The United Kingdom’s rich customs and traditions are famous across the world. English culture frequently gets associated with copious amounts of tea drinking, the British Royal Family, and good manners. However, English culture goes far deeper than these internationally recognised hallmarks and is evolving all the time.

In the UK, the people and their lifestyles are quite different from anywhere else in the world. For example, they are well known for their reserved nature, value their privacy, and avoid showing emotion in a big way.

The UK’s society prides itself on having a multicultural presence and is very tolerant of new religions and cultures. While the UK has also kept its ancient traditions, such as its royal party, it has changed dramatically and has become much more multicultural and cosmopolitan.

London is the center for many international students in the UK as it is a destination of great diversity. UK traditions and culture are vibrant, ranging from ancient castles to lush gardens. A lifetime would be needed to discover the rich culture of the British nation, regions, and people. However, there are a few basic things expats should keep in mind before they go.

The Religion

Christianity is the most common religion in the UK, with 50 percent of the population being religious, mainly divided between the Church of England and Catholics.

Additionally, to Christians, the UK has many followers of the following other major world religions:

• 50.7% Catholics
• 2.5% Muslims
• 0.7% Hindus
• 0.6% Jewish
• 0.3% Sikhs
• 1.5% of other non-Christians

The Language

Throughout the UK, English is the primary language spoken. There are still some Welsh-speaking people in Wales. Nonetheless, since everyone in the United Kingdom speaks English, you only need to learn English there.

There are many dialects for such a small country, and some of them can be complicated to understand, even for English speakers. These linguistic variations include:

• Cockney: a person from London
• Brummies: people from Birmingham
• Mancunians: people who are from Manchester
• West Country: people who live in Devon, Cornwall, and Bristol
• Scousers: residents of Liverpool
• Geordie: a person from Newcastle, Middlesbrough, or Sunderland
• Scots or Scottish: people who are from Scotland
• Welsh: citizens of Wales

Unexplained Etiquette and Rules

Typical of every culture, there are unspoken rules in the UK that are expected to be followed. You’ll pick them up pretty quickly. The most important is punctuality—if you are running late for a meeting, please inform the other person as soon as you can. Other key aspects include queueing (which the UK is known for) and making small talk when everyone is introduced to each other.

“Sorry”

There is probably no word overused in British English other than “sorry.” It is a British culture to over-apologize about everything, from the weather to bumping into someone on the train. According to a survey, the average British person apologizes about seven times a day, with some people apologizing up to 20 times a day.

Experiencing British Traditions

The Students’ Union of your university or institute may organize cultural events related to the UK and other countries. There are several Students’ Unions that organize celebrations for One World Week. The date varies by institution, so check the website of your students’ union or contact them for details.

An organization named HOST connects international students at UK colleges and universities with hosts who will invite international students to their homes for the day, a weekend, or even at Christmas.

Eating in the UK

It is easy to find good food in the UK, and we have some of the world’s top restaurants. Lots of cheap restaurants and food markets are available for students on a budget. You can try food from all over the world, even in small towns. Italian, Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Mexican food are all very popular.

Traditional British food includes:

• Fish and chips
• Full English breakfast
• Sunday roast dinners
• Yorkshire pudding
• Cornish pasties
• Cream tea
• Pies
• Haggis
• Local cheese
• Plenty of tea and cake

Supermarkets are good places to find cheap options for lunch and snacks to reduce the cost of living.

Weather

The UK weather is another unique, confusing, or surprising aspect of British life, and British people love talking about it! The weather is notoriously hard to predict in the UK because it constantly changes.

During September, the weather can be pretty sunny and mild, while October usually remains mild, though temperatures cool off slightly. You can expect fog and cold weather in November and December, and in late November, you may encounter frost and snow.

It will still be freezing in January and February, with frost and snow at times.

Spring begins in March, but the weather can be very unpredictable. It may be chilly and warm at the same time! The city comes alive with spring flowers in April and May when the weather warms up. Spring is a time when it is more likely to rain than at any other time of the year, so bring a light raincoat and umbrella in preparation.