Every country has its own cultures, beliefs, and practices. We know this, and yet, when we hear how a country does something differently than our own, we remain surprised.
Americans, in particular, seem to be endlessly surprised about European practices.
"What is something that is normalized in Europe yet is a completely unknown concept in the US?"
Nudity
"Nudeness."
"No, we don't all walk around naked all day."
"Yes, we have nude beaches. Yes, on most regular lakes where people go swimming, you most likely see their little kids running around nekkid. Yes, most saunas are "nude only". Yes, you see boobs, a**, and p**is on TV (like, if there's a movie and the situation 'demands' it). Yes, we have sex education where they use books with images of naked humans in school."
"It's just a body. And no, nude doesn't mean 'sex!'"
- kant0r
French Fries Without Ketchup
"Mayo with french fries."
"I’m in the US but have cousins in Holland. They introduced me to to this years ago and it’s pretty awesome."
- Robhow
"The irony of Americans putting mayo on everything EXCEPT french fries.
- TheMightyMustachio
Maternity Leave
"Maternity and paternity leave."
- misterbondpt
"I think California has the most progressive parental leave policies in the nation. But it’s not as good as what my friends in Europe have."
- TheOsider
Affordable Healthcare
"Providing healthcare to sick people without bankrupting them."
- EXXPat
Walkable Cities
"Walkable cities."
- TenNinetyThree
"More specifically - not just cities but basically every single town having walkable areas."
"I knew coming to Europe that the cities would be like that, but living here has shown me that it’s everywhere where people live."
"We’re pretty aware of terrible diets leading to obesity in America, but not having the ability to walk anywhere doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as a contributing factor."
- BradDaddyStevens
Refrigerated Eggs
"Not putting eggs in the refrigerator."
- blacksystembbq
"It depends on which country you're talking about. Here in Denmark, all eggs are refrigerated, simply because they'll last longer that way."
- MBAdk
Vacation Days vs. Sick Days
"I’m a project manager in the US, and it baffles me that my European team gets an entire month off in the summer."
"I’m over here saving my vacation days in case I get sick."
- smileysarah267
Metric System
"Using the metric system."
- RosmarinSalbeiTee
"Nah, that's EVERYWHERE except the US."
- ThongsGoOnUrFeet
The Presence of Wildlife
"Not worrying about wild animals when you're going out hiking. In most of Western Europe, at least, needing to carry bear spray or whatever is just not a thing. Our 'wildlife' such as it is is pretty tame and sadly, any wilderness we have isn't really... wilderness on the scale of North America."
- palishkoto
Rights to Online Privacy
"Legally enshrined right to online privacy."
- Quegyboe
"Not just privacy but the constitutional right to informational self-determination. This means you have the right to decide what happens to your information including your likeness and who is allowed to have it. Even if you've given it before, you have the right to demand to have the information about you be erased."
"That's why Facebook has huge issues in Germany because German judges don't f**k around when it comes to the right to informational self-determination."
- not_ya_wifey
Access to Alcohol
"More people are day drinking in Europe than I have ever seen in America."
- CamilaHelena
"I mean it’s a whole different culture around alcohol you guys even have a separate verb of 'day drinking' because apparently that’s different than just drinking."
- baddolphin3
"This was going to be my answer. Completely different cultures and outlooks on alcohol. I believe in The States it's viewed as an addiction to alcohol rather than a regular daylight hours thing to see. In addition, the drinking ages we have are lower or far more relaxed depending on the country."
"Same situation with nudity and sex. Not all nudity is sexual inherently. In my country, we are not ashamed of nudity nor immediately correlate it with sex. It's not unusual to see nudity in public parks, in newspapers, on TV, shared public showering nude after swimming nude, advertising. There are too many examples, I can't even think of them all, as it's normal to us... and highly shocking to Americans to the point of outrage."
- That_Babe_Anethesia
Tipping Culture
"Here in Europe, you don't have to tip people for doing their job."
- xxGURIxx
"Yes, because we pay them a living wage by law. Including health care!"
- 077u-5jP6ZO1
Reusable Shopping Bags
"Taking your own shopping bag(s) to the supermarket."
"Totally normalized in all European countries as far as I know. Or buy a (firm) shopping bag at the store if you don't have one with you."
"All those plastic bags in US stores, so small that it can only hold two cans of milk so you see customers with a dozen plastic bags for their groceries... unthinkable in Europe."
- Shrooma11
No Gaps Needed
"Bathroom doors with no gaps."
- P1nk_barbie
"Those are gaining a little bit of traction here in the States and I’m so glad."
- RockNRollTrollDoll_
Taxes Included
"Prices already include taxes."
- Bada**-19
"I’ve lived in Australia most of my life, but I spent a few years living in the US when I was young."
"I vividly remember having saved up for a Wii game I wanted, going down to the electronics store with my 50 dollar note, and trying to buy the game with a '$50' sticker on it, only to get to the counter and find out that it actually secretly cost more than that (and the guy at the checkout was pretty rude about it, too)."
"I had to go home empty-handed because I didn’t know enough about US taxes when I was 12."
