If you have had the opportunity to travel, then you will likely agree that Americans have a unique way of doing things compared to the rest of the world. Other countries find these 18 habits to be somewhat strange. Let’s take a closer look at what those 18 habits are.
Excessive Ice In Drinks
In America the restaurant and bar industry will typically fill your glass to the brim with ice, in fact you have to make it a point to ask for “light ice” if you don’t want the standard. If you were to visit Europe it is the complete opposite, you actually have to ask for ice or you may end up with none.
Many articles have been written on why Americans are one of the few nations that use an excessive amount of ice in our drinks, some say it’s because of our “more is more” mentality in the U.S.
Dates Starting With Month
We are taught in elementary school that when we write the date, we write it in a month-day-year format. However when you travel to other parts of the world you will notice that they write it in a day-month-year format. To us that format seems completely backwards.
However, other countries find our way of doing it very odd, they don’t understand why we do it in the order we do.
Sweet Flavored Bread
It isn’t uncommon for people from other countries to mention that they find the bread in America to more on the sweet side.
Bread from other countries tends to have a more savory flavor, making the bread in the United States seem strange to other nations.
Free Refills With Every Drink
American expectations would be seen as unorthodox in foreign countries, this goes for a lot of things but especially the expectation that you get a free refill with every drink you purchase.
It isn’t the standard in other countries, in 2017 France even took it upon themselves to ban unlimited refills.
Imperial System Instead Of Metric
The United States is one out of three countries in the entire world that still measures using the imperial measurement system.
To other countries we are definitely the oddballs for doing so, they find the metric system of measurement is the way to go.
American Flags Everywhere
There is no denying it, Americans are loud and proud of where they come from. We tend to shout it from the rooftops, hanging our flag from anywhere and everywhere that we can.
Many people outside of the country have noted they find it odd to see American flags hanging from business and national monuments.
Loads Of Water In The Toilet
If you have traveled outside of the U.S. then you probably have noticed that toilets are very different in America.
You may have even noticed that toilets in the U.S. have an insane amount of water in them compared to those in other countries. Funny thing to notice, but it’s a fact
Drinking Large Coffee While Strolling
The practices of drinking coffee are completely different in other countries, its typically consumed in much smaller quantities.
Smaller quantities means it is consumed then and there, and rarely ever taken home. In the U,S. however it’ typical to take our venti coffee to go. Other countries find our customs very strange.
Sales Tax On Everything
You won’t find a single American that is excited about the fact that we pay sales tax on just about everything. We do however accept it as the norm, other countries find this very peculiar. Their taxes are typically built into whatever the item may be, they don’t understand why the United States doesn’t follow suit.
It is such a stark difference to other countries that many travelers are warned before coming to the U.S,, so they aren’t shocked when they get here.
Huge Portions Of Food
Portions of food in America are largely different from other countries. Most can’t believe that we consume that much food in one sitting.
It’s not just with the plate size of our dinners at restaurants, it’s sodas, other drinks, and even the amount of food that is given at fast food restaurants. Plain and simple this just isn’t seen in other countries.
Solo Cups For Drinking Liquor
People all around the world find it comical how often Americans use red cups to consume our alcoholic beverages.
It’s such a comedic point that they even throw red solo cup parties, almost mocking the American custom in using them.
Currency All The Same Color
The dollar bills in the United States are the same color green, and honestly are so similar they can be difficult to tell apart at times. The only real notable difference is the imagery is a bit different depending on if its a one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, or hundred dollar bill.
If you were to travel to other countries, you would notice that their bills are all very different, they vary in color and size depending on the worth of the bill. If you were to ask a foreigner they would probably tell you that our currency is confusing because there isn’t a stark distinction between the bills.
Describing Ourselves, Our Customs, And Our Country Using “America” Or “Americans”
If you are from the U.S. then you most likely think of “United States” and “America” as interchangeable. This however is not the case with the rest of the world.
We tend to not take into consideration the rest of North America and South America, making it odd to others that we refer to our country as “America.” That is probably why many other countries refer to the U.S. as “the states.”
Excessive Prescription Drug Advertisement
People from countries outside the United States find it very strange that we advertise prescription drugs everywhere, or at all for that matter.
Many have said they find it to be among some of the weirdest things about America. They don’t understand the need for TV commercials, billboards, and other prescription advertisements. In other countries the doctors tell you what you need, not a commercial.
Large Gaps Between Bathroom Stalls
Foreigners have mentioned they find it exceedingly odd that in the U.S. there are such large gaps in bathroom stalls where people can see you doing your business.
To them it feels like an invasion of privacy, to us it’s just what we are used to.
Swimsuits While Sunbathing
In places like Europe, it is customary to be topless while enjoying a day at the beach.
In the United States you can be arrested and charged for exposing yourself in such a way. Travelers to the U.S. are notified before their arrival so they don’t accidentally find themselves in a very uncomfortable situation with the cops.
Baby Showers
A baby shower is an exciting custom that many American families look forward to when they find out they are expecting, for the rest of the world it isn’t something they usually partake in.
In some countries it’s such an odd occurrence they actually consider baby showers to be rude.
Working Non- Stop
Americans are seen as workaholics to the rest of the world. We spend our days slaving away with little to no vacation time.
To the rest of the developed world this is seen as extremely odd. They can’t fathom the amount of hours we spend working our lives away, how we spend our lunch breaks, and that we don’t seem to take advantage of vacation time. Many countries outside of the U.S. offer as much as six weeks paid vacation time for the year, a mind bending concept for Americans.
Non-Stop Commercials On TV
To other developed countries the amount of advertisements and commercials we have in the United States is just downright weird.
Some people have noted that during a 30-minute show there were four to five commercial breaks, and to them it just doesn’t make sense. For Americans, we are just used to it, it may be an annoyance but if we want to watch TV we just have to deal with it. It is plainly clear that the United States definitely moves to the rhythm of its own drum in comparison to the rest of the world.
