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39 Bizarre Things That Seem Normal In Some Countries, But Not In The Rest Of The World
Cultural differences are what makes us all unique and what greatly contributes to the excitement of travelling when you get to discover some particularities of a destination that aren't too or at all common in your home country. Eating rotten fish might sound slightly (and literally) off to you, but it’s totally normal in Sweden. Having two passports from the same country is common in Russia, but might not exist where you live. And the practice of eating fried Mars bars might not be the most popular one in North America, but it’s common in Scotland, or seeing police driving Lamborghini as their work car in Italy might not be seen anywhere else.
Check out the list of some strange things from that are only common in certain countries, vote for the weirdest ones, and let us know if you've experienced them in the comments.
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Luxembourg's Public Transportation Is Free
In 2020, the public transport was made free for all locals and visitors alike.
Nepal's Flag Is Non-Rectangular
The only modern country in the world with a non-quadrilateral flag is Nepal and it is said to derive from Hinduism.
There’s A Lamborghini In The Italian Police Fleet
A few years ago, a Lamborghini was added to the police vehicle fleet in Italy, and it’s probably quite fast and, well, impressive to look at.
In Scandinavian Countries, Parents Leave Their Kids To Nap Outside In Cold Temperatures
Most Scandinavian parents think that it's healthier to expose their children to as much fresh air as possible. Therefore, they leave them outside to take their naps.
In Japan, Traffic Lights Seem To Be Blue
As the word for green originally didn't exist till later and 'blue' was used to refer to both green and blue, Japan uses the most blue shade of green that is legally possible.
Bathtubs Made Of Wood Are Used In Japan
The ofuro baths are for sitting and soaking in hot water and are not frequently found around the world.
Very tiny bath tub. Don't think my fat a**e would even fit in lol.
Colombians Drink Hot Chocolate Cheese
The sweet cocoa drink is consumed with savory cheese slices. And if you've tried it, you know that it's quite delicious, but surely not common elsewhere.
In France, Milk Is Not Refrigerated
Most of the milk sold in France is pasteurised at UHT (ultra high temperature) and therefore doesn't have to be stored in cold.
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
This place in New Zealand is said to have the longest name and it's 85 characters. Have you tried to pronounce it?
People In The UK Have A Competition To Roll After A Giant Cheese Wheel
The annually held Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling is a competition where people race down the 200-yard hill chasing a giant wheel of cheese.
And in 2020 they rolled a Babybel cheese down the hill since the event had to be cancelled.
Some East Asian Countries Wore Face Masks Pre-Pandemic
In countries like South Korea, for the safety of others, people would wear face masks even when having a common cold prior to the pandemic.
In The Netherlands, Stairs Are Usually Very Steep And Narrow
To some foreigners, staircases in the Netherlands might look more like a health risk than anything. Historically, the buildings were built up rather than out, saving all the centimeters possible.
In Ecuador, The Trash Trucks' Tune Is Similar To What Ice Cream Trucks Play In The USA
If you are visiting Ecuador, you might mistake the garbage truck tune with an ice cream tune and get highly disappointed.
Thank f**k our trucks don't have a tune, especially when they can come at 6am.
You Can Walk From The North To The South Of Monaco In About An Hour
Due to the size of this country, you can easily walk the length of the whole country. How convenient!
Vatican City is also another country you can walk across in less than 60 minutes!
There Are 'Bra Studies' In Hong Kong
At Hong Kong polytechnic, you can major in Bra Studies, where Top Form manufacturer has its lab and factory.
In Italy, Restaurants Include Service Charge
You are not expected to tip in Italy as it is quite normal for the service charge to be added to the bill.
In Italy Cappuccino Is More Of A Breakfast Drink
Italians associate milk with mornings; cappuccinos are traditionally drank as a morning beverage.
I always thought espressos were a morning drink to get you going.
Fried Mars Bars Are A Thing In Scotland
This food item of questionable health value originated in Scotland in a fish and chips shop. It's battered and deep-fried. Would you like to try?
it's actually quite delicious, but wait till cool down unleast you want to burn your tongue with hot chocolate
In Thailand, There Is A Nationwide Water Fight In April
If you are into water fights as much as Thai people, you should participate in Songkran, the Thai New Year's national holiday (13th of April). The water fight is a part of ritual cleansing during the celebration period.