- mayanais
Every country is bound to be different, but instead of looking at the ways we're different as bad things, we could instead look at these differences as a source of inspiration. There's always room for improvement!
Different cultures are fascinating and add color to our world.
While many cultures should be celebrated, there are some individuals who just can't help but reserve their opinions about those whose behavior and customs differ vastly from their own.
At the risk of coming off as offensive, some might even call these customs, "weird."
European culture got the spotlight when Redditor CoffeeBoy88 asked:
"What is something weird about Europe that Europeans don’t realize is weird?"
Apparently, there's never a dull moment in European nations.
"German tourists are OBSESSED with mooses."
"/A swede."
– worldkeeponspinning
No Offense
"The UK has 30 accents per square mile. And if a large man calls you duck in Stoke … that’s okay."
– InItsTeeth
Nighttime Exposure
"Norwegians don't close their curtains when it gets dark."
– judochop1
The Swarm
"The amount of mosquitos in Finland, Americans go crazy in Spring because of it."
– TheFargus
Redditors discuss what it's like traveling around Europe.
Come And Go As You Please
"How incredibly inconsequential it is to cross country borders. Cycled through France - Belgium - Netherlands and there is barely even a sign."
– sicknessandpurgatory
The Contrast
"You drive five hours in the US: you’re basically still in the same place."
"You drive five hours in Europe: everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different."
– KaimeiJay
The Short Commute
"The first time I was in the UK my husband wanted to go to Wales and I looked at the train route from London and was like 'It’s all the way on the other side of the country! We’re only in the UK for a week. We don’t have that kind of time!' And my husband was all, 'you know it’s a 2.5 hour train ride, right?' I thought it would all day."
– KateDinNYC
Germans In Transport
"the absolute lack of air conditioning even at 40°, german transport gets sticky and stinky quite fast and nobody seems to care, many people even shut the windows to avoid the 'annoying breeze.'"
– ahorasimeaborregue
Maintaining distance was a thing long before pandemic measures recommended people to be socially distanced.
All About Respect
"Finnish people are silent, small talk doesn't exist. Their personal space larger than COVID-19 social distancing rules, and it's considered normal. Don't speak unless spoken to, and don't invade other people's personal space - it's seen as a sign of a respect."
"Those Finns, who haven't been to abroad or haven't met too many foreigners, don't often even recognize this behaviour being unusual in the global scale."
– RockNRollNBluesNJazz
The "Safety Coffee Cup"
"I'm from Finland and one European thing that all Finnish people hate is cheek kisses when greeting. Its mostly southern european thing but still. There is this saying in Finland that goes 'Everyone has their own safety coffee cup' meaning the closest distance someone should get to you should not be closer than your coffee cup when you're holding it."
– eelisonparas
Let Them Shop In Peace
"Weird at first but I appreciate and wish for it. It might be just a Germany thing but from what I’ve been told German Walmart failed because the North American style of customer service was very unliked. From the greeter at the door to clerks asking if you need help unprompted. German shoppers just want to shop and go home as undisturbed as possible."
– UnusualHospital9579
I remember being weirded out when I went to Paris and asked for some ice at a cafe.
The waiter served me coke by opening the room temperature can and poured some of the contents into an empty glass. With no ice.
When the server came back, he had with him a spoon with one ice cube on it. I thought it was stingy but it got worse.
He poured the rest of the coke over the ice on the spoon he was holding and then walked away with the ice and spoon.
I guess the coke was colder than when I had my first sip, so according to the server, it was viola: mission accomplished!
The American public has seemingly appeared to grow weary over the frequency of mass shootings around the country making news headlines.
The obligatory thoughts and prayers response in the wake of a gun-related tragedy has almost become laughable as there is hardly any substantial progress in spite of numerous petitions and protests lobbying for stricter gun legislation.
It's not surprising then that outsiders have such strong views toward gun violence and gun laws in America.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor spiderbabyinapram asked:
"Americans of Reddit, an honest question, asked sincerely: what are your thoughts on how so many Europeans view your gun laws as strange or dangerous?"
These Redditors didn't seem to care what Europeans thought.
The Whole Point
"I always think that the whole point of the USA is to not be Europe. From it's inception to now."
– raymondspogo
Nonplussed
"I would imagine most Americans aren’t thinking about the opinions of others. We’re a very individualistic culture."
– AntarcticaCoffee
Not Bothered
"I don’t take it seriously. Most Europeans I’ve spoken to on the issue have a very oversimplified view of the gun issue in America."
– alcoholicmuppet
A Pro-Gun View
"I don’t mind reading your take on our laws, but I ultimately don’t care. Your views don’t shape our laws, so they’re not that important to me."
"Now JimBob across the street that believes it’s his right to mount a .50 cal machine gun in the bed of his truck…his views are important to me. Not that I agree with him but because he worries me."
"I’m pro gun at the end of the day, but we’re handling gun ownership terribly. I don’t fault the anti-gun crowd because most gun owners shouldn’t own one in the first place."
– GooberAndMe
How Do You Really Feel?
