Faculty of Foreign Languages

Subject: British and American Culture



PORTFOLIO
British and American Culture

Lecture: Nguyễn Phạm Duy Anh

Student: Phạm Gia Bảo
Student ID: 22114264
 President's Day in America
President's Day is a holiday commemorating the birthday of George Washington
- the first president of the United States. Celebrated on the third Monday of
February, around Washington's birthday, in some states, the holiday salutes all
former presidents of the country.

Cherry pie is the traditional cake

associated with President's Day, and
there is a historical meaning behind
the symbolism related to George
Washington's childhood. Apparently,
six-year-old Washington received a
hatchet from his father and liked to
shear everything he encountered. He began cutting the bark of the cherry tree in
the garden until it finally withered away. When his father asked who cut the
bark, Washington uttered the famous words, "I cannot tell a lie, you know I
cannot tell a lie! I did cut it with my hatchet." The honesty was rewarded by his
father's genuine embrace.

Why is Presidents' Day on a Monday?

Presidents' Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February because of the
Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved several federal holidays to
Mondays when it was passed by the United States Congress in 1968. This
change was intended to allow American workers a number of three-day
weekends throughout the year.

https://stayfine.co/blogs/special-occasions/occasion
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Presidents-Day

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 American Cuisine
American cuisine is one delicacy that's hard to
define, given that it was introduced and
influenced by immigrants over the early years.
From Northeast to Mid-Atlantic, Southern to
Southwest, the eccentric blend of exotic food
eventually made America what it is today: a
unique myriad of steak houses, sandwich
shops and burger joints.

A true melting pot when it comes to staple ingredients – from chicken, wheat,
corn, and bread – these components are key in just about any quintessential
American food. The most recognisable ones are the all-time classics such as
pizzas, burgers, hotdogs, and pot pies. However, when it comes to defining the
cuisine by locality, it is a different matter altogether.

Northeastern dishes

The Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts) offers an abundance of

seafood-centric dishes, given its strategic location near the Atlantic Ocean.
Lobsters and clams are heavily used, with popular dishes such as the lobster roll
and seafood chowder earning a name for themselves.

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Midwestern dishes

Known as the breadbasket of America, the Midwest (Illinois, Michigan,

Wisconsin) serves as the centre for grain production, most notably wheat, corn,
and soy. An apt reflection of its common resources, Midwestern dishes are
usually satisfying and hearty meals such as bread pudding, Chicago deep-dish
pizza and sandwiches.

Southern dishes

Meanwhile, dishes down South (Texas, Florida, Tennessee) feature heavier

flavours with a common reliance on frying and barbecuing. With corn, rice and
chicken being an integral presence, barbequed meat, fried chicken, and brisket
burger are just some of the famous Southern staples.

https://www.unileverfoodsolutions.com.my/en/chef-inspiration/knorr-world-
cuisine/western-trends-and-tips/introduction-to-american-cuisine.html

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 Religions in America
The original settlers in America were often driven by a desire to find religious
freedom and religion is still very important in American society. Virtually every
known religion is practised in America and only 23% of Americans identify
themselves as having no religion, according to research by the Pew Research
Center. Around 71% identify themselves as Christian and there are growing
populations of Muslim and Buddhist followers.
Most cities offer houses of worship for most major religions, enabling people to
continue their religious practice. Religious freedom is an important principle in
America and the constitution separates religion and the State, although the
country is not without cases of religious persecution of minorities.

https://www.expatnetwork.com/the-american-people-and-lifestyle/
https://www.prri.org/research/2020-census-of-american-religion/

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 IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITIES IN AMERICA

If you've watched most movies about American college life, a large majority of
them take place in a big-name, elite university. Animal House, Legally Blonde,
A Beautiful Mind, Good Will Hunting — all showcase the strange parties and
characters that exist within the walls of these highly respected institutions.

These prestigious and highly selective universities are often grouped under the
term 'Ivy League', and their history is quite interesting and important
to American higher education. If you are considering applying to a Master's in
the United States, here are some essential things you need to know about these
Ivy League Schools.

