Introduction
England has always been very appealing to me, and I really wanted to write my profile assignment in English. So I figured why not do it about British Culture. British Culture is a very wide subject, so I found it quite difficult to decide where I wanted to talk about. Because what is now exactly 'culture'? I don't think there is one right answer to that question since there are so many aspects that make a culture of a country, from small customary habits like shaking someone's hand when you meet them, to national holidays like Christmas. I finally decided to choose some topics of the British Culture that I found the most interesting, I hope you enjoy this magazine!
Food
One of the first things that will come to your mind when you think of culture is probably food. I will talk about some typical British dishes like Full English Breakfast, Sunday Roast, Fish and Chips, High Tea and some more interesting dishes!
Fish & Chips
One of the first things that will come to your mind when you think of culture is probably food. I will talk about some typical British dishes like Full English Breakfast, Sunday Roast, Fish and Chips, High Tea and some more interesting dishes!
Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Pudding
Sunday roast is a true British classic. A traditional roast comes with meat, potatoes, gravy and vegetables and is very large! You can get Sunday roast with turkey, beef, pork, chicken, lamb and veggie options. Yorkshire pudding is a pudding made of eggs, flour, milk or water and is traditionally served with beef but can often be added to any Sunday roast order. This meal is eaten any time from 12noon to 5pm on Sundays.
Eton Mess
A simple but delicious dessert, a classic British treat. Eton Mess is named after the prestigious boys school of the same name. The classic Eton Mess is a fabulous mix of crushed meringue, cream and strawberries, but there are also variants made with different kinds of fruit or with ice cream instead of cream.
Bangers and Mash
A traditional dish with mashed potatoes is Bangers and Mash. The classic sausage and mash is served with homemade onion gravy and peas. The dish is simple and sure to please all the family.
Cockles
Cockles are a small type of clam and have been a popular British seaside snack for many years where they were a cheap, staple food for decades.
Full English breakfast
A full English breakfast is a great traditional British dish, it's easy, tasty and usually inexpensive! It incorporates: sausages, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, blood pudding, patatoes and toast. As you can imagine it is a very heavy meal!
Afternoon Tea
The ultimate British tradition is of course afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is a meal composed of sandwiches, which are usually cut into 'fingers', scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries, cakes and of course tea of your choice. It evolved in the early 1840's. It was meant to be a mini meal so it was easier to wait for the evening meal at 8pm. An afternoon tea is often between 4pm and 7pm. Nowadays it is more an event for celebrations such as a birthday.
fun facts:
scones were not a common feature of early Afternoon Tea and were only introduced in the 20th century.
most British people drink their tea with a little bit of milk in it.
Sightseeing
England is a very interesting country in terms of sightseeings. Since there is so much to talk about I picked a few sightseeings that I found the most appealing such as Stonehenge, Cambridge University and The London Eye.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is one of Britain's most famous ancient monuments, and one of its most famous sightseeing spots. The 'hanging stones' were placed from 3000 to 1500 before Christ and historians are still baffled by how the huge stones were transported. Each stone weighing up to 50 tons each, it would've taken 600 men to move just one.
fun fact: No one has figured out a 100% what the stones are, but the mystery of the stones can certainly draw a crowd.
Cambridge University
Cambridge university is an excellent place to visit. It attracts visitors from all over the world for its famous colleges and university buildings. The University of Cambridge is one of the world's oldest universities and has a very rich history. It has a worldwide reputation for outstanding academic achievement. The university has nine museums and collections, which you can visit throughout the year. You can also visit all college chapels and most colleges, but at select times.
The Big Ben
Big Ben is a nickname for the huge clock in the tower of the Palace of Westminster. There are two theories about how the clock got it's name. The first theory suggests that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who was the first commissioner of works. He was a large man who was known in the house as 'Big Ben'. The second theory suggest that it was named after Benjamin Caunt, who was a heavyweight boxing champion. He was also known as 'Big Ben', which was a common nickname in society for anything that was the heaviest in its class. ''
Fun facts:
The Big Ben has rarely stopped. In the second world war, when a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber, the clock tower survived and Big Ben continued to strike hours.
