Cultural norms and
traditions of Britain
Things you need to know about the British people
• The British are punctual. Being late is odd and, in some cases, considered to be rude. If you’re
going to be late to something, contact those involved as soon as you know you will be late.
Also, it is less rude to be late to a dinner party at someone’s home than it is to be late to a public
meeting (such as dinner at a restaurant).
• Never jump lines, known as “queues” in UK. In some countries jumping the queue may be
acceptable, but in UK, people may not be very happy with you and will definitely let you know
how unhappy they are about the situation. Standing patiently in the queue is a normal part of
British culture.
• In the UK, it’s acceptable to keep one arm’s length between yourself and those you are
speaking with. Any closer is assumed to be aggressive and can be uncomfortable for those
native to UK.
• Please, thank you, and sorry are normal parts of everyday conversations and interactions.
Some people are simply baffled by how polite British people are. As an international student,
you may not be used to this, but you will probably get used to it quickly after your arrival!
Things you need to know about the British people
• Please, thank you, and sorry are normal parts of everyday conversations and interactions. Some
people are simply baffled by how polite British people are. As an international student, you may not
be used to this, but you will probably get used to it quickly after your arrival!
• British people rarely use superlatives and are not very animated when they speak. They value
privacy over everything else, so be careful what you ask because you could be prying without
meaning to.
• British people often avoid extended eye contact. They find it uncomfortable and intimidating.
• If you are invited to the home of a native British person, it is normal to bring along a gift, such as
chocolate, wine, or flowers to say thank you.
• If you go to a pub with your friends, it is common practice to buy a round of drinks for those who
you came with.
• The person who has invited you to dinner is typically the one who pays. Do not argue about whose
responsibility it is, rather, invite them out to dinner at some point and pay for them to reciprocate.
British languages
Other than English, in the UK these
are official native languages:
• Welsh in Wales
• Gaelic and Scots in Scotland
• Irish and Ulster Scots in
Northern Ireland
• Cornish in Cornwall, England
Clothing in UK
• A typical element of their clothing
is the tweed jacket. Although this
jacket has almost identical shape and
design of a suit jacket it is meant to be
less formal and keep you warm
without needing to match it with
trousers.
• Scotland is mainly known for its
famous national attire, the kilt. This
type is an everyday clothing and often
is regarded as the highlands dress
regarding the Scottish land where the
Kilt has originated.
Sport in UK
Stereotypes
of the British
Tea
Tea is seen as a key part of British
culture. Originally introduced as a
luxury product in the 17th century,
cheap imports from colonial India allowed
its consumption to significantly increase
during the second half of the 19th
century. Today it remains a massively
popular beverage. One survey of British
adults from 2017 found that almost three
quarters of responders who drank tea
daily drank on average two or more cups
a day. Whilst research from a similar
time showed that the UK had the twelfth
largest per capita tea consumption in the
world. Though other hot drinks such as
coffee are also very popular.
Weather
According to a popular
stereotype, weather in the
United Kingdom is often seen
as being poor, mostly
consisting of either heavy rain
or fog. In reality, British
weather is generally fairly
mild but changeable. Though,
in recent years, climate
change has caused the UK's
weather to become more
extreme with incidents such
as heatwaves, heavy snow and
flooding occurring more
frequently.
Drinking
The drinking culture in the
U.K is huge and most social
occasions are centred around
alcoholic beverages. The Brits
are absolutely spoilt for choice
when it comes to pubs and
with the long winters and wet
summers, it’s easy to see why
this is such a popular pastime.
Terrible food and
wine
The traditional British dishes of
fish and chips or bangers and
mash don’t really stand out as
some of the best in the way of
culinary sophistication.
However, the British food scene
is picking up spectacularly and
London is really leading the
charge. In fact, 2 London
restaurants made the Top 10 in
the world list in 2014, so there
is definitely big progress in the
foodie world. When it comes to
wine, however, you’ll just have
to rely on the imports.
Conclusion
People believe stereotypes because they come from people. Such generalized
judgments are used for giving sense to any events. The stability of stereotypes
depends on how people see confirmation of their validity in everyday life. Even if
stereotypes are false, all of them equally carry out the function of reality. There is a
stereotype that the British are extremely prim. But it doesn’t mean that all British
are alike or that it is shown in everything and always. Thinking that the British are
strict means that it will be difficult to speak with them, and to be engaged in
something because everything will be different. However, it can be not so. It turns
out that we have insufficient information and draw conclusions in advance. People
live according to stereotypes because it is so much simpler. Thanks to stereotypes
people quickly make decisions in situations when there is not enough information.
People got used to stereotypes because it is so simpler to identify the person by any
criteria. Moreover, it is more convenient to determine the belonging of a person to
any culture by a stereotype.
