40 U.S. Customs That Baffle the Rest of the World
‘Athleisure?’ Put on some real pants, ya bums!
![40 U.S. Customs That Baffle the Rest of the World](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/0/985710_320x180.jpg)
Americans might not want to admit it, but the ol’ US of A is a strange, strange place. We’re no national psychologist but we’re guessing its size, cockiness and rebellious nature all play a role in its kooky “individualism.” Think about it: Seattle and Dallas are both American, and that’s just weird. After winning its independence from Britain, ‘Merica decided to shun anything remotely “European,” which it generally considers gay or socialist (or both). Even if other countries have much better ways of doing things (like, I don’t know, universal health care and free college), ‘Merica is doin’ things ‘Merica’s way! And boy howdy, that’s that!
![When shopping in America, consumers end up paying more money than what's on the price tags because the tax is added at the checkout point. In the EU, tax and other additional costs must be added to the total value before any payment is made. Otherwise, consumers have a right to request a complete refund of the excess charges. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/9/984679.jpg)
![FOR TRIPS OF LESS THAN ONE MILE... 70% OF AMERICANS WILL DRIVE. 70% OF EUROPEANS WILL WALK, BIKE, OR USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/8/984678.jpg)
![Almost 80% of American boys are circumcised. In Europe and South America, however, this number averages below 20%. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/7/984677.jpg)
![IN AMERICA, PUBLIC BATHROOMS ARE FREE. In a lot of places in Europe you have to pay to use a public bathroom. It usually costs around $1 in change to gain access, so if you plan to visit, be sure to keep some change with you. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/6/984676.jpg)
![Laundromats are very common in the U.S., CRACKED.COM but not so much elsewhere. For example, the U.S. has almost 8 times more laundromats than France, but only about 5 times more people. And in Hong Kong, laundromats are geting more popular, but the first one in the country opened, apparently, in 2014.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/5/984675.jpg)
![CRACKED COM In the US, it's normal to go to college for four years. BIOLOGY HISTORY ENGLISH sociology POLITIC GEOMETR MATHEMATICS 9 ELIGION ECONOMY PHYSICS TUC ARTS OG EDUCATION MISTRY In Europe, it's usually just three years, as lots of the general education that US students take is taken care of in high school.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/9/984669.jpg)
![STORE HOURS CN OPE Stores staying open 24/7 is a thing in the U.S. and also in parts of Asia, but not at all in Europe. For example, in Germany, opening on Sundays is against the law in most cases. In France, pretty much the only 24-hour stores are pharmacies, and in Switzerland, the only late-night options are vending machines. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/1/984671.jpg)
![THE FLAG - Homes fly flags, malls fly flags, cars fly flags, and people stick flags all over their clothes. But to other countries, this looks like obsession, or even fascism. In France, the flag is associated with nationalism and the far right. In the UK, flying a flag outside your home would be considered embarrassing-it's just not done. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/2/984672.jpg)
![COLLEGE SPORTS А. Every country loves sports, sure. College sports, though... the U.S. is unique in loving that so much. In most states, the highest-paid public employees are college football and basketball coaches, which would be unthinkable in other countries. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/3/984673.jpg)
![EGGS - The FDA mandates that eggs be washed, which removes their natural protective coating and makes them more susceptible to spoilage. Other countries, on the other hand, ban vendors from washing eggs. Both policies aim to prevent salmonella spreading. The question of who's right clearly remains unresolved. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/4/984674.jpg)
![BLACKCURRANTS en Ribena Ribe Ribe BLACKCUR BLACKCURRANT BLACK CKCURRANT FRUTTIQUICE SYR FRUIT JUICE SYRUA FRUITJU CJUICE SYRUP 100 - Many people around - the world enjoy the flavor of blackcurrants. They drink blackcurrant juice, bake blackcurrant pie, and make all kinds of blackcurrant-flavored candy. But the fruit was banned in the U.S. early in the 20th century, due to fears that the plants transmitted a wood-destroying disease. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/0/984670.jpg)
