ADVERTISEMENT

Travel is awesome. It opens your mind, makes you more empathetic, lets you meet new people, gives you an excuse to eat tasty food, and allows you to go on actual adventures. What’s not to love? One of the best things about going abroad is that you get to experience cultures that might be very different from what you’ve known all of your life.
At times, those cultural norms can seem quite bizarre to outsiders. Some of the members of the r/AskReddit community shared the weird and cool things that are completely normal in their home countries but would confuse or amuse tourists. We’ve collected some of their most interesting insights below. Put on your hiking boots, grab your backpack, and scroll down to start your trip.

Highlights
  • Certain countries lack public trash cans, leaving tourists puzzled.
  • Tourists often find it odd that some countries have no street addresses.
  • Free refill policies in restaurants are rare outside the U.S.
  • In some countries, tipping is seen as offensive and unnecessary.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Sweden, it's a common tradition to watch Donald Duck (known as "Kalle Anka" in Swedish) cartoons on Christmas Eve at 3 PM sharp. This isn't just a casual thing - it's a national event!

Every year, millions of Swedes gather around their TVs to watch a specific 1958 Disney special called "From All of Us to All of You" (or "Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul" in Swedish, which means "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas").

MEMONONA , Isakmannen Report

Final score:
123points
Add photo comments
POST
View more commentsArrow down menu

RELATED:
    #2

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Actually telling people how you’re doing when they ask you how you’re doing. We don’t use a lot of polite phrases just for the sake of being polite, so when people ask “how are you”, it’s interpreted as a genuine question rather than polite smalltalk or a greeting. My grandma once asked a cashier how she was doing and she replied “Not great. I have type 2 diabetes.”

    (I’m from Norway)

    deleted , Zen Chung Report

    Final score:
    106points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #3

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused I'm Irish, and we tend to swear a lot in ordinary conversations. It means nothing most of the time, just a normal part of speech, but some of my non-Irish friends seemed a bit taken aback by it.

    ladyblithe , Pressmaster Report

    Final score:
    102points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu

    The global travel and tourism industry is huge and one of the most competitive in the entire world. It also has a large impact on various places’ economies. Statista reports that travel and tourism contributed a mind-boggling $9.9 trillion to countries’ gross domestic product. That comes out to around 9.1% of the total global GDP.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The industry is projected to grow to over $1.1 trillion by the year 2029. That same year, the hotels market, a large chunk of the travel and tourism industry, is expected to grow to 1.8 billion users.
    #4

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In India, arranged marriage is still the norm. I went to law school with a guy who already had an engineering degree. He told me he only enrolled in law school because his family expects him to return to India when he's finished schooling and have an arranged marriage. As a result, he keeps enrolling in new higher education programs to postpone his engagement.

    lostkarma4anonymity , Deepak Khirodwala Report

    Final score:
    100points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #5

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Going to the sauna with the whole family naked. Completely normal where I live but for almost the whole planet it would be very confusing.

    Edit: yes, Finland.

    marsmars124 , Timo Newton-Syms Report

    Final score:
    96points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #6

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused People dying because they don't have free universal healthcare. A lot of people will choose to not get medical attention because they don't have health insurance. So they end up dying. It's cheaper to die than have insane medical debt.

    Bear-M , Karolina Kaboompics Report

    Final score:
    82points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT

    The number of global inbound tourist arrivals recovered from 406 million during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to 1.3 billion back in 2023. To put it another way, around every 6th person from around the world traveled abroad that year.

    According to Statista, the most popular destination for international tourism continues to be Europe. Especially Southern and Mediterranean Europe. Around 265 million tourists traveled there in the 2022 period.
    #7

    We pay companies in case we get sick or injured and they decide if we are sick or injured enough for them to use the money we pay them to help us. And we still have to pay more money once they help us.

