BRITISH CULTURE

The UK stands for the United Kingdom.
It is called this because it is made up of four smaller countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
England, Scotland and Wales are located on the island of Great Britain. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are on the island of Ireland.
The UK is in the Northern Hemisphere and has four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

British people are known to be polite, friendly, and reserved
Punctuality is important – it’s better to be five minutes early than five minutes late
An unwritten rule is for everyone to stand on the right-hand side of an escalator, so that people can use the left-hand side to walk up the stairs
British people LOVE to queue! It’s expected that you wait patiently for your turn, as it is seen as very rude to queue jump
Kissing on the cheek is reserved for close friends and family, not for formal introductions
British people apologise a lot, even for minor things and regularly say sorry for things that aren't their fault
British humour is very sarcastic and uses a lot of second degree, it is good to be aware of it to not get offended

English is the main language, but you will hear lots of different accents and over 300 languages in London
Each area of Britain has very different accents and even vocabulary and some part also have their own language: Scottish, Welsh and Gaelic
In British English, "you alright?" is a common, informal greeting, similar to "hello" and not a genuine question about how you are feeling
•‘Love’, ‘sweetheart’ or ‘darling’ are often used as a friendly and polite way to address someone, even strangers

British people love to talk about the weather, they often start a conversation by commenting on the weather
There are four distinctive seasons, but be prepared for a lot of wind and rain in the Winter and Autumn seasons
Daylight saving - from 31st October it will be dark by 4 pm, but in the late Spring/Summer it stays bright until 9:30-10 pm
Lots of great sunsets and sunrises!
British people love the sun. Everyone goes outside and the parks are full on a warm sunny day
The weather is unpredictable and can change many times in a day, so pack your umbrella and sunglasses

• The Royal Family are British cultural icons. Most British people love them and follow their lives closely

• Royal residences like Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace attracts millions of visitors each year

• They are involved in many charities and cultural events

• Swans in Britain are protected by the monarch and it is illegal to kill them

• A flag above Buckingham palace means the King is home

• It is believed that the monarchy will fall if ravens leave tower of London - therefore there are always six Ravens in the gardens of the tower

They are not 'British' - The Queen’s side of the family are originally German, and through the Duke of Edinburgh the royals have Danish and Greek ancestry.

Chicken Tikka Masala was elected Britain's national dish
Fish and chips are traditionally served wrapped in a newspaper to take away
The British often have sandwiches for lunch and it is common to see people eat at their desks, in public transport or in parks
English breakfast is savoury and contains beans and black pudding
Sunday roast is served in pubs across the country
The "jam or cream first?" on scones is a national debate
Mince pies are Christmas cakes made with 'mince meat', which does not contain meat, but candied fruits
Pigs in blanket are small sausages wrapped in bacon
Toad in the Hole is sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding batter
Afternoon tea is very popular all around the country
Pies are very popular and can be sweet or savoury
The British drink a lot of tea at any time of the day
Cider is as common as beer and can be found in every pub
The British like to put vinegar on their chips
The British eat a lot of crisps and there are some uncommon flavours such as prawn cocktail or pickled onion

London hosts a variety of major sporting events, including the London Marathon, the All England Lawn Tennis Club Championships (Wimbledon), and the FA Cup Final
Some of the best sports venues in London include Kia Oval, Twickenham Stadium, Lord's Cricket Ground, Wembley Stadium, and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Many popular sports, including football, rugby, tennis, cricket, table tennis and squash started in the UK
Every year The NFL plays a few games in London at Tottenham Stadium and Wembley Stadium, featuring teams like the New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars
For almost 200 years the famous Cambridge vs Oxford boat race has taken place on the Thames in London
At the London 2012 Olympics, 10,568 athletes competed. Competitors set 38 world records and 99 Olympic records

There are 241 theatres in London, including the famous West End. Some of the most popular theatre shows in London include The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Wicked, Hamilton, and The Phantom of the Opera
London is home to a diverse and rich music scene, with venues ranging from iconic large arenas like Wembley Stadium to smaller, more intimate clubs and pubs
London has over 200 museums and hosts three of the top ten museums in the world
London has four UNESCO World Heritage sites: Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, Westminster Palace and Kew’s Royal Botanical Gardens
London hosts thousands of film premieres every year, with celebrities from all around the world