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

Kristi Noem; Bryon Noem
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Bryon Noem/Facebook

Kristi Noem Asks For 'Privacy And Prayers' After Allegations That Her Husband Lives A Double Life As A Crossdresser Go Public

On Tuesday morning, the Daily Mail—a British tabloid paper based in London—published a story with the headline: "Secret double life of Kristi Noem's crossdressing husband Bryon: The pouting 'busty bimbo' photos and trove of explicit messages."

According to the Daily Mail, Bryon Noem—who was left behind in South Dakota while Kristi Noem allegedly lived in Coast Guard housing in Washington D.C. with her longtime affair partner Corey Lewandowski, who is also married—had been engaging in online exchanges with women who were part of the bimbofication sexual subculture.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Marco Rubio
ABC

Marco Rubio's Tone Deaf Attack On How Iran Is 'Spending Its Wealth' Is A Total Self-Own

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was called out for hypocrisy after he criticized Iran during an appearance on Good Morning America, admonishing the country for spending "billions of dollars" on weapons instead of its people.

Rubio appeared on the program to defend the increasingly unpopular war, which kicked off after the U.S., in a joint operation with Israel, authorized strikes on February 28.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tim Walz
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Official GOP X Account Slammed After Tweeting Homophobic Jab Aimed At Tim Walz

After Minnesota Governor Tim Walz shared a post backing the "No Kings" protests over the weekend, Republicans lashed out with a tweet that had more than homophobic undertones.

Last October, massive crowds flooded streets across the country on for “No Kings” protests denouncing Trump’s policies, with major demonstrations in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles. Organizers said the demonstrations—which drew nearly seven million participants nationwide—remained overwhelmingly peaceful.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Gavin Newsom
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Trump Just Unveiled The Design For His Presidential Library—And Gavin Newsom Totally Clocked One Of Its Bizarre Features

California Gov. Gavin Newsom perfectly slammed President Donald Trump by comparing a proposed gold statue of the president—planned for display in Trump’s future presidential library—to the grandiose monuments erected for authoritarian leaders throughout history.

Eric Trump, the president’s son, released a video Monday showcasing renderings of the proposed Donald J. Trump Presidential Library in Miami, Florida.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of mukbang with Zohran Mamdani and Sam Levine
C-SPAN

MAGA Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Melting Down Over A Video Of Zohran Mamdani Talking With His Mouth Full

New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani filmed a "mukbang"-style video alongside NYC's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Sam Levine while eating Taco Bell and Dunkin' Donuts.

A mukbang is an often live-streamed video featuring a person eating while interacting with their audience. Mayor Mamdani's video was designed to reach a younger audience, so they used the mukbang format first made popular by South Korean content creators.

Keep ReadingShow less