There are 196 countries in the world, and each one of them has its own habits and particularities. The civilized ones mostly have the same customs, but there are a few who do their best in order to keep their identity and cultural heritage.
While some of them might be intriguing, others may seem just weird to the rest of the world. So these are some of the most interesting 25 things that people from other countries usually do. Check them out and try to remember them if you plan on visiting one of these places in the future. You never know when they may come in handy.
In India, the nodding and shaking the head habits, which are used when we want to say yes and no, are reversed. For European people or every other nation, this might be a little tricky.
Egyptians have developed a custom about holding hands. It’s highly recommended to use your right hand when you want to give or take something, otherwise, you might “jinx” it.
If you make it on time to a meeting or wherever, then it might appear as rude to the people from Venezuela. So this place might be Heaven for those who hit the snooze button all of the time.
In Portugal, adding salt on a dish means that you didn’t like the food. So if you want to do it, make sure that no one is looking.
In countries like Russia or Romania eating at home before going to someone else’s house is considered offensive. You should always visit your friends with an empty stomach.
In Germany, on the night before the wedding the groom, the bride, as well as their friends and families get together and break dishes. The tricky part is that the groom and the bride must clean the mess. This symbolizes the way they will work together in order to overcome hard times.
The way the people from Japan work together to keep their country clean is incredible. In Japan, there are no trash cans on the streets so people have to carry their trash all the way home.
Did you know that in England there is a tradition related to funny faces? The funny faces championship is actually one of the oldest customs they have and it has begun around the year 1200.
If you’re visiting Italy and you want to stop by at a restaurant and make the mistake of ordering a cappuccino in the evening, then you might get suspicious looks from the locals.
Another weird fact about Italian habits is the one that implies “feeding the dead” or pouring wine into the graves. Can it get weirder than that?
Going out in public with your hair curlers still attached to your hair is nothing to be embarrassed about if you are in the Dominican Republic. It is totally normal to walk on the streets like this!
In Thailand, the head is one of the most important parts of the body and it is seen almost as a sacred element. It is considered offensive if one touches the head of a person.
In a restaurant, it’s typical for Japanese people to pay before they get their food. Another interesting food habit is the fact that munching noodles is not considered rude.
Husbands from China prove their love for their brides when they carry the pregnant wife while walking on burning coal. They do that because it is believed that the wives will have an “easy delivery” thanks to them.
If you want to do a nice thing for your lady and she is Russian, then maybe you should do some research first because offering certain flowers symbolize break-up.
Offering gifts to Chinese people might be a little frustrating because things like clocks, flowers and a certain type of sandals represent death.
In Norway manners are mandatory. Especially when it comes to food. You always have to use the knife and the fork even for the usual stuff.
There is no Tooth Fairy for Greek kids. Instead, they throw their discarded teeth on the roof for luck. As simple as that!
Clinking bottles of beer or wine is not a sign of happiness in Hungary. At a certain moment in their history, this habit has changed its meaning.
In Bolivia, you’d better forget the problems from work because talking about work-related stuff while having dinner, lunch or breakfast with others is no good.
Yes, what you see is actually happening in Spain and is called baby jumping. It involves men jumping over little babies in order to keep the devil away.
This one is a famous tradition from Spain. The tomato fight is called ‘La Tomatina’ and it implies people using tomatoes as weapons against each other.