Under the clockface are the latin words that say DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM, which means 'O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First'.
In June 2012 the House of Commons announced that in honour of Queen Elizabeth ll's Diamond Jubilee, the tower was to be renamed the Elizabeth Tower.
London eye
A very popular attraction is The London Eye. It's a huge Ferris wheel, which was opened in March 2000. Just like the Eiffel tower once in Paris, it was meant to just stay there for a limited time. But in 2006 it was decided that it would stay there for another 25 years since it was so popular. From a flight with The London Eye you can see almost all the highlights of London, one flight takes 30 minutes.
The Palace of Westminster
The House of Commons and The House of Lords meet in The Palace of Westminster. The House of Commons is the lower house of the parliament of the United Kingdom. The House of Lords ''is the upper house of the parliament of the United Kingdom. The Palace of Westminster is also known as the 'heart of British politics'. The Old Palace which was destroyed by fire in 1834, the New Palace stands today and is the replacement of the Old Palace. The name 'Palace of Westminster can refer to both buildings. The palace is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and since 1987 it's on the Unesco World Heritage Site.
Sports
Sports are always a big part of a country's culture. Think for example of the World Cup. It unites the people of a country. So since sports tend to give people a feeling of unity I will talk about a few very english sports like cricket, polo, soccer, horseracing and some more.
Cricket
England's national sport is cricket, although many people see football (soccer) as England's national sport. Cricket is played with a ball that looks a bit like baseball. There are two teams with 11 players. The batters and the fielders. Two batters stand in front of the two wickets, set about 20 meters apart. Each wicket consists of three wooden rods (stumps) pushed into the ground, with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top. A member of the opposing team (the bowler) throws the ball towards one of the batters, who must hit the ball so that it does not knock a bail off the wicket. If the ball travels far enough, the two batters run back and forth between the wickets while the fielders on the opposing team try to catch the ball. The number of times the batters exchange is the number of points they've scored.
A batsman can bat six times to try to make as many runs as possible. If the batsman hit the ball so hard that the ball rolls out of the field in, he earns four points. They don't have to run then. If the ball goes through the air outside the field, the batsman earns six points. If the batsman bats six times, it is called an over. Another member of the team is on turn then. When the pieces of wood on the wicket fall off it''s called bailed and the batsman is out. There are lots of other ways to get out for example if the umpire decided that the wicket had been disturbed if the batsman did not stand there and of course when the ball is caught. Cricket has two umpires, at each wicket one. They have supervision and communicate with the scores, the ones who keep the score, through ''arm movements. A cricket match can last for days. This happens most of the time when the match is on a professional level. ''
Football (soccer)
Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, and has been played for hundreds of years. It started in the beginning of the 19th century, at first it was just a ballgame that was played at different schools. Soon it became a sport for everyone. In 1863 the FA (Football Association) was established. People called it Assoc from which soccer arose. Lately people more often call it football, but with football people often think of American Football.
In the English Football League there are 92 professional clubs. These are semi-professional, so most players have other full-time jobs. Hundreds of thousands of people also play football in parks and playgrounds just for fun. Some of England's football teams are world famous, the most famous being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. The highlight of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May.
Horse Racing
Horse racing is one of the oldest of all sports, and the basic concept hasn't undergone virtually any change over the centuries. It developed from a simple contest of speed or stamina between two horses into a spectacle, but the most essential rule has always been the same: the horse that finishes first is the winner. Horse racing is a popular spectator sport. People can place bets on the races at legal off-track betting shops. You can bet on one horse, and choose for 'to win'. The horse you chose for has to be first at the finish, but you can also choose for 'each way'. If you choose for 'each way' you have to pay twice your investment but you have more chance to win, because if the horse you chose ends in the top three you also win something.
Some of the best-known horse races are held at Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood and Epsom. Ascot, a small town in the south of England, becomes the centre of horse-racing world for one week in June. It's called Royal Ascot because the Queen always goes to Ascot. She has a lot of racehorses and likes to watch. It's also customary to dress up a very chic if you go watch horse racing, it's also very common to wear a hat to such an event.