![GARBAGE DISPOSALS Only the U.S. has widely adopted in-sink garbage disposals. Because of how much water they use and the burden they place on the sewage system, such devices are unpopular elsewhere. For example, while nearly half of American households have in-sink garbage disposals, only 5 percent of UK homes do. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/8/984668.jpg)
![GRACKED BOSNIA'S FESTIVAL OF SCRAMBLED EGGS. The U.S. might celebrate spring with a spring cleaning, but Zenica, Bosnia, kicks off the season with Čimburijada - a tribute to scrambled eggs. They cook them in a large pan in a city park, then spend the day partying, BBQing and jumping in the river.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/6/984666.jpg)
![CRACKED BALI'S DAY OF SILENCE. In Bali, New Year has 24 hours of silence and meditation known as Nyepi. There is no talking, travel, work, or activities, and the only people outside are the Pecalang - Security enforcing the rules. Doesn't this sound better than a hangover at brunch?](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/7/984667.jpg)
![GRACKED ASKING WHAT DO YOU DO? Asking about someone's profession is a common American icebreaker, but is considered insulting or possibly classist in countries like The Netherlands. If the dinner party guest says lawyer or janitor are you going to treat them differently?](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/5/984665.jpg)
![GRACKED ATHLEISURE ISN'T COOL EVERYWHERE ELSE. TRANSBORED Sure, stylish sportswear outside of the gym is trendy, but in Japan, most of Europe, and elsewhere, wearing sweatpants, leggings, flip flops, and even baseball caps in public is disrespectful.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/4/984664.jpg)
![GRACKED NO WATER WARS ON EASTER. In Poland, Ómigus-dyngus (aka Wet Monday) is an ultimate water fight held each year on Easter Monday in Poland and Ukraine. This could be huge in The U.S.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/2/984662.jpg)
![GRACKED THE UKRAINE TAKES A BREATHER BEFORE A TRIP. In Ukraine and Russia, it is traditional to sit down as a family for a few minutes before leaving on a trip. This grants good luck on the journey, and leaves an opportunity to remember anything you may have forgotten.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/3/984663.jpg)
![GRACKED YOU'RE FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Travelers saying they're American implies that only the U.S. should be considered America. From North to South, there are 38 American countries.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/6/984656.jpg)
![GRACKED SITTING IN THE BACK OF A CAB. In many countries, sitting in the back of the cab/Uber/Lyft is considered offensive and elitist, so riders sit in the front passenger seat. To be fair, most American cabbies would prefer you sit in the back too.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/0/984660.jpg)
![AMERICANS ARE MOSTLY MONOLINGUAL. Only 20% of students in the USA study a foreign language as compared to 90% of European students. Geroun Langen- scheidt German Spa scheidt Langen- CRACKED.COM TRA ITALIAN](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/6/1/984661.jpg)
![On workdays, 53% of Americans get fewer than seven hours of sleep. Those numbers are considerably lower in other Western countries - 39% in the UK, 36% in Germany, 30% in Canada, and 29% in Mexico. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/8/984658.jpg)
![Less than half of Americans cremate their dead. In highly populated countries like India and Japan, the cremation rate is almost 100%. This leaves more land open. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/9/984659.jpg)
![The rehearsal dinner is a huge part of any wedding, right? Sure, having one is a long-standing tradition (it's from the 19th century) - but only a tradition in the U.S. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/7/984657.jpg)
![CRACKED.COM Red Solo cups are uncommon outside of the U.S. In fact, foreigners think they are All- American and even host American parties where they use the iconic red cups to lend authenticity.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/2/984652.jpg)
![SMILES There's nothing universal about the automatic smiles you get from a waiter or a cashier in America. In Russia, for instance, a polite smile is seen as artificial and strange. Russian etiquette would rather you keep a serious, even grim face. They tend to associate easy smiles with negative qualities like insincerity and secretiveness. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/5/984655.jpg)
![TWO PARTIES There are ten political parties represented in Israel's parliament, the Knesset. The Bundestag in Germany has six. Eleven in the Oireachtas in Ireland. Brazil's Chamber of Deputies has 28. New Zealand? Seven parties. South Africa's Parliament? Thirteen. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/9/984649.jpg)
