#CulturalNorms #UniqueTraditions #GlobalDifferences
Have you ever stopped to think about how certain aspects of your culture may seem completely normal to you, but appear baffling or even insane to people from other countries? It’s truly fascinating how diverse our world is, and the differences in customs, traditions, and everyday practices can be both eye-opening and entertaining. In this article, we’ll delve into some examples of things that may seem perfectly ordinary in your country but utterly crazy everywhere else.
## Introduction to Cultural Norms
Cultural norms are the unwritten rules that dictate how people behave in a particular society. These norms vary widely from one country to another and can encompass everything from greetings and communication styles to eating habits and social etiquette. What may be considered completely normal in one culture may be perceived as bizarre or offensive in another. Let’s take a closer look at some examples of these unique cultural norms:
### Greetings
In many Western countries, shaking hands is a common form of greeting. However, in some Asian cultures, bowing or presenting a business card with both hands is the preferred method of greeting. In parts of Africa, it’s customary to greet someone by touching their elbows or knees.
### Eating Habits
The way people eat can also vary greatly across cultures. In China, for example, it’s perfectly acceptable to slurp noodles loudly, whereas in Western countries, doing so may be considered rude. In the Middle East, using your left hand to eat is considered taboo, as the left hand is traditionally associated with unclean tasks.
### Social Etiquette
Social norms around the world can be particularly intriguing. In Japan, for instance, it’s customary to take off your shoes before entering someone’s home or certain public spaces. In some Scandinavian countries, silence is often valued during social interactions, while in countries like Italy, talking with your hands is a norm.
## Examples of Unique Traditions
### La Tomatina Festival, Spain 🍅
Every year in the small town of Buñol, Spain, thousands of participants gather for La Tomatina, a large-scale food fight where tomatoes are hurled at each other for around an hour. This messy and chaotic tradition has become a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world who want to experience the fun and excitement of the event.
### Kumbh Mela, India 🇮🇳
The Kumbh Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage and festival held every 12 years in India, rotating between four sacred sites. It is the largest religious gathering in the world, with millions of devotees coming together to bathe in the holy rivers and participate in various rituals. The sheer magnitude of the event is mind-boggling and is truly a sight to behold.
### Día de los Muertos, Mexico 💀
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday honoring deceased loved ones with vibrant celebrations, elaborate altars, and offerings of food and drink. While death is often a somber subject in many cultures, Mexicans view it as a natural part of life and embrace the opportunity to remember and honor those who have passed away.
## Conclusion
In conclusion, the world is full of diverse cultures with their own unique traditions, customs, and norms. What may seem strange or crazy in one country is often completely normal in another. By exploring and understanding these cultural differences, we not only gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and complexity of our world but also learn to embrace the beauty of diversity.
So, next time you come across something that seems odd or outlandish to you, take a moment to consider the cultural context behind it. Who knows, you may just discover a new perspective that broadens your horizons and enriches your understanding of the world around you. Let’s celebrate the differences that make our world a fascinating and wonderful place to live in!
Marrying someone without knowing anything about them.
The pants that are used for cold weather ‘trousers’ I guess people call them are call Track-ee-dacks here
I more recently learned the Nutbush dance is Australian, even though we dance it to a Tina Turner song.
Eating maple syrup on snow
Living with crocodiles, sharks, snakes, jellyfish, cassowaries and not giving a fuck.
Open carry firearms
You pull the milk bag out in front of another Canadian and it’s like yeah, of course, the milk bag, we’ve all seen it.
You pull the milk bag out in front of anyone from anywhere else and it’s as if you punched them square in the jaw
Beans on toast
drive thru daquiries.
Here, I think driving 150+ mph, without having any trouble at all 😀
Letting babies sleep outside in their prams unattended.
Active shooter drills
Throwing cold water on and whipping women with willow branches to celebrate easter.
Saying Negros. Because we have places called Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Negros City, and most of the time we only say the first part. A local boy band almost got banned on twitter for saying they were coming to said place because twitter flagged it.
intermission/intervals in movie theaters
Tea time o-clock. At random intervals each day an alarm will sound nationwide and we all immediately boil our kettles and make ourselves a cup of tea.
Edit: This is satire.
The amount of nudity in public places.
You have to bring garlic with you at night because of vampires.
Electric showers. Like, in Brazil we use electricity to heat up shower water. It sounds dangerous, but it’s perfectly safe and they’re widespread
Drilling a hole in a tree in your front yard, collecting the sap in a bucket, then boiling that down to something edible.
Driving literally everywhere. Unless you live downtown in a city, there’s a 99% chance that you have to drive to get to all the basic places you have to go. School, work, the grocery store, the gym, church/temple/mosque, doctor’s office, etc.
Going outside in summer.
Ha! A lot but I’ll go with the holiday traditions.
My family never participated but in general, couple of days before Christmas, you buy a carp. A living carp. You then keep it in your bathtub up until the Christmas Day (take it out- most likely to the sink- to use the bathtub and then put it back) and when the Christmas morning comes, well, you kill it and start preparing your Christmas dinner.
The Easter is interesting as well
Giant huntsman spiders – we see them as friend not foe.
Walking barefoot in the middle of a city
5000 dollars for a 2 mile ambulance ride
Using bicycles to get everywhere and it being your main mode of transport until at least 16yo, but often way older.
And having the infrastructure for that. And not wearing helmets.
I’m in America and I find it insane when I go to European countries and have to pay to go to the bathroom.
“I can’t afford to get this medical condition treated.”
How sturdy we build our houses (Germany)
Also that you can open german windows two ways. Until I saw a reaction vid about it I didn’t knew this wasn’t a thing outside of Germany
in Norway, people are expected to bring their own alcohol, and (if you’re still young/poor students) you take your leftovers with you too. Also, joining dinner at your friends house is not a given at all
Most middle class people have both a nanny and a gardener.
Men touching each other a lot expressing affection and kissing on the cheek to greet
Putting Traffic cones on statues
When I lived in the US: being scared to seek medical treatment because of how much it costs. I live in Mexico now and had a bad cough but resisted going to the doctor thinking it would be expensive. My (Mexican) partner finally talked me into going. We waited about 5 minutes to be seen at a walk in clinic, which cost about $3 USD and the antibiotics were about the same amount. I wish I had gone sooner!
Scheduled blackouts everyday. We even got an app telling us when it’ll go off in our area. Mine will be off in 30 mins
Paying huge sums of money to a company whose only purpose is to tell you you can’t have healthcare.
Mom, dad, two kids, and a toddler all on one scooter. No helmets.
People willing to queue for free buckets. New stores opening and giving out free buckets. Bribing people into taking the covid vaccine with free buckets. Fucking. Buckets.
I’ll admit, once or twice I’ve bought a bucket of fruit or other produce for, you guessed it, just the free bucket.
Bucket is a weird word now.
1. Gather porcelain and everything else that breaks easily when being dropped on the floor. Except for mirrors, as breaking mirrors brings 7 years of bad luck.
2. Meet at the domicile of the couple that is getting married soon.
3. “Crash Boom Bang” throw everything on the ground, not because you are not part of the system, but because the shards are said to bring luck to the couple.
4. Let the couple clean up the mess.