BRITISH CULTURE

Britain is full of culture and traditions
which have been around for hundreds
of years. British customs and
traditions are famous all over the
world. When people think of Britain
they often think of people drinking
tea, eating fish and chips and wearing
bowler hats, but there is more to
Britain than just those things. There
are English and British traditions of
sport, music, food and many royal
occasions. There are also songs,
sayings and superstitions.

Geography



The name United Kingdom refers to
the union of what were once four
separate countries: England,
Scotland, Wales and Ireland
(though most of Ireland is now
independent, only Northern Ireland
remains part of the UK).



The UK's full and official name is
the "

United Kingdom of Great

Britain and Northern Ireland

".

National symbols

Anthem



The National Anthem is
God Save the Queen.
The British National
Anthem originated in a
patriotic song first
performed in 1745. It
became known as the
National Anthem from
the beginning of the
nineteenth century.

On official occasions the first
verse is sung, as follows:



God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.

The second verse is
occasionally sung as well:



Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And give us ever cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen.

History of flag

Royal coat of arms

Religion



Britain is a multi faith society in which everyone has
the right to religious freedom. Although Britain is
historically a Christian society, people are usually
very tolerant towards the faiths of others and those
who have no religious beliefs.



The main religion in Britain is Christianity. Most
Christians belong to the Church of England or the
Church of Scotland. These are Protestant Churches.
There are also many Roman Catholics.



The Queen (the British Monarch) is 'Supreme
Governor of the Church of England'.



Although religious faith in Britain is predominantly
Christian, most of the world’s religions are also
practiced. There are large Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and
Sikh communities, and also smaller communities of
Bahá’í, Buddhists, Jains, and Zoroastrians, as well as
followers of new religious movements.

Monarchy

Queen Elizabeth II



Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra
Mary) was born on 21 April, 1926 at 17
Bruton Street, London. Her birthday is
officially celebrated in Britain on the
second Saturday of June each year. The
day is referred to as “the Trooping of
the Colour”, the official name is “the
Queen’s Birthday Parade”.



Queen Elizabeth II is a 'constitutional
monarch'. This means that although she
is officially the head of the state, the
country is actually run by the
government, led by the Prime Minister.



Her Majesty The Queen's title in the
United Kingdom is:

Elizabeth the

Second, by the Grace of God of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland.

HRH Prince Philip



Queen Elizabeth II is the United
Kingdom's Head of State. She is
queen of 16 former British colonies,
including Australia, Canada and
New Zealand; and head of the
Commonwealth, a multinational
body created after the dissolution of
the British empire.



The Queen as married to the HRH
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the
son of Prince and Princess Andrew
of Greece and Denmark. They
married on 20 November 1947.

Royal Homes

Buckingham Palace



Among the official
royal residences are
Buckingham Palace,
Windsor Castle, St.
James Palace,
Balmoral Castle,
Frogmore House, The
Palace of
Holyroodhouse,
Sandringham House
and Kensington
Palace.

Windsor Castle

Balmoral Castle

The Palace of
Holyroodhouse

Sandringham House

The Queen’s Role



As Head of State, the Queen goes on official State visits abroad. She also
invites other world leaders to come to the United Kingdom. During their
visit, Heads of State usually stay at Buckingham Palace, or sometimes at
Windsor Castle or Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.



The Queen is also the Head of the Armed Forces. She is the only person
who can declare when the country is at war and when war is over,
although she must take advice from her government first.



The Queen is Head of the Church of England - a position that all British
monarchs have held since it was founded by Henry VIII in the 1530s. The
Queen appoints archbishops and bishops on the advice of the Prime
Minister. The spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of
Canterbury.



Every day 'red boxes' are delivered to the Queen's desk full of documents
and reports from the government ministers and Commonwealth officials.
They must all be read and, if necessary, signed by the Queen.



The Queen represents the nation at times of great celebration or sorrow.
One example of this is Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph
monument in Whitehall. The Queen lays a wreath there each year to
honour the members of the armed forces who have died fighting for their
country.



Alongside her other duties the Queen spends a huge amount of time
travelling around the country visiting hospitals, schools, factories and
other places and organisations.

Members of Royal Family



HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The
Duchess of Cornwall Prince Charles is
the Queen's eldest son and his wife
(Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14
November 1948)



Prince Charles is known as "The Prince
of Wales"
The title 'Prince of Wales' is given to
the heir to the British throne. The
tradition of investing the heir of the
monarch of Britain with the title of
"Prince of Wales" began in 1301, when
King Edward I of England, having
completed the conquest of Wales,
gave the title to his heir, Prince
Edward (later King Edward II of
England).



