Customs and traditions in Great Britain

The English are people that cannot be rushed, i.e. they don't allow others to impose on their views, ideas or opinions. They are distrustful of extremes and resentful of interference. The English believe in themselves. They have not the inferiority complex. They are indifferent (безразличный) to what other people think of them. They are practical and realistic, steady, easy-going and fond of sports. The English people are the world's greatest tea drinkers. They drink tea at meals and between meals; in the morning and in the evening; when they are happy and they are upset; to get hot and to get cold; to calm down and to cheer up.

It is impossible not to mention pubs when speaking about the British way of life. Pubs are the most popular places where people come in the evening to have a beer and a chat.

"Hobbies" are a great English and American tradition. The most popular are gardening and pets. They keep dogs, cats, rabbits and horses. Every year the British spend over 1 billions on pet food.

The population of Britain takes part regularly in sport. The most popular sporting activities are walk-jogging, snooker/ billiards, swimming, football, golf.

Many young people in Britain today accept most of the beliefs, customs and behaviour of their parents. But at the same time they are different. They listen to different music, wear different clothes, have different ideas about life, use different words and behave differently. They are more independent, active, pragmatic and spiritually restrained. They grow up too fast and they are very independent. They face many problems, much cruelty and many stresses. They want to become adults as quickly as possible. They are less interested in global problems, and more interested in examination results which can assure them of good positions. Smart clothes, money and success are in fashion now. They are eager to get education and well-paid jobs. They want to take a confident stand in life and show their self-realization.

Most young people eventually get married, buy or rent a house or a flat of their own and start a family. However, as in many other European countries, more and more young people are living together without being married. Most of them register their marriage only if a child is on the way. And in general people get married later than they used to: women in late 20s, men in late 30s.

In Britain young people like Youth Clubs, thousands of them, for music, games, dancing, or just talking, for example, outdoor holidays with various clubs. Walking, pony trekking (езда в фургоне, запряженном пони), climbing and sailing are very popular. The Youth Hostels Association// Ассоциация молодежных турбаз provides cheap accommodation // стол и ночлег for young people travelling, often on foot, through Britain and other European countries.

Clothes and fashion of the Youth. Most British girls today take a great deal of interest in clothes and enjoy looking attractive. In fact, they think much more about fashion than their mothers did 20 or more years ago. Fashion shops for young people are opened all over Britain. London is considered to be the world’s most important fashion center for the young.

Character

Most Britons are reserved by nature and often find it difficult to indulge in small talk with a complete stranger. Indeed, there are situations where idle conversation is actually frowned upon, for example when travelling on the London underground; in these circumstances, a newspaper will act as a defensive tool in public whilst also providing potential material for subsequent social intercourse in private.

On the whole, northerners tend to be more immediately friendly than southerners, although true Scottish Highlanders will hardly say a word until you get to know them better and Welsh farmers can be especially taciturn (неразговорчивый, молчаливый). You should not be offended if people outside the 'Home Counties' of southeast England address you in apparently familiar or overly affectionate terms such as ‘dear’ or ‘love’ (whether you are a man or a woman).

For the most part, the British speak in low, moderate, measured tones without raising the voice or gesticulating wildly for emphasis. They also like to maintain their own personal space and will shy away from those they find invasive.

Although not all Britons are particularly articulate (отчетливо произносить, ясно выражать мысли), you should make an effort to speak in complete sentences; the British generally find the North American habit of trailing off in mid-sentence rather irritating. Nor should you interrupt someone; intonation conveys one has finished speaking and, in British English, the voice normally goes down at the end of an affirmative sentence.

Britons prefer to avoid animated discussions; if an argument does become heated, it is quite likely to have been fuelled by alcohol and it may be time for you to make your excuses and withdraw. For this reason, unless you are desperate for human contact, it is usually best to avoid sitting or standing at a bar. Obviously, this is doubly applicable (применимо) for women. In any case, a newspaper or some work to look at should again afford a degree of protection from bores (зануда) and boors (хамы) alike.

It is always advisable to try to initiate conversation with open questions rather than an assertion of a personal point of view. The British are largely tolerant and open-minded but every nation has its bigots (фанатики) and many Britons derive their opinions from the tabloid press, which typically expresses itself in black-and-white terms (the UK’s sometimes fraught relationship with the EU and continental Europe generally represents a prime example of the way in which opinion can divide into two extremely entrenched camps). This phenomenon is exemplified by the archetypal London taxi driver whose often extreme opinions should be taken with a large pinch of salt. Almost all Britons, however, are proud of their culture and heritage and this should be respected not mocked (высмеивать).

