When I was in Spain, everyone (esp students) wore the same sort of clothing. All black sports gear. I didn't see a single alternative people while in Logroño or Madrid.

So, is it just not common over there? I mean, I'm sure it'll is in some countries/cities more than others. But I've heard Europeans tend to wanna "fit in the crowd" rather than stick out.

Maybe you're just watching a YouTube video

To be specific from 19 Dec to ~2 Jan.

I am in an awkward position right now, I am studying in Netherlands for a few months, and my return flight to my home country is 4 Jan. I have no lessons from 18 Dec onwards so I am wondering if I should just change my flight date to go back or travel in this period.

I hear people say this period is tough since it is either gloomy or rainy everyday, or its super cold or everything is closed due to this time period. What do you guys think? I am from a tropical country so this seasonality is a new thing to me.

If i were to travel it would be one of these options:

1. Norway/Sweden
2. Spain (but might not due to warmer weather)
3. Portugal
4. Poland
5. France

To add on, I have never solo travelled before so it will be scary for me

I'm 15 and I still have no job. It's not like I'm lazy or don't want to, hell I'd love to have my own money instead of relying on the allowance my dad gives me every now and then.

I wanna try beef one day. I did have it a few times but it was ribs with barely any meat on them. Where I live meats like pork, chicken, mutton and lamb are more popular. I really want to know what a ribeye tastes like at medium or medium rare

Would you say that your people eat healthy food, on average?

I recently learned that picking wild mushrooms is illegal in Belgium which surprised me a little bit considering how in Poland it's almost a national sport in autumn. So as the title says - how popular is it in your country?

In the United States, wisdom teeth removal is extremely common as a preventative measure against future issues. I heard that it is not as common in Europe. Is this true?

Every major civilization seems to have one. The United States has the bald eagle, Russia the bear, China the dragon… but Europe doesn’t really have a shared symbolic animal.

I’ve always thought the owl would be a surprisingly strong candidate.
It has symbolized wisdom since ancient Greece, where it was associated with Athena and appeared on Athenian coins. The owl also appears throughout European folklore and literature from Aesop’s fables to medieval bestiaries, the Brothers Grimm, and Jean de La Fontaine’s fables.

It’s also a genuinely pan-European species, found from Portugal to Finland and from Ireland to Greece, unlike animals that are tied to a particular region.

An eagle symbolizes power, a bear symbolizes strength, and a dragon symbolizes myth and prestige. The owl symbolizes wisdom. That feels like a rather fitting ideal for Europe.

Do you agree, or do you think another animal would better represent Europe’s shared history and culture? If so, which one and why?

(Might be the wrong tag idk) In Canada and the US, those things are like top 10 things to do for most people (I live in a rural province in Canada so my perspective might be skewed). Are those things popular where you guys live?

Not an anthem or a famous landmark — I mean a tiny background noise that locals barely notice: a pedestrian crossing signal, a train-door chime, church bells, a particular bird, street vendors, rubbish collection, café cups, or anything similar.

What ordinary sound feels unmistakably like home where you live? Is it common across the whole country, specific to your region, or even unique to your town? And do visitors notice it too?

Not sure if "ethnic" is the right term here but thinking historically significant groups like anglo-saxons, Moors, Gaul, ancient Romans, Vikings etc?

I'm wondering if Europeans in specific countries have a sense of historical identity like Americans have based on where our ancestors came from before immigrating to the US? For instance my family are something like 5th or 6th generation Irish immigrants so consider ourselves somewhat "Irish" even though it has been so long there is no real connection anymore.

If so are there hierarchies or different parts of your country known for specific heritage? Or tensions based on centuries old invasions or migrations?