's a linguistic tradition, not the most time efficient, but it is what it is.

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Marcellus the Third
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

See Mrs Doyle in Father Ted: "Oh do go on, Father. Go on. Go on. Go on. Come father go on." [ad infinitum]

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#6

In Denmark If You're Not Married By The Time You Turn 25 Years Old, Then On Your Birthday You Get Tied To A Pole And Get Cinnamon Thrown At You

In Denmark If You're Not Married By The Time You Turn 25 Years Old, Then On Your Birthday You Get Tied To A Pole And Get Cinnamon Thrown At You

However, if you are still not married by the time you turn 30, it's pepper.

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could survive the cinnamon but.... pepper? And why would everyone have to get married anyway? Anyways I hope the poles can be inside as my birthday is in winter.... o.O

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The man has learned a lot from the 'stitches' attached to his original TikTok. "In Nordic countries, it is normal for parents to leave their babies in prams outside in temperatures below zero," Nasr highlighted what has really stood out for him. "They apparently sleep longer and have overall better quality sleep."

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#7

Everything In Switzerland Has To Be In Al Least 3 Languages

Everything In Switzerland Has To Be In Al Least 3 Languages


Everything has to be translated into at least 3 languages. I live in Switzerland, a small country in the center of Europe with 8.5 million population. There are 4 national languages: German, French, Italian & Rhaeto-Romance. Rhaeto-Romance is spoken by a small part of the population so it's not widely used in businesses. If you have a nation-wide business, your website needs to be translated into at least 3 languages, same with brochures, instructions, product boxes. Sometimes if large companies do a presentation, they will actually do it in 2 languages, or people will receive headphones with a live translation. In some small villages, cinemas will have 3 sets of subtitles, taking up half the screen.

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Teucer T
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Florida, government forms are available in 76 different languages... So far... Another few are already in the pipeline. The US has no official language.

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#8

In Sweden, People Cool Drinks Outside In The Snow

In Sweden, People Cool Drinks Outside In The Snow

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#9

That’s How We Greet Each Other In UAE

That’s How We Greet Each Other In UAE

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ethandreemurrh avatar
engineer_nope.avi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In France and some other countries, people kiss each others' cheeks when greeting each other so I think this is OK.

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"I learned about the practice of throat singing by @Kayuulanov who is an Inuk from Canada. I also learned that unfortunately in many parts of the world, kids smoke and drink at ages as young as 13 years old," he said, adding that it's the good and the bad but it's also the reality."

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Nasr dreams that one day he will be able to travel the world, and show off different cultures first-hand, and judging by how excited he is about these things, I'd say he would do a great job as well.

#10

The Ridiculously Large Size Of American Soft Drinks

The Ridiculously Large Size Of American Soft Drinks

The sheer amount of carbonated beverages that we drink. I've never been to a country where this is a normal standard amount of sugar. Even when I was in Europe, none of the soft drinks were ever this big, this is a purely American thing. And probably for the best, because nobody needs 44oz of coke.

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#11

In Russia, We Have 2 Passports

In Russia, We Have 2 Passports

One is for internal use, which is basically an ID card for most countries. But here in Russia, we have many pages of information about our citizens, like who your children are, where are you living, and other things like that. The second passport is an international, Russian Federation passport. And not every Russian has it, you need to pay about $60 to $70 to get one. And all my visas are stored here.

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Hans
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think most countries have this information, but not in a identity document.

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#12

In Sweden, You Can Google A Lot About A Person, Like Their Address, What Car They Drive, How Much They Earn

In Sweden, You Can Google A Lot About A Person, Like Their Address, What Car They Drive, How Much They Earn

In Sweden, you can just type in the name of the person on Google. The results will come up, his full name, date of birth, where he lives, what car he drives, how much he earns, everything. It's free for everyone to just check, I think that's very unnatural

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ethandreemurrh avatar
engineer_nope.avi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As much as this may seem convenient if you want to find somebody, I can see that this can be misused by stalkers and creepy folks if this is implemented elsewhere.

chi-weishen avatar
chi-wei shen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This practice would make abuse much easier. I wouldn't want a potential stalker to know that much about me.

ellenwall89 avatar
Crochet lady
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I find the amount of info available on Americans to be disturbing too. We had just moved into our neighborhood and two sets of neighbors came over to introduce themselves and I couldn't remember which couple was which so I googled their address and the amount of info was crazy. One site gave me the names and ages if every single person residing in the house, even minors. It gave me their phone numbers, how much their house was worth and what taxes they paid. Why does anyone need to know this info about another person? Imagine how easy it makes things for stalkers. Why doesn't our government make it illegal to post such info? Why don't we have stricter privacy laws? As far as I know I have no say in this info being out there and I find it really creepy.

boredpanda_83 avatar
Mia Hamsa
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because companies lobby for it to not be illegal. And although a lot is said about tech companies, it started with the banks, and the credit card collecting info on what you buy and when (as some have written already)way back in the 80's. You just weren't informed of it or didn't read the tiny print. The tech push back started because visa and amex felt they were being elbowed out of the game. Before we moved out of USA a couple of years ago, I googled my name with a couple of addresses we had lived in, and in the first rental we had, there was an open to public spreadsheet on all the people that rented in the building the same time as us and their potential interests by the mail they receive and the purchases they made/had delivered. Creeped the s*** out of me.