    Snoo_63187 Report

    Final score:
    82points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #8

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Vietnam, you can buy anything you want (and as much of it as you want) from the local pharmacy without doctor's prescriptions

    Independent-Tree-848 , Anna Tarazevich Report

    Final score:
    81points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused I've been living in China for two years and I still can't bring myself to shout in a restaurant to get a server's attention. I'm British, so I'm so used to awkwardly raising my hand and saying, 'Excuse me' when the server looks in my direction. But in China, oh boy, you just have to shout and hope you're louder than the next table.

    TyranM97 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

    Final score:
    76points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT

    With so many people traveling abroad and domestically, mutual empathy starts to matter. A lot! This means that, as a traveler, you should try to be as respectful of other people’s cultural norms as possible. It’s unlikely that you’ll be prepared for everything before you leave on your trip (many norms are very subtle and take time to notice and truly ‘get’), but what matters is the effort you put in.

    Learning a bit of the local language and about the etiquette amd taboos goes a long way. Do some online research. Talk to some friends who’ve been where you’re going. Even consider going to a local cultural center for some useful resources.

    On the flip side, it’s a reminder for locals to try to be friendly to outsiders. Sure, some tourists will inevitably be loud, rude, and disruptive. But many and more of them are decent folks who are having completely novel experiences outside their comfort zones. A few helpful words, a smile, some recommendations, and a gentle guiding hand can really make their trip memorable.
    #10

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In New Zealand being barefoot out of the house is considered normal. Many children walk barefoot to school (they have shoes, just choose not to wear them). You'll also see barefoot people in supermarkets and fast food restaurants

    StenSoft , ThruTheSnowBarefoot Report

    Final score:
    72points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #11

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Cheering when someone accidentally drops and smashes something in a restaurant/pub.

    JRB0bDobbs , Lisa Fotios Report

    Final score:
    68points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #12

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Rootbeer floats. I tried to introduce this American delicacy to some German friends. They thought I was playing a trick on them. Thought it was so weird and gross they wouldn't even try it.

    TheBlueSlipper , YoSammitySam666 Report

    Final score:
    67points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu

    No matter how different people might seem on the surface, there are always things that unite us. Food, for example, is something that’s shared across every culture across the globe. Sure, the recipes, ingredients, cooking methods, and eating etiquette might differ from country to country.

    But broadly speaking, you’ll still see folks get together in a communal space to eat together. It’s difficult to imagine any culture not having some type of traditional soup or dumpling to offer. Eating is a way to connect with the people you love and to show respect to someone from outside the community.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Singing, dancing, music, and art—they’re also universal and core parts of the human experience. Even if you don’t speak the local language (well, yet), you can still find other ways to connect with everyone around you. Travel might seem scary initially, but you’d be surprised by how many people are kind to outsiders.
    #13

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Asian culture. Relatives fight with each other. Because each one wants to pay the bill for the whole family, eating out.

    'I will pay. I am the most elder person. I have responsibility to the family'

    'No I will pay. Even though I am young. I earn well enough. To cover. Let me pay this time'

    That sorta argument happens.

    When I tell it to westerners. They don't believe it.

    shuttermayfire , Louis Hansel Report

    Final score:
    64points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #14

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Here in Sydney, the police regularly deploy d**g detection dogs at train stations. They bring them into pubs as well. People visiting from overseas seem genuinely shocked by it, but most people here seem to ignore it.

    satisfiedfools , Martin Podsiad Report

    Final score:
    63points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #15

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Saying "yeah, naaahh" = no. Saying "nah, yeeaah"= yes.

    bitofapuzzler , Helena Lopes Report

    Final score:
    62points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu

    What are some local cultural norms that you think outsiders would find a bit (or even a lot) strange, dear Pandas? On the flip side, what were the biggest culture shocks for you on your last trip? How did you handle them and how quickly did you adapt? You can tell us all about it in the comments.
    #16

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Having a maple syrup reserve. The most lucrative heist in Canada's history was the Maple Reserve. Many millions of dollars in maple syrup were stolen. I just listened to the 'My Favorite Murder' podcast episode about it

    HeathenHumanist , freepik Report

    Final score:
    61points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #17

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused TV ads for pharmaceutical products.

