The United States is not exactly an unfamiliar country to us. Its culture permeates almost everything we see in social networks, movies and series, which may lead us to think that we know its customs very well. However, when it comes down to it, the truth is that “Spain is different” (and very much so).
These TikTok users have gone viral by pointing out some of the most notable differences we can find between Spaniards and Americans. For starters, @ines.roml emphasizes what she experienced when she moved from Spain to the US.
According to this user, in the United States it is not very well seen to practice kisses on the cheek to say hello. This “social ritual” is much more common in Europe and Latin America. In fact, in countries like Japan it can even be offensive.
Another aspect he highlighted was the differences in meal times. As a general rule, Americans tend to go to bed earlier than Spaniards and therefore, dinner is served around 6 pm. Lastly, the user stressed how surprising she found it that stores and shopping malls were also open on Sundays.
But Americans also have something to say about us. This other user explains the opposite: the differences she found when she moved from the United States to Spain.
One of the most interesting aspects he points out is the difference in applying taxes and duties to prices. In Spain we are used to buying a product and having the price already include these taxes. However, this is not the case in the USA.
And it is that in each receipt of American purchase we will have added an additional Sales Tax, whose amount is not included in the price. This is because taxes change depending on the state you are in at the time.
Bottom line: if you are thinking of moving to the United States, be prepared to adapt to the diversity, the different pace of life and its social norms.
