America is a huge country with all sorts of cultures, traditions, and quirky behaviors. To foreigners visiting for the first time, some of the things Americans do can seem downright bizarre. From the way we eat to how we dress, our habits can raise a lot of eyebrows for international travelers.
This list covers 15 super common American customs that often leave visitors scratching their heads in confusion.
1. Wearing Shoes Indoors
In many other cultures, it’s considered rude to walk around inside with your outside shoes on. But most Americans think nothing of tracking dirt and germs straight into their homes. To foreign guests, it seems unsanitary and impolite.
2. Asking “How Are You?” Without Caring
When Americans greet people by saying “How are you?”, they don’t actually want to know. It’s just a pleasant phrase, not an invitation to share feelings. International visitors often overshare personal details when asked, not realizing it’s an empty ritual.
3. Massive Portion Sizes
Huge plates piled high with food is the norm at most American restaurants and diners. But for visitors used to smaller, reasonable portion sizes, the excessive serving amounts can seem shockingly gluttonous and wasteful. Our “super-size me” mentality is over-the-top.
4. Obsession with Sports
To outsiders, the American obsession with professional sports leagues like the NFL, MLB, and NBA can seem utterly fanatical. Visitors are baffled by the sports craze – from fans painting their bodies to the sheer money invested in the industry.
5. Drinking from Disposable Containers
While it’s completely common to sip sodas, coffees, and waters from single-use plastic bottles and cups, this wasteful practice appalls many international guests. They’re used to reusable cup culture, not such a reliance on disposable beverage vessels.
6. Chewing Gum Constantly
Gum chewing in public spaces seems to be an American habit that doesn’t exist in many other nations. Visitors get puzzled by our readiness to chomp on gum pretty much anywhere and any time, even indoors.
7. Driving Everywhere
With our sprawling suburban landscapes, Americans rely heavily on cars and driving for even the shortest trips. But in many other nations with denser urban centers, walking is the default – so our automobile dependency seems excessive.
8. Lack of Paid Vacation Days
In the U.S., it’s common for employees to only receive two weeks of paid vacation per year, if that. International guests from countries with more generous time off are stunned by our workaholic culture.
9. Iced Drinks Year-Round
No matter how frozen the weather, you’ll find Americans happily sipping on ice-blended coffee beverages or icy cold sodas. Most visitors come from climates where hot drinks are reserved for wintertime only, making our chilled drink habits peculiar.
10. Free Refills and Free Extras
It’s standard for U.S. restaurants to offer free refills on sodas, coffees, and even some alcoholic drinks. Free extras like chips and salsa are also common. To foreigners used to paying for every single item individually, our culture of freebies seems too good to be true.
11. Obsession with Celebrities
America’s fascination with following celebrity lives, gossip, and pop culture can baffle many visitors with less star-obsessed societies. Our intense preoccupation with famous figures strikes them as immature.
12. Tipping Culture
The practice of tipping service staff like waiters, hairdressers, and valets is a uniquely American custom many international travelers aren’t accustomed to in their own countries. The intricacies of how and when to tip can be confusing.
13. Constant Snacking
In addition to three meals per day, Americans are also prone to frequently snacking in between. This constant eating baffles visitors from cultures with more rigid defined mealtimes and no real snacking tradition.
14. Overuse of Air Conditioning
During scorching summer months, Americans have no problem blasting air conditioning to Arctic-level temperatures in homes and businesses. To guests used to opening windows or fans, our cold defaults can be shockingly over-cooled and wasteful of energy.
15. Greeting Strangers
In many parts of America, it’s normal to greet total strangers with a smile and friendly “Hi!” when passing them on the street. This habit of acknowledging every person seems fake and invasive to bewildered international travelers.
Conclusion
Even the most typical American behaviors can seem totally bizarre to people from other cultures around the world. From our obsession with sports to our love of icy drinks year-round, the customs we take for granted are often confusing to international visitors.
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