Whether you are visiting the United Kingdom as a tourist or as travelling as an overseas worker, you have to remember that there might be differences as to culture, tradition, religion, and the environment itself. When you are visiting another country, you should learn the basic dos and don’ts so that by the time you are there, you know what to expect and how to effectively adjust to your new environment. If you are going to the UK, this blog will serve as your guide.
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We shared the basic dos and don’ts in the UK in this article. If you need guidance on what to expect during your trip to the kingdom, don’t hesitate to go to this blog and read what we’ve collected.
How to Behave in the UK?
To behave in the UK, you must first be aware of the country or the place where you are going. If you are not yet familiar with the towns or cities in the UK, you can stick to the basic rules and general standards in the UK. A good example is the dos and don’ts that are embraced in the country as general manners.
Also Read: 10 Things Filipinos Should Know Before Working in an Office Job in the UK
Next, to behave in the UK, you should learn the dos and don’ts. Here are they for your easy reference.
Do’s in the United Kingdom
The dos in the UK are usually the things you can freely do. These are the permissible things that you can practice when you arrive in the country. Here are the dos in the UK:
- Do be a modest person. Most people in the UK maintain their reserve. You can go along well with the locals if try to practice their manners.
- Do greet locals when you meet a person for the first time. The customary hand gesture in the country is a handshake. It’s okay to do a handshake with a local. Also, it’s normal to see people kiss each other especially if they are relatives.
- Do use “cheers” instead of “thank you” and “goodbye.” Using the terms “cheers” is very common in the UK.
- Do bring gifts when you are invited to join a party. The gift/s are supposed to be given to the host of the party. You can give a bottle of wine, chocolates, or a bunch of flowers.
- Do use a fork and knife when you are eating—fork on your left hand and knife on your right hand. Good table manners are so important in the UK.
- Do chew and swallow the food in your mouth first before you take a drink or eat more food. This is a common table manner in the UK.
- Do place both your fork and knife together on your plate when you finish eating. It’s a signal that you have finished eating.
- Do fall in line if there’s a queue. This is part of the basic manners in the UK.
- Do be punctual. British people value time. Whether it’s a business meeting and or a friendly date, you should always follow the exact time of what you agreed upon.
Dont’s in the United Kingdom
The don’ts, on the other hand, are the things you should avoid doing once you are in the UK. Remember these things so you can live and socialize with the locals without appearing rude.
- Don’t address a person using his first name. In the UK, the last name is usually used to address a person. Using courtesy titles such as “Ms.,” “Mrs.,” or “Mr.” are also used. The title “Sir” is used to address those who have been knighted.
- Don’t talk loudly when you are in a public place. This is considered a rude manner in the
- Don’t pick your nose in a public place. This is considered misbehavior in the UK. Do it privately at home or somewhere, but not in public places.
- Don’t throw your cigarette puffs in the street. Look for a trash can where you can throw your cigarette puffs.
- Don’t stare at anyone. Privacy is being observed strictly in the UK. If you are caught staring at someone without any reason at all, you will be suspected of wanting to do something unpleasant or wrong.
- Don’t greet people with a kiss when you are not close or relative. Only close people or relatives kiss when they greet each other.
- Don’t burp when you are in a public place. It’s considered rude in the UK.
- Don’t be offended when you are called by someone as dear, love, mate, or honey. It’s normal in the UK to use affectionate names like those.
- Don’t wear hats when you are inside a restaurant or a church. It’s considered rude for a man to wear a hat inside those places.
- Don’t chew when your mouth is open. It’s a basic table manner to close your mouth when you are eating something.
- Don’t lick or put the knife in your mouth when eating. It’s supposed to be used to cut your food. Use the fork if you are going to put the food in your mouth.
Tips when going to the UK
If you are going to the UK, make sure that you have a guide where you can look for the dos and don’ts so you would know how you can react to some local gestures. If you need a guide, you can definitely use this article to help you. You don’t need to memorize all the dos and don’ts. There are also laws and other rules not written in this blog but as you explore the UK, you will slowly learn how to adapt to the local norms.
If you don’t know what to do, better not to act upon things. It’s okay to ask questions regarding a certain behavior so that you won’t look rude to the locals when you do something. And, on top of these dos and don’ts, try to study the basic laws in the UK as well, such as the laws on traffic, laws on employment, and so on. It’s important that you are aware of the new environment. Put an effort into learning the UK’s culture and tradition too.