Rugby
Rugby arose in 1823, it is similar to football but played with an oval ball. American Football derived from Rugby. Ruby is played with two teams of 15 players. ''Players can carry the ball and tackle each other. There weren't any common rules until 1871. For many years Rugby was only played by the rich upper classes, but now it is popular all over the country. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final each September.
Tennis
The best known tennis tournament is the tournament of Wimbledon. That is played every year in June, but officially it starts six weeks before the first Monday of August. The first matches were played in 1877, with just a couple of hundred spectators, which is now an audience of a few hundred thousand people. Wimbledon is part of the four 'Grand Slams', Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Us Open, and it's the only one of the four which is played on grass and where they have to wear white.
Fun fact:
While watching the game it's traditional for visitors to eat strawberries.
Polo
A polo game is played between two teams of four players and exists of 4 to 6 'chukkas' in a match, one chukka lasts for 7 minutes of actual play. The players have to move the polo ball down-field and when the ball goes through the goalposts it's a score. After each goal the teams change directions, that is to compensate for field and wind conditions. There are a lot of rules but most are made for the safety of the players as it can be a dangerous sport.
Education
Children are the future of a country so education is naturally very important to any culture.
Between the ages of 5 and 16 full-time education is compulsory for all children and teenagers in the UK, all these are entitled to a free place at a state school. Even though it's not compulsory yet, many children start their education aged 3 or 4 by attending a nursery school, playgroup or the reception or nursery class of a primary school.
Primary education is for children aged 4 or 5 up to 11 or 13. It's often called 'primary school', 'infant school' or 'junior school'. In the independent sector it's mostly called 'Pre-preparatory' or 'preparatory' school.
Secondary education is for children aged 11 or 13 to 16. It's often called 'secondary school' or 'high school'. In the independent sector the term 'Senior school' is mostly used.
After you've turned 16 your education is no longer compulsory, but students might enter further education and then higher education.
Boarding school
A boarding school is a residential school where pupils live and study during the school year. There are approximately 500 boarding schools across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Boarding schools were originally for the wealthy and boys. It took a long time before girls education took place in a boarding environment. Though boarding schools are still mainly for the wealthy, most boarding schools do have access for less wealthy families through a bursary system, so if a family can't afford the fees but they feel like their child would benefit from boarding school they can apply to have all or part of the fees paid by the school's endowments. Boarding schools in the Uk tend to be characterized by a very high standard of academic achievement, very high quality of teaching and a smaller ratio between pupils and teachers.
Most UK boarding schools teach a mix of international pupils and local UK pupils. 'Boarders' are pupils who live at the school. 'Day pupils' live with their families and return home at the end of the school day. Most UK boarding schools teach boys and girls, but there are also many single-sex schools.
Uniforms
Most students that go to elementary and secondary school are required to wear uniforms. The tradition of school uniforms were meant to give schools a sense of identity and cohesion. They also were meant to make sure all students were equal regardless of their parents wealth. Uniforms have become more modern over the years. Now most school uniforms consist out of T-shirts or polo shirts and sweatshirts with plain colored pants or jeans instead of the traditional uniform which consisted of a blazer and tie in thick fabric. Some schools on the other hand have chosen to keep things just the way they have been for hundreds of years.
Celebrations
Celebrations are probably one of the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of culture. Just like I said with sports, national celebrations tend to unite people which makes them a very big part of a culture.
January
1st ' New Year's Day. New Year's Eve, is celebrated similar to how the Dutch celebrate it. It's traditional to celebrate with your friends or family at midnight and many people make 'New Year's resolutions', to achieve a goal or break a bad habit in the coming year.
February
9th ' Shrove Tuesday or 'Pancake Day'. Lent is the traditional Christian period of fasting, which lasts for 40 days. The day before Lent is called Shrove Tuesday, and the people would traditionally use up their eggs, milk and sugar by making pancakes. Nowadays people still make pancakes on this day, even if they're not religious.
