The United States is the third largest country in the world with a population of more than 335 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Here, a child is born every 8 seconds.
In addition to Indigenous Americans who were already living there before the Europeans discovered it, the country was built on immigration.
Because of this, the United States is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world. It is sometimes described as a “melting pot”, in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct “flavors” to American culture.
But as much as the distinctiveness fascinates foreigners, it also has them raising their eyebrows. This is especially evident in a recent Reddit thread, started by user 421continueblazingit, who asked non-Americans on the platform to share which of the local customs make no sense to them.
#1
Why is medical bankruptcy not at the absolute f*****g top of this list?
Image source: phoquenut, Nappy
#2
Kids beauty pageants.
Parents are willingly sexualizing their children.
It’s weird.
Image source: GingerMeTimberMate, freestocks
#3
Why do politicians finish their speeches ‘God bless America’ and similar? It gives me shivers! Theocracy is not a good thing. Let’s have separation between church and state and between religion and politics, shall we? I believe, in fact, that your country was actually built on the principle of that separation, was it not?
Image source: karlwikman, Jorge Maya
#4
Cashiers who aren’t allowed to sit during their work
Like…. Why??
Image source: MitochondriA33, Wonderlane
#5
Calling a team “World Champions’ of a sport that only your country competes in.
Image source: OkHighway1024, Pixabay
#6
Home owner associations dictating the smallest details of your own home.
Image source: Pieter8720, Avi Waxman
#7
Having to find somebody to cover shifts when you’re off on leave/sick.
Isn’t that literally what the manager is there for?
Image source: BigD1970, Isabella Fischer
#8
Gender reveal parties, I couldn’t give a f**k what you’re having and you shouldn’t give f**k what I’m having. I hate that it’s slowly becoming a thing in the UK.
Image source: ddtkong, Frederick Medina
#9
Paid maternity leave not being legislated as a basic employment right.
Image source: KingShaka1987, Sarah Chai
#10
The tipping culture. Working a job and then having to depend on charity seems extremely wierd. I don’t understand how people put up with that, having employment but having to basically beg for money to survive.
Image source: Hattkake
#11
Fear of anything ‘not capitalist’ being somehow ‘communist’ . E.g universal healthcare. Yet at the same time being terrified of ‘big pharma’. It literally works in 100s of other non-communist countries.
Image source: Top_Luckyloo, Josh Johnson
#12
American flags literally everywhere.
The number of people who keep large ‘collections’ of rusty cars & farm equipment in the garden.
The startling difference between the attitudes to sex & violence. Kids will see literally 100’s of violent deaths on TV and no one bats an eye, but god forbid they should see a nipple.
Image source: Another_Random_Chap, Andrea Piacquadio
#13
Sales tax not being included in the price already. Wild.
Image source: dbe14, Michael Burrows
#14
How owning, buying and carrying guns is not more controlled and supervised.
Image source: Beneficial-Sense2879
#15
mindlessly voting along party lines, even though the party’s candidate is a complete fool
Image source: tehcsiudai23
#16
Commercials for drugs. That you can’t even buy yourself. But ‘ask your doctor!’
Image source: OliveOcelot, Christina Victoria Craft
#17
People enthusiastically defending the health-care system that bankrupts people, sometimes even in reddit threads where people show off their horrendous medical bills
Image source: Randomswedishdude
#18
At 18 you can join the army, carry guns, f**k, drive car. But buy and drink alcohol only 21???
Image source: BakerAffectionate242, Filip Andrejevic
#19
The pledge of allegiance things at school. What in the actual f**k?
Image source: hyrulian_princess, ATC Comm Photo
#20
The electoral college. WTF?
Image source: chooks42
#21
The toilet gap.
Image source: roboplegicroncock
#22
Doing your own taxes, and being punished if you get it wrong by mistake.
Image source: FluffyPony34, Kelly Sikkema
#23
Mega churches
Image source: hopsaa85
#24
Televangelists springs to mind, there is one absolutely morally repugnant one with a massive house and private jets whose name I can’t recall. I vehemently dislike organised religion at the best of times but why people actually listen to the ones that are very obviously money-grabbing lying scum is totally beyond me.
Edit: The one I was thinking of was Kenneth Copeland, seems to me he might be “worst among equals” as it were.
Image source: Biggs_Pliff
#25
Black Friday. You spend Thanksgiving saying how grateful you are for what you have, and then have a massive free-for-all over stuff you want.
Image source: NotACyclopsHonest, Artem Beliaikin
#26
Putting quite a bit of sugar in things that don’t require it, like bread and casseroles.
Image source: yellowbernard
#27
refusing to use metric
Image source: tehcsiudai23
#28
Having one week of paid vacation or sometimes not any time at all
Image source: Sufficient-Lake-649
#29
Anything and everything related to belonging and participating in a Fraternity/ Sorority. ESPECIALLY the selection and hazing. ETA: actually, the selection and hazing are the problems
Image source: conchitu
#30
Baby showers. Here in Sweden it is generelly considered bad luck to give baby gifts before the baby is actually born. When the baby is born and the parents have gotten a few weeks alone with their newborn they usually start inviting people to meet them, but one or a few at a time, and then you bring a gift.
Image source: sorryimgoingtobelate
#31
Pickup trucks as daily use cars. Of course I know that at this point most pickups are just SUVs with a small open bed in the rear, but it still boggles my mind how many people believe they absolutely need a pickup.
Image source: pckman, Caleb White
#32
The level of monitoring expected around children is wild to me. Over here, six-year-olds walk to school alone. (Of course within reason.)
Image source: nashatal
#33
The excessive consumption of Starbucks beverages.
Image source: BrunoDeeSeL
#34
A lot of the High School stuff, like all the formal dances, Football, cheer leading. They’re such a big deal in the USA.
Image source: yourpaljax, leah hetteberg
#35
College sports. Why are they so popular, especially among fans who never attended any university, let alone the one they cheer for?
Image source: AndyAkeko
#36
tipping, do some actually live of the tips?
Image source: OldMork, Sam Dan Truong
#37
Not sure if it’s a custom but i hate the fact that all children are expected to leave their family’s house and live on their own by at least their 20s.
I come from the middle east where it’s very common to live in multi generational houses. You’d probably never leave your family’s house unless you are getting married or they literally just kick you out or something lol.
Actually many people choose to remain in their family’s house even after marrying and having kids and what not. It’s very normal here for a house to have like 3-4 different generations of the same family in it.
Image source: Pinetree808
#38
The whole “building credit” thing. Not sure it’s a custom or just plain stupid. The amount of money that I can borrow is a reflection of my income and what it is that I want to borrow money for. The idea that you can’t get a mortgage because you didn’t pay for groceries with a credit card 10 years ago is absurd.
I suppose part of it is how the housing market works, it weird that if you can’t pay your mortgage, then you can just drop the keys in the mailbox and it suddenly becomes a problem for the bank. Here if you can’t pay your mortgage it’s still your house and your problem. Sure the bank can use the law to make the government force you to sell to pay of debt, but that’s different.
Image source: FluffyBaseball6373, Pixabay
#39
Everyone is unbelievably so patriotic but also incredibly proud of their Irish or Italian roots. It’s fun to be American until someone mentions your natural tan.
Image source: Embarrassed_Phase_52
#40
Putting ice in every drink no matter the temperature, season, or anything.
Image source: stoned_broccoli, Kaffee Meister
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