Cultural "no-no's" in Germany?

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Denise G

Don't put your feet up on chairs, etc. with your shoes on.

Don't light a cigarette without waiting for everyone to be done eating.

Some do's:
Always bring wine/flowers when invited to someone's house for dinner.
Offer older people a seat on the train/bus.
Say "guten apetite" before you start eating.
Greet people when you walk into a shop: Guten Tag, Guten Morgen....

doctor

and when visiting a restaurant ,sitting down to eat take your hat off
baseball cap etc.

between 1 and 3 o clock is siesta time so no loud noise like hanging pictures or drilling holes into the wall

Alex K

:) entering restaurant, don't stay at the entrance waiting to be seated- take the place you want.
Don't give as much tip, as it's been given in the US.
Do have enough cash, expecially for restaurants and cafes.
Don't smile to everyone- Germans are "cold" nation

Cassy

Unfortunately, you will have to forget all previous lining up or queueing habits, or you may frequently miss getting served. Bakeries which sell fresh brotchen on Sunday mornings or butcher shops at a few minutes before closing tend to be an all elbow affair. ItÂ´s not impolite, I have been assured, just a way of life...but was still quite a shock after living in the UK and coming from the US! Be very careful of bicyclists who will whiz across the road when the light is green for them. Walking in a bike path is also a no-no and you will receive many frowns. Traffic rules in general are meant to be regarded under all circumstances or you will receive many more frowns. Watch out for the Du and Sie usage as well, although I still havenÂ´t gotten an definitive answer on the exact proper customs here. I think itÂ´s different in the north and south, and depending on which age group you are in/addressing (apart from kids under around 14 or 15 where du is commonly used.) Do NOT forget to pay your tv liscensing fee (an unknown in the US) or you will receive threatening letters and maybe a visit from the guy with the antennae in his car. Actually, quiet time is also around lunch hour daily, I think from 1 to 3...no lawn mowing between these hours, but this might be an older tradition.

Other than that, beer drinking is acceptable any time of the day, and especially right after church on Sunday..(ok, so that might be a bit Bavarian...)

J-J Adams

Make sure you remember to say 'Sie' to people you don't know unless they're OK with you calling them 'du' or call you 'du' first. Never say 'Du' to a police officer, it's a criminal offence. Don't cross the road when the man is red even it there's no traffic, it's also an offence and cycling without bike lights at night is also an offence. Don't expect Germans to be particularly friendly at first either, most of them take ages to get to know.

The Stig

Tipping isn't a very common thing in Germany and is not expected. In fact, some waiters might refuse a tip but most don't if it's reasonable.

Recycle damn near everything. Failure to do so will result in people getting pissed at you.

Turks are your friends and doener kebabs are the greatest food known to man.

Even if your German isn't that great, always try interacting with the local in German first. A good number of them speak English, particularly if you live near a US military installation, but they almost always appreciate the effort to speak their language, rather than you assuming they know English.

Learn the traffic stuff backwards and forwards. If you're coming up to a stau (traffic jam), be sure to turn on your hazards for a bit to alert the drivers behind you that there's a sudden stop.

But really, on the whole, I can't think of any major cultural differences between Germany and the US (assuming you are American, apologies if you aren't.) There's been quite a lot of cultural exchange and understanding between the nations over the years.

El fagguito

Being a jew

Miss USA 2009

Don't smile a lot

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