England has had its own unique culture, apart from Welsh, Scottish or Northern Irish culture. Rich in history and culture
and birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, many of the world's most
celebrated scientists, inventions, and thinkers originated from England.
Manners are Important
DOs and DON'TS (Taboos)
in Britain
In Britain:
Do stand in line:
In England we like to form orderly queues
(standing in line) and wait patiently for our turn e.g. boarding a bus.
It is usual to queue when required, and expected that you will take your
correct turn and not push in front. 'Queue jumping' is frowned upon.
Do take your hat off when you go indoors (men only) It is impolite for men to wear hats indoors especially in churches. Nowadays, it is becoming more common to see men wearing hats indoors. However, this is still seen as being impolite, especially
to the older generations.
Do say "Excuse Me":
If someone is blocking your way and you would like them to move, say excuse me and they will move out of your way.
Do Pay as you Go:
Pay for drinks as you order them in pubs and other types of bars.
Do say "Please" and "Thank you":
It is very good manners to say "please" and
"thank you". It is considered rude if you don't. You will notice in
England that we say 'thank you' a lot.
Do cover your Mouth:
When yawning or coughing always cover your mouth with your hand.
Do Shake Hands:
When you are first introduced to someone, shake their right hand with your own right hand.
Do say sorry:
If you accidentally bump into someone, say
'sorry'. They probably will too, even if it was your fault! This is a
habit and can be seen as very amusing by an 'outsider'.
Do Smile:
A smiling face is a welcoming face. Do Drive on the left side of the road
Do open doors for other people. Men and women both hold open the door for each other. It depends on who goes through the door first.
In Britain...
Do not greet people with a kiss: We only kiss people who are close friends and relatives.
Avoid talking loudly in public
It is impolite to stare at anyone in public. Privacy is highly regarded.
Do not ask a lady her age
It is considered impolite to ask a lady her age
Do not pick your nose in public:
We are disgusted by this. If your nostrils need de-bugging, use a handkerchief.
Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging
This is only done among close friends.
Do not spit.
Spitting in the street is considered to be very bad mannered.
Do not burp in public
You may feel better by burping loudly after eating or
drinking, but other people will not! If you can not stop a burp from bursting out, then cover your mouth with your hand and say 'excuse me'
afterwards
Do not pass wind in public
Now how can we say this politely? Let's say that you want to
pass wind. What do you do? Go somewhere private and let it out. If you
accidentally pass wind in company say 'pardon me'.
Religion & Beliefs
The
official state-sanctioned religion in the UK is the Church of England
which is of the Christian Protestant faith. However, there has been a
huge decline in the role of the Church in Britain since the middle of
the last Century with less than half the population attending Church
services or believing in God.
It is estimated that a third of
the population have no religious connection. Thirty percent of the UK
population affiliates to the official Church of England while ten
percent identify with the Roman Catholic religion.
Religion & Beliefs
The
official state-sanctioned religion in the UK is the Church
of England
which is of the Christian Protestant faith.
However, there has been a
huge decline in the role of the
Church in Britain since the middle of
the last Century with
less than half the population attending Church
services or
believing in God.
It is estimated that a third of
the population have no religious connection. Thirty percent of the UK
population affiliates to
the official Church of England while ten
percent identify
with the Roman Catholic religion.
Major Celebrations
Major
celebrations in the UK calendar include:
Christmas Day (25th December),
Boxing Day (26th December),
New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday,
the Queen’s Birthday on the second Saturday in June.
Other
celebrations are known as Bank Holidays:
May Day, celebrated on 1st May,
the Spring Bank Holiday on
the last weekend of May and the Summer Bank
Holiday on the
last weekend of August. Bank Holidays take place at the
weekend with most other businesses and institutions closed
on the
following Monday.
The Family
Until
the middle of the 20th Century, marriage was the standard for British
families which comprised two parents with the father as the head of the
household.
However, in the last few decades, there has been a rise in
single parent families and many more couples are choosing to co-habit
rather than to marry. Half a century ago, living together would have
been socially unacceptable and was known as ‘living in sin’.
Divorce at one time was also unthinkable but in the last few
decades it has become more acceptable.Marriage
too is changing with same sex couples now permitted to marry in law or
enter into Civil Partnerships.
Although in the last few decades, there
has been some reported instability in family life regarding single
motherhood and marital breakdown family relationships continue to be
close with two thirds of the population living in close proximity to
immediate family and
extended family.
