Weird customs around the world that don't change

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Black Pete.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

My favorite is when my relatives in Holland try to convince me it's not racist and that it's just tradition.

Like, he's Sinter Klaas' slave. If that's the tradition, it's racist. If you want to argue to keep it, go at it. But it's the very definition of racist.



On the funnier side of weird Christmas traditions, the Caga Tio (pooping log) from Catalan is awesome.

https://youtu.be/eW8LY7B3tK4?feature=shared

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Black Pete.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

Oh ze Dutch.

I mean...think about current sensibilities but they dont care. You'll have to pry Zwarte Piet out of their cold, dead hands.

I actually played on a Rec Soccer Team named 'Black Pete' and it was hilarious. We had some Dutch people playing for us and they loved it, they thought it was great!

Then some heroes challenged us on the name and how blatantly offensive it was.

Until the guy who started the team introduced them to his Dog. A Black Lab. Named Pete.

Yup. He named the team after his Dog. And then these heroes didn't know what to be offended about anymore.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Locke

Oh ze Dutch.

I mean...think about current sensibilities but they dont care. You'll have to pry Zwarte Piet out of their cold, dead hands.

I actually played on a Rec Soccer Team named 'Black Pete' and it was hilarious. We had some Dutch people playing for us and they loved it, they thought it was great!

Then some heroes challenged us on the name and how blatantly offensive it was.

Until the guy who started the team introduced them to his Dog. A Black Lab. Named Pete.

Yup. He named the team after his Dog. And then these heroes didn't know what to be offended about anymore.

Why did the Dutch people love it if it was just named after the dog?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Why did the Dutch people love it if it was just named after the dog?

Because they thought it was hilarious.

The Dutch sense of humour is...eclectic. I think they found it particularly funny that people naturally assumed it was about a racist tradition as opposed to a Black Lab.

So when people lose it over the offensive connotations they'd just say..."Nope. Named after the dog."

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

See, I feel like people were being wayyyy too generous with the definition of weird. “Oh we call the bathroom something different” yeah that’s neat.

Black Pete, though? Now we’re talking.

The sourtoe cocktail and surströmming immediately came to mind thinking of this topic.

No intend to offend. Weird =neat in my world

[CaptainCrunch]

Speaking of Weddings, the father giving away the bride is a phrasing that should probably be changed.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Andrew

No intend to offend. Weird =neat in my world

Not offended in the least, I just need something a little juicier for a Monday morning!

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

My favorite is when my relatives in Holland try to convince me it's not racist and that it's just tradition.

Like, he's Sinter Klaas' slave. If that's the tradition, it's racist. If you want to argue to keep it, go at it. But it's the very definition of racist.

For anyone wondering, in the Office episode where Nate is walking in in blackface as Black pete, that 3 second clip has been deleted from streaming services.

Kind of ruins the joke, because you see Dwight texting somebody, but never see you he's texting.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by jwslam

Pet peeve:
I get annoyed when white people show up at parties and don't bring anything.
Conversely, I also get annoyed when someone shows up with something at my house and I have to deal with the aftermath of it.
Also oddly annoyed when I forget about an occasion and I'm last minute scrambling on what to bring.

(custom: Chinese people are to never show up empty handed)

That's what a case of inexpensive wine and buying in bulk is for. So you can raid your pantry for something passable to bring.

In Japan, I always forget about not passing money directly to the employee. They're so polite though and just smile, point at the tray again with a bigger motion and stare at my dumb looking confused face.

[TheIronMaiden]

An Albertan custom of sorts ( maybe its more of a protestant thing) is to pretend that you don't have any money or privilege. Oh well its modest house, or its just a brand new truck run of the mill really, my family had to work really hard to keep the farm, I am just barely getting by on $150,000 a year ect...

Edit: let me put that another way. my Eastern European SiL is all about lying to emphasize that she has more than she has, her shoes cost twice as much as they really. My WASPY brother is all about lying in the other direction, that his really nice stuff cost much much less than it did.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Locke

The Dutch sense of humour is...eclectic.

Imagine what someone completely devoid of any capacity for emotion would find funny, and you have Dutch humour. It's great.

[Bill Bumface]

I don't know how universal it is, but the social expected transaction of "How's it going?", "Good", regardless of how it's going is actually pretty strange.

If anyone answers that honestly, it's often super awkward and unexpected. But if you don't ask, you're also a jerk.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Not offended in the least, I just need something a little juicier for a Monday morning!

The contrast in the responses is always the best part of these types of threads, like the recent thread about what smells people don't like, going from something like "I find the smell of cinnamon to be unpleasant" to "I will never forget the smell of a rotting corpse that has been in a hot unventilated room for 3 weeks" two posts later.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I don't know how universal it is, but the social expected transaction of "How's it going?", "Good", regardless of how it's going is actually pretty strange.

If anyone answers that honestly, it's often super awkward and unexpected. But if you don't ask, you're also a jerk.

I don't ask, I'm a jerk. I just nod and smile and say hi or good morning. I'm usually the replier and that's usually a simple, "you too."

This is because there are people who ask so that you can ask them back so they can talk about themselves. I don't oblige those people.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I don't know how universal it is, but the social expected transaction of "How's it going?", "Good", regardless of how it's going is actually pretty strange.

If anyone answers that honestly, it's often super awkward and unexpected. But if you don't ask, you're also a jerk.

Or that when you a done talking with or visiting with someone you know you always arrange the next time you will see eachother. Sometimes it is just a see you later, but other times it is straight up being like i'll see you at that thing, or we should get together soon.

[CroFlames]

Croatians (and Serbs & Bosnians) have an in interesting way of saying they are uninterested in something: Boli me kurac - My dick hurts

I've heard that other Europeans have some creative ways of saying "I don't care". I think Germans say something like "I #### on it" to express disinterest.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Chinese people who show up late to wedding banquets. My wedding, I had to separate invitations, the one for white people posted one hour later.

Viets are even worse! (I'm Chinese, about 40% of my friends are Viet, so I've been to many weddings with Viet guests.)

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

That's what a case of inexpensive wine and buying in bulk is for. So you can raid your pantry for something passable to bring.

Things get tricky when half the wine bottles in your cabinet are gifts from hosting, and you’re grabbing one to bring to a dinner. Possible outcomes include:

“Thanks. Isn’t this the same pinot gris we brought to your BBQ last summer.”

“Uh yeah - we liked it so much we get it all the time now!”

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

My partner ( not Chinese) is adamant that you cannot show up empty handed and it drives me absolutely crazy. Just the same I hate it when people do it to me.

Don't let it drive you crazy. It's a small gesture to say, ''Thank You"!

[bluejays]

I find stag and doe's really odd. My Canadian friends have done it to raise money for their weddings. There are two parts that seem odd to me: (1) just have a wedding that fits your budget; (2) inviting people to an event to raise money for your wedding, but many are not making the cut to get invited to the actual wedding? And further to the wedding tradition, cash bars? I can see if it's a bunch of people who don't drink, but when you know majority drink, pay the cost. I think in most cultures people make the money back in presents. I don't get these things. Anyway, weddings come to mind for this thread.



And on a side note, it's kinda humorous the Canadian measurement system: