If you had your great grandparents watch you drink an iced beverage in January or take a stroll down the street in shorts, they’d probably pass out. Things we do mindlessly today were considered outrageous in the past. As the years passed, what was once scandalous became just normal. Read on to discover 10 habits Americans once found shocking.
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Garlic in cooking
Garlic? Americans once thought it too strong, even unrefined. It was mostly eaten by immigrants, and restaurants avoided it. Everything changed after World War II, when soldiers returned with a taste for Italian and Mediterranean foods. Suddenly, garlic became a beloved kitchen staple.
Women riding bicycles
Women’s adoption of the bicycle in the 1890s boom period was a flashpoint. Cycling in bloomers defied rigid dress codes, and critics associated it with indecency and health risks. These attacks expressed fears about shifting gender roles. However, the bicycle’s significance only increased, as it was accepted as a symbol of women’s liberation and empowerment, promoted by people like Susan B. Anthony.
Deodorant use
In the 1800s in America, people took weekly baths and body odor was tolerated. This started to change in the early 1900s with the advent of deodorants and antiperspirants. They were met with skepticism at first: was it safe to use them, did they even work? The products became more accepted as advertisers began to associate odor with social rejection.
Women smoking cigarettes
Something that seems like such a simple, everyday act now was once a shocking act of defiance. Women who smoked in public in the early 20th century could expect nothing but scorn and even reprimand. All of this started to shift, however, with the coming of the Roaring Twenties. Advertising campaigns made cigarettes seem like a stylish accessory, and it fit in well with the energy of the 1920s when women were rebelling and breaking barriers.
Wearing shorts in public
Before World War II, adult men were rarely seen wearing shorts away from sports or beach. Shorts were associated with children’s clothing, and anyone deviating from that standard risked stares or ridicule. Post war changes in lifestyle, more casual living and leisure culture made shorts more normalized as part of men’s everyday wardrobe.
Drinking iced beverages
Iced drinks are standard today at American meals, but 19th-century doctors were suspicious. People who drank cold liquids might shock the system or interfere with digestion, they warned. But as ice harvesting and refrigeration technology spread, Americans developed a taste for ice-cold water and chilled lemonade. And this once controversial habit evolved into a widespread American obsession.
Women wearing pants
When women first wore pants in the late 19th century and early 20th century, they were often met with scorn. Some were ridiculed in public and some women who flouted the conventions of dress were fined or jailed. Women in pants challenged long-held societal traditions about women’s roles. World War II contributed to pants becoming more widely accepted among working women.
Kissing in public
Public kissing was once considered scandalous in America. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many towns passed ordinances making it illegal. Etiquette books also criticized open displays of affection, and rule-breakers could be fined or shamed. But as the media, especially movies, romanticized public kissing, it became less shocking.
Sunglasses in everyday life
Sunglasses used to be exotic. In the early 20th century, average Americans found them odd, appropriate for celebrities or people who wanted to hide a weary face. Generations of changing style and utility have made them an everyday must-have, combining function with fashion.
Public spitting
In the 19th century, public spitting was not at all unusual among American men. It was so widespread that people provided spittoons for public convenience. The advent of germ theory, however, brought a sudden shift in public perception. The first anti-spitting laws were passed in New York City in 1896. Offenders could be arrested for not following the rules.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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