Bamboo Poles Are Used As Drying Rails In Singapore
Don't be surprised seeing clothing drying on bamboo poles in this country—the bamboo material is widely available, making it quite a popular tool to dry things.
In Thailand, People Remove Their Shoes Before Entering A Building
One of the things related to feet etiquette in Thailand is taking one's shoes off before entering a building—that's to keep dirt from the outside outdoors.
There Are No Street Names In Costa Rica
Although some streets might have names, they might not necessarily have signs, so the addresses in Costa Rica are still described by local landmarks.
It appears that mailing addresses are on a grid, regardless of the street pattern. I have relatives who live in a US municipality that does this too.
In Some Parts Of Highways In Germany, Speed Limit Is Only A Recommendation
On the federal highway system AKA autobahn in Germany, the speed limit in certain places is only a recommendation and drivers can choose to drive as fast as they want.
That's not 100% correct. We do have speed limit on the Autobahn and they have to be obeyed. But we do have a sign that cancels the last speed limit. THEN you are allowed to drive as fast as you want. So it's only allowed on specific sections of the Autobahn.
This is exactly what the post says, so yes it is correct.
Load More Replies...No Kari, thats not what is written there. But maybe they changed it since your comment? What is written now is correct. Certain parts of the Autobahn have no speed limits, only recommendations (Richtgeschwindigkeit).
But then it‘s not a speed limit. The post says "In some parts [...] speed limit is only a recommendation". And that is wrong. Some parts have no speed limit, but if there IS a speed limit, you have to obey it.
No, the post says there are speed limits that you are free to ignore. That is completely wrong.
To add, just because you are allowed to drive fast doesn't mean that everybody does. Even on the sections with no speed limited, you still have "islands" of slower moving cars that can serve as a sort of bottle neck and slow traffic down considerably (trucks are never allowed to driver faster than 80km/h while regular cars might drive as fast as 200km/h - the speed differences are crazy, and dangerous). Unless the street is super empty (which it rarely is), be prepared to use the breaks just as much as the gas pedal. The average speed is usually underwhelming despite the high-speed stretches. Speed limits allow for a better flow of traffic; I've had MUCH better and more consistent speed averages in places like Denmark.
170 km/h door to door is possible in germany - but that's a rare occasion. Not on a friday, and you truly need a free Autobahn to do that. But then - why not? As long as no one acts stupid, nothing's gonna happen. The speed difference isn't a danger in itself. Also - if you're a weekly commuter, working far off from home, the nonlimited parts allow you to not waste your precious lifetime with pointlessly slow driving.
Plus, many many many construction sites and sheer quantity of traffic somewhat put a cap on speed. Driving an average of 100 km/h is much more the norm than 180 km/h. At any rate, driving at 90 km/h is better for the environment.
Welcome to BP, where articles are copied from whatever sources put them together. Often enough funny, and really good for cat topics; the rest your mileage varies.
Soooo, it has to be read carefully. There are certain parts of the Autobahn without speed limits. But in the past years, more and more parts are limited to 120 and 130 km/h (as well as 100 and 80 km/h) For the parts without speedlimit there is something called "Richtgeschwindigkeit" that advices you to drive 130 km/h - but it is not mandatory. Leading to people legally speeding up to +200 km/h. Sometimes there are three lanes and speeders just go crazy when you run "only" 160 km/h. It can be fun to speed on an empty road but what's happening around me is just sick and dangerous. An overall speedlimit is being discussed over and over again and causes big stir, reminding me a bit of the heated up gun-control discussion in the US.
Same here. In Germany I went in a friend's car on the autobahn and he went at about 200km/h. I was terrified. Drivers would show people in front they wanted to overtake them by driving right up to them and forcing them to move aside. I kept begging him not to do that. It was horrible.
Load More Replies...Not quite though. The "recommended" speed limit can be relevant in case of accident. If you drove over that limit and you are involved in an accident the insurance can decline covering your (own) damages
I paid for the whole speedometer so I'm going to use the whole speedometer!
As a German I hope this will change someday … it’s terrible for the environment and Leads to deadly accidents - but arguing for a speed limit in Germany is like arguing against guns in the US
Only blue-white signs are recommendations, the red-white signs are obligated limits
If you are in the fast lane, beware the blinking high-beams behind you... You are at fault if you don't move over quickly...
you arent allowed to "pull over" anywhere in Europe in a Highway unless its an emergency
This still does not mean you can drive like an idiot. Germans are more considerate of other road users but YOU are the one responsible for not crashing or cause hinder to others.
