Lënster LycéeOdd relationships: Students discover differences between our two countries

The first observation is that just like in Luxembourg, depending on the area you are in, it is considered disrespectful to not greet people on the street, regardless of whether you know them or not. Whereas the closer you get to regions with a higher population density, it is an unspoken rule to only greet people you know or have a close relationship to. While greeting someone in these areas would not be disrespectful, it would be considered „odd“ and might make you question their intentions.

As already established, greeting people is both normal in Luxembourg and in America but the intensity of said action could not be more different from one another. What would be considered polite and friendly in the US, could be seen as almost rude in the Grand-Duchy. While it is known that this phenomenon can usually be found in restaurants and will most likely be performed by the staff in hopes of getting a better tip, it can also be found during a leisurely walk down the street. The people here are generally more open and cheerful, even to the point where it could be seen as artificial by someone from Luxembourg and might again make them question the person’s intentions.

People from Luxembourg doubting someone’s intentions is anything but uncommon. They are prone to not just trust anyone or anything. Whether this involves a person or a business idea, before investing anything, people in Luxembourg will make sure they feel comfortable enough to hand out their trust. The businessman Mike Ansay has had to experience this multiple times while trying to get into business with Luxembourgers. When talking about his experience, he said that Americans are „in your face trying to do anything they can to get to business“, whereas you have to „prove yourself to earn their trust“ before even thinking of talking about business in Luxembourg.

Former Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, the US Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues, has had to prove herself to countless people from all around the world, such as America, Luxembourg, South Africa and Southeast Asia. While traveling and connecting with numerous different people and cultures, she observed that the major differences could be found in the top issues the countries and regions are dealing with and their ability to tackle certain issues.

She is however convinced that there can be found more similarities than differences, especially when looking at the younger generations. While she can appreciate the distinctions, she believes that „at the core, so much of it remains the same and it’s this idea that young people in particular want a future where people get along, where there is security both on the climate side but also the national security side and want to be heard in their government’s institutions.“ While she believes that the people from all across the world are more alike than they would sometimes like to admit, she believes that „especially our young people are more alike than different“.

All in all, while there are certainly numerous recognizable similarities, there are just as much differences and it is safe to say that Luxembourg and the United States of America are two separate countries with their own remarkable traits.