British and American Cultural/Lifestyle Differences

[guofei_ma]

Is anyone interested in discussing about differences in the British and American ways of life? Possible topics include Christmas, economy, social classes, etc.

 

[Anonymous]

Is anyone interested in discussing about differences in the British and American ways of life? Possible topics include Christmas, economy, social classes, etc.

Here's something to start off.


We don't have "lords" in the U.S. I don't like how that sounds. I don't mean to be offensive to anyone that is British, but a question was asked and I simply responded.

Perhaps someone can explain what a "lord" is and why one is called a "lord". Isn't there some history behind that which can be briefly told?

The British parliament has the "house of lords". No lords for me please.

:shock: :shock:

 

[guofei_ma]

I've read somewhere that the British government is currently in the process of re-structuring the House of Lords and all hereditary lords are to be kicked out of the house.

 

[Anonymous]

I've read somewhere that the British government is currently in the process of re-structuring the House of Lords and all hereditary lords are to be kicked out of the house.

I recall hearing something like that on a news report as well some time ago.


How exactly does the hereditary lord system work? Would you happen know? I'm somehow a bit curious about it.

:?: :shock: :?: :shock: 8)

 

[Red5]

I've read somewhere that the British government is currently in the process of re-structuring the House of Lords and all hereditary lords are to be kicked out of the house.

Take a look at the following pages to get an idea about hereditary peerages:

http://laura.chinet.com/html/titles02.html

http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm41/4183/ref-00.htm

 

[Tdol]

British society is much more secular than American- religion has very little role at all and far fewer people are religious.

 

[guofei_ma]

British society is much more secular than American- religion has very little role at all and far fewer people are religious.

Oddly, the British National Curriculum stipulates religious education, from which a student can only be withdrawn by parental request.

 

[Tdol]

It's a strange thing that dates back a long time. However, religious education nowadays is broad and involves exposure to many religions. Under 2% of the British population attend the church of England, except for weddings and funerals. ;-)

 

[guofei_ma]

Can anyone think of differences between the American and British ways of celebrating Christmas, either religiously or secularly?

 

[RonBee]

Can anyone think of differences between the American and British ways of celebrating Christmas, either religiously or secularly?

I would like to know more about that myself. About the only thing I know about British customs in that regard I learned from "A Christmas Carol", and I am sure things have changed some since Dickens's day.

8)

 

[Tdol]

Christmas is not really a religious festival here in the UK. It's about food and presents and most of the traditions are, infact, pagan not Christian. The tree, mistletoe, etc, predate Christianity. We also have a holiday on the 26th of December called Boxing Day, which was a day for sports, which were banned on Christmas day. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

Christmas here is also a secular holiday as much as it is a religious holiday. It's a time of year when people get together with their families. We also have Christmas (evergreen) trees here, but we don't have Boxing Day. Instead, December 26 is the day for returning the presents you didn't want.
:wink:

 

[Tdol]

It's also a tradition here to plan to go to midnight mass on Xmas eve, but then to drink too much and end up missing it. ;-)

 

[guofei_ma]

Reply

So TDOL is British. Well, hello, fellow Briton.

My family comes from China but we are naturalised British citizens. I think the grossest misconception about a British Christmas in my family is the concept of "Boxing Day". All my aunts and uncles tell my cousins that Boxing Day is the proper day to unwrap their presents. Well, I found out two years ago that this is totally untrue.

Hé, yes, Christmas in my family is secular. My grandfather's Muslim, my mother's Buddhist, my father and I are non-religious. But we still celebrate christmas and treat it like a kind of "family reunion".

 

[Tdol]

I was in a Muslim friends house last year and a Hindu friend came round to give a Christmas present, which is a pretty similar sort of mixture. In Portugal and other countries, including the Czech republic, they give the present on Christmas eve. ;-)

 

[haucalam]

welcome chrismax !

Let"s talk about Christmax

 

[Tdol]

The X is not used at the end of the word- we write 'Xmas'. BTW, people who say this is offensive to Christians are wrong- the X symbol was used by Christians hundreds of years ago as a symbol for Jesus, so its origin as a written form is Christian. ;-)