Wait a second, periods are a natural body process that happen all over the world.
You're telling me that there are actually differences in periods between Germany and the U.S.?
Yep, there are!
Hey everyone! I'm Dana and you're watching Wanted Adventure Living Abroad.
So yes, how periods physically occur in the body is, the same all around the world, including
in Germany and the U.S.
But even so, there are actually a lot of period differences that I've noticed in the two countries.
For one, the language surrounding them is different.
In English, as I've already mentioned several times in this video, they're often called
one's period.
And that's not like the little dot at the end of a sentence, but rather period as in
I guess a period of time.
In German they can also be called Periode -- Die Periode -- but another common way of
referring to periods in German is to simply call it the days, Tage.
As in "ich habe meine Tage."
So literally in English: "I have my days."
I cannot for the life of me remember now in exactly which scenario Mr. German Man first
used this phrasing with me.
Maybe we were getting ready to go on vacation or something, I really don't remember, but he
asked me about my days, and I was totally confused because in English I don't call
my period "my days."
So I was like: what do you mean with my days?
Like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, my birthday?
What are my days?
But now I actually really, really like that phrasing and find myself using it all the
time in English.
In English another common slang term for the period is "your time of the month," or also "your flow."
As in "I've got my flow."
Or also "Aunt Flow." As in "Aunt Flow is coming to town."
I don't really know any German slang terms besides die Tage, so if you know any other
ones or any other English ones I would love to hear them, please let me know down in the
comments, thank you.
But language is not the only difference.
As I mentioned way back in one of my first few videos, which was about toiletries in
Germany and the U.S., there are a few pretty big differences in the feminine hygiene sections
in stores and the products offered.
First of all, the size of the section.
As with a lot of sections in grocery stores or other stores in the U.S., the section with
the tampons, pads and other feminine products is so much bigger than in Germany.
Which, and of course this makes sense, also means that there is a larger selection of
products in the U.S. than in Germany.
In Germany from what I've seen in the different stores there are usually a few different kinds
of pads and tampons and maybe, maybe one brand of menstrual cup.
Of the four stores selling feminine products around my home in Germany, only one of them
sells menstrual cups and they only have one brand.
Whereas in the U.S., at least as far as pads and tampons go, there are so many different kinds.
Sometimes it's actually kind of overwhelming to stand there in the U.S. and you just stare
up and down this huge wall of all different kinds of options.
Just for a little perspective, I went to the website of a "typical American store"
where I used to buy my tampons and also the website of a "typical German store" where
I often shop now, and I searched for tampons.
The American store returned around 90 results on their website, while the German shop had
about 20 on their website.
But Germany is home to one kind of tampon that I have never seen in the U.S.
And that is probiotic tampons, so tampons that are coated in probiotics.
And the U.S. is home to one specific tampon that I've never seen in Germany, and I gotta
say, I'm okay with that, because they are scented tampons.
That's right, scented tampons. No, no thank you.
Putting a little perfume on my neck is enough.
I don't need to put perfume anywhere else, thank you very much. Just the neck.
But I would say the biggest difference in tampons between Germany and the U.S. is that
in the U.S. tampons with applicators seem to be the most common.
There are usually a few boxes of tampons without applicators available in the U.S. too, but
the majority come with applicators in the U.S., whereas in Germany it's actually the
other way around.
The large majority of tampons in Germany don't use an applicator, and finding applicator
tampons in Germany in my experience is hit or miss.
Some stores have them and some stores don't, so while they are available here in Germany,
you might have to go to a couple different stores to find them.
And as far as menstrual cups in the U.S. go, I believe that nowadays many of the places
that carry tampons and pads also carry one or two brands of menstrual cups, but I'm
definitely not totally sure on that, so I'd love to hear down in the comments below from
people in the U.S.: are menstrual cups pretty readily available in stores now?
Another big difference in the two countries is how periods are handled in public restrooms.
Oh, the rolls and rolls of toilet paper that we go through in the U.S., wrapping and wrapping
and wrapping our tampons up in before disposing of them.
Germany has a much better solution, something that I don't think I have ever seen in the U.S…
In Germany there is usually a little container of paper or I think also sometimes plastic
baggies in each toilet stall for you slip your feminine product into before throwing
it out, so no need to waste all that toilet paper. I love it! Such a good idea. So smart.
And lastly, in the U.S. it seems like from the articles I've read recently and some
of the YouTube videos that have come my way recently, that talking about periods
seems to be becoming a sort of more "normal" and just kind of more comfortable thing to do.
I've even heard about parents in the U.S. throwing their daughters period parties, apparently
called moon parties.
I don't know how common this actually is, but I certainly hope that just in general
the topic of periods is becoming a more open and normal thing to talk about, and I would
love for that to be the case around the world, because it is, after all, just a normal part of life.
Whether you're someone who has a period or not, periods are a vital part of the immensely
complex and really impressive cycle of life on this planet.
As someone who has, myself, had some horrible periods, I can attest to the fact that the
period, itself, is not always so beautiful, but the whole process of how the body has
evolved to work in this way is extremely beautiful and impressive.
I mean, this whole process is millions of years of evolution in the making, and so I
just don't think that it's something we should be embarrassed to talk about
or have to whisper about. It's just a part of life.
A very impressive part of life in my opinion.
So my question for you is: How are periods where you live, what have been your experiences
around the world?
And do you feel comfortable talking openly about periods?
Please let me know in the comments below.
Thanks so much for watching.
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Until next time, auf Wiedersehen!
And...
But language...
But language is not...
But I think that my favorite English schlang term...schlang?
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