Crazy Things Considered Normal in Estonia

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I'm an Estonian living abroad and every time I come to my summer house the thing I enjoy most is the silence!

Actually we just want our babies sleeping in fresh air bc the baby sleeps better and is generally more healthy this way. Never actually thought about the cold thing... kids sleep outside, just the weather changes during the year.

The not talking thing...Sure it can be like that. But if you buy groceries or something, you just say hello. And as an Estonian, I think not saying hello is just rude. At my place of work if someone steps in and does not say hello I will consider that quite rude. I will say hello anyway. It's simply common sense. You walk into a room that has people you have not met today, and you say hello. Big public places are different, but when you get to a clerk. You say hello and goodbye.

about the talking part, we just avoid smalltalk and think its pointless, however going to the store and not greeting the cashier or thanking them after is absolutely still considered rude.

Practically all of that I know from Norway. :) Yes, Estonia is truly Nordic. :)

As an estonian i would say you're most correct about keeping your reputation. It can easily cost you relationships and especially jobs. When my friends hire new people, they often throw the names in our group chats like "hey, does someone know this guy?" and sometimes someone says like "yea, he's an asshole because XYZ". That person won't even know why he/she wasn't hired but Estonia is small and if you burn bridges, you might set fire to a lot more bridges than you initially intended.

Estonians with good manners always greet and thank the cashiers in grocery stores.

Babies outside sleeping is quite ok in scandinavia too! They sleep better and it builds immune system.

Babies sleeping outside in winter time and people naked in sauna etc is quite regular in nordic countries

Summer cottages are just homes of your ancestors, since before the soviet union most estonians lived in the countryside, in villages, as farmesrs. The soviet union pretty much forced everyone into cities and destroyed as many countryside houses as they could, but since they weren't very good at doing anything, a lot of the farms still survived. After the soviet union collapsed they were redistributed back to their original owners, or their descendants and if they couldn't find any descendants they were sold at an extremely cheap price. Now most estonians own a house, or at least some land in the countryside.

I would absolutely love to be able to run my errands without having to make small talk with anyone. Thank you for the fascinating look at cultural differences.

10:50 thank you for advising the eye contact with driver. As (mostly) driver, I feel much safer when pedestrian acknowledges the car, visibly. Road conditions change, conditions like black ice may mean the breaking distance becomes unexpectedly long, a hooded pedestrian not even looking around when stepping onto crossing is bit of a problem, because people expect cars to stop.

I was genuinely shocked when i went to greece and started crossing the road only to jump back cause of a car, like i tought it would be normal and common sense

30 years ago it was pretty normal in Poland too, that kids were going to school on their own, spend all day outside alone (without supervision). Now it's not so often and depends on the area. As to pedestrians, we have in Poland a law that forces drivers to stop when a pedestrian is nearing the crosswalk. I guess the same is in Estonia.

Keep on being you Manan! I really love the longer podcasts you have been doing. The nakedness story hit close to home. My cousin married a lovely dude from the US and when his friends came over for the wedding - we actually had a quick meeting how being naked is ok and if you feel uncomfortable be in your swim trunks

As Estonian I really don't understand that silence in those service situations. Hello and thank you is elementary for me like breathing. But overall your are right. I liked your video :)

I think most, if not all, of your points also would go for any Nordic country, and some other European countries as well. Most points is the same here in Lithuania where I live. 😊

Cool video! I'm Estonian and I absolutely won't get naked with others, lol. Cars stopping is true. My grandpa used to gross zebras without lever ooking at the cars. I guess he assumed that every car would stop. I'm suprised he never got hit by any. Kids going to places by themselves is awesome, it gives so much freedom and independence and builds up responsibility.

As a Latvian I can relate to some of them. Especially on kids outside, babies in snow and pedestrian rights