Manners

When it comes to conversations, the English are known for understatement both in humor and
expressing their emotions. Small talk is appropriate on social occasions, as well as modest gifts,
therefore it’s believed that generosity is very common among brits. In fact, when a company of people
goes for drinks or dinner, the bill is either split between them or the drinks are ordered by rounds.
Tipping is an essential part of service etiquette in England, tips mainly consist of 10 or 15 percent.

Death and the afterlife

In the early 1990s, about 25 percent of the population believed in life after death. For a majority of the
population, ideas about the afterlife are based on typical Victorian notions. For most people, funerals
have become much cleaner. Cemeteries are kept pristine and immaculate. Others, however, feel that
the dead are very much among the living in photographs, videos, and other visual mementos. People
used to remember the dead in a yearly cycle of religious days, but with the geographic spread of
families, family occasions have become the occasions to recall them.

Pub culture
The term pub is a short term for “public house.” True to its word origin, a British pub is a place in the
neighbourhood where people gather for drinks and discussions after the daily grind. The culture
prevalent in British pubs is observed to be different from American bars. Here are some main pub laws:

 Order from the bar and not from your table. The pubs do not usually have table service.
 When seated with a group, one should get the order of everybody so as not to crowd the bar.
 Most pubs only take cash for payment. Be ready as you order, but it is frowned upon to wave
your bill to call the bartender’s attention.
 To give tip to your server, offer him or her a drink. It will be added to your tab. If a tip jar is
existent, monetary tips are welcome as well.
 One bell from the bar means last order. Two means the bar is closed.

Queuing
Humbling history of queuing which traces back to World War II. Turns out, this social action in which
British people are now known for, emerged as people to form a file to receive supplies, among others.
Today, we see English people following invisible lines and maintaining an organized line for just about
anything. There are some social customs that are peculiarly deemed unacceptable by a number of the
British queuing public. This includes speaking to other people in line and accepting an offer from the
person in front of you to go ahead of the line.

Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury is a contemporary arts festival happening at Worthy Farm in Southwest England. It is
founded by Michael Eavis in the 1970s. Nowadays, it is the most celebrated music festival in the UK
every summer that runs for a couple of days. Festival attire and camping tents are a must to enjoy the
great vibes of the festival. A year in advance ticket booking would be suggested because the
Glastonbury festival tickets typically sell in a few hours after going live.

British Food
Fish and chips is a very common takeaway food in the UK. As the name implies, it consists of fish that is
fried in batter and accompanied by potato chips. Fresh cod is the most common fish used for this dish.
These were conventionally served wrapped in old newspaper, until a more hygienic paper counterpart
replaced the wrap. A lot of restaurants offer fish and chips as Friday specials in regards to the traditional
no-meat fast of Roman Catholics during Fridays. English cuisine can be really specific. Even the English
themselves say that many people can’t eat or do not particularly like things such as black pudding, peas
and jellied eels. It’s said that the only way to like it is to grow up eating it.

Morris Dancing
Morris dancing is both art and history in motion. It usually involves dancing with sticks, handkerchiefs or
swords in a style that is depicted mainly by location. Some styles include Cotswold from the South
Midlands and Longsword in Yorkshire. This type of dance is typically performed on specific occasions
and seasons such as early summer for Oxfordshire and during Christmas and New Year for Yorkshire.
However, morris dancing can still be performed in other instances.