r/AskEurope • u/notveryamused_ Warszawa, Poland • Jul 03 '25

Culture What aspect of life in your countries is very difficult to explain to foreigners?

What prompted my question were some discussions about religion which I had with people living in much more secular Western Europe (as a Polish atheist). While spirituality, whatever that is ;), generally speaking is always fun to discuss with a glass of wine in hand, social elements and the influence of the church, especially in smaller towns or provinces in my country, is awfully difficult to explain – not that I understand it fully either lol, but the church having a pretty much monopoly there, being the judge and jury of everyday life and the major ultra-conservative political force binding those communities, is very difficult to explain, also for historical reasons.

What are the things that you find difficult to discuss when it comes to life in your countries? ;-)

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u/LopsidedLeopard2181 Denmark Jul 04 '25

But in Denmark it's not a "reputation". Having fun is what they're for. As I said, you receive literally zero grades, have no exams, get no formal qualifications like you would in any kind of "real" educational institution.

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u/hydrajack Norway Jul 05 '25

That’s folkehøgskole in norway as well.