A major difficulty in effective communication can be the British predilection (пристрастие, склонность) for self-deprecation (самоосуждение, самокритика), which manifests itself frequently in the form of irony and litotes. Usage reflects the level of educational attainment but everyone tends to understate (недосказывать) everything, whether good or bad. A pensive (задумчивый) ‘hum’ may convey enthusiasm or hostility - or indifference. This may be disconcerting for foreigners, especially Americans, who are more accustomed to a forthright directness that Britons find embarrassing.

Welcome topics and those to avoid

Humour is a vital feature of all aspects of British life. In a society that finds it difficult to express genuine personal feelings, humour often acts as a defence mechanism but it is almost never out of place in a culture that is averse to (расположенный к) seriousness in all circumstances. The British are much less politically correct than North Americans who may be offended by some of the natives' banter (подшучивание, подтрунивание) and 'wit.'

The UK (especially, but not just, London) is a thoroughly multiracial and multicultural society. You should not make any assumptions about a person's background, nationality or origins.

Welcome topics: the weather (always a safe starting point), sport (particularly football/soccer), animals (usually safe - though beware vegetarians if you like to eat them), British history, culture, literature, art, and popular music current affairs, your immediate surroundings and positive experiences in the UK, how good the food is (things have changed in recent years!), real ale (i.e. traditional British beer)

Topics to avoid: Northern Ireland, religion (especially if you are in Northern Ireland, Glasgow or Liverpool), the monarchy and the Royal Family, partisan politics, the European Union, ‘Brussels’ and the euro, the Middle East, personal questions about a person’s background, religion, occupation, etc., class and the class system, race and immigration, sex (particularly homosexuality)

Addressing others with respect

Despite their reputation for stiff formality, the British are in fact quite informal and the immediate use of first names is increasingly prevalent in all walks of British life, especially amongst the young (under 40-45 years of age) and in the newer industries.

Nevertheless, you should always wait to be invited to use first names before doing so yourself. Quite often the invitation will be spontaneous but it may never happen at all. Until then - and not all Britons like the up-front (открытый) American approach – you should be careful to follow strict protocol, especially when dealing with older members of the 'Establishment.' It is best to avoid the American habit of constantly repeating someone’s name in the course of a conversation once on first-name terms.

The same principles apply to writing letters. You should start off formally and continue until your correspondent hints (e.g. by signing off with just his or her first name) that it is appropriate to switch. Some correspondences, however, may continue formally until the writers actually meet. Subordinates may never feel comfortable addressing their superiors by their first name either in writing or orally.

Different conventions apply when it comes to official documents, meetings, conferences etc. where it is common practice to use full titles even if all the participants would ordinarily be on first-name terms. Thus: ‘Mr. Chairman’, ‘the Commander-in-Chief thinks’, ‘the Prime Minister is mistaken’, and so on.

It is usually best to address a woman whose marital status is uncertain as ‘Ms’. By extension, you should also perhaps avoid the suffix ‘-man’, which logically should result in such ugly expressions as ‘Ms Chair’ (in practice, though, this usually translates as ‘Madam Chair’). In general, the older generation remain happy, and may even prefer, to use ‘Mrs’ or ‘Miss’ whereas ‘Ms’ is current amongst those born post-1960.

There is a persistent tradition amongst very close (male) friends, who have usually attended the same (public, i.e. private) school or (ancient) university, of using only their surnames. This practice is not to be emulated. In the absence of any professional title you should always use at least the courtesy titles ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’, etc. when using someone's surname.

‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’ are used by shop assistants, waiters, receptionists, etc. to address customers.

Knights, however, tend to like being called ‘Sir’ largely because a knighthood usually recognizes real achievement rather than political patronage. When John Smith is knighted, he is known as 'Sir John' but his wife is 'Lady Smith.' The female equivalent of a knight is a ‘dame’ (дама) and the correct mode of address in this instance is ‘Dame’, followed by her first name only. To add to the confusion, the daughter of a duke (герцог), marquess (маркиз) or earl (граф) is a 'Lady' and also addressed by her first name only.