![COLLEGE LOANS xx STOP R.I.P. T the Price OUR of our DR FUTURE Even keeping to where student loans are necessary, there's a big difference in how the U.S. and other countries handle them. In America, you'll be hounded to pay back loans even after declaring bankruptcy. In the UK, your student debt is completely written off if you have not repaid it in 25-35 years. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/3/984653.jpg)
![DINNERTIME Since many middle-class Americans skip breakfast (or eat on the go) and eat lunch at their desk (if at all), they're ready for dinner as soon as they walk in the door, often as early as 5:30 p.m. This is considered too early for the vast majority of the world, where most people don't even consider sitting down to dinner until 8 or 9. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/6/984646.jpg)
![TIPPING E 82386735 F 1 WASHINGTON, D.C. 9 5 DEPARTMENT THE 1789 OF HE TREASURY 29. 90 Dirt 02. 01 are H. simmers tary of the Treasury 5 UNITED Tipping varies greatly GRACKED.COM from one country to the next. In many countries, it can be a way of saying thanks but is considered unnecessary. In others, it's considered rude. Leave money on your table in some places, and your waiter might run out of the restaurant and chase you down to return it.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/8/984648.jpg)
![BREAD To visitors from other countries, American bread tastes like cake. That's because manufacturers add a ton of high-fructose corn syrup-the stuff is so cheap there, thanks to corn subsidies. Some people think American bread tastes better. Others think the sweetness makes it incompatible with any kind of topping. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/0/984650.jpg)
![ICY DRINKS Other countries chill drinks, and they throw in a couple ice cubes, but visitors to America are baffled by the tradition of filling a glass with ice and then trickling a tiny bit of liquid around it. Many think they're being cheated. They're somewhat mollified, though, when they learn about the American tradition of free refills. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/1/984651.jpg)
![ELECTIONS Text UNITED to 30330 BID N In the U.S., races often start more than a year before the actual vote. In most other countries, campaigns last only a couple of weeks. The longest election campaign in Canadian history lasted 78 days. In the UK, a political party can't spend above a set amount in the year before an election. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/5/4/984654.jpg)
![GRACKED AMERICAN DATES ARE CONFUSING. 12 17 18 19 24 25 Americans write the month, the day, then the year, but pretty much every other country writes the day first, then the month, then the year. So 06/03/1985 is June 3rd, 1985 in the U.S., but the 6th of March, 1985 everywhere else.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/7/984647.jpg)
![GRACKED WORLDWIDE DRINKING AGES. 64% of the world's drinking age is 18 or under. Canada is split between 18 and 19, but America's age of 21 is only behind the Eastern African nation of Eritrea (25 years old) and, of course, the 11 countries where alcohol is banned altogether.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/4/984644.jpg)
![GRACKED ITALY'S MIDDAY RIPOSA. You know those afternoon sleepies? Lean into it! In Italy, Riposa is a siesta where most of the country (it differs region to region) shuts down between 1 1pm and 4pm. Italians embrace getting sleepy after lunch, and nap when their body says so.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/5/984645.jpg)
![GRACKED THANKSGIVING IN THE U.S. IS WEIRD! Canada has an even older Thanksgiving than the U.S., and most countries who celebrate Thanksgiving do so in early October, to give thanks for the last harvests. The U.S. holds it way after the harvest, and is the only one that involves Pilgrims.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/1/984641.jpg)
![CRACKED WEARING SHOES IN THE HOUSE. The rule is household to household in the U.S., but it's considered rude and offensive in most of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Canada.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/3/984643.jpg)
![GRACKED THE U.S WORKS WAY TOO MUCH. INSURICARE I I SERVICE Americans work almost 25% more hours than Europeans, 137 more hours per year than the Japanese, and 499 more hours per year than the French. Americans retire later, and take fewer vacations than most other countries.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/2/984642.jpg)
![GRACKED BLACK CATS DON'T HAVE TO BE BAD LUCK! Germany has a different take on luck with black cats. It's only bad luck if they cross your path right to left. Left to right is good luck, so there's a silver lining not given in the U.S.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/4/0/984640.jpg)