SURPRISING German Culture Shocks as Americans 🇩🇪 They're Not What You've Heard Before!

Here are our top 10 culture shocks as Americans living in Germany - but surprise! They're not what you normally hear on YouTube of an American's experience in Germany. Kevin and I have both lived in Europe before (Sweden and France), so many of the typical American culture shocks in Germany we had already experienced and were not shocked to us when we moved here.

Most of our culture shocks have to do with integrating our children into school and helping them adjust to a new culture. See what has been challenging for us and why in this video!

🤩 LIKE THE MUSIC IN THIS VIDEO? 🤩

//LEARN LANGUAGES WITH LINGODA//

//VIDEOS MENTIONED//

//OTHER VIDEOS YOU MIGHT LIKE FROM OUR CHANNEL//

//ABOUT US//
We are a family of six, with four kids and a cat 😹, who moved from the USA to Germany in February of 2021 to pursue our dreams of adventure, travel, learning another language, and integrating into German life. We hope you enjoy our videos about our journey to integrate - the highs and the lows of being foreigners on the adventure of a lifetime.

//LET'S CONNECT!//

//CHAPTERS//
0:00 - Enjoy the sights and sounds of a rainy Autumn day in Germany
00:55 - Culture shocks most Americans feel in Germany
03:24 - 1 - Completely different school supplies
04:46 - 2 - Handwriting and Neatness in Schools
5:26 - 3 - Hausschuhe Culture for Our Kids and at School
06:25 - 4 - Needing Clothes for Every Type of Weather
07:54 - 5 - Seriously Bicycling Culture - took us time to learn!
09:38 - 6 - Learning about Cultural Appropriation and Bavarian Traditional Clothing (Trachten - Lederhosen and Dirndls)
13:02 - 7 - Keeping Our Four Kids More Quiet in Public
13:50 - 8 - Airing Out the House (Lüften)
16:08 - 9 - Closing Hours of Stores - They're not just closed on Sundays!
17:32 - 10 - Understanding Product Labels in German and Buying the Correct Products is overwhelming at first!

[CHarlotte-royi]

Don’t be so hard on yourselves. I wouldn’t call the hat wearing cultural appropriation because you weren’t mocking the culture intentionally. It’s just that Germans especially non-Bavarians are tired of the rest of the world thinking Bavarian culture is German and Bavarians themselves are tired of being seen as these backwards-looking overly traditional people only (which is a stereotype that I even come across within Germany). So you basically manoeuvred yourself into a field of tension you don’t want to be in yet Germans (Bavarians and non-Bavarians) tend to make more of a fuss about it than is necessary 😅😉

[SemperFiParatio]

Native Bavarian here, please do not think too much about "cultural appropriation" while you are in Germany and especially in Bavaria, we do not care too much about that thankfully and do not have a lot of the discussions you have in the US. So if you would like to wear Tracht please do it, just make sure that you go in a specialised shop for that ;) . Regarding the hat and everything, honestly who cares. A lot of foreigners even in the farest corner of the world, everybody at least knows one German word and that´s "Oktoberfest" so German culture and Bavarian culture are mixed up everytime and will forever be, is it correct, No, but it´s not a big deal either. Most of the times there is no ill will behind it, so enjoy your time and don´t worry about stepping on anybodys toes with such things.

[peterparker]

Hi from Berlin, I love your videos and I must say that I really appreciate your respectful approach to german habits and culture.
Not every immigrant does it with the seriousness you're showing, so I absolutely cherish your efforts. Great to have you here.

[kerstinklenovsky]

There is a lot of space in our German hearts for people like you, who so happily go along with all our crazy rules and traditions. ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you for coming here.
Not only are you some brilliant ambassadors for your home country, but you have also become some fantastic ambassadors for Germany. 🤗

[azMD]

Cycling is very important everywhere in Germany. In my region (lowlands), children in primary school have to get a kind of driving license for cycling. On this day the police monitor the streets around the school and every child has to take an exam to prove that they know and comply with the (basic) rules of road traffic.

