USA - Culture, Customs and Etiquette

USA - Culture, Customs and Etiquette

American Society and Culture

Diversity

America is ultimately a nation of immigrants and 
as a result is a cultural mish-mash in every sense 
of the word. Not only is the country populated by 
people from foreign countries but all Americans in 
one way or another trace their ancestry back to another culture, whether Irish, German, Italian or Scottish. Looking around any major city one will notice the ‘melting-pot’ that it is.

Informal and Friendly

Most people who come to the United States may 
already know a few things about the people through 
TV. Although this is of course a skewed reality some 
of the stereotypes are true, especially American friendliness and informality. People tend to not wait 
to be introduced, will begin to speak with strangers 
as they stand in a queue, sit next to each other at an event, etc. Visitors can often be surprised when people are so informal to the point of being very direct or even rude.

Time is Money

The country that coined the phrase obviously lives 
the phrase. In America, time is a very important commodity. People 'save' time and 'spend' time as if 
it were money in the bank. Americans ascribe personality characteristics and values based on how people use time. For example, people who are on-time are considered to be good people, reliable people 
who others can count on.

The Family

The family unit is generally considered the nuclear family, and is typically small (with exceptions among certain ethnic groups). Extended family relatives live 
in their own homes, often at great distances from their children.

Individualism is prized, and this is reflected in the family unit. People are proud of their individual accomplishments, initiative and success, and may, or may not, share those sources of pride with their elders.

Customs and Etiquette in the U.S.A

Meeting and Greeting

Greetings are casual. 
A handshake, a smile, and a 'hello' are all that is needed. Smile! Use first names, and be sure to 
introduce everyone to each other. 

Gift Giving Etiquette

In general, Americans give gifts for birthdays, anniversaries and major holidays, such as Christmas. 
A gift can be as simple as a card and personal note 
to something more elaborate for a person with whom you are close. Gift giving is not an elaborate event, except at Christmas. When invited to someone's home for dinner, it is polite to bring a small box of good chocolates, a bottle of wine, a potted plant or flowers 
for the hostess. Gifts are normally opened when received. 

Dining Etiquette

Americans socialise in their homes and ‘backyards’,
in restaurants and in other public places. It's not at all unusual for social events to be as casual as a backyard barbecue or a picnic in the park. Arrive on time if invited for dinner; no more than 10 minutes later than invited to a small gathering. If it is a large party, it is acceptable to arrive up to 30 minutes later than invited. Table manners are more relaxed in the U.S. than in many other countries. The fork is held in the right hand and is used for eating. The fork is held tines down. The knife is used to cut or spread something. To use the knife, the fork is switched to the left hand. To continue eating, the fork is switched back to the right hand. If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate with the fork over the knife. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel across the right side of your plate. If you are more comfortable eating in the Continental manner, go ahead. It will not offend anyone. 
Feel free to refuse specific foods or drinks without offering an explanation. Many foods are eaten by hand. 
Food is often served family-style, which means that it is in large serving dishes and passed around the table for everyone to serve themselves. Do not begin eating until the hostess starts or says to begin. Remain standing until invited to sit down. Do not rest your elbows on the table. Put your napkin in your lap as soon as you sit down. Leave a small amount of food on your plate when you have finished eating. 

Business Etiquette and Protocol

Business Dress
What is considered appropriate business attire varies 
by geographic region, day of the week and industry. 
In general, people in the East dress more formally, 
while people in the West are known for being a bit 
more casual. Executives usually dress formally regardless of which part of the country they are in. 
Casual Friday is common in many companies. High technology companies often wear casual clothes every day. For an initial meeting, dressing conservatively is always in good taste. Women can wear business suits, dresses or pantsuits. Men should wear a business suit unless you know the firm to be quite casual. 

Greetings

The hand shake is the common greeting. Handshakes are firm, brief and confident. Maintain eye contact during the greeting. In most situations, you can begin calling people by their first names. Most people will insist that you call them by their nickname, if they have one. In formal circumstances, you may want to use titles and surnames as a courtesy until you are invited to move to a first name basis, which will happen quickly. Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual. It is quite common for the recipient to put your card in their wallet, which may then go in the back pocket of their trousers. This is not an insult. 