Most people in the US seem to treat it as a "recommendation", too. :/
And I would imagine anyone travelling too slowly in the fast lane would be despised (which is pretty much how it happens in the rest of the world)
Many balkanians living in Switzerland often go to germany so they can drive their BMWs very fast.
And probably kill himself or someone else, like so many inexperienced young men around here do...
Load More Replies...No he would not. We HAVE to obey the speed limit. There are actually parts where you can drive as fast as you want but most of the time there are speed limits.
Yes and it's really not feasible anymore. The parts without a limit create dangerous situations and a lot of frustration amongst drivers also it sucks for traffic flow if high speed single cars meet bubbles of slower traffic. Not to mention the unnecessary strain on the environment.
Only applies to German driving licence holders... police there just love tourist numberplates on fast cars, guaranteed ticket!
In more than 20 years driving in Germany I never heard that one.
Load More Replies...Most cars are insured for full coverage in Germany. But the insurance company can refuse payment for the damages to your own vehicle if you exceed the speed limit, or over 130kph
Not really. I grant you, driving more slowly is better for the environment, but the major contributors to air pollution in Germany are not cars going 160 km/h on the autobahn but heavy diesel trucks, stop and go traffic in the cities and factories/plants.
Load More Replies...In Slovakia, A Live Carp Is Kept In A Bathtub Before Preparing It For Christmas Dinner
A Christmas tradition in Slovakia is letting the carp that is meant for dinner swim in the bathtub for a few days to clean its tract, since it's a bottom feeder. And, well, people don't take baths unless they want to share the tub with a fish.
It is also killed in the tub and people keep a scale from the carp in their wallet to attract money. Thankfully, we have never done it, but it is still a thing.
Sitting In A Sauna In Finland Can Be A Competition
World sauna endurance championships were so famed that people from different countries would compete in this extreme activity in the homeland of saunas—Finland.
If I remember rightly a guy died a year or two ago whilst doing one of these competitions. I can barely last 5 mins in a sauna.
People In The Netherlands Don't Use Curtains
It seems that the Dutch don't mind people looking into their homes. This might be coming from Protestant religious traditions and the notion of 'I have nothing to hide.'
Russians Have 2 Passports
Citizens of Russia have two passports: one national passport that serves more like an ID and a passport for travelling abroad.
The Russian train stations are something else . Each one different, each one beautiful. You can travel from Moscow to St Petersburg economy for around £4 Stay in a YMCA instead of a small room , they are much cleaner and very cheap . The Russians have a wonderful dessert , it’s like a doughnut, but much much more yummy . Cheap too !
South Koreans Think That Writing In Red Ink Is A Bad Omen
In the past, writing someone's name in red in the book registry meant that the person is deceased.
In Brazil, Hair Lightening Is Just As Popular As Hair Removal
Some women in Brazil like to bleach their body hair rather than remove it completely in order to keep the light fuzz.
Unmarried 25-Year-Olds In Denmark Get Covered In Cinnamon
This messy tradition derives from spice sellers in 16th-century Denmark who were famed to be single and were called 'pepper men' and this makes a perfect extra excuse to party more. So why not?
Some Streets In Japan Don’t Have Names
Due to the different addressing system in Japan, the blocks have names instead of the spaces between them (streets).
People In Singapore Reserve Seats In Public Eateries
As you need to order food from the counter and risk not being able to find a seat, Singaporeans leave anything from umbrellas to packs of tissues to maintain seats reserved for when they return with their purchased meal.
Not limited to Singapore, I'd say... I'm from Northern Europe and it isn't an uncommon custom here
There's A Dessert In Turkey That Contains Chicken Breast
Shredded chicken breast in a milk dessert, anyone? Tavuk göğsü is a sweet served in Turkey that might be not to everyone's taste.
While Taking Photos, Dutch Say “Smile At The Little Bird”
Surprisingly, instead of saying "cheese" (after all, a lot of cheese is made in the Netherlands), the Dutch say "Lach eens naar het vogeltje" ("Smile at the little bird").
Because, in the 19th century when photos were taken in studios with long exposures, photographers had a little bird figure indeed to focus people's attention and thus their view. This is not a Dutch thing. Just like most entries in this thread, this one is crap.
In Sweden, Rotten Fish Is A Food Item
Lightly salted and fermented Baltic sea herring has been in Swedish cuisine since the 16th century and it's famed for its extremely particular taste.