"We really don’t give a sh*t what Europeans think."
– WilliePhistergash
A Counter On Caring
"Most of the Americans posting say they don't care how others feel about their gun laws which is understandable, land of the free and all."
"However, you should care how others perceive you in the world, we all used to look up to America and rely on American leadership on global issues. You put a man on the moon!"
"I'd say U.S. credibility and prestige on the world stage is at all time lows. And yes the gun issue is relevant."
– tremp2020
These Redditors believe Europeans make too many assumptions about the U.S.
We Need Guns
"There is still a legitimate need and use for guns in rural America that city dwellers often just completely don't know about or understand."
– SomeYoungOldDude
These Low Effort Jobs Have Surprisingly High Salaries | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Have you ever worked one of those jobs that paid you to kinda sit there? If you have, you know the joy that comes with watching the entirety of Breaking Bad ...
The Media
"I'm mostly amused by the European views, at least those expressed commonly on reddit, about American gun culture. The reality of life in America doesn't really match the headlines blasted out regularly from our mainstream news organizations."
"Europeans who haven't spent much time in the US, can only judge us from what they get from our news outlets. As with most news outlets around the world, journalists now see themselves as agents of change more than neutral reporters of facts and events."
– thehorsesayscoo
Conflicting Views
"Pretty much European views on everything about America. At least on Reddit."
"They start with the assumption that their way is better and then come to the simplest conclusion as to why that is."
"The Brits will tell you Americans are cruel for keeping their cats indoors. The Germans will tell you Americans are cheap for building things out of lumber. Even things like the law that requires us to stop for children exiting school buses is somehow evidence that American children are stupid."
– SecurelyObscure
The Differences
"Do we need some better laws, yes. Do we actually need guns? In many places.. also yes."
"We have animals on a level that y’all can’t even dream of. A pack of coyotes live right next to my parents. Panthers, cougars, bears, alligators, and more."
"For us calling police (or ambulance) is at least a 20-30min wait, some places more than that."
– East-Selection1144
They Just Don't Understand
"I just don't think some Europeans have a very nuanced understanding of things, and talk as though all we do everyday is obsess about our guns. Taking a contentious issue to justify a stereotype is just stupid."
– treuchetfight
The Constitution Gets Quoted
"In my sincere and honest opinion, I think Europeans define liberty and freedom differently than Americans do. America as a nation was birthed out of standing up to tyranny. The ability to bear arms was granted to the citizens of the United States because the founding fathers were against tyranny."
"The Constitution of the U.S.A. says this: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.--That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.'"
"The key line there in my opinion is: 'deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.' Governments should receive their power from the consent of the governed. Furthermore, the follow up line says that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish the tyrannical government and institute a new one."
"Americans have guns to ensure that the government doesn't overstep it's bounds. If a government starts waging war on it's people, how would they fight back?"
"I like being an American, and I like having the freedom to have many guns."
– Minimalcharges
People weighed in on school shootings.
Breaking Down A Percentage
"Seriously overestimating how much of the issue has to do specifically with school shootings (they account for less than 1% of homicides). Assuming that gun violence is primarily homicide (nearly 2/3 of gun deaths are suicide)."
"Assuming that all states have the same gun laws. Proposing 'solution' like door to door police confiscation without realizing that it’s both illegal and wildly impractical."
– alcoholicmuppet
Bullying
"Nobody is going to defend school shootings but it is actually important to attribute blame where blame is deserved. I am referring specifically to three things, first is the Media and their portrayal of school shootings. The hype behind shootings literally gives kids the idea and reenforces that idea as a viable option to those looking to do bad things."
"The media is actually responsible for most of the shootings in this country and should be held accountable. Next is bullying. Kids will be kids to some extent, but American culture is so messed up that parents literally aren't raising their kids with any dignity or respect."
"Bullying is a real problem and a-hole kids tend to have neglectful parents. Finally, mental health issues should not be understated. Whether it's a manifestation of being bullied for life, or actual bouts of psychosis, both are mental health issues that are not well addressed in anyone, particularly kids under 18."
"Point is, accessibility to guns definitely doesn't help the issue, but it's not the root cause. American politicians are trying to do the only thing they know how to do; treat the symptoms not the cause. Ultimately we need to fix our damn culture, stop sensationalizing mass shootings, and invest in education and mental health awareness/accessibility to help."
"If we remove guns, it will just be something else used as a weapon like driving cars into groups of people, swords, bombs, chemicals, or whatever. Personally, I want a gun for my own protection..I am for tighter regulations but not for getting rid of weapons altogether."
– ActionXPotential
My European friends didn't have to be U.S. residents to know and be critical of lax gun laws here.
As for my Japanese relatives who've never been to visit me in the U.S., they also have some strong opinions.
When I asked one of my cousins why he's never come for a visit, the first thing he said was, "I'm honestly terrified of American gun violence in your country."
I couldn't agree more, especially knowing that Japan has a very low crime rate. And what he's seen in the media, is not an exaggeration.
We've sadly just become numb to the news headlines.
