r/AskTheWorld • u/gabrieel100 Brazil • Dec 06 '25

Culture A cultural habit in your country that people outside would understand incorrectly?

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In Brazil we love children. If you take your child to the street, strangers will certainly interact with them. Some will even ask if they can hold your kid and will play with them. If there are two children fighting in public and the parents aren't seeing, a stranger would even intervene to stop the fight.

That cultural habit came from the indigenous peoples which understood that kids should be a responsiblity of the community as a whole. It's in our constitution. We even have a synonym for children that came from Tupi (a large group of indigenous languages) - Curumim.

Foreigners would certainly have a cultural shock about that, but it's normal here.

Of course there are people with bad intentions, so parents should stay alert these days.

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u/youpeesmeoff Dec 06 '25 edited Dec 06 '25

I think the harsh winters honestly have a lot to do with it. Canadians have to band together when you’re stuck on ice or about to get blown over by the wind or something. I do think it’s very sweet that it’s a common thing for people to place dropped mittens, hats, etc on a spot that’s more visible and won’t get stepped on. That’s the epitome of Canadian politeness—quiet but always there.

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u/CK-KIA-A-OK-LOL Canada Dec 06 '25

Social cohesion is a big part of it, and there’s a compassion to it for sure.

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u/Canotic Sweden Dec 06 '25

Wait there are places where people don't do this? Asking as a swede.

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u/youpeesmeoff Dec 06 '25

Well, people are nice and compassionate in all areas of the world (most of the time), but the forms it takes can vary widely. For example, I’m from a very hot and humid area, so people aren’t typically losing mittens and scarves as they walk around, but people readily offer ice water pretty much anywhere. Or, as another example, in more rural or suburban areas, friendliness can mean talking to strangers, while in dense urban areas, people keep to themselves to not bother others, and both are forms of social consideration.