British life and culture

Customs and Traditions in the UK

When people think of Britain they often imagine the British:

drinking tea at 5 o’clock

eating fish and chips

wearing bowler hats

And what are the first three things which come into your mind when you hear the words 'England' or 'the English'?

Traditional Drinks in Britain

Tea

British Life & Culture

was created ву

N. V. Burdina

Customs and Traditions in the UK

• When people think of Britain they often imagine the British:
• drinking tea at 5 o’clock
• eating fish and chips
• wearing bowler hats
• And what are the first three things which come into your mind when you hear the words ' England ' or ' the English '?

Traditional Drinks in Britain

Tea

• Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Every day they drink 165 million cups of the stuff and each year around 144 thousand tons of tea are imported.
• Tea in Britain is traditionally brewed in a warmed china teapot, adding one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot. Most Britons like their tea strong and dark, but with a lot of milk.

DID YOU KNOW?

If someone asks you if you 'would like a cuppa ', they are asking if you would like a cup of tea.

Tea Words and phrases

Interesting facts

• Tea break , High tea , tea time , tea party , tea towel and many more terms have derived from the tradition of drinking tea.
• Tea breaks are when tea and biscuits are served. The traditional time for tea breaks are at 11:00 am and 4 pm in the afternoon.

Years ago,

milk was poured into the cup first, so as not to crack the porcelain.

If someone says 'let me be mother ' or 'shall I be mother', they are offering to pour out the tea from the teapot.

What food was invented or discovered in England?

• 1762: The sandwich was invented in England.

John Montagu invented a small meal that could be eaten with one hand while he continued his nonstop gambling.

This page contains some of England's most popular traditional dishes.

"Harry’s mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs."

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J. K. Rowling

Weather in Britain

• Contrary to popular belief, it DOES NOT rain every day in England or in the rest of the UK! However, it is always advisable to bring some type of waterproof clothing and keep yourself psychologically prepared!

Interesting Fact

Autumn 2000 was the wettest since records began in 1766, with a total of 503 millimetres of rainfall for September, October and November.

Telephone Boxes of London

• The Red Telephone Kiosk was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott at the request of the Post Office in 1924
• What do you think why they are red ? 

London Transport

Getting To London

London's double-decker red buses are world famous

• Cost of travelling on buses

You must buy a ticket before boarding the buses in London. There are ticket machines at most bus stops

The bus adult single cash fare is £2 for any journey.

Advice!

Avoid travelling in the rush hours between about 08:00-09:30 and 16:30-18:30.

Sport in Britain

• What is the English national sport?

• Many of the world - wide famous kinds of sports began in Britain, including cricket , football, lawn tennis , golf and rugby .

Football

• Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, and has been played for hundreds of years.
• The highlight of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May.
• What are the most famous football teams of England?

Arsenal

Chelsea

Football teams

Manchester United

Music of Britain

• Britain is more famous for pop music than it is for classical composers or jazz musicians. Names such as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Elton John, George Michael and The Spice Girls are known world wide but little do people know of other musicians not in the pop world.

• In Britain, most youths listen to punk , house , rock , pop and R&B . (such as JLo, Xtina, Beyonce, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Leona Lewis).

What famous people are there in Britain?

Famous writers :

William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens.

Famous Poets :

Lord Byron, Robert Burns, and Thomas Hardy.

In November 2002, the British public voted to find the Greatest Briton of all time . Over a million people voted.

The list contains a few non British entrants includinding two Irish nationals (Bono and Bob Geldof) and Freddie Mercury , who was born in Zanzibar to Indian Parsi parents.

Quiz

• 1. Who invented the sandwich?

a) Giles Gilbert Scott; b) John Montagu; c) John Lennon

• 2. How often does it rain in England?

a) everyday; b) almost everyday; c) doesn’t rain at all

• 3. Why is the color of the telephone boxes red?

a) to find them fast & easily; b) Red is Britons’ favourite colour ; c) Red colour makes them unique

• 4. What is England’s national sport?

a) tennis; b) Cricket; c) Football

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!