HRH Prince William
of Wales
(The Prince of
Wales's elder son)



Prince William Arthur
Philip Louis was born
on 21 June 1982



HRH Prince Harry of
Wales
(The Prince of Wales's
younger son)



Prince Henry Charles
Albert David (always
known as Prince Harry)
was born on 15
September 1984



HRH The Princess Royal (The Queen's
daughter)
(Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August
1950 )
Princess Anne "The Princess Royal"
Princess Royal is a title customarily (but not
automatically) awarded by a British monarch
to his or her eldest daughter.



HRH The Duke of York
(Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19
February 1960)
Prince Andrew is the third child and second
son of Queen Elizabeth II.



Prince Andrew "The Duke of York"
Since the 15th century, the title 'Duke of
York' has, when granted, been usually
given to the second son of the British
monarch. (Andrew has currently no male
heirs, thus, the most likely candidates for
the next "Duke of York" are Prince Harry of
Wales, being the second son of Charles,
Prince of Wales, or a second son of Prince
William of Wales.)



The wife of the Duke of York is known as
The Duchess of York .



TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex (The
Queen's youngest son and his wife)
(Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10
March 1964)
Prince Edward is the youngest child and
third son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has
held the title of Earl of Wessex since 1999.



Prince Edward, "The Earl of Wessex",
Younger sons of the monarch are normally
given dukedoms at the time of their
marriage. However, given the Prince's
theatrical links and the Royal Family's
policy of "slimming down" their size — and
Edward's being seventh in the order of
succession to the British throne, the
Earldom of Wessex was recreated, Earl
being a lesser title than Duke.



The region of Wessex (the "West Saxons'),
in the south and southwest of England,
was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon
kingdoms.

Customs and
Traditions

National Costumes of Unided
Kingdom



England, unlike Wales and
Scotland, has no official
national dress.



In Scotland the national
dress is a kilt.



The national
costume of Wales
is a long skirt,
worn with a
petticoat and
topped with a
shawl.

Royal Guards costumes

Life Guard

Foot Guard

EMBLEMS OF BRITAIN



England -

St. George and the

Rose

The national flower of England is
the rose. The flower has been
adopted as England’s emblem
since the time of the Wars of the
Roses - civil wars (1455-1485)
between the royal house of
Lancaster (whose emblem was a
red rose) and the royal house of
York (whose emblem was a
white rose).



Scotland - St. Andrew -
the Thistle and Scottish
Bluebell
The national flower of
Scotland is the thistle, a
prickly-leaved purple
flower which was first
used in the 15th century
as a symbol of defence.
The Scottish Bluebell is
also seen as the flower of
Scotland.



Wales -

St . Dav id

and t he Daff odil

The national flower of
Wales is the daffodil,
which is traditionally
worn on St. David’s Day.
The vegetable called
leek is also considered to
be a traditional emblem
of Wales.



Northern Ireland -

ST. PATRICK

AND THE SHAMROCK

The national flower of Northern
Ireland is the shamrock, a
three-leaved plant similar to
clover. An Irish tale tells of how
Patrick used the three-leafed
shamrock to explain the Trinity.
He used it in his sermons to
represent how the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit could
all exist as separate elements
of the same entity. His followers
adopted the custom of wearing
a shamrock on his feast day.

National Days in the UK



1 MARCH

- The national day of

Wales is St David's Day.



17 MARCH

- The national day of

Northern Ireland is St Patrick's Day



23 APRIL

- The national day of

England is St George's Day



30 NOVEMBER

- The national day

of Scotland’s is St Andrew's Day

Music



Britain is more famous for pop music
than it is for classical composers or
jazz musicians. Names such as The
Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led
Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John,
George Michael and The Spice Girls
are known world wide. Britain was at
the forefront of punk music in the
1970s with bands such as the Sex
Pistols and The Clash, and the
subsequent rebirth of heavy metal
with bands such as Motorhead and
Iron Maiden.

Short history of music in Britain from 1920s to 1990s



1920s

- Young people listened to ragtime and jazz.



1930s

- Swing became popular. Benny Goodman and his Orchestra

were the 'King of the Swing', as were Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw.
The music was fast and frantically paced and led to dances being
banned from dance halls, as the young women being flung into the
air by their partners showed their stocking tops and underwear. Jazz
continued to be popular.



1940s

- The Second World War brought fast, frantic (and often

American) dance music - boogie-woogie or jitterbug. Dances were
held in church halls, village halls, clubs, Air Force bases -
everywhere! But slower, romantic songs were also popular as loved
ones went away to fight, such as Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again' and
the song about coming home again, 'The 'White Cliffs of Dover'.
After the war 'skiffle' bands became popular. These bands used
household items, such as washboards and tea chests, as part of
their set of instruments! Tommy Steele, who later became very
famous, first played in a skiffle band.