    Safe_Chicken_6633 , cottonbro studio Report

    Final score:
    60points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #18

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In Malaysia, calling older people not related to you uncle or aunty

    noorx3 , Pixabay Report

    Final score:
    55points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #19

    Adding tax onto the price listed on the tag. That drives non-USA folks nuts.

    PresidentElectFLMan Report

    Final score:
    52points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    federicocantoni avatar
    Jrog
    Jrog
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It doesn't drive us nuts. It just show you guys are insane.

    Vote comment up
    42
    42points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    lauralee_3 avatar
    laura lee
    laura lee
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah it's bc each state, nay each county in each state gets to set their sales tax, so the price is different from county to county throughout the state and throughout the nation...but it's stupid to not just put what that price is with the tax included on the sticker bc you're not going to take that item and run to a different county to pay for it 🙄

    Vote comment up
    13
    13points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    robert-thornburrow avatar
    Robert T
    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Considering that many Americans have trouble determining that 1/3 is larger than 1/4, this always puzzles me. It really wouldn't be hard to show prices with and without tax.

    Vote comment up
    7
    7points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    ohiomike5 avatar
    Mike m
    Mike m
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you saw an American inner city school you would 1: understand, and 2: demand a police escort or a gun. Most Americans don't WANT to have a gun with them at all times, they have to.

    Vote comment up
    0
    0points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    janfeline avatar
    Jan Feline
    Jan Feline
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I moved to my current state (Delaware, USA), in part because there is no sales tax

    Vote comment up
    2
    2points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    alessandramcintosh avatar
    Alessandra McIntosh
    Alessandra McIntosh
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same in Canada- each province has a different tax rate, so the retailers just put their price on the products, and then the register adds the tax. When I worked retail, I had a woman yell at me about how she shouldn't have to pay our tax rate (13%) because she was Albertan (5%), and it didn't matter how many times I tried to explain that didn't matter when you're shopping in Ontario. Also we have people who are tax exempt (like Indigenous peoples)

    Vote comment up
    2
    2points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    hollymarley avatar
    Holly Marley
    Holly Marley
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes but the sign on the shelf at that store, at that location, can still show the price with tax.Groceru stores print and change tags daily. Many retail stores now have digital tags that can be changed at any moment, there is no reason not to include the tax to the amount.

    Vote comment up
    0
    0points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    shaunnmunn avatar
    Dusty's mom
    Dusty's mom
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's because we have 50 states and 50 separate tax systems. Some states rake up $ on sales taxes while others may not have sales tax at all. Then there's local taxes and income taxes (both state and national). Oh, and excise taxes, tariffs, & etc. Don't ask me to explain our economics. I hate 'em!

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    briandroste avatar
    Brian Droste
    Brian Droste
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wouldn't mind if the price of the tax was included in the price as long as they were separated on the price tag.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    paulgerrard_1 avatar
    Paul Gerrard
    Paul Gerrard
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In most countries its illegal to show a price that isnt what you will pay.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    kayvolcano avatar
    Kay
    Kay
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can we stop with the USA things already? We know, we are not confused, we just feel sorry for you guys.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    camillakoutsos avatar
    Camilla Koutsos
    Camilla Koutsos
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s stupid, so rather than driving us nuts it’s an eyeroll situation.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    de-snoekies avatar
    Alexandra
    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It doesn't drive me nuts. It makes me shake my head and think 'Well, this istupid, but to each his own'.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    hollymarley avatar
    Holly Marley
    Holly Marley
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes but the sign on the shelf at that store, at that location, can still show the price with tax.Groceru stores print and change tags daily. Many retail stores now have digital tags that can be changed at any moment, there is no reason not to include the tax to the amount.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    imajimmy avatar
    I'm a Jimmy
    I'm a Jimmy
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    America was founded on the basis of limited government and distrust for govt institutions. Visitors are surprised how pervasive and impactful this is. Gun culture is in part due to a belief that govt is more of a threat to citizens than each other. Not including tax in prices is a way to make clear, “look we are charging you $100 for this product… your government is charging you another $8.” And Americans deliberately will make big purchases in cuties/counties/states with lower sales taxes.

