What makes the British British ?

A believer in the mutually beneficial Union of one country from four Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

I like to feel I have identity and can understand why so many U.S citizens fly the flag of their or their parents motherland although making their home and raising children in a country they have now become citizens of.
If I were to/ or had to move to another country I could not become un British and this is not a new feeling but one that has always been with me when travelling abroad for my work or on holiday.As the aircraft flew over the UK I would feel a great sense of peace .This was home and always would be.

sarahellen but what is that identity? If those who hold certain traditions / behaviours/ food dear keep them going they will still exist!
I had a person challenge me at work (school) about "you always celebrate the foreign fetivals but neve 'ours' "

I listed Christmas celebrations, Easter events, Mother's Day, St George's Day, Maypole dancing, country dancing etc. and all our regular assemblies which talked about current afffairs e.g Queen's Jubilee, Remembrance Day as opposed to one assembly for Diwali/Eid etc.

We notice difference not the familiar. The difference always seems bigger than the familiar.

Eccentricity.
In what other country would you find competitions in gravy-wrestling, conkers, cheese rolling, snail racing, worm charming, egg throwing, tossing pancakes, bog-snorkelling and gurning (pulling silly faces) to name but a few?
We Brits have always had a name for eccentricity.

We make and drink Tea at every opportunity regardless of the time of day or the climate.

When things go wrong or disaster strikes (war, accidents, floods etc.) we just brace ourselves and get on with it as best we can. Helping others if needed.

We maintain our sense of humour and and a smile whatever happens.

Pecs So what stops you.? Keep your beliefs. I don't have to follow suit no more than you have to follow mine.Cannot your identity be your own choice ?Do you have to become some one else?
Neither should we question another if they wish to be different to ourselves ?It is known as live and let live.
Were I for some reason living in another country would I have to follow others traditions . ? We have choices or should have. My identity is of my choosing so yours should be yours. The difference seems bigger because you allow it to.

I do hope Sarahellen that our identity is not watered down in any way as time time goes by. I admire the Americans for their loyalty to their country.

My sister who misses living in the UK always stands if she hears the National Anthem.

It does seem very difficult now to be proud to be British, and even more difficult to be proud to be English. Fly the cross of St George outside your house or on your car, and it will be assumed that you are a football/rugby supporter if there is an international match on, or failing that a racist, which I find terribly sad.

If I say I am proud to be British (I can't say English as half Scots,) then I get shot down with all the things people perceive as wrong with the Country. Yet we do have an amazing Country and people. I would just love someone to stand up for us!

When we go out with Dutch or German people in Portugal, they are all completely nonplussed by “your British humour”!! They can’t understand it, can’t see anything funny but love that we are entertaining them! They repeat “there you go, British humour”!

Men wearing socks with sandals.
Definitely queuing, agree with you all there.
Irony and sarcasm.
Dog walkers stopping to chat to each other, did that this afternoon.
Bonfire Night.
Our wonderful poetry and literature - from all four nations.
British tv and comedy programmes.
The Shipping Forecast and Radio 4
Pooh Sticks
Last Night of the Proms

The identity of the immigrant is often stronger in the new land they choose to call home.I know Scots in the USA and Canada who play the pipes ,highland dance and celebrate Burns night religiously every year,They always send me pictures of Tartan Week in NY They are proud of their country and our achievements ,rightly so.Thats why we should understand that when others come here they may leave their country behind but not the love of it or their culture.They should be able to still embrace it ,surely thats their right?

Irony.
And a proper pot of tea. Not a cup of warm water with a tea bag on the saucer.

Shakespeare!!
Our gift to to the world.

Our Queen has expressed sincere thanks and made a private gift in acknowledgement of the plight of Aussies living on the land due to our unprecedented drought. I think that epitomises what it means to be British.
Good on 'yer Liz!

B9 I so agree with you. I can't think of any other country where people are nervous about flying the flag.

Most people don't queue as such for buses around here (outer SW London) but that's largely because several buses - 4 or more - stop at many bus stops so people are waiting for several different ones. And I'm glad to say most are very frequent - I do love my Freedom Pass!

As for what you are called in different cultures, I have a Singaporean Chinese SiL whose grown up nieces and nephew from her own family always call me and dh Auntie X and Uncle Y. When her children were little they had lovely little Chinese names for (much older) dds and a dd's boyfriend, meaning Big Brother or Big Sister in Chinese. I forget now but IIRC one was Koko.

When I was working in Oman, the Omanis I came into contact with at work would call me Sister, if they didn't know my name. I thought it was lovely. But that was ages ago - now it would probably be Grandmother!!! I do remember my mother (about 80 then) being called Big Mama (Grandmother) on a holiday in Egypt. . Luckily she was only tickled by it.

Well at least you dont need permission to fly the English flag!!Up until very recently if we wanted to fly a Saltire we had to get permission from the council ,now go figure that.St Andrews night events going cap in hand to some jobsworth who has to obey Westminster diktats yet "union"flags and St georges crosses were allowed without permission.
On this weeks Wright Stuff Matt barbet asked a young black actor to teach the Scottish girl to speak English !!Because he was a" Brit".Its insiduous,its said so often most of you wont notice that its insulting ,if it were said to any other person there would be an outcry...but its just Banter when said to a Scot.In my opinion there is no such thing as British .

Actually paddyann flying the flag in UK is not so straightforward. I live in the West Country and we get a lot of travellers visiting. A man in a village close by was flying the St. George flag but was told to take it down by a council official because it could offend the travellers.

I didn't know the Scots had to ask permission to fly the Saltire until recently and I am appalled that was the case. You should be free to fly your flag in your country, just as I should feel free to fly my flag in my country without being accused of being racist or a thug

I have never had to ask permission to fly the Welsh flag

I thought everyone had to have planning permission to erect a flagpole in the garden.

I do agree with you Mrs Mopp about the tea!! I watched tge second Marigold hotel fim at tge cinema and right at the beginning Maghie Smith's character is given a cup of hot water and a tea bag in America and she refuses it and tell them very forcefully how to make proper tea. The (British) audience in the cinema actually clapped and cheered as well as laughing at that point.

Being Polite.
Not queue jumping.
Scones with jam and cream and a nice cup of tea.
Marmite!

Having had the opportunity to observe the British from the outside for over 40 years now, I would say that the most promininent traits that divide us Brits from others are

- laughing a lot, at silly jokes
- small talk, especially at the beginning and end of telephone conversations. At work, when I have a British customer on the phone, I always feel I'm hanging up in the middle of a sentence, but I really can't say goodbye in five different ways, just for the sake of it. I have work to do!

And one thing I welcome as soon as I set foot on British soil: Warm water in the taps in public loos.

B9 I so agree with you. I can't think of any other country where people are nervous about flying the flag.

I agree. It's very strange isn't it, that the flag has been hijacked by football fans, the hooligan elements and extremists.

Perhaps we need a flag flying week and every household is asked to fly the Union Jack and /or Cross of St George. It should not be an object of shame or derision.

I've just returned form living for twelve years in non-tourist Spain and the thing I missed the most was .... wait for it.... carpet! You can't walk on tiles in your bare feet and call it a pleasure, can you? Even slippers don't feel the same on tiles.