Awhile back, we talked a bit about some of
the differences between Brits and Americans. Of course, we only scratched the surface with
that list, so today, we decided to give it another go. Here are 10 more things that are different
between British and American people… 10. Tea vs. Coffee It’s no surprise to anyone that British
people drink tea every single day. Well, multiple times a day, actually. It’s appropriate to suggest putting the
kettle on in nearly every social situation, and if you don’t, it’s considered to be
very rude. Americans, on the other hand, are all about
getting their morning cup of coffee. Even today, with tea coming back in style
in the US, Starbucks had to close down all 3,300 of their Teavana stores in 2017, because
tea simply wasn’t popular enough in the United States. Just about everyone knows about the Boston
Tea Party, and how ultimately Americans made the switch over to coffee. But not everyone knows when and how British
people got into their tea drinking habit in the first place. In 1662, a Portuguese woman named Catherine
of Braganza became the Queen of England. She drank imported tea every day, and served
it to her guests in the royal court. Since so many British people like to copy
whatever happens to be in fashion with the royal family, other people started drinking
tea, too, and the tradition stuck. 9. The McMansion vs. The Traditional British
Home In the United States, the farther west you
go, the newer the houses become. On the East Coast, there are far more houses
that have survived from the 1700 to 1800s, but for the vast majority of Americans, owning
a brand new house is a status symbol that shows that you have truly “made it” in
society. After the end of World War II, the United
States went through a period known as “the baby boom,” and there was a massive amount
of houses built in suburban areas throughout the 1950s as people settled down to have a
family. It became part of the “American Dream”
to buy a house in a new development. Unfortunately, not all of those houses were
built to last forever. In fact, they often were put up so quickly
that many have since been torn down and replaced with a completely new build. In England, they don’t exactly have tons
of building materials or land at their disposal, so there is a tradition of making due with
what they’ve got. There is much more of a practice of reusing
and repurposing what’s already there. It’s not at all uncommon for people to live
in Victorian or Edwardian homes that have been fixed up or extended with each new generation. Even if they can afford to build a new house
or completely modernize a home, many English people actually want to keep original details
intact, because it’s part of the property’s history and character. 8. Gym Rats vs. Outdoor Exercise In America, almost everyone who exercises
has a gym membership. If you don’t already have one, every January,
people start their New Year’s resolution to get more exercise, and usually pay for
a membership… only to slip back into their old habits. You just may be one of the millions of people
who paid for a monthly membership fee that you continue to pay for just in case you feel
like going to the gym some day. In England, people do go to the gym as well,
but there are far more people getting exercise by incorporating long walks or riding a bike
into their daily lifestyle. A study has shown that in the United Kingdom,
80% of people are not getting the recommended daily amount of exercise, and yet the percentage
of obese people living in the country is lower, which would seem to indicate that they must
have healthier habits overall. 7. Christmas Pudding vs. Apple Pie In both England and the United States, Christmas
Day is usually spent with your family exchanging presents around the Christmas tree. In the UK, though, Christmas dinner includes
a cracker (not an edible one like a Ritz cracker, mind you… that would be absurd), which is
filled with toys, bad jokes, and a paper crown. Santa Claus is called Father Christmas, and
people eat Christmas pudding instead of apple pie (despite the fact apple pie was invented
in England). They don’t have the massive lights displays
in their front yards, but they do have the Christmas Pantomime, which is an annual play
put on by celebrities. The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day,
which is a lot like Black Friday in the US. There are great sales in the shops, and everyone
takes time to relax and unbox the presents they received the day before. 6. Plastic Bags vs. Totes In nearly every store in England, they now
charge a few cents for each plastic shopping bag you use, and you always have to bag your
own groceries. So it has become far more common to see people
carrying reusable totes. In the United States, grocery stores like
Shoprite have employees whose sole job is to be a bagger, and plastic bags are given
out for free. Items are bagged no matter what, even when
it’s totally unnecessary. In fact, Americans often have to go out of
their way to insist to employees that they do not want a bag. Certain cities and states in the US have tried
to cut down on using plastic bags to save the environment, but there has been a pushback
among people who would rather have the convenience of getting free bags. 5. HVAC vs. Suck it up, it’s weather! Since it’s generally cooler all year round,
British homes almost never have air conditioning or ceiling fans. They simply open a window if they want some
fresh air. Heat is different as well, because it comes
from radiators and fireplaces or wood stoves, whereas most American homes have central heating
and cooling. In the United States, most people keep their
houses and apartments at a comfortable 70 degrees no matter what time of the year it
is. The reason for this goes back to #9, and the
fact that many British houses are so old they cannot accommodate a modern HVAC system, or
it would cost tens of thousands to install and make functional. In America, all newer houses are always built
with central heating and cooling installed, so they might as well use it, even if it racks
up the energy bills. 4. Small Talk vs. Silence In America, it’s common to make small talk
with people you’re sitting next to you on the train, in the elevator, or with the cashier
at the grocery store. And if you go down south, it’s like a Twilight
Zone where suddenly everyone is smiling at you and telling you to have a nice day. In the UK, though, it’s very rare for people
to talk to one another in public places. In Great Britain, you’re going to be met
with a lot of silence. People don’t generally make eye contact
with one another, and will stare at their phones or read the newspaper on public transportation
to avoid interacting with other people. According to The Guardian, one third of the
total population avoids small talk altogether, because they fear having an awkward interaction,
want to be left alone, or they are just honestly not sure what to say. 3. Extremes vs. Moderation In America, people tend to have an all-or-nothing
attitude when it comes to a lot of things, and there is a stereotype that they jump into
doing something instead of thinking too hard about it first. For example, people do crash diets without
thinking about the health consequences, or jump into buying something simply because
they have the impulse. And don’t get us started on the ludicrously
huge food portion sizes and eating “challenges.” There is a stereotype that Brits are generally
very sensible people who will think about something long and hard before they do it,
because they fear the consequences of something going wrong, and they tend to be much better
at living life in moderation. They also tend to follow the rules and carry
on traditions. Of course, this isn’t always the case, and
plenty of British people are capable of reacting based on their emotions, especially with the
recent political debates over Brexit. 2. Mandatory Vacations vs. Obscene Amounts of
Overtime In America, there is a culture of having a
lot of pride in working hard, because they are taught that it’s the key to getting
everything you want out of life. For some people, taking a break isn’t even
an option. Many full-time salary positions offer only
one week of paid vacation, and one in four Americans do not get any paid time off at
all. That one week off is often used up for family
emergencies and sick days, and many people have “stay-cations” because they need
the time to get all of their errands done on their days off. Burnout is very common in America, and there
is a lot of talk recently about practicing self-care. In the United Kingdom, no one needs to be
told about self-care, because it’s already part of their culture. It is an actual law in the UK that every single
person needs to get to get a minimum of five weeks of paid vacation, as well as paid maternity
leave. This means that everyone has plenty of time
to relax, and even an average person can afford to go on a one or two week international holiday. 1. Large vs. Small Cars In the UK, roads are usually very narrow,
because the streets in villages were often converted from the times when people were
riding in horse-drawn carriages. It only makes sense to drive smaller vehicles,
because they are often the only kind that will actually fit on the road. You almost never see anyone driving pickup
trucks or SUVs, unless they are actually a construction worker of some kind. In the US, roads are constantly being widened,
and there is even a practice of having the government buy up private property just so
they can create new highways. So the size of a vehicle is rarely a problem. Since they have so many options, people judge
one another for the cars they drive. Many people feel obligated to buy a nice car,
even if they’re not rich. To make matters worse, a study has shown that
80% of Americans have some kind of road rage.
