29 "Normal" Things From Other Countries That I, An American, Absolutely Cannot Believe Are Real

Yahoo

09-07-2025

Contrary to popular belief, most of us Americans are well aware we're not the center of the universe. Admittedly, though, we do get a little set in our ways. Recently, the question was posed on Reddit: "What's something totally normal in your country that would shock most Americans?" and honestly, from leaving babies outside to walking around barefoot, these 29 "normal" things from other countries are actually pretty mind-blowing:
1."My family is from Ecuador, specifically Guayaquil, so I visit often. On Saturday nights, there is a rollercoaster cart that drives around town, drifting, doing donuts, and going super fast while playing music. It's the shape of a worm, so they call it 'el gusanito' [little worm]. It picks people up like every other block, and it costs 25 cents to ride. There are no limits to how many people can get on per cart. I even saw a stray dog catch a ride once. It's so unsafe but super fun. That would never happen in the States."
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2."When people die, we put up little posters — printed obituaries [necrologs] — on the walls of buildings all around town and close to places the person liked to frequent. They have a little picture of the person, their date of birth and death, and a message of mourning from the family. I'm from Bulgaria."
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3."Sauna naked with friends. Sauna naked with family. Sauna naked with strangers."
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4."Having to pay for public restrooms."
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5."Walking around in public in bare feet. Very common to see supermarket shoppers and such with no shoes on, and no, it's not a class thing, all kinds of people do it. Not beating the Hobbit allegations, I guess."
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6."This really only occurs in Ontario and Quebec, but the whole bagged milk thing seems to really freak them out."
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7."If you get sick on your vacation, you go to the doctor, and the company has to give you your days back."
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8."Here in Germany, our pharmacies only sell medicine, no snacks, makeup, or random stuff. The first time I visited the US, I thought I was in the wrong store."
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9."Taking your shoes off to go into a school. In Japan, they typically wear indoor shoes. I grew up in the States, so I thought it was normal to wear outdoor shoes inside. Never even put any thought into my shoes being dirty until after I moved to Japan. Now, there is no way that I'd even want to wear my outdoor shoes inside my house."
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10."I lived in Spain for a few years as an American. One of the biggest differences was the fact that their whole family lives together indefinitely. In a home the size that would fit a starter family in America, they have their grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., and they all take care of each other. As someone who was forced to move out at 18, that fascinated me."
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11."A man walking along a street with a massive machete is no cause for alarm and wouldn't even get an eyebrow raised."
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12."The one with which I shocked my fellow Americans, since I used to live in Japan, was how it wasn't uncommon to see a 5-6-year-old child riding the train to school unaccompanied. I thought it was a beautiful testament to the culture. In the U.S., you would have your child taken away for neglectful parenting."
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13."Boyfriends and girlfriends (or partners) sleeping together at each other's houses from about age 14-15 years old. (Denmark here). Parents would rather have this than kids sneaking around and getting into bad situations."
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14."We can have 'snap elections,' and not wait for two or four years of stupidity to play out."
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15."The maternity leave is fucking bonkers, to the point where I've had colleagues that I didn't even meet due to them being out on maternity for like three to four years. Plus, you accrue paid leave during this time at a rate of one month per year, so you can extend it by almost half a year off."
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16."You are allowed to have sex outside/in nature. There are no specific rules, but you have to be mindful of other people who might be outside as well. So you are encouraged to seek out areas that are less visited. And you are not allowed to harass or accost others. If by chance you pass by someone having sex, you are encouraged to just move on."
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17."Anything without rice is just a snack, no matter how big the portion is."
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18."In Australia, an independent election authority that draws election boundaries in a non-partisan way. A respected, independent judiciary where almost no one can recall the names of our judges. A universal pharmaceutical scheme that heavily subsidizes medication for the entire population."
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19."University fees are relatively low. We generally pay off our student loans in our twenties (South Africa). We're paying R70k [just under $4,000] per annum for our son to do Chemical Engineering. His 4-year degree will be around R280k, which is around $16,000. Most of my American friends still have student loans of around $50,000."
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20."28 days annual leave."
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21."When I (American) was in Bavaria, there was a nice little cafe with outdoor seating not far from the lodge I was staying at. It wasn't very far from a photo/art studio that had a bunch of their photos on display in their storefront, which included quite a few really tasteful and elegant nudes. Right in front of the studio was a bus stop as well, where kids of all ages would embark/disembark, paying the studio photos zero mind at all. I pictured how that studio would be mobbed in full pitchfork and torch style in America, even considering displaying a fraction of that artwork anywhere remotely near a public area, especially with frequent kid traffic."
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22."Hospitality staff don't have to rely on tips in order to receive a survivable wage each month."
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23."Free healthcare."
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24."Police don't carry guns and can't shoot a person just because they felt afraid."
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25."In India, men walk holding hands."
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26."Sweden: The government helps pay for childcare. Women can take a year or more of maternity leave from their job. And it's pretty much a cashless society. Never have a need to carry Krona."
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27."Our babies sleep outside, in prams/strollers. No matter the weather (snow/rain/sun). We leave them in our garden, in our courtyards (if we live in flats), outside restaurants/cafés. It's totally safe (but we do use baby monitors, so we can hear when our kids wake up or know when they get too hot). I'm in Denmark. I think it's the same in Norway, and probably Sweden."
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28."Here in Austria, we get paid for 14 months of the year. A double month for summer and a double month for Christmas."
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29.And finally, "Sex education for children in Norway is not subtle. There's a children's series about puberty on the state-run channel that doesn't use innuendo or drawings. They just use naked people of all ages. There's also a show where kids ask naked adults questions about their bodies. And by kids, I mean 10-year-olds. They don't beat around the bush with sex ed here."
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Now, I've gotta know — if you're not American, what are some normal things from your home country that you think Americans totally wouldn't believe are real? Let us know in the comments. And if you'd like to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.