    Vote comment up
    1
    1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    richg_black avatar
    Rich Black
    Rich Black
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are 50 states with 50 different tax schemes. It's impossible for a factory to have different price tags for each state.

    Vote comment up
    0
    0points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    mike_loux avatar
    Mike Loux
    Mike Loux
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Trust me, it drives us USA people nuts as well. Just tell me what the complete f*****g price is, already.

    Vote comment up
    0
    0points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    beth38 avatar
    Beth Wheeler
    Beth Wheeler
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It drives us Americans nuts too. And each state has a different sales tax.

    Vote comment up
    0
    0points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    danielmarsh avatar
    BrunoVI
    BrunoVI
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's different is the tax policies. In the USA, these are set by cities, counties, and states. And non-profits are tax exempt. So the prices are added on at the last minute because the tax rates are different everywhere and for different buyers.

    Vote comment up
    0
    0points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    federicocantoni avatar
    Jrog
    Jrog
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    FYI, most countries have national taxes (such as VAT), county/regional taxes and city taxes (on real estate). Yet all the rest of the world can make it work without resorting to the idiotic trick of hiding the final price to consumers. Actually, in the European Union not listing the final price -service and taxes included- is illegal and often punished with hefty fees.

    Vote comment up
    9
    9points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    ashes-25 avatar
    Ashlie Ann
    Ashlie Ann
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Things are expensive enough without additional tax on top of the already written price listed on a tag.

    Vote comment up
    -1
    -1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    anayacs26 avatar
    ZuriLovesYou
    ZuriLovesYou
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    Vote comment up
    -1
    -1point
    Vote comment down
    reply
    ortaduchess avatar
    Stephanie Did It
    Stephanie Did It
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why is it OK to say that about one country, but if someone from that country says the same thing about yours, it's not OK? Isn't this article just a friendly comparison?

    Vote comment up
    2
    2points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    Load More Replies...
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #20

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Living with parents is common in India. People aren't considered 'losers' for living with heir parents. I never understood why being 30 and living with your parents was considered as something 'bad'

    tittyf**k_00 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

    Final score:
    51points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #21

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Weights and measures.
    I’m 5’10” and weigh 195lbs
    My over cooks at 350 degrees
    My pool is 72 degrees
    But

    I drive 80km/h
    The temp outside is 21 degrees
    I buy meat in either lbs or kg
    Milk comes in 1 litre bags
    Liquor in 26 fl oz bottles
    Lumber in 2”x4” (which are really 1 1/2 by 3 1/2) plywood in 4x8’ sheets.

    dodadoler , Lina Kivaka Report

    Final score:
    49points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #22

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Flashing headlights to warn incoming traffic of police presence or speed traps. Got a few awkward reactions doing it abroad.

    nuteteme , Nishant Aneja Report

    Final score:
    49points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #23

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused As an American, when i “lived” in England for three months, i realized just how rude and unacceptable Brits view the act of “pointing fingers”.

    not that i was ever doing shit like pointing at and/or making fun of people, but just any kind of pointing even remotely in the vicinity of anyone’s direction was just a straight up no-no, regardless of context. my ex-fiancée (who was British) was constantly like “stop doing that” lmao. kinda interesting.

    shuttermayfire , Rodolpho Zanardo Report

    Final score:
    49points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #24

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In my family's home country, it is normal to "try" things out in food stands, like, just shove your hand in the pile and try one, you like it? You buy by weight from the pile of whatever it is you tried. And it is apparently totally acceptable to just snack on whatever while you shop and browse through the store, as long as you buy something at the end.

    I had a massive cultural shock on my first visit 😂.

    Cup-Cait , Maria Burnay Report

    Final score:
    46points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #25

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused In my country, eating rice with every meal is a must.

    YUmmy_BOdy_003 , Pille R. Priske Report

    Final score:
    45points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #26

    Waving at magpies. I've done it in the USA and people look to see who I'm waving at and find a bird. I don't stop waving to the birds f**k off because of the superstition that goes with the number of magpies you see.

