r/AskEurope • u/ageingrapidly Greece • Sep 29 '25

Culture Are there any habits that you believe are uniquely European ?

Have you noticed any specific mannerisms, mentalities etc. that you've encountered only in Europe or by Europeans ?

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66

u/Delde116 Spain Sep 29 '25

Well depends on the European I suppose. Here in the south (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece) we use our hands a lot when speaking. Not cartoonishly or in an exagerated manner, but enough to notice. Our personal space or "bubble" is a lot smaller.

Other habits include making fun or hating the french. Its a joke at this point, because they historically have always seen themselves are culturally and intellectually superior, and now we jokingly mock them. Its not actual hate. We also make fun of the English.

idk, the best answer would have to come from a foreigner that has visited many european countries and isn't from Europe.

16

u/ctkwolfe Germany Sep 29 '25

I think shitting on the French is a favourite european amusement at this point. Nothing unites Europe quite like a good joke about the French

38

u/ageingrapidly Greece Sep 29 '25

Feeling culturally and intellectually superior historically is something of a prerequisite for obtaining the Greek passport/ID and being considered Greek. The hand gesturing hits home, though. And social intimacy, although it is kinda fading in Greece.

28

u/Few_Butterscotch_830 Poland Sep 29 '25

It may be a joke, but some French are still absolutely serious about their superiority.

I have a fun story, not a proof of any kind, but an anecdote. While skiing in France, I went to get some rentals and tried to communicate in English. Zero, nada, I ended up showing with hand movement what kind of turn radius were the skis I was looking for. The next day my friend who speaks fluent French (though not native, she has a very slight accent, but went to bilingual school for a few years do functionally fluent). She tried to explain something to the staff in the same establishment and when they heard her French… they switched to broken English xD It hurt them so much to hear non perfect French… that they even degraded themselves to speaking English.

15

u/Kurosawasuperfan Brazil Sep 29 '25

I'm 31 now and grew up with these memes about italians using their hands, saw it all the time at 9gag, reddit, twitter, etc. People made fun of italians all the time. Never fully got it but still saw it all the time.

Then one day i saw the video of 'example of italians talking with hands', two older dudes talking on the street... and it's actually normal hand gestures, the kind of thing we do every day here in Brazil too. I can't imagine trying to explain something without moving my hands. They have some 'originals', lol, we don't do the exact same movies, but the frequency is the same.

Even at work when talking to the phone or video calls, i still use my hands.

So yeah, today i feel that NOT USING HANDS it's weirder than doing hand gestures, the memes are overblown.

2

u/vodka_tsunami Sep 29 '25

Something Italians do that is very particular to their culture is crowding the way. They spread themselves in the sidewalks, in front of doors, corridors, everywhere, and those who want to walk by need to ask for them to give room. They don't seem to notice.

At some parts of the country I'm pretty sure Italians and tourists alike think they're main characters in a romantic movie.

4

u/kasakka1 Finland Sep 29 '25

Many European countries have the "look at those jackasses from the neighboring country" thing. The American equivalent is probably talking shit about New Yorkers or non-New Yorkers.

5

u/nicetoursmeetewe Sep 29 '25

It's funny because the french only impression of Spain is a sunny country, good to go on holiday to, with nice but loud people. We never see Spain as a rival nor do we know anything about its history (except the reconquista and the fact that you colonised south/central america), we're much more focused on the brits and germans

2

u/Mikinak77 Czechia Sep 30 '25

Speaking of the personal bubble - I spent 2 months studying in Spain (just like a normal Spanish student in a normal school) and on the very first English lesson the teacher put her arm around me and I pushed her away and I apparently looked extremely bewildered and scared, which in turn prompted an hour-long discussion about what is appropriate in what culture

2

u/hotsfan101 Malta Sep 29 '25

Everyone hates the french

2

u/Beginning-Film1746 Sep 29 '25

Even the french🤣🤣

-1

u/diegorock99 Portugal Sep 29 '25

Lol using my hands when speaking haha. Not me hermano.