Moved to the UK and want to learn british traditions? Here's our guide
Moving to the UK is a huge and exciting time in many students’ lives, many are drawn in by British culture and life.
Many think that they may know well what life in the UK is really like, having watched a whole host of British TV shows and movies. But there are so many customs and traditions in the UK that may seem alien to you, or that you may not fully understand.
Don’t panic, we’re here to guide you through, with five of our top British customs and Traditions.
Queueing
You probably know by now that we brits love a queue, but you probably don’t know just how seriously we take our queuing. Our queues are long, well organised, and can seemingly spring up from nowhere. Make sure you don’t push in line, however, as people are likely to get upset.
The line might be long, and it might be boring waiting, but you’ll soon get used to this most essential part of British life.
Greetings
We’re a bit of an awkward bunch, us brits, so you’ll probably notice that we don’t embrace one another or kiss on the cheeks when we meet someone. A handshake will suffice in most cases. We normally keep hugs and kisses for people we know well, like friends and relatives.
Don’t be afraid to say hi to a British person and engage in small talk, these are both acceptable ways of greeting and engaging a British person into a short chat.
Sorry seems to be the hardest word
In this case, you’ll notice that British people will say sorry over almost anything, and that the will say it a LOT. In a lot of cases, it won’t even make sense. Say someone doesn’t hold a door for you, changes their mind, then turns back to hold it for you, chances are both of you will be apologising for the fact that the other person didn’t hold the door for you initially. Sounds confusing right? You’ll soon pick it up (and start doing it yourself).
Tipping
In some countries, it’s normal to tip all the time, even if the food or service wasn’t that good. Not so here in the UK. Generally, only tip if you feel that you received good service, or if there is a large group of you eating out, for example. Normally this would be about 10% of a final bill.
Don’t worry too much about tipping here, usually you are not obliged to and the people working there typically don’t expect tips, but feel more than welcome to tip in the UK if you really did like the service you received. They will appreciate it.
Tea
Tea, the drink of the nation. You’ll find that most people drink several cups of it a day.
This hot beverage has had fans divided for years over how it’s made. Is it milk then teabag then hot water, or is it teabag, hot water, then milk? It makes a difference.
Ask a group of friends if you put the milk in tea first and you are guaranteed to get a debate going.
With these british traditions and customs now explained, you will hopefully not find seeing these things weird in your daily life.
Looking for accommodation near your University? Check out cheap student accommodation which we have to offer.