Ivy League universities in the U.S. began as a group association of eight highly
competitive athletic colleges, namely:

• Harvard University (Massachusetts)

• Yale University (Connecticut)
• Princeton University (New Jersey)
• Columbia University (New York)
• Brown University (Rhode Island)
• Dartmouth College (New Hampshire)
• University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
• Cornell University (New York)

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As their athletic teams began to attract more funding and gained popularity, the
standards for student performance and admission became increasingly more
demanding and rigorous.

As a result, since the 1960s, these Ivy League schools and colleges gained a
widespread reputation for producing graduates with high academic
performances, social prestige, and promising career futures. Even today, these
universities maintain their reputation, and they have a large presence among the
top-ranked universities in the U.S.

https://www.mastersportal.com/articles/1958/what-are-ivy-league-universities-
and-why-should-i-care.html

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 Diversity in America
The U.S. is often called a
melting pot because its people
come from many different
backgrounds and cultures, and
there are such a wide variety
of beliefs, values, and
traditions. There is no such
thing as the typical American
- that's part of what makes it
such an interesting place!

Customs vary from region to region and family to family. If you're invited to a
cookout in California, that might mean grilling on the beach; in Texas, it could
be a barbecue competition in a park, or a block party in the middle of the street
in New York City. So get out and experience whatever traditions your host
community has to offer!

https://www.interexchange.org/articles/career-training-abroad/10-things-
to-know-about-u-s-culture/

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 Communication in America
Verbal

• Direct Communication: Americans are very direct communicators. They

tend to convey their entire message verbally, paying less attention to body
language. People are expected to 'get to the point'. This does not mean
courtesy is disregarded in communication, but it does mean that
Americans may sometimes miss nuances (such as understatement) in
conversation or some types of humour (for example, subtle sarcasm or
ironic statements).
• Language Styles: Americans are generally quite enthusiastic, assertive
and persuasive in their speech.
• Modesty: Americans are not very modest (by an Australian standard) as
boasting is not cut down by tall poppy syndrome in their culture. People
are expected to speak on their own behalf instead of waiting for someone
to tell of their achievements or success for them.
• Raised Voices: Americans may speak at higher volumes in public spaces,
however they generally do not appreciate loud or emotional outbursts.
• Silence: Americans sometimes grow uncomfortable when social chat is
punctuated with long periods of pause or silence and often try to fill the
gap in conversation.

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Non-Verbal

• Eye Contact: Eye contact should be maintained directly. It demonstrates

warmth, openness, honesty and approachability. If you make eye contact
with a stranger in passing (on the street, at a shop, in a hallway, etc.) give
a small smile or nod to acknowledge them. Continuing on your way
without doing so means your were simply staring or unfriendly, and is
considered slightly rude.
• Physical Contact: Generally, Americans are not very tactile outside of
their families and close relationships. However, cities that are more
internationally exposed may adopt more physical contact in their
mannerisms. Touching someone of another gender – especially in the
workplace – can be misinterpreted as sexual harassment.
• Personal Space: Americans like to be given a fair amount of personal
space, so try not to encroach on it during a conversation. If an American
feels you are 'in their face' too much, they will probably not mention it and
simply step back.
• Gestures: It is best to nod or show some kind of sign that you are
listening throughout a conversation.
• Smiling: Many Americans smile when passing strangers on the street as a
simple gesture of goodwill.

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/american-culture/american-culture-
communication

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 Tea and biscuits of British customs
It's not just a stereotype. When asked about quintessentially British customs,
almost all respondents to my question immediately mentioned drinking a nice
cuppa. The word "cuppa" (/ˈkʌpə/) is a common way to refer to a cup of tea, as
when you pronounce the expression "cup of tea", it sounds more like "cuppa
tea". And the humble cup of tea indeed forms the basis of many British social
interactions. Most Brits drink tea for breakfast, more tea during work breaks, tea
before bed, tea when the neighbors visit, tea during a meeting, tea to help decide
how to solve a crisis … you get the idea. And let's not forget the great British art
of "dunking": this means dipping sugary biscuits into tea before eating them. In
fact, one source of national debate is which brand of biscuit is best for dunking
purposes .

https://www.britishcouncil.pt/en/blog/british-traditions-and-culture

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