Every country has their own rituals and way of life.
What may work in one may not be the social norm in another.
Japan, for example, believes walking and eating to be a big no-no, with pointing fingers directly at someone considered impolite.
Other habits considered normal in the UK that are not welcomed elsewhere include chewing gum in Singapore, feeding pigeons in Venice, wearing camouflage clothing in Barbados and swearing in Dubai.
According to one expat living in Spain, a welcoming habit favoured by Brits is considered a hard no in this popular destination.
Louisa Dubickas is an expat who relocated to Madrid, Spain, from Scotland and spoke on YouTube about how inviting friends into your home is not the “done thing”.
Dubickas shares her tips for anyone thinking about moving to Spain and also praises the country, saying that “you won’t find anywhere else.
Yet despite the popular Spanish expression of “mi casa es tu casa” (my house is your house), inviting people over to your home is not the social norm.
In the video, Dubickas said: “Don’t invite people to your house. In the UK, it’s so common to invite your friends round to your house for a cup of tea and a chat.
“If you have kids and your friend has kids, you’ll arrange play dates where your friend will come to your house with all of her kids and then you’ll go to her house with all of your kids”.
Instead, Dubickas advises people in Spain to arrange coffee dates, which is far more socially acceptable in the country.
“We have this tradition of spending a lot of time in each other’s houses – most probably because of the weather – but in Spain, people just don’t do that,” she added.
“You arrange to do everything outdoors, and because the weather’s so nice, the majority of the time you can.
“And then if it rains or if it’s cold, people just don’t see their friends. They hide themselves away at their houses until the sun comes out again.”
Dubickas further explained how she was unaware of this unwritten rule and was unaware that the Spanish tend to prefer to socialising in public places including bars and cafes rather than in their homes.
Initially Dubickas invited plenty of Spanish people to her home but noticed how many of them were “uncomfortable” when there.
The practice of inviting people to your home is rather reserved for family or very close friends, “but acquaintances like mums you meet at school, it’s just not the done thing,” she added.
