“Shoes on or off?”, you might wonder stepping into someone’s house. Well, it depends on where that house is located: if it’s somewhere in the US, for instance, walking inside with outside shoes might not be that big of a deal, but doing that in Japan is likely to be frowned upon.
This is just one example of how the same situation might be viewed very differently in different locations; and there sure are many more. Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed such situations, after one of them asked netizens what is considered a taboo in their country but absolutely fine elsewhere. If you’re eager to learn something that might be good to remember when visiting one country or another, scroll down to find redditors’ answers on the list below, and feel free to share what are some things considered taboo in your own country in the comments.
#1
Lobbying. We call it corruption or bribes in Iceland.
Image credits: fridgehawk
#2
In Alaska you can be put in a phone registry to go and pick up a road kill moose off the side of the road. This is considered a super lucky phone call as even the worst road kill moose has 100’s of pounds of good meat. Everyone is normally stoked for you if you get this call also and if during the day time people will normally honk and cheer driving past you getting the dead moose. I never realized the weirdness of all of this till explaining the excitement of road kill moose to some friends in San Diego. .
Image credits: Next_Emphasis_9424
#3
Not offering a cup of tea to anyone entering the home including servicemen.
In the UK not doing so is punishable by death.
Image credits: Captain_Parsley
#4
Universal healthcare
Image credits: asfacadabra
#5
Sitting on a desk or table. In Maori culture it's insulting to plonk your a**e on a surface where food might be prepared.
Image credits: TooOldToBePunk
#6
I just went to Germany for the first time (I’m from the US). My colleague (from Germany) went to grab me a glass for my beer and I said that I could just drink it from the bottle, and you could almost hear a pin drop when about 10 Germans spun around to stare at me. One of them said “….. wafflekween, that’s a WHEAT beer. It must be drank out of a glass!”.
Image credits: wafflekween
#7
As an iranian, where do you want me to start?
#8
Standing next to a stranger closer than 6 ft, unless the lack of space forces you to stand thay close.
(Google "Finnish bus stop".).
Image credits: AavaMeri_247
#9
Foraging or even walking through private land (“safe passage”) -
In many countries foraging on private property is quite acceptable if you are only taking small amounts, as well as safe passage (hiking through private property but not staying there).
But in the USA, even WALKING onto someone’s personal property without express permission can get you shot. And taking something?? Omfg you have a death wish.
Foraging isn’t permitted on most public lands either. “Take nothing, leave nothing,” is the rule.
Every European person I have told this to is stunned.
Image credits: Remarkable-Escape267
#10
Child marriage (thank god).
#11
Any kind of physical punishment for children. Maybe not exactly a taboo, rather downright illegal, but it’s shocking how normalised using physical punishment is in so many parts of the world.
Image credits: digl3tt
#12
USA: eating horse meat. Apparently this is relatively common in France or Italy, but would be greeted by horror over here.
Image credits: Ulfhethinn09
#13
Breaking spaghetti.
Image credits: AdElectrical8222
#14
Being gay
Image credits: MahWahf
#15
Waltzing in someone's home wearing shoes.
Image credits: Frick-It_Ralf
#16
The word “c**t”. It’s a HUGE insult here in the US but it’s barely a swear in the UK and practically term of affection in Australia. (I might be stereotyping a little here though).
Image credits: disgruntledhoneybee
#17
Any form of nudity shown in public. Americans sexualize everything, so nudity here is far more taboo than in France, for example.
#18
Mowing your lawn or other noisy activities on a Sunday.
Image credits: OctoMatter
#19
Not exclusive to my country, Sweden, but we have draconic d**g laws here.
You can be dead drunk in the streets and ppl won’t bat an eye, but if you smoke weed you’re treated as criminal.
Image credits: Sadeg-Power
#20
Being a bubbly positive person in eastern europe = you're crazy and delusional and lots of red flags
being not bubbly positive person in USA = something is wrong with him avoid him.
Image credits: Jazzlike-Society5358
#21
Men who are friends or family casually holding hands in public. It'll never happen here.
I notice it's very common in the Middle East India, and Egypt. It's a safety thing as I understand and how to get across insane streets.
Image credits: Spiritual_Lemonade
#22
Children being naked.
In the US, people would lose their s**t and call CPS over a young child not wearing clothes in their back yard or on the beach. In Europe, it’s considered pretty standard for
#23
Talking to a stranger on public transport.
Image credits: Moist_Haggis
#24
Female breasts on regular television.
Image credits: irishpwr46
#25
Celebrating your birthday before its actually your birthday.
Image credits: halbesbrot
#26
In my country, discussing mental health openly is taboo, but accepted elsewhere.
Image credits: DaintyOrya
#27
Belgium: call them “French fries” and get effed up!
(Also: there is no such thing is as “a Belgian waffle”. You are likely referring to a Brussels waffle and not knowing there are quite a lot of different kind of waffles in Belgium.).
Image credits: GuardPerson
#28
Abortion, divorce, not "paying back" your parents even when they were deadbeat.
Image credits: FewExit7745
#29
Public displays of affection are taboo here, but normal elsewhere.
Image credits: GentleKyrielle
#30
Atheism.
