What's something that happens in your country that many countries would find strange?

[Genie23]

Too many to pick one from mine...

Updates

10 mo

Sorry, I've been away. Thank you so much everyone for answering! I got to learn so much from this thread.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

This might sound super weird. But… We feast with the dead… There’s one day in a year, the day after Easter, when we go and feast at the graveyards. That sounds extremely creepy and weird to most people I am sure.

However, the idea of this tradition is somewhat beautiful, the idea is - we don’t forget the loved ones that passed away and we still dine with them even after they are gone. We bring red wine, drink one glass and pour another one to the grave, as a symbol, that the soul of this person feasts with us as well.

And that they they are never alone, even when they are gone. They are still part of our family dinner and if they are physically unable to attend our family dinners anymore, we’ll be the ones to go to them.

and we’ll dine together once more.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

So, in Georgia - family is the holiest of all. And when a Georgian calls you her family - you can be certain, that includes you being part of their family in life and death as well and in any hardship you might encounter.

In a way, I feel like the reason I found hard to recover from my break up was that I called him my family and that’s such a high title for me, as a Georgian, you can never betray your family.

That was the difference between the two of us, he called me his family and told me I was the most important person for him in the world and I was his only real family.

When I called him my family though, there’s no going back. It meant, me standing by his side, whether he was dead or alive, because that’s just a family notion in Georgia. That’s how we are brought up.

[jennifer_bloom]

I think people would be surprised at how many computers are found in our schools and universities or that there is free internet access at coffee shops and McDonalds restaurants but my old phone was hacked multiple times while I surfed the internet at McDonalds and the hacking continued usually for 20 minutes after I left the restaurant where an outsider was controlling my phone instead of me. My apple has never been hacked but my other phones were hacked when I visited McDonalds.

[OfMiceandMen]

We have hot summers. Most people (even in the US) think we have snow 365 days a year because we are further north. Our most southerly point of land equates to about mid to northern California. We also have a lot of plant species that you see in Tennessee, Georgia etc as southwestern Ontario is comprised of limestone similar to what occurs in the southern states once you jump over the Appalachian Mountains.

[OfMiceandMen]

I guess this is more of a misconception rather than strange.

[DaveJord]

Grown men dressing up as woman, or grown woman dressing up as men, and then insisting it's not cross dressing but trans gender, because gender isn't just what physically determines a male from woman, but how they feel and relate to their exterior environment... and that somehow these feelings are natural and have nothing to do with mental illness.

[humanearth]

Crossdressing

Spying on citizens though internet corporations

Issue fines for any law that they make up that strips people's freedom

Boys and men are encouraged to become sissified sissy.

Government wants to take away people freedom and their going to get it.

[htmndg183]

Pakistan:

Arranged marriage.
Public holidays beyond the ones we understand and know will take place.
The excessive use of horns whilst stuck in traffic
Multiple languages

UK:

Strikes
Slow traffic
Different regional accents which differ from the stereotypical British accent portrayed in popular culture
2 taps in the toilets

[Genie23]

You moved? Congratulations!

[htmndg183]

I live in both due to business. I divide my time.

[Whatthefluff]

School/mass shootings, buying trucks and SUVs despite more economical and practical transportation options, people dying or having to refinance/lose everything or set up gofundmes for medical bills, having a massive national debt. . .

[Genie23]

That's really heart breaking especially the mass shooting. I've heard few happening in Texas. I teared up

[Whatthefluff]

Oh yeah. Imagine being a public school student where everyone secretly has a “plan” of what they’d do if it happened. It’s very real.

[Genie23]

I can imagine how scary and difficult it is. Honestly, I'd be too scared to send my future kids or nephews or niece to school in such a dangerous environment where you never know who has some sick agenda.

[EricSummer]

In Switzerland we have a rotating presidency, by which a member of the government will be president for exactly one calendar year. Most people cannot keep up and mention last year's president or they cannot name him or her at all.

Also, it is not unusual to eat horse meat, at least here in the French-speaking part. I don't do that, though.

[Genie23]

That's interesting!

Oh no! Poor horses 😭 But hey at least you don't eat them 😇

[humanearth]

I always wanted live there after they formed a new constitution

[mikan_galena]

Some areas pour maple syrup on fresh snow then roll it on a popsicle stick.
Yes I know that snow isn’t clean even if it just fell. No, I do not care lol.