    >One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told".

    isaidyothnkubttrgo Report

    Final score:
    40points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #27

    Coming over around diner time unannounced, fully expecting to be welcome and invited to dine with them.

    Zeddski Report

    Final score:
    33points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #28

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused 1. No small talks. You don't even acknowledge strangers, no random "How are ya" to people you pass on the street. You can say "Good day" to your neighbours or people you know, but not strangers. When you go shopping, you don't engage in polite banter with the cashier, it's just "Good day", they tell you the price of your items, you say "Card. Thank you. Goodbye" and that's it. No small talk with friends. No small talk whatsoever.
    2. You can say "How are you" when meeting a friend, and the normal response to it is to complain about your latest problems. After they're done complaining, it's your turn to say "Ah f**k" and offer some advice or help, or tell them about you being in a similar situation. Complain about your problems, then they offer advice or help. And both sides mean to help, it's not just "Ah, call me one day, I could help you with that".
    3. Don't talk about mayonnaise unless you want to divide people and start a war. Don't even think about starting mayonnaise conversation when people are drunk. It's very serious. It's something that's discussed at early stages of relationship and can be a dealbreaker for many.


    Edit to add some more.

    4. We don't tip. There's no tip culture. No one expects tip. You tip for excellent service, and if you leave a tip, people will be happy, but no one will be pissed if you don't tip.

    5. We love to pick mushrooms. Every autumn most people go to the woods to pick mushrooms at least once. And I'm not even talking about the psychedelic ones. Every person in the country has at least basic knowledge about mushrooms that are safe to eat and the toxic ones. I was surprised when I moved abroad and found out how many people in my new home were scared of picking mushrooms because what if they're not safe? They just have no idea at all.


    6. Carp fish swimming in the bathtub before Christmas Eve.

    7. We celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, not the 25th, and we open our presents in the evening.

    8. SHOES OFF AS SOON AS YOU ENTER THE HOUSE.

    9. There's a trash can under the sink in the kitchen and one drawer that has a plastic bag filled with other plastic bags. In every house.

    10. You know that gesture when you beat your fist to your chest twice, like “I got you bro”, sign of truth and generally bro vibe? Yeah well in my country’s sign language it means “f****t”.

    -acidlean- , Sara Cervera Report

    Final score:
    31points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #29

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused If we're having a casual gathering at a house, we usually don't sit on long tables but put newspapers on the floor as a makeshift "dining table" and sit around it to eat


    I've had parties like this my whole life and it was only when my foreigner friends got culture shock from it did I realize it's not a norm in other countries.

    Penna_23 , Thomas Charters Report

    Final score:
    31points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #30

    Bunny chow 😅 " an Indian South African fast food dish consisting of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry and a serving of salad on the side.".

    Maleficent-One-228 Report

    Final score:
    31points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #31

    Bringing your own alcohol to parties, being naked in saunas, ice bathing, no gendered toilets.

    HerpinDerpNerd12 Report

    Final score:
    30points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #32

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Apparently ice in a drink.

    valtboy23 , Anna Pyshniuk Report

    Final score:
    29points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #33

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Asking “how are you?” after greeting someone, and no, you are not supposed to answer this question. Goes like “how are you” ping pong. Especially weird when you switch to silence right afterwards (shop/taxi/store).

    Anitolag , Sora Shimazaki Report

    Final score:
    28points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #34

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Congratulating everyone who is present at a birthday party.

    Prst_ , Adi Goldstein Report

    Final score:
    28points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #35

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Tipping in addition to paying for a meal or service.

    Leeser , Tim Samuel Report

    Final score:
    26points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #36

    Saying that we have several loonies in our pants.

    buckyhermit Report

    Final score:
    22points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #37

    37 Things That Are Normal In Some Countries, Yet Make The Rest Of The World Confused Tipping.

    It's very strange going to Asia or Europe and walking away from a meal without leaving money on the table or adding an extra $10 to the receipt.

    SuperJohnLeguizamo , Thomas Charters Report

    Final score:
    20points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda

    Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

    Follow Bored Panda on Google News!