BRITISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

I have always been fascinated by the English culture. I love the English language, the English customs and their traditions. I became interested in the language at school and basically just fell in love with everything related to the British culture.

I have also felt attracted to the United Kingdom from an early age because my parents are keen on the British cinema and I have seen lots of English films. I´ve grown up watching them and I have learnt quite a lot about British customs and traditions. This has allowed me to study a lot about English culture from a multidisciplinary approach: history, literature, politics, cinema, etc.

Britain is full of customs and traditions. They are interesting and part of the British lifestyle. They are famous all over the world and the British themselves consider them as "British"

• English tea. Tea is much more than a mere drink in Britain. It is a way of life, an art, almost a religion. It is served between three o'clock and five o'clock. It didn't exist before XIX century.
• English breakfast. It consists of several courses: porridge, bacon, eggs, saussages, grilled or fried tomatoes and a slice of fried bread. Nowadays the only time people eat a full English breakfast is on Sundays and on holyday; when they can spend a more leisurely morning. People now, consider it unhealthy.
• Take-away meals. They are very popular in Britain. Fish and chips is the classic English take-away food and is the traditional national food of England. It became popular in the 1800's when railways began to bring fresh fish straight from the coast.
• Pubs. The word pub stands for public house. There are over 60 000 pubs in the UK. Pubs are a very important part in British life. People talk,eat, drink meet their friends and relax there.

There are also certain icons and institutions which spring in mind whenever one hears the word "British".

• The British Bobby is one of the most cherised icons.
•  The Bulldog which symbolises the very essence of britishness. He is solid, reliable, loyal, very individual, very nice when you get to know him.
• In the same way the Americans have Uncle Sam, the British have John Bull. He is a fictional character who personifies the British nation, and the typical Ennglishman.
• Britannia is the personification of British nationalism. She is portrayed as a young woman in a neo-classical gown and helmet seated by the sea. She is holding a trident in one hand and a shield decorated with the Union Jack in the other.
• The Bowler hat conjures up an instant image of Britishness. It is worn today as the "unofficial uniform" of the city gent, always accesorized with a rolled up black umbrella.