London's castles and countryside invite you to history tours, festivals and British cuisine.
01.01 New Year
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May 01.05, Labor Day
The last Monday of May, Spring Day
Last Sunday in May, Memorial Day
June, King's Birthday
December 25.12, Christmas
December 26.12, Boxing Day
Neutral:
– A handshake is a standard greeting when meeting new people and at business meetings.
– A slight nod of the head is a sign of agreement or greeting.
– Smiling and making eye contact are perceived as friendliness.
– The “OK” gesture (a ring made with the thumb and index finger) usually means “everything is fine.”
– A raised hand with an open palm is a greeting or a “stop” signal.
– V-sign with palm facing outward (fingers up, palm towards the interlocutor) – “peace”, “victory”.
Offensive:
– The V-sign with the palm facing inward (fingers up, palm facing you) is an insult, similar to “fuck”.
– A thumbs up is generally neutral, but in some situations it can be perceived as a rude gesture.
– The middle finger is extremely offensive, as in other countries.
– Winking at a woman can be perceived as rude or inappropriate.
– Placing a glass upside down on the counter in a pub is considered a challenge to a fight.
January
Scotland - Hogmanay (New Year) Celebrations and Fire Festivals
London Winter Sales, Ice Rinks at the Tower of London and Somerset House
February
London - Chinese New Year Carnival in Chinatown
Yorkshire - Lamb season begins, country fairs
Scotland - Cairngorms and Glencoe ski resorts
March
Wales - St David's Day (1 March), parades and festivals
London - Irish Culture Festival and St. Patrick's Day Parade
Oxford and Cambridge - Traditional Boat Race on the Thames
April
London - London Marathon
Kent - Gardens in bloom and tulip festivals
Oxford - College tour season begins with blooming gardens
May
London - Chelsea Flower Show (the world's leading flower show)
Gloucestershire - Cooper's Hill Cheese Race
Cornwall - Surfing and the start of the beach season
June
London - Trooping the Colour (the monarch's official birthday)
Ascot - Royal Horse Racing
Glastonbury is the largest music festival in the UK.
July
London - Wimbledon finals
Cambridge Summer Music Festivals
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
August
Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe (the world's largest theatre festival)
London - Notting Hill Carnival
Yorkshire - Moorland Season
September
London - Heritage Open Days (access to historic buildings)
Scotland marks the start of the whisky tour and festival season.
Cotswolds Harvest and Food Fairs
October
London - BFI Film Festival
Scotland - Autumn Festivals and Golden Highland Landscapes
Oxford - The start of the academic year, college traditions
November
The whole country celebrates Guy Fawkes Night (November 5), with bonfires and fireworks
London - Lord Mayor's Show
Scotland - Edinburgh and Glasgow Light Festivals
December
London - Christmas lights on Regent Street and Oxford Street
York - Christmas market in the medieval centre
Edinburgh - Christmas Market and Hogmanay
999, single emergency number
112, single emergency number
101, police (non-emergency calls)
111, medical advice (NHS)
– Winston Churchill, Prime Minister
– William Shakespeare, writer
– Isaac Newton, scientist
– Charles Darwin, scientist
- The Beatles, a musical group
– David Beckham, footballer
– Elizabeth II, Queen
- enter private lands outside the public footpath
– photograph military bases
- carry knives in public places
– When meeting, it is customary to shake hands and make eye contact
– Polite address as "Sir" or "Madam"
– In pubs, it is customary to order drinks in turn for the whole company
– Order is strictly observed in queues
– Politeness and restraint are valued more than emotionality
– greeting / Hello / hello
– gratitude / Thank you / thank you
– please / Please / please
– sorry / Sorry / sorry
– Where is the bus…? / Where is the bus…? / where is the bus
– How much is the ticket? / How much is the ticket? / how much is the ticket?
– pharmacy / Pharmacy / pharmacy
– I need a doctor / I need a doctor
– I need help / I need help / I need help
– Call the police / Call the police
– Call an ambulance / Call an ambulance
– Very tasty! / Delicious! / delicious
– The bill, please / The bill, please
– toast / Cheers! (To your health!)
– joke / Keep calm and carry on!
First (in the world)
– The world's first bicameral parliament (1295)
– The world's first industrial city (Manchester, 18th century)
– The world's first steam locomotive (Richard Trevithick, 1804)
– The world's first regular newspaper publication (The London Gazette, 1665)
– The world's first natural history museum (Oxford, 1683)
– The world's first national time standard (Greenwich, 1884)
Records (the "most" in the world)
– The oldest active monarchy in Europe
– The largest collection of Shakespeare's works
– The highest concentration of castles per square kilometre (in Wales)
– The largest library by storage capacity in Europe (British Library)
– The highest density of museums per capita in Europe
Records (one of the most) in the world
– One of the most influential centers of world literature
– One of the largest financial hubs (London)
– One of the most famous brands in higher education (Oxford, Cambridge)
– One of the most developed markets in the music industry
– One of the most popular cultural tourism routes
– One of the most stable markets for theatrical arts
– One of the most active participants in international diplomacy
– One of the largest archives on the history of colonialism
Anti-records (the "most" in the world)
– The highest proportion of adolescents consuming alcohol in Europe (in some years)
– The highest density of CCTV cameras per capita
– The highest proportion of the population suffering from loneliness is among the elderly
Anti-records ("one of the most" in the world)
– One of the highest levels of social inequality in Western Europe
– One of the highest levels of child poverty among G7 countries
– One of the highest levels of dependence on the financial sector
– One of the highest housing prices in the capital
– One of the highest levels of youth migration from rural areas
– One of the highest levels of vulnerability to energy crises
It is customary to discuss:
– Football and sports
It is not accepted to discuss:
– Politics and monarchy
– Brexit in a negative light
– visit castles
- listen to music
– hike in Scotland
– to relax on the coast
London's castles and countryside invite you to history tours, festivals and British cuisine.
