What are some interesting peculiarities of British culture?

August 10, 2017

• Topical

What would you tell a foreigner if they asked you to characterise British culture? What makes you proud to be a Briton? And how would you convey just how quirky our culture is? We listed some of the things that we think shouldn’t be missing on your list!  

British humour

We had to start with this one. Britain is famous for its unique take on humour. It can be described as very dry, heavy on sarcasm and irony, exaggeration, and self-depreciation. Foreigners are often baffled when we use humour to highlight our own flaws or even more so, when we start teasing them. If you want your international friends to feel at ease, assure them that when a Briton suddenly drops their usual politeness and starts making fun of them, it is a sign of genuine fondness! Unless, of course, they don’t like tea. Nobody could possibly be friends with someone who dislikes tea!

Tea time

Speaking of tea, how do you like your cuppa? With milk, of course, but do you put the milk or the tea first? This debate could cause a true national divide! But did you know that most people outside of the UK don’t drink their tea with milk? Indeed, putting milk in tea feels so odd to them that some can even be disgusted by the idea – the combination simply doesn’t sound right at all to them. They don’t know what they’re missing out on! That the British are very fond of their tea is probably the most famous stereotype the world holds about us. It is hardly only a stereotype, however: from five o’clock tea rituals to delicious cream teas, tea accompanies us wherever we go. At breakfast, lunch, coffee break, pudding or supper, tea will always be served. In fact, tea is so much part of our lives that our language works with, too. Just consider the following expressions: ‘not my cup of tea’, ‘storm in a teacup’, ‘as useful as a chocolate teapot’, and finally ‘as English as a cup of tea’.

Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Britpop

It all started with the Beatle Mania but it has come a long way since. With a rich history of revolutionary punk (The Sex Pistols) and rock artists (Elvis Presley, Queen, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones), most recently it has been Indie and Britpop artists who have been conquering music charts. Artic Monkeys, Oasis, Blur, Radiohead, Mumfords & Sons, The Kooks, Foals, Coldplay, Bloc Party… There seems to be something in the British culture which inspires musical genius!    

British Food

Everybody knows Fish & Chips, but there is so much more to the British cuisine! Some of our specialties are pies, puddings, buns, and numerous cakes. Then there are scones, muffins, marmalade, marmite, fudge, sticky toffee, baked beans, cheddar, stilton, bacon, cheese sandwiches… We’ve already mentioned tea rituals, but there are other quirky British food traditions. The typical British breakfast is very popular among visitors to the UK, but Sunday roast is not as well known to foreigners. This tradition began in Medieval times: serfs, who worked every day except Sundays, gathered after church service in fields to practice their battle techniques. Meat put in the oven before church was ready to eat upon return, and so the tradition caught – practical, delicious, and festive!

Celebrations

We just love to get in the festive mood. Take Christmas – just about everybody living in the UK is invited to a Christmas dinner or Christmas party, be it by their employer or group of friends. While some foreigners are sceptical about our famous Christmas pudding, they all love to watch Love Actually. But apart from international holidays like Christmas, we also have a number of our own festivities. There is Bonfire Night, Burn’s Night, Oak Apple Day, St David’s Day, St George’s Day, and St Patrick’s Day. Shrove Thursday has also turned into a celebration – you probably know it as Pancake Day. We are also very keen on celebrating May Day, St Valentine’s, and Halloween. In addition, we love festive dining, garden parties, and, of course, tea rituals.

Fire safety

We surely take fire safety very seriously. Maybe even a little too seriously, foreigners would often observe. While student residences across Europe test the functionality of fire detectors approximately once a year, our institutions do it once a week. A European friend once teased me that this nation must still be recovering from the Great Fire of London. They may laugh, but fire safety surely is something to be proud of!

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