[Genie23]

OMG! 😫😖😖

[purplepoppy]

This week one major TV station runs all day everyday coverage of kids reading poetry.

[Genie23]

That's cuteeee! 😆

[lightbulb27]

People get fat like they have basketballs under their shirts... but it looks "normal". Even kids anymore... we're a very sick country.

[Genie23]

That's really concerning. I wish America stop embracing and telling being plus size is okay and rather encourage people to follow healthy diet and workout to make sure they don't die at an early age because of heart attack or diabetes. Awareness is a must

[lightbulb27]

check this out. maybe he can team up with michelle obama!
nothing wrong with being a large person or big boned, that may even have merit. But something is wrong in USA and need to fix it! it will never happen... it's the intent to make us sick...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuLwmSzgBbQ&t=31s

[AviatorTom]

In the US, servers (waiters and waitresses) don't get paid much ($2.13 per hour in some places) and rely on tips to survive.

[Genie23]

What? 😳 I heard about tipping and we tip here too but I thought they must be getting decent salary! This is so unfair! Some people don't tip at all. So, relying on tips is just difficult because not everyone is generous

[ManOnFire]

Our types of pizza in America. Especially supreme/deluxe pizza, which is not authentic Italian but I love it anyway.

Our police force where guys can be trained to be cops in like a matter of weeks but in other countries it takes months of training or sometimes more than a year.

[SusanColleen]

My country punishes success with high income tax and overlapping layers of taxation, while rewarding those who don’t work, produce nothing, or break into our country illegally

[4ngelic]

america: having flags on your poarch
france: in an average high school 95% are smokers

[Genie23]

Wow! That's interesting
And that one is shocking 😳

[whereismyjohnny]

People ''argue'' over who gets to pay the bill. 🤣

[Genie23]

I thought that's something that only happens on guy on dating questions 😂😂😂

[MementoMori777]

Anyone can buy a gun I guess is the one I can easily think of

[Genie23]

😳

That's it! I'm going to go out in bubble wrap on US 😐 lol

[MementoMori777]

lmao bubble wrap isn't bulletproof 😶

[WalnutButter]

Having a president that doesn't know what day it is.

[Genie23]

That's just sad!!

[glennos89]

That the prime minister tells us lie after lie after lie, destroyed more then 10.000 family's financially because of wrongly accused fraud accusations which was proven to be wrong as he also admitted but still remains on his chair as prime minister 🤯🤯🤯

And we eat "haring" ( raw fish ) with some onions on it without cooking it #the netherlands

[talka20]

Oh so manyyyyyy 😂 one is using hand as car, bike indicator and it definitely works too

[Genie23]

LOL!!! We do that too 🤣

Mine is touching elders feet which many foreigners would find it strange and many people calling elders Uncles and Aunties to show respect which people from other part of the world might get weirded out, ol

[DiegoO]

We eat iguanas and the Caribbean coast, looks like the main Caribbean, instead of somewhere in Latin America.

[DiegoO]

Looks like the main anglophone Caribbean: a Creole form of English is spoken, also traditions and gastronomy differs from the rest of the entire country.

[DiegoO]

In other words, my country sometime seems like two countries.

[DiegoO]

I almost forgot to mention that sea turtle and eggs are also eaten.

[Genie23]

Noooooo!! I like turtles 😭

[DiegoO]

What about the iguanas?

[AlexEfron]

I guess the top 3 would be:

1. Wiping with hands (you know what I'm refering to)
2. Eating with hands
3. Bathing with buckets and mugs

[YourFutureEx]

Le Indian: *breathes*
Rest of the World: That's not how we do it in our country!

[AlexEfron]

🤣🤣🤣

[Genie23]

Actually, I don't know what you're talking about. I have OCD when it comes to cleanliness and my mum would kill us if we use hands to clean things 😳

[Unknown29]

You walk into my room and you’ll see about 6 guns; guess what country I’m from

[Genie23]

From the answers I've seen on this thread and on other thread, I bet you're from USA

[Unknown29]

@Genie23 Good guess🇺🇸😆

[Count_de_Monte_Volo]

I’m quite proud that American strangers can talk to each other and other people as if they’ve been friends a long time. It’s true that some crazy people do that too. What goes through my head when it happens is: “We’re all Americans. No need for barriers. I trust this person (to an extent). B. O. T. D.” And then we don’t keep in touch usually. I also always find it a bit amusing when people from other countries find it strange. It’s sort of a special strength/skill.