14th ' Valentine's Day. Historically it's called the Feast of St. Valentine, which is nowadays a celebration of romance. It's celebrated the same as in the Netherlands, many people take their loved one out for dinner and give them a romantic gift, and when you're single you might get a Valentine's card from a secret admirer!
March
25th – 28th ' Easter weekend. Easter is Christian holiday, where people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The previous Friday before easter weekend is called, Good Friday. Nowadays people celebrate Easter with giving each other chocolate eggs. ''
June
13th ' The Queen's Official Birthday. Since 1748 it has been a tradition to celebrate the King or Queen's birthday in June, eventhough the Queen's real birthday is on the 21st ''of April. Since a long time ago it has been decided that the Queen's or King's birthday has to be celebrated in the summer because the weather is more likely to be better.
October
31st ' Halloween. Halloween is also celebrated the way we celebrate it in the Netherlands. You dress up very gruesomely and the children go trick- or- treating, while many of the older teenagers go to Halloween parties.
November
5th ' Bonfire night. Historically, this day marks the anniversary of Guy Fawkes' plot to blow up the House of Lords and kill King James I in 1605. The failed plot is remembered in the children's rhyme: 'Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot'. Nowadays it's celebrated with spectacular fireworks.
December
25th ' Christmas. Historically Christmas is a religious celebration, but nowadays almost everyone celebrates it even if they aren't religious. It's traditional to have a Christmas dinner with your friends or family. Most people also celebrate it with a Christmas tree and presents.
26th ' Boxing day. The day after Christmas is Boxing day, that day no one has to go to work or school. It's believed it's been named after the 'Christmas box' of money or gifts which employers used to give to servants and tradesmen. Nowadays, it isn't really celebrated, most people just spend the day with their families.
Queen Elizabeth ll
On April 21, 1926 Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London. Her father was Prince Albert, Duke of York, later known as King George VI. On February 6, 1952 she became Queen Elizabeth II and was crowned on June 2, 1953.
In 1947 she married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh. They got two children together. In 1948 they got their first child, Prince Charles and their second child Princess Anne was born in 1950.
In 1939 with the outbreak of World War II, she made the first of her famous radio broadcasts. She was only 14 years old and she told them 'that in the end, all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace.'
The queen's Diamond Jubilee was in 2012. It marked 60 years on the throne. It was celebrated on June 2,3, 4 and 5. Most people had a day off work or school to celebrate. Buckingham Palace organized many events to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, such as a colourful parade, a special lunch for 10,000 people and a huge street party. In 2015 she became the longest-reigning monarch after more than 63 years.
The Queen's 90th birthday was on April 21, 2016. She celebrated her birthday on April 21, but in May and June other events also took place. It was celebrated with an event which in the 90-year journey was told. They used 900 horses, more than 1,500 actors, bands and dancers to tell the story.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a fantasy serie written by J.K. Rowling. The books and the movies are both very popular. The books have been translated into 67 languages, which makes Rowling one of the most translated authors in history. The novels are about a the life of a young wizard, Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They all go to Hogwarts which is a school for wizards and witches. The main story line is the fight against Lord Voldemort who is a dark wizard. In the movies Harry potter is played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson played Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley was played by Rupert Grint.
You can visit the Warner Bros Studio in London. You can see behind the scenes and even some of the special effects which made these films so famous. You can also visit Platform 9 '' at King's Cross Station, where all the wizards have to go to in order to get to Hogwarts. There's also a Harry Potter shop where you can buy magical things.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band. In 1960 they formed in Liverpool. The members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. After their first hit 'Love Me Do' in 1962 they got their nickname 'the Fab Four' and Beatlemania grew in Britain. In early 1964 they became international stars. The Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings such as the album's Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road. In 1970 they broke up. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr remained musically active. In December 1980 John Lennon was shot and killed and in November 2001 George Harrison died of lung cancer. The Beatles were the best-selling music artists in the UK, they sold more singles than any other act in the UK. They were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and from 1994 to 2015 all four were individually inducted.