Great Britain – the standard of style and European standard of living and one of the most expensive countries in the world. Nevertheless, the flow of inbound tourism near Foggy Albion remains very high from year to year.
So what attracts visitors to Britain besides corporate humor, sophisticated manners and the best music in the world?
The Vipgeo portal has collected the most interesting facts about the UK, which are not always known to the average tourist.
Peculiarities of the population and mentality
In the UK, few people consider themselves exactly British – depending on the province, its population is called English, Scots or Irish. Confusing this, you can greatly offend a person.
No matter how paradoxical it may seem, the native British make temporary emigration to another country one of their main goals in life. There are many jokes on this topic that all great Britons realize their love for their homeland only in foreign lands.
Most often, residents of large cities, especially London, leave for America. In their opinion, in the New World it is much easier to show your ambitions in business or creativity.
The continuing migration process of Great Britain over the past half century has significantly changed the national and racial composition of large cities. Now there are many people from Islamic countries and black Britons. English tolerance does not allow anyone to infringe on their rights.
Many Britons try to get education at home, despite a number of difficulties. For example, in order to enter Oxford, it is highly desirable to have recommendations from several preparatory schools, where only relatives of those who have already graduated from this prestigious university are taken.
In general, the dynasty – one of the foundations of the British public mentality. Opinions about a particular family clan have been formed over generations, and reputation for most Englishmen is much more important than momentary profit.
It is considered bad form to visit a Briton without an invitation. If the owner of the house has not made an appointment – he can easily slam the door in front of an uninvited guest.
Personal time and space for a Briton – sacred. It is customary to schedule all meetings, including dates, at least two weeks in advance, in extreme cases – during the week. If the invitee or invitee is late for more than 10 minutes - – the Briton will most likely leave without waiting, regardless of the reasons.
The certain stinginess of the British causes considerable irritation in many European neighbors. For example, it is not customary here to order a lot of food in a restaurant – dinner should be modest but satisfying.
The tradition of paying the bill in half also comes from Britain. You can treat a friend or girlfriend on a date, but only with his consent, otherwise it may offend a true Anglo-Saxon who is used to making a living on his own.
An ordinary Briton rarely thinks about a family before the age of 25. It is believed that future spouses must make a successful career before the wedding and have enough money to buy their own house or apartment.
In Britain there are many accents of English, sometimes the language is different even in different parts city.
The British are distinguished by high cold resistance, here until November children are dressed in skirts with golfs and short shorts.
If you do not speak English well, you will be complimented that you speak well enough. If you object, you will be told that their Russian is definitely worse.
The British are almost not interested in politics, they are very surprised at Russian jokes on this topic.
But the English humor is quite specific, it is very difficult for a person of another nationality to understand it.
The British are very polite, they constantly apologize for the smallest offenses. And during the purchase, the seller can thank you up to 7 times.
To this well-manneredness is added a very strong resentment – if you do not apologize for the accidental jolt in transport, you may be told that you are very poorly brought up.
Branded British sociability – not a myth. The same salesperson in the store, before issuing a check, will definitely ask about the mood, discuss the weather and have time to show off his child's progress in school.
The British began drinking tea at exactly 5 pm only in the 18th century, almost a century and a half after the first tea was imported from India. Until now, this tradition is inviolable, although it has been transformed in the realities of offices and the modern pace of life.