Communication Styles

Americans are direct. They value logic and linear thinking and expect people to speak clearly and in a straightforward manner. To them if you don’t 'tell it 
how it is'you simply waste time, and time is money. 
If you are from a culture that is more subtle in communication style, try not to be insulted by 
the directness. Try to get to your point more quickly 
and don’t be afraid to be more direct and honest than you are used to. Americans will use the telephone to conduct business that would require a face-to-face meeting in most other countries. They do not insist upon seeing or getting to know the people with 
whom they do business.

Quoted from
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/usa.html

Celebrating Thanksgiving in American culture

Celebrating Thanksgiving in 
American Culture

The tradition is primarily from the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 that we derive 
the current tradition of Thanksgiving Day.

The Pilgrims set sail for America on September 6, 
1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements 
of a storm-tossed sea. Upon disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they held a prayer service and then hastily began building shelters; however, unprepared for such 
a harsh New England winter, nearly half of them died before spring.Emerging from that grueling winter, 
the Pilgrims were surprised when an Indian named Samoset approached them and greeted them in 
their own language, explaining to them that he had learned English from fishermen and traders. A week later, Samoset returned with a friend named Squanto, who lived with the Pilgrims and accepted 
their Christian faith. Squanto taught the Pilgrims 
much about how to live in the New World, and he 
and Samoset helped forge a long-lasting peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford described 
Squanto as 'a special instrument sent of God for 
[our] good . . . and never left [us] till he died." 

That summer, the Pilgrims, still persevering in prayer and assisted by helpful Indians, reaped a bountiful harvest. As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (later to become 
the Governor) affirmed, 'God be praised, we had 
a good increase of corn'; 'by the goodness of God, 
we are far from want.' The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends - America's first Thanksgiving Festival. Ninety Wampanoag Indians joined the fifty Pilgrims for 
three days of feasting (which included shellfish, lobsters, turkey, corn bread, berries, deer, and other foods), of play (the young Pilgrim and Wampanoag 
men engaged in races, wrestling matches, and 
athletic events), and of prayer. This celebration and 
its accompanying activities were the origin of 
the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.

However, while the Pilgrims enjoyed times of 
prosperity for which they thanked God, they also suffered extreme hardships. In fact, in 1623 they experienced an extended and prolonged drought. Knowing that without a change in the weather there would be no harvest and the winter would be filled 
with death and starvation, Governor Bradford called 
the Pilgrims to a time of prayer and fasting to seek 
God's direct intervention. Significantly, shortly after 
that time of prayer - and to the great amazement of 
the Indian who witnessed the scene - clouds appeared 
in the sky and a gentle and steady rain began to fall. 
As Governor Bradford explained:

'It came without either wind or thunder or any 
violence, and by degrees in abundance, as that  earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith, which did 
so apparently revive and quicken decayed corn and other fruits as was wonderful to see, and made Indians astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent 
them such seasonable showers, with interchange of 
fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused 
a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. 

'The drought had been broken; the fall therefore produced an abundant harvest; there was cause for another thanksgiving. The Pilgrim practice of designating an official time of Thanksgiving spread 
into neighboring colonies and became an annual tradition. And just as those neighboring colonies followed the Pilgrims' example of calling for days of thanksgiving, so, too, did they adopt their practice 
of calling for a time of prayer and fasting. The New England Colonies therefore developed a practice of calling for a day of prayer and fasting in the spring, 
and a day of prayer and thanksgiving in the fall.

The Thanksgiving celebrations so common throughout New England did not begin to spread southward until the American Revolution, when Congress issued eight separate national Thanksgiving Proclamations. 

America's first national Thanksgiving occurred in 
1789 with the commencement of the federal government. According to the Congressional Record for September 25 of that year, the first act after the Framers completed the framing of the Bill of Rights was that:

'Mr. [Elias] Boudinot said he could not think of letting the session pass without offering an opportunity to 
all the citizens of the United States of joining with 
one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them. With this view, therefore, he would move 
the following resolution:


'Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge 
the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, 
to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore 
His protection and favor...Now, therefore, I do 
appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789...
that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere 
and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.'