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Hans
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Norway had the tax registry for everyone to view until a few years ago. The Nordis model is based on trust in the state...

sjvmi87 avatar
David Retsler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This would never work in the US. Nobody trusts the dipshits running this country regardless of which letter is after their name.

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Mia Hamsa
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is done under the umbrella of social equity (keeping things honest and so that if a woman sees she earns less than a man with the same position at the same company, they can challenge the company on it etc. I still find it horrible that someone can find out car make/model and if I own a dog, but that is the root of why this is happening.

sjvmi87 avatar
David Retsler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Corporate America knows a hell of a lot more than this. Target knows you're pregnant before you do. Wal-Mart knows when you're menstruating. Your local grocer knows how many dogs or cats you have...

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Concept-Peter Roosdorp
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not exactly true, but not false either. Some information is available online, but due to GDPR alot isn't. So you need to call the tax agency to get that information. But it is public and available. Sometimes the newspapers publish "The hundred richest people in your area"

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Lina Karlsson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Swede I can say that this is true, and not a problem. You can keep your phone number secret if you want to, and we don't really care about the rest.

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Bill
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can do this with anyone just about anywhere. F the data miners

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Petra Schaap
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

serious?? the amount of times i cam across wayyyy to much info on American members of bands I like and google every now and then when I'm bored !! Its the same info minus the car they drive. I always feel very uncomfortable when I see all the info; their adress, spouces,, phonenrs, etc.

krisadhd_carrierdudoich avatar
Kris “ADHD_Carrier” Dudoich
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, yeah, this would NOT work in America. It's nobody else's business how much money I make or what car I drive. The state/government already knows it (taxes, etc.) but Joe Schmoe just Googling my name on the internet doesn't need to know. Plus, this seems like it would just give extra information to identity thieves.

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Luuta
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wanting to escape an abusive family? No chance in Sweden, then, unless you change your whole identity off-grid.

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Imma
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you get "protected identity" (I not sure of the right word but it was the best I could think of), like in case you have escaped from someone (abusive family etc) this info will not be out for public.

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BabaBizzle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s a stalkers dream as well as an identity thief’s. This is the bad side of the Internet.

emperror85 avatar
Rickard Shen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Swede, I can say that it's nothing compared to what most people share on Facebook. It helps ID thefts a bit, but other than that there are no problems, but can be very handy sometimes.

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<-Teal-Røse->
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This has positives and negatives. Positives could be you could find criminals easily without putting too much effort, but kidnappers and other criminals could track down people with this

karen-lancaster000 avatar
Yeah, you heard
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All identity thieves start focusing more on Sweden, all of a sudden

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KelBel
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's scary and dangerous. Nobody needs access to that much info about everyone else

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D. Pitbull
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow... how much a person earns... and the car.... and... whoa.. k. That's a bit much.

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Margaret O'Connor
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, in Sweden there are still a lot of Swedish people although you would never guess it from the pictures. What a nightmare. God help them.

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Culture is a huge part of people's lives. It influences their views, their values, their humor, their hopes, their loyalties, it pretty much is a blueprint for their personalities. It's TikToks like this that foster building bridges between these differences rather than fighting over them.

#13

I'm From Papua New Guinea, And It's Chewing Betel Nut

I'm From Papua New Guinea, And It's Chewing Betel Nut

If you ever visited, you might be surprised to see so many people with red-stained mouths. Well, it's from chewing betel nut. It's a social practice that every Papua New Guinean does. From the elders to the young ones. And there are 2 ways to chew betel nut. You can just crack open the green nut and chew the flesh regularly, or you can dip the dake, which is the green stem, into the kambang, which is a white powder, to produce a red paste in your mouth. And basically, this is a drug, it's a stimulant, it's like coffee, it gives you a burst of energy, people usually chew this in the mornings.

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#14

In Argentina, When You Graduate University Your Friends And Family Attack You With Food And Paint

In Argentina, When You Graduate University Your Friends And Family Attack You With Food And Paint

In Argentina, when you graduate university your friends and family attack you with eggs, flour, contiments, oil, food in general, paint, foam, anything. And they just drench you in head to toe as a celebration. The way it works is you let everyone know when your final exam is, and if you pass, you change into comfy clothes and everyone gathers around you and throws stuff at you. In the past few years it has changed from food to paint, foam, confetti, as to not waste food, but a lot of people still do the food thing. So you go with a carton of eggs and just whack them at the person who graduated.

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#15

In Brasil, We Are Very Obsesive About Oral Hygene

In Brasil, We Are Very Obsesive About Oral Hygene

It's very common to see a Brazilian brushing their teeth or flossing in a public bathroom or workplace bathroom. We also take multiple showers a day, usually 2 or 3 showers. And we eat pizza with a fork and a knife, I don't really know of any other country that does this, I'm sure there are, but we eat pizzas with a fork and a knife.

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#16

Toilet Bidet Sprayer In Iran

Toilet Bidet Sprayer In Iran

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Hans
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, it saves space over a bidget. I think the context here is that, as far as I know, wiping the butt is considered nasty in arabian countries, to a point where people do it with the left hand only because they shake hands with the right one.

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#17

Swedish Cheese Slicer

Swedish Cheese Slicer

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