There remains a commitment for younger family to take care
of elderly relatives.Mobility
in the workforce has changed in the last decade so that many younger
people live some distance from close family but kinship relationships
continue to be close with regular communication and family reunions.
Social Stratification
Historically,
a class system has operated in the UK with the
‘Upper Class’ and
‘Aristocracy’ at the top of the pecking order.
These are high ranking
nobility who hold hereditary titles,
wealth and privilege.
The next strata are known as the ‘middle class’ and the
‘working class’.
Traditionally
the working classes defined themselves as
hard working and with no
social privilege, born into a family
dependent upon unskilled labor.
Historically, the working
classes were unlikely to have access to higher
education.
Those who affiliate to the middle classes have been
viewed
as ‘white collar’ workers living in privately owned suburban
homes and to have access to higher education.
However, in the
past few decades, people from varied
backgrounds have had greater
access to higher education
and business opportunities which is leveling
wealth distribution
and allowing for upward mobility.
Hence the middle
class and the working class at have become more homoge neousal though there is still very much an elite and privileged classin Britain.
Gender Roles
Until
the middle of the 20th Century, gender roles were very
much male
dominated. The man was the head of the household.
Many jobs were male
oriented such as bus, train and lorry
driving in working class culture
and men were deemed more
able to deal with finance working in banks and
financial
organizations.
Although women were accepted in the
military and the police
force, their roles tended to be passive in
contrast to their male counterparts. However, in the 1970s national
debate began to materialize championing the employment rights of women
in
society.
In the following decade, the ‘Feminist’ movement
reflected
the mood of women in the workforce and the part
they played in the
developing economy. The discussion
regarding women during this period
concentrated upon
life balance between the workforce and family.
Socialization
The mother is
typically the primary carer of new born babies
and small children.
Employment law enables them to take a
year off work following childbirth
to care for their new-born baby.
Upon a mother’s return to
work, although grandparents
increasingly fill the gap to help care for
their grandchildren,
many others place their child in a nursery.
Gender
led toys and family life often mean that gender roles
are formed at a
fairly early age. There is a popular expectation
that girls will dress
in pink, wear nice dresses and play with dolls
while boys are often
encouraged to dress in blue and play
with toys such as tractors and
cars.
Economy
The UK imports a quarter of its food from the EU
but with the
collapse in the value of the Pound against the Dollar
following
the vote for Britain to leave the European Union, prices are
set
to rise dramatically. In 2015, Britain exported £18 billion worth
of
food and drink whilst spending around £38 billion on importing
food and
drink.
Food
Even if British food
has not got an exceptional reputation in the
world, there are some
traditional foods in the United Kingdom
and traditional British beers.
The English breakfast and fish and
chips are the most iconic dishes in
the UK.
Traditional British foods typically center around the
concept of
‘meat and two veg’, which means in essence that the dish will
contain a type of meat (usually beef, pork, lamb or chicken),
two types
of vegetable (typically root vegetables) and potatoes.
Furthermore,
as it is a multicultural country, you can now enjoy
food from all parts
of the world in the UK. Curry is now the
nation’s favorite dish, being
brought over from the Indian
sub-continent with migrants.
Arts, Humanities & Popular Culture
The British people have traditionally enjoyed social interaction
relating to popular culture throughout the centuries.
The theaters have long been well supported with entertainment
ranging from
music to drama and to comedy. In the 19th Century,
the Music Hall was
the mainstay of entertainment offering all
manner of acts from singing
to acrobatics.
The cinema is very popular as are the numerous
social clubs
across the country. Music too plays an important role in
popular
culture and has been the forerunner in exports.
The UK
is home to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones,
Adele, and many other
artists who have made it to the world
stage. Jungle, Dubstep, Grime and
other modern forms of
dance music also originate from the UK.
Traditionally
music and social gatherings have been the cement
in isolated
communities over the centuries with dancing and
singing.
The Scottish
and Irish Ceilidh is a traditional social gathering
involving Gaelic
folk music and dancing either in a house or
larger venue. The Welsh
people are known for their singing
voices and the Welsh Men’s Choir is
renowned World Wide.
Art and literature has also played a focal
part in the history of
UK culture. There are many art galleries
throughout the country
and Britain is known for its history of authors
such as Virginia