'That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church announced that the first Thursday in November 
would become its regular day for giving thanks, 
'unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities." Following President Washington's initial proclamation, national Thanksgiving Proclamations occurred only sporadically; most official Thanksgiving observances occurred at the state level. In fact, by 
1815, the various state governments had issued 
at least 1,400 official prayer proclamations, almost 
half for times of thanksgiving and prayer and 
the other half for times of fasting and prayer. 

Much of the credit for the adoption of Thanksgiving 
as an annual national holiday may be attributed to 
Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, a popular lady's books containing poetry, art work, and articles by America's leading authors. For nearly three decades, she promoted the idea of
a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting president 
after president until Abraham Lincoln responded 
in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of that November. The Thanksgiving proclamation issued 
by Lincoln was remarkable not only for its strong religious content but also for its timing, for it was delivered in the midst of the darkest days of the Civil War, with the Union having lost battle after battle throughout the first three years of that conflict. 
Yet, despite those dark circumstances, Lincoln nevertheless called Americans to prayer with 
an air of positive optimism and genuine 
thankfulness, noting that:

'The year that is drawing toward its close has been 
filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added which are 
of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God...No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are 
the gracious gifts of the Most High God, Who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath 
nevertheless remembered mercy.

'That remarkable Thanksgiving Proclamation came 
at a pivotal point in Lincoln's spiritual life. 
Three months earlier, the Battle of Gettysburg had occurred, resulting in the loss of some 60,000 
American lives. It had been while Lincoln was 
walking among the thousands of graves there at Gettysburg that he first committed his life to Christ. 
As he later explained to a clergyman:

'When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray 
for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, 
the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. 
But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves 
of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. 

'The dramatic spiritual impact resulting from that experience was not only visible in Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamation (and also his 1864 call for a day of prayer and fasting) but especially in 
his 1865 Second Inaugural Address.

Over the seventy-five years following Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation, presidents faithfully followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring 
a national Thanksgiving Day. In 1933, President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt began celebrating Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of each November, and 
in 1941, Congress permanently established that 
day as the national Thanksgiving holiday. 

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, remember 
to retain the original gratefulness to God that has 
always been the spirit of this - the oldest of all 
American holidays. 

'[Congress] recommended [a day of]...thanksgiving 
and praise [so] that 'the good people may express 
the grateful feelings of their hearts and join...
their supplication that it may please God, through 
the merits of Jesus Christ, to forgive [our sins] and...
to enlarge [His] kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.' 

[I] appoint...a day of public Thanksgiving to Almighty God...to [ask] Him that He would...pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would... spread the light of Christian knowledge through 
the remotest corners of the earth;...and that He would establish these United States upon the basis of 
religion and virtue.

[I] appoint...a day of public thanksgiving and praise...
to render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us...[by giving to] us...the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make 
us wise to eternal salvation. And [to] present our supplications...that He would forgive our manifold 
sins and...cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth.

                                                                         

                                                                                          Written by David Barton

One of the greatest celebration in American Tradition 

is a day of Thanksgiving. Nine out of ten Americans 

eat turkey on Thanksgiving, and most do so around 

a family table. Food and tradition are the heart and 

soul of this most-loved, most-observed holiday. Thanksgiving has become the original myth of 

America and the expression of deeply held American cultural ideals. As it considers the evolution of Thanksgiving, from the 'First Thanksgiving' in 1621 

to the present day. 

Culture and Religion in Canada

Canada is similar to the United States in that it is 

a melting pot of different cultures and religions. 

Canada is a country without an official religion. Although about seventy-five percent of Canadian citizens claim 

to be practitioners of Christianity, religious pluralism 

is a valued part of Canada's culture. Unfortunately, 

many believe Canada has entered a depressing 

"post-religious"period. This is a fancy why of saying 

that people have become cynical and stopped openly displaying their Christianity.

However, other religions still seem to be en vogue. 

The stark increase in immigration from areas such as 

Asia, Africa, and the Middle East has contributed to 

the expansive growth of Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, and 

Hindu communities within the country of Canada. 