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World
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World
01.01 New Year
Good Friday
Easter Monday
May 01.05, Labor Day
The last Monday of May, Spring Day
Last Sunday in May, Memorial Day
June, King's Birthday
December 25.12, Christmas
December 26.12, Boxing Day
Neutral:
– A handshake is a standard greeting when meeting new people and at business meetings.
– A slight nod of the head is a sign of agreement or greeting.
– Smiling and making eye contact are perceived as friendliness.
– The “OK” gesture (a ring made with the thumb and index finger) usually means “everything is fine.”
– A raised hand with an open palm is a greeting or a “stop” signal.
– V-sign with palm facing outward (fingers up, palm towards the interlocutor) – “peace”, “victory”.
Offensive:
– The V-sign with the palm facing inward (fingers up, palm facing you) is an insult, similar to “fuck”.
– A thumbs up is generally neutral, but in some situations it can be perceived as a rude gesture.
– The middle finger is extremely offensive, as in other countries.
– Winking at a woman can be perceived as rude or inappropriate.
– Placing a glass upside down on the counter in a pub is considered a challenge to a fight.
January
Scotland - Hogmanay (New Year) Celebrations and Fire Festivals
London Winter Sales, Ice Rinks at the Tower of London and Somerset House
February
London - Chinese New Year Carnival in Chinatown
Yorkshire - Lamb season begins, country fairs
Scotland - Cairngorms and Glencoe ski resorts
March
Wales - St David's Day (1 March), parades and festivals
London - Irish Culture Festival and St. Patrick's Day Parade
Oxford and Cambridge - Traditional Boat Race on the Thames
April
London - London Marathon
Kent - Gardens in bloom and tulip festivals
Oxford - College tour season begins with blooming gardens
May
London - Chelsea Flower Show (the world's leading flower show)
Gloucestershire - Cooper's Hill Cheese Race
Cornwall - Surfing and the start of the beach season
June
London - Trooping the Colour (the monarch's official birthday)
Ascot - Royal Horse Racing
Glastonbury is the largest music festival in the UK.
July
London - Wimbledon finals
Cambridge Summer Music Festivals
Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
August
Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe (the world's largest theatre festival)
London - Notting Hill Carnival
Yorkshire - Moorland Season
September
London - Heritage Open Days (access to historic buildings)
Scotland marks the start of the whisky tour and festival season.
Cotswolds Harvest and Food Fairs
October
London - BFI Film Festival
Scotland - Autumn Festivals and Golden Highland Landscapes
Oxford - The start of the academic year, college traditions
November
The whole country celebrates Guy Fawkes Night (November 5), with bonfires and fireworks
London - Lord Mayor's Show
Scotland - Edinburgh and Glasgow Light Festivals
December
London - Christmas lights on Regent Street and Oxford Street
York - Christmas market in the medieval centre
Edinburgh - Christmas Market and Hogmanay
999, single emergency number
112, single emergency number
101, police (non-emergency calls)
111, medical advice (NHS)
– Winston Churchill, Prime Minister
– William Shakespeare, writer
– Isaac Newton, scientist
– Charles Darwin, scientist
- The Beatles, a musical group
– David Beckham, footballer
– Elizabeth II, Queen
- enter private lands outside the public footpath
– photograph military bases
- carry knives in public places
– When meeting, it is customary to shake hands and make eye contact
– Polite address as "Sir" or "Madam"
– In pubs, it is customary to order drinks in turn for the whole company
– Order is strictly observed in queues
– Politeness and restraint are valued more than emotionality
– greeting / Hello / hello
– gratitude / Thank you / thank you
– please / Please / please
– sorry / Sorry / sorry
– Where is the bus…? / Where is the bus…? / where is the bus
– How much is the ticket? / How much is the ticket? / how much is the ticket?
– pharmacy / Pharmacy / pharmacy
– I need a doctor / I need a doctor
– I need help / I need help / I need help
– Call the police / Call the police
– Call an ambulance / Call an ambulance
– Very tasty! / Delicious! / delicious
– The bill, please / The bill, please
– toast / Cheers! (To your health!)
– joke / Keep calm and carry on!
It is customary to discuss:
– Football and sports
It is not accepted to discuss:
– Politics and monarchy
– Brexit in a negative light
– visit castles
- listen to music
– hike in Scotland
– to relax on the coast