Every country has customs and traditions that the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily understand. However, Americans seem to have people outraged at things they do that people cannot wrap their heads around. We take a look at 26 everyday things people in the U.S. do that confuse everyone:
Gun Culture
The prevalence of gun ownership in the U.S. is confusing to other countries. While guns are available with a permit in many places around the world, it is not standard practice to have one in your home.
Large Portion Sizes
With almost 42% of Americans being obese, people cannot understand why portion sizes are so prominent in the U.S. People worry about how much food waste is driven by supersized meals and consuming too many calories.
Halloween Celebrations
Americans go all out for Halloween with costumes planned months in advance and enough sweets to keep a dentist busy for the year ahead. While other countries put out pumpkins or two, none celebrate as much as they do in the U.S.
Unlimited Refills
Speaking of sugar, Americans cannot get enough soda refills with most restaurants allowing customers to top up as much as they want. In most other countries, you have to pay for each drink you get, which can confuse U.S. tourists.
Doggy Bags
It is common for Americans to take home a doggy bag when they cannot eat their supersize portions. Many Americans plan on using their leftovers for lunch the next day, something people from other countries cannot understand.
Small Talk
In many cultures, it is not usual to talk to strangers, but Americans love to chat with anyone in line with them.
Tipping Culture
Leaving a 15-20% tip for waitstaff is an unwritten rule in the U.S.U.S., but it is strange to those from countries where tipping isn’t customary. In other countries, tipping at restaurants is optional rather than compulsory.
Give a Thumbs Up To Everything
In places like Australia and Greece, giving a thumbs up is similar to putting up your middle finger. But in America, people cannot keep their thumbs up enough, to the point that there is now an emoji dedicated to it.
Write the Date Out of Order
Americans will say that they write the date in the correct order, but for people around the world, putting the month before the day is all kinds of wrong.
Sales Tax
U.S. sales tax is confusing for everyone worldwide. People think they are getting a bargain until they get to the checkout. To add to the confusion, sales tax varies from state to state, ranging from 2.9% to 7.25%.
Black Friday Sales
Black Friday sales are catching on in other countries, like the U.K., but there is not as much of a frenzy over discounted T.V.s as in America. In 2023, Black Friday sales in the U.S.U.S. hit 9.8 billion, a number hard to comprehend.
Hold Baby Showers
Other countries are slowly adopting baby showers, but they are not on the scale of American showers. A shower is a right of passage for most American parents, so they often do so on big occasions.
Red Party Cups
American parties and red drinking cups go hand in hand, but the rest of the world cannot understand the obsession.
Strict Alcohol Laws
One of the most confusing things for non-Americans is why you cannot drink alcohol until you are 21, yet you can drive, live on your own, and get married. In most other countries, people can start drinking when they’re between 16 and 18.
Flag Worship
National pride runs deep in the U.S., and flags fly high above houses throughout the year. American patriotism appears stronger than in many other countries, where people generally just put flags up for national holidays.
Refusal to Discuss Finances
Many Americans consider money a taboo subject, so it is not normal to chat about personal finances around the dinner table as they do in other countries.
A Love of Mascots
Every school and sports team in the U.S. has a mascot, and fans cannot get enough of these cuddly creatures. You do see some mascots in other countries, but they are not everyone’s best friends like in the States.
Being Loud
Everyone loves to laugh from time to time; it is good for the soul, after all. But, Americans take laughter to the next level, which can be frustrating for others to hear.
Smiling A Lot
In addition to laughing, Americans adopt the phrase “always look on the bright side of life” with gusto. Other nations, however, cannot understand how people in America can always be happy.
A Million Different Flavors
Americans don’t do things by halves, so when you walk down the supermarket aisles, you don’t find one cereal flavor; you find at least 10. Variety may not be the spice of life worldwide, but it certainly is in the U.S.
College Fees
College fees are a part of life in most countries, but at an average of $36,436 per student in the U.S., other parts of the world cannot get over this eye-watering figure.
Not Sitting in the Front Seat
In most countries, it is normal for people to sit in the front seat of a taxi, but if you did this in America, the driver would look at you as if you were an alien. People cannot understand why sitting in the front seat is so confusing.
Restroom Doors
Gaps at the top and bottom of stall doors in U.S.U.S. restrooms are very confusing for people from other parts of the world. People get funny at the thought of going to the bathroom when there is a chance somebody can pop their head over and see everything.
Working long Hours
The U.S. doesn’t have as many working regulations as the rest of the world, so people find themselves working long hours to make ends meet. The idea of no work-life balance is something other nations cannot comprehend.
Mall Mania
Americans love a mall, and the bigger, the better. Of course, there are malls in other countries, but they are nowhere near the scale of even the smallest U.S. cities.
Self-Service
Scanning groceries or pumping gas seems strange to those used to cashier and attendant interaction in other countries.
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