8. Unique characteristics of anglo-american culture

GUY FAWKES NIGHT

November 5th is Guy Fawkes Night when the unsuccessful plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 is commemorated with bonfires, fireworks and burning of guys.

CHRISTMAS

Christmas is marked by fairy lights and brightly illuminated streets, carols and children awaiting the arrival of Father Christmas and his reindeer stopping outside their chimney. They hang up their stockings at the foot of beds and wait for the presents. They open them only on December 25th at breakfast-time. At noon they have their traditional Christmas dinner – roast turkey and Christmas pudding. December 26th is called Boxing Day.

NEW YEAR´S EVE

New Year’s Eve is the night of merry-making all over the land, especially in Scotland. They have family parties and at twelve o’clock they sing “Auld Lang Syne”. People gather in squares, link arms and sing. In Scotland they call the last day of the year Hogmanay. Is more celebrated than Christmas. They eat traditional dish haggis (minced heart, lungs and liver or a sheep boiled in a sheep’s stomach with oatmeal).

Every part of Britain has its own holiday:

• St.David’s Day – March 1st (Wales)

• St. Patrick’s Day – March 17th (Ireland)

• St. George’s Day – April 23rd (England)

• St. Andrew’s Day – November 30th (Scotland)

AMERICAN CULTURE

• It has always been difficult to pin down a specific American identity or essential “American-ness.”

• American dream – James Truslaw Adams definition 1931 book The epic of America = set of ideas/beliefs of richer, better and fuller life, people in US have more opportunities, richer life – persuade of happiness

• Opportunity that the new country gave immigrants coming from Europe

• Social order, political system works for the people it gives them the opportunity, therefore they can have fuller life

• Also, about equality between genders

• Where you were born, what is your social status should not be important – you have opportunity to show how good you are regardless your origin

• Why don’t Europeans don’t get it – strong social class system – social equality was unthinkable, we didn’t have any opportunity to lead this American dream life

• “The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”

• Political correctness = term used to describe language, policies that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society, set of rules, US hypercorrectness – painted (in India) x feathers (native Americans), racial aspect, LGBT community, men x women