Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Strangest Thing About Europe That Europeans Don't Even Notice

People Break Down The Strangest Thing About Europe That Europeans Don't Even Notice
freestocks on Unsplash

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!

Do the French not like ice-cold beverages? Weird.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Lauren Holly; Dennis Quaid; Rafael Cruz
Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Getty Images; Santiago Felipe/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

'Dumb & Dumber' Star Lauren Holly Epically Drags Dennis Quaid After His Photo-Op With Ted Cruz

Actor Dennis Quaid made an appearance at a MAGA rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, February 27.

During the event, Quaid told the crowd:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of military wife
@CassandraRules/X

Wife Of Active Duty U.S. Military Member Goes Viral For Her Furious Reaction To Trump's Attacks On Iran

@kendallybrown, a TikTok user and military wife, went viral after she published a TikTok video in which she let President Donald Trump's supporters know how much she "hates" them after Trump ordered an attack on various sites in Iran on Saturday morning.

Trump said that the U.S. military was "knocking the crap out of Iran" but the "big wave" of attacks is still yet to come, and has not ruled out putting boots on the ground, saying the war is progressing "way ahead of schedule."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ilhan Omar; Nancy Mace
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Ilhan Omar Claps Back Hard After Nancy Mace Tries To Insult Her With Bizarre Post Following Iran Attack

Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar clapped back at South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace after Mace attempted to insult her and Michigan Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib after President Donald Trump ordered an attack on various sites in Iran on Saturday morning that killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials.

Omar and Tlaib were the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Both have faced repeated attacks from members of the Republican Party tied to their religion, including being labeled part of the so-called “Jihad Squad,” a term suggesting they are sympathetic to extremism or seek to impose Islamist rule in the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
Christian Bale
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Christian Bale Explains Why Fans Are Always Disappointed When They Meet Him—And His Candor Is Refreshing

We've all heard the old saying, "You should never meet your heroes," and Christian Bale most certainly agrees.

The Dark Knight actor offered very candid advice to his fans during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, explaining that the last thing any of them should do is try to meet him in real life, because he'll only disappoint them in return.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Pete Hegseth
MS Now

Pete Hegseth Ripped After Trying To Claim That The U.S. 'Didn't Start This War' With Iran

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was criticized after he claimed that the U.S. "didn't start this war" with Iran—just days after the Trump administration authorized an attack on various sites in Iran with the joint efforts of Israel over the weekend.

The war against Iran is already spreading beyond its initial battlefield. Iranian reprisals have struck Gulf states hosting U.S. bases—including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia—while Hezbollah has entered the fight, firing rockets into Israel and ending a month-long ceasefire.

Keep ReadingShow less