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

Commercials for drugs. That you can’t even buy yourself. But ‘ask your doctor!’

Image credits: OliveOcelot

#2

Why is medical bankruptcy not at the absolute f*****g top of this list?

Image credits: phoquenut

#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 credits: karlwikman

#4

Doing your own taxes, and being punished if you get it wrong by mistake.

Image credits: FluffyPony34

#5

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 credits: Top_Luckyloo

#6

Home owner associations dictating the smallest details of your own home.

Image credits: Pieter8720

#7

The toilet gap.

Image credits: roboplegicroncock

#8

Kids beauty pageants.
Parents are willingly sexualizing their children.
It’s weird.

Image credits: GingerMeTimberMate

#9

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 credits: BigD1970

#10

Cashiers who aren’t allowed to sit during their work
Like…. Why??

Image credits: MitochondriA33

#11

The pledge of allegiance things at school. What in the actual f**k?

Image credits: hyrulian_princess

#12

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 credits: NotACyclopsHonest

#13

People enthusiastically defending the health-care system that bankrupts people, sometimes even in reddit threads where people show off their horrendous medical bills

Image credits: Randomswedishdude

#14

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

#15

Calling a team “World Champions’ of a sport that only your country competes in.

Image credits: OkHighway1024

#16

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 credits: pckman

#17

Sales tax not being included in the price already. Wild.

Image credits: dbe14

#18

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 credits: ddtkong

#19

The excessive consumption of Starbucks beverages.

#20

At 18 you can join the army, carry guns, f**k, drive car. But buy and drink alcohol only 21???

Image credits: BakerAffectionate242

#21

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 credits: Another_Random_Chap

#22

Putting ice in every drink no matter the temperature, season, or anything.

Image credits: stoned_broccoli

#23

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 credits: FluffyBaseball6373

#24

Sending graduation gifts to friends whose kids are graduating even if you’re not attending.

#25

The electoral college. WTF?

#26

Putting quite a bit of sugar in things that don’t require it, like bread and casseroles.

#27

Having one week of paid vacation or sometimes not any time at all

#28

tipping, do some actually live of the tips?

Image credits: OldMork

#29

Paid maternity leave not being legislated as a basic employment right.

Image credits: KingShaka1987

#30

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 credits: yourpaljax

#31

Asking “How are you doing?” Without wanting to know how anyone is doing

Image credits: RassaSatan

#32

mindlessly voting along party lines, even though the party’s candidate is a complete fool

#33

How hight the water level in the toilets is. It’s like half way to the top, makes no sense.

#34

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.

#35

Mega churches

#36

People being mad if a wedding is booze-free or has only a vegetarian menu.

#37

refusing to use metric

#38

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.

#39

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.

#40

Shoes in the house, like why?

#41

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.

#42

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.

#43

From what I understand, the US customer service culture seems bonkers. I feel like there’s more pressure put on customer service workers to look bouncy and happy all the time, even if their working conditions suck otherwise. I feel like acting sh**ty to customer service workers is either more common or more accepted than in Europe as well? Some of the tales I’ve read about ‘Karen customers’ absolutely wouldn’t fly in my country, assuming that even a fraction of them are true.

#44

How are bidets not commonplace

#45

No white at a wedding. It’s baffling how American are obsessed with this rule.

#46

College sports. Why are they so popular, especially among fans who never attended any university, let alone the one they cheer for?

#47

The level of monitoring expected around children is wild to me. Over here, six-year-olds walk to school alone. (Of course within reason.)

#48

How owning, buying and carrying guns is not more controlled and supervised.

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