I don't know anyone who's tasted it tho, born and raised in the capital of Sweden
Swedes Cool Their Drinks Outside
A perk of having cold winters in Sweden is that you can cool your drinks outside in the snow. Perhaps a few countries take advantage of infinite alcohol cooling opportunities outdoors.
In The Netherlands, It's Common To Answer The Phone With 'Hoi'
No matter how bizarre it sounds, it's normal for the Dutch to answer the phone with the very old-school 'hoi,' that even gave the roots for the nautical term 'ahoy.'
The UK And Some Other Countries Still Drive On The Left Side
Driving on the left side of the road is a feudal heirtage of the days when it was more convenient to hold and use swords in the right hand and have any opposing traffic on the same side in order to fight them.
The Swedish Use A Special Cheese Slicer Instead Of A Knife
The Swedish are so serious about cheese that they use a cheese slicer (which is said to have been invented by Norwegians) instead of a regular knife.
Didn't know this was uncommon in other countries, they seem to be available in other European countries as well?
Bit of an underwhelming list - many aren't even unique to the country being referenced. There are so many extraordinary and fascinating things throughout the world that could've been included here
Finally, one that isn't "Breaking News! Americans don't have healthcare!" We know we don't have healthcare. We're very sad about it. You can stop reminding us.
Not unique, and not bizarre. Getting tired of the clickbate from bored panda....
Why are people always on about the fact British drive on the left, Americans are non metric, have they nothing better to complain about?
This is not country but Australian city-centric. Not sure if this is found in any other city but Melbourne, Australia is known for hook turns at traffic lights which, when combined with a city of trams (that have the power of a charging rhino so the public safety campaign tells us), cyclists and pedestrians, can scare the bejesus out of out-of-towners. Basically, in order to turn right at a traffic stop (remember we’re a country driving left lane), you pull into the left lane and wait until there is no traffic either way (technically you’re meant to wait until the lights turn amber) and then turn right.
I loved this list, there was nothing derogatory about any country and there was plenty of variety.
Weird since most posters seem to be from the USA. You never complain when they talk about American candy, stores or celebrities that nobody else know.
Load More Replies...odd comment, considering the USA is one of the most xenophobic countries in the world right now
So why does bp needs to be xenophobic too?Isn't bp the site that promotes equal rights,diversity and an open mind?
You talk about stereotypes, yet you just stereotyped Americans
Load More Replies...I'm Canadian. Just because a post is in English, doesn't mean it's by an American. People speak English routinely in lots of places in the world. Canada, Britain, Ireland, parts of the Caribbean, India, etc etc etc. Just sayin.'
You know the answer to your question is directly above this comment section. Zero Americans.
Bit of an underwhelming list - many aren't even unique to the country being referenced. There are so many extraordinary and fascinating things throughout the world that could've been included here
Finally, one that isn't "Breaking News! Americans don't have healthcare!" We know we don't have healthcare. We're very sad about it. You can stop reminding us.
Not unique, and not bizarre. Getting tired of the clickbate from bored panda....
Why are people always on about the fact British drive on the left, Americans are non metric, have they nothing better to complain about?
This is not country but Australian city-centric. Not sure if this is found in any other city but Melbourne, Australia is known for hook turns at traffic lights which, when combined with a city of trams (that have the power of a charging rhino so the public safety campaign tells us), cyclists and pedestrians, can scare the bejesus out of out-of-towners. Basically, in order to turn right at a traffic stop (remember we’re a country driving left lane), you pull into the left lane and wait until there is no traffic either way (technically you’re meant to wait until the lights turn amber) and then turn right.
I loved this list, there was nothing derogatory about any country and there was plenty of variety.
Weird since most posters seem to be from the USA. You never complain when they talk about American candy, stores or celebrities that nobody else know.
Load More Replies...odd comment, considering the USA is one of the most xenophobic countries in the world right now
So why does bp needs to be xenophobic too?Isn't bp the site that promotes equal rights,diversity and an open mind?
You talk about stereotypes, yet you just stereotyped Americans
Load More Replies...I'm Canadian. Just because a post is in English, doesn't mean it's by an American. People speak English routinely in lots of places in the world. Canada, Britain, Ireland, parts of the Caribbean, India, etc etc etc. Just sayin.'
You know the answer to your question is directly above this comment section. Zero Americans.