1950s

- Rock and Roll became very popular.



1960's

- The Beatles began their career. They leapt to fame in 1963

with 'Please, Please Me'. The Beatles moved through the late 1960s
as favourites of the 'flower power' generation - many young people
enjoyed 'hippie' music. Other teenagers preferred the music of the
'Mods' - ska music and The Who.



1970s

- The first big new sound of the 1970s was “Glam Rock”, the

main figures of this were David Bowie, Elton John and of course Gary
Glitter. In the bleak political backdrop, these larger that life British
bands and characters brought a welcome relief with their platform
boots, sequins, nail varnish and colourful hair.



Punk

- the punk movement of the late 1970s began in England.

Great British bands of this scene were The Sex Pistols and The Clash.
The Punk style was Mohicans, bondage clothes, safety pins, piercings
and bovver boots.



1980s

- The 1980s saw the rise of hip hop and rap music, with

American influences powerful once again in the form of such groups
as Run DMC and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. It also saw
the rise and fall of the 'New Romantics', typified by groups like Adam
and the Ants, who dressed as pirates and highway men and wore
huge amounts of makeup.



1990s

- Britpop This was the general name given in the 1990s to a

new wave of successful British bands who made a big impact in the
United States and Europe, as well as in England. The most successful
have been Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Massive Attack and The
Spice Girls.

British rock

The Beatles



The founder of the band was John
Lennon, a vocalist and guitarist.
The other members were: Paul
McCartney (vocal and guitars),
George Harrison (guitar) and Pete
Best (drums), later replaced by
Ringo Starr. The name of the
band changed several times,
from “Quarrymen” at the
beginning through “Johnny and
the Moondogs”, later to “Silver
Beetles”, until finally John –
inspired by the name of Buddy
Holly’s group – thought up the
name “The Beatles” – which was
a wordplay with the word “beat” –
rhythm, very important in rock
music.



Band came form Liverpool.

The Rolling Stones
have played rock, rock
and roll, blues rock,
rhythm and blues and
blues since 1962

Jimi Hendrix played
psychedelic rock,
hard rock, blues-rock,
acid rock, funk-rock

The Who - rock, hard rock, art
rock, protopunk, power pop

Led Zeppelin - hard rock, heavy
metal, blues rock, folk rock

Pink Floyd -
progressive rock,
psychedelic rock

David Bowie - rock,
glam rock, art rock,
pop

Queen – rock, galm
rock

Elton John - rock, glam rock,
soft rock, R&B, pop rock

Sex Pistols – punk, punk

rock

The Clash – punk, punk

rock

Black Sabbath – heavy
metal

Deep Purple – hard
rock, heavy metal

Judas Priest – heavy
metal

Iron Maiden – heavy
metal

The Police - rock, New Wave,
reggae rock, pop rock, post-
punk

Depeche Mode - alternative
dance, synthpop, new wave

Placebo - alternative rock, post-
punk revival, gothic rock, glam
punk

Muse - alternative rock, new
prog, space rock, symphonic
rock

Food



British food has traditionally been based on
beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish and
generally served with potatoes and one
other vegetable. The most common and
typical foods eaten in Britain include the
sandwich, fish and chips, pies like the
cornish pasty, trifle and roasts dinners.
Some of main british dishes have strange
names like Bubble & Squeak and Toad-in-
the-Hole.



The staple foods of Britain are meat, fish,
potatoes, flour, butter and eggs. Many of
dishes are based on these foods.

Tea time



Afternoon tea is not common these days
because most adults go out to work.
However, you can still have Afternoon tea
at the many tea rooms around England.



Afternoon tea became popular about one
hundred and fifty years ago, when rich
ladies invited their friends to their houses
for an afternoon cup of tea. They started
offering their visitors sandwiches and
cakes too. Soon everyone was enjoying
Afternoon tea.

Puddings



There are hundreds of variations of sweet puddings
in England, but each pudding begins with the same
basic ingredients of milk, sugar, eggs, flour and
butter and many involve fresh fruit such as
raspberries or strawberries, custard, cream, and
cakes.



The more traditional and well known home-made
puddings are apple or rhubarb crumble, bread and
butter pudding, spotted dick and trifle. The
traditional accompaniment is custard, known as
crème anglaise (English sauce) to the French. The
dishes are simple and traditional, with recipes
passed on from generation to generation.

Thank you so much for watching my prezentation. I hope, you

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