I love learning about other cultures and the different cultures and norms each culture has. I’m Filipino, and it’s always a little amusing whenever someone comes to the house for the first time and is just a tad surprised to be asked to remove their shoes before coming in. (Don’t worry, we provide slippers.) So when Redditors and BuzzFeed Community members shared the norms of their culture, I found myself surprised as well! Here are some of the most interesting and insightful stories:
1. “Some evangelical religious fanatics here in the US will give pamphlets that look like money instead of tips. To say that servers and others view this as INCREDIBLY rude is an understatement. As well as being super cringe. It’s practically like giving people used toilet paper and expecting them to be grateful. If you’re thinking of coming to the US as a tourist and expecting not to tip anyone, please reconsider. Whatever your personal views are on it, socially, it’s considered extremely low-class.”
2. “In Bengali culture, we take off our shoes when entering. home, eat with our hands, and live with our parents after marriage.”
3. “The Dutch are very open and direct, which can be shocking to other cultures. If you beat around the bush or try talking around things, we consider you are not honest and have something to hide.”
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4. “In Finland, we put our babies outside to sleep, even in winter and sub-zero temperatures.”
5. “My Catholic boss had passed. One of the younger Jewish employees was reading about the funeral arrangements and asked what the term ‘viewing’ meant. When I told him, he was absolutely mortified. He said, ‘What do you mean the body is there in the room in an open casket?!'”
6. “In most of Asia, it’s pretty common to continue living with our parents even after getting married and having kids. Our parents help provide childcare during the early years, and in turn, we make sure to take care of them as they get older. This seems to be shocking to Westerners considering it appears to be commonplace to be on your own once you turn 18 over there.”
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7. “I’m Sudanese, and let me tell you that we have tea ALL THE TIME. There’s tea in the morning, tea between the morning and afternoon, tea in the afternoon, and tea at night. Sure, coffee is available, too, but there is ALWAYS tea.”
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8. “Being naked in public is completely normal in Denmark. Nudity isn’t censored on TV or even in advertisements, either.”
9. “Apparently, being friendly to strangers gives quite a shock to non-Americans. One of the top culture shocks non-Americans claim to have when visiting the States is how friendly and welcoming we are. Who would have thought.”
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10. “People are always surprised that in Vietnam you can buy anything you want and as much as you want from the local pharmacy without needing a prescription.”
11. “I guess I’d have to say slurping while eating. In a lot of Asian cultures, particularly in Japanese culture, slurping is a sign that the meal is delicious and that you’re really enjoying your food and drink. Other cultures view it as rude or as having bad manners.”
12. “In Spain, we greet each other by kissing on the cheeks. Whether it’s a man greeting a woman, a woman greeting a woman, or a man greeting a man, we all do it — even with strangers. When it comes to our elders, we talk pretty informally with them as if they are friends. We also eat dinner later than most people, like around 10 or 11 p.m.”
13. “In Italy, thou shalt not drink a cappuccino after 11 a.m.”
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14. “In Malaysia, we don’t use our finger to point at a person or an object because it’s considered to be impolite. Instead, we use our entire hand to refer to a thing or person.”
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15. “Being barefoot is completely normal in New Zealand. Many children walk barefoot to school (they have shoes, they just choose not to wear them), and you’ll often see barefoot people in supermarkets or fast food spots.”
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16. “I’m Icelandic, and in our culture, babies don’t get named until after they’re born. It’s actually taboo to ask parents about baby names they might be considering. Until the naming ceremony, which is about one or two months after birth, everyone just calls the child various nicknames.”
“This is a Jewish custom as well. We name the baby a week after birth.”
17. “In Australia, we have this drinking tradition called ‘the shoey.’ Basically, you drink beer from a shoe.”
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18. “At restaurants, it’s common in Asian culture for relatives to argue with each other over who gets to pay the bill. Older people will say it’s their responsibility to pay since they’re the eldest, while younger people will argue that it’s their responsibility to treat their elders. It’s really this big ordeal, and Westerners never believe me when I tell them.”
19. “In Ethiopia, it’s very common for platonic friends to hold hands in public. It’s very sweet.”
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20. “In Sephardic culture, we spit on babies or anyone who is precious to us to ward off bad intent. Nowadays, we mostly just make little spitting noises like pu pu pu and pat their heads.”
21. “I don’t know why this is shocking to some people, but it’s pretty common in Indian culture to use our hands to eat.”
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22. “In America, if you don’t tip, you are JUDGED.”
23. “In the Netherlands, we have the most expanded lexicon for cursing. Like, we even have a Wikipedia page for it. We have curses and insults for almost every category, and there’s even regional curse words as well. People say that German sounds angry, but wait until you hear a Dutch person rage.”
24. “In Brazil, it’s completely normal and almost ritualistic to shower and brush our teeth three times a day.”
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25. Lastly: “Here in Poland, on April 10th, boys can freely go around and splash water on girls.”
Not gonna lie, I, too, would love to sleep outside in sub-zero temperatures. What are some societal norms your culture has that might shock other people? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously share your thoughts using the form below.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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