[linajurgensen]

5:55 yes that is true in many households. But here in Northern Germany it’s often enough to just put your shoes off and go in with socks, also bicycle culture is even bigger up here than in southern Germany😄. I love how much effort you make to integrate… you’re not ignorant!❤️

[gudrunsykes]

I’m from Germany and I enjoy watching you. You are so cute !

[Rainerjgs]

Danke für Euere große Sorgfalt gegenüber den deutschen Traditionen! Das macht Euch sehr sympathisch und bringt Euch sicherlich viele Freundschaften ein!
Mit Euerer so herrlich guten Laune und Euerem so frohen Lachen seid Ihr ein gutes Vorbild für viele Deutsche, die oft viel zu ernst zu verbiestert sind!

[philippwattenberg]

Please, don't be ridiculous, every sane person would be happy if you would try to fit in their culture even if it's not 100 % accurate. Feel free to do so and every german will be happy to see you guys. Need more people like you here

[MissLouiful]

In Münster cycling is not only for fun, it is also the main means of transport for many people, we even have something called the "Promenade" which is a bike path which surrounds the inner city center and allows you to get everywhere really fast (and avoid cobble stones), almost like a "Fahrradautobahn". "Lastenfahrräder" are also very popular and we have special parking spots for those. Additionally, we have special traffic lights for cyclists (Fahrradampeln).

[dirkschwartz]

Dear Sarah and Kevin, I really appreciate the positivity and enthusiam with which you tackle the numerous adjustments to life in Germany! :) This is certainly something us Germans can learn from Americans like yourselves. We sometimes can take ourselves a bit too seriously and forget enjoying our lives when we see someone doing something "not quite the right way". Keep on, and all the best to you, your kids and - the cat :)

[flamer]

"Fenster auf und Heizung an?" >:O whenever my dad came home and saw an open window in one of our kids rooms but we forgot to turn down the heating he shouted angry through the whole house :D he always saw his money diffuse out the window :D

[isoldedumas]

Growing up in Germany, I don’t remember that wearing house shoes was such a big deal. It was just normal that when you were at home you took your street shoes off. It also had to do with comfort. But I don’t remember that we made our visitors take their shoes off and put on house shoes. Love your videos. Enjoy your stay. Wish I was living back home. I’m in Missouri now.

[avs]

In Canada we take our shoes off when going into someone’s house. There aren’t shoes, slippers etc left out for you. You just walk in with your socks on or bare feet if you’re wearing sandals

[cptjfk]

Question: Moving to a foreign country and being surrounded by unknown products, wouldn't it be far easier to ask some locals for help? Germans seem rough around the edges, but they looove being asked for help. And they do it willingly and thoroughly. (And they have Handy tips and hints, too, f. e. similar but cheaper versions of products or how to find things more easily when walking around town). You don't have to be foreign to do so. There's a lot of young people lost in aisles of detergent looking for shampoo or asking what a Kohlrabi is and what it's used for... No joke.

[doejeleuk]

Im living in the Netherlands. `2km from the German boarder. `You speak super respectfully about the culture and country. I love it. Keep the vids coming.

[johannessugito]

Bavaria does not represents Germany. I noticed that in many vlogs of Americans living in Europe, they always refer to "the US". But aren't there differences between states, the Northern and Southern states, West coast and East Coast? Something strange for someone from Florida might be normal for someone from Washington.

[Rainerjgs]

Thank you for your great Care towards the German Traditions! This makes you very likeable and will certainly bring you many Friendships! - With your wonderfully good Mood and your so happy Laugh you are a good Role-Model for many Germans, who are often much too serious and petulant!

[Osmone_Everony]

About the bicycle culture: I can tell from my own experiences it (logically) seems to depend on the topography. I lived in the "Oberbergisches Land" (near Cologne) for over 40 years. It has hills after hills (top elevation 512 meters) and cyclists were a rare view. Then in 2005 I moved to a very flat area of Germany and it's totally different here, with bicylces galore.

[JakobFischer]

In our south german region a unknown guest will ask whether he should put his shoes off, and you tell him, that he can keep his shoes on. Only if a familiar guest will come and stay longer he will decide to put shoes off. As a guest, I always decline to use house shoes, I don't like wearing others peoples shoes.