More exclusive religious cultures also call Canada home. These include the Bahá'í Faith, Unitarian Universalists, Judaism, Pagans, First Nations religions.

The Musli. Religion is very popular in Canada. The first mosque was built in Edmonton, a fashionable Canadian area, way back in the year 1936. In fact, the first Canadian census found thirteen Muslims already living in the country. With a long history like that, it is no wonder that Canada hosts such a large population of Muslim devotees.

Sikhism is another of the more popular religions in 

the Great White North. With Canadian origins dating 

all the way back to the year of 1897, Sikhs were o­ne 

of the rare Asian cultures that were actually loyal to 

the Queen of England. However, this did not help them 

gain good rights or immigration laws for the first half 

of the last century. After a large wave of Sikhs came 

to Canada at the beginning of the nineteenth century, immigration laws were soon tightened o­n them, and 

they were denied the right to vote for quite some time. 

Since immigration laws were liberalized in the 1960s, 

the Sikh population has exploded.

Canada has many diverse and wonderful religious cultures, which make it a fun place to live or visit

http://www.wildcanada.net/culture-and-religion-in-canada.html

To a culture of peace from a culture of war

To a culture of peace 
from a culture of war 

Peace is many things, from human security to 
equality, but at its heart lies a culture; a culture 
based on people, acceptance and dialogue.
This was the view advanced today by various participants at the first day of the Nobel Women’s Initiative conference here in Belfast. 
If we see peace as a culture - one that is at once 
deeply personal and also transnational in its 
reach -it follows that the process of 
deconstructing the ubiquitous culture of war 
must be an aspect of moving beyond militarism 
to a nonviolent world. 

'we need to build another culture that supports peace and which refuses conflict, violence and 
revenge...there is no way to build without 
challenging bad customs and traditions.'

Culture is, of course, more than 
‘customs and traditions’. Indeed speakers today demonstrated that the culture of war is more like 
a mangrove that takes root in our everyday lives 
and institutions and, in doing so, comes to 
occupy a dominant position in the field of 
cultural reproduction. Culture is, of course, also 
deeply linked to identity.  

The way in which conflict everywhere targets 
young men –and especially ‘alienated’ young 
men. At the place in the UK since 
the coldblooded slaughter of a soldier named 
Lee Rigby on a street in London.
‘For someone who has lived in 14 years of war 
I was shocked by the boldness with which 
those young men took to the streets 
and killed someone’.‘lslamites, gangs, the EDL
(English Defense League)-all target alienated 
young men’. 'the very notion of masculinity has 
been bastardized to the extent that in their code, 
power and respect can only be achieved through intimidation and fear’. The key problem is also-in 
part-one of masculinity.

War necessitates and reproduces a type of masculinity, that is prepared to go and fight –and even kill- for something. Dominant models of masculinity, in turn, commonly draw on a militarised idea of the nation. Simply perpetuated one violent masculinity after the other. But why is it,that most have viewed this episode through the lens of the nationalist identifications
which reproduced it rather than a woman on a nearby bus who got off to talk to the perpetrators one-to-one, advising them that it was unwise to ‘start a war’?

The militarization of everyday life. That the culture 
of war pervades both countries experiencing 
conflict and those experiencing relative peace on 
their streets such as England was demonstrated 
in a number of examples given today of 
the militarization of everyday life, from popular 
culture to education. It needs to tackle not only 
violence and war, but the ‘glorification thereof’. 
‘What the hell are those on active military duty 
doing in Hollywood movies?’ 
Why is the Pentagon offering its machinery 
of war to make Hollywood films more ‘realistic’?

Another field in which the culture of war is 
reproduced, is that of education. In a breakout session on “Demilitarizing Education”, participants spoke 
about the militarization of education both in countries where there is obligatory military conscription, 
such as Israel, and in those where individuals are 
invited and incentive to ‘sign up’, like in the US and 
the UK. The education system in Israel is segregated along religious lines. As such, children are ‘trained’ 
for the military using different strategies in a way 
that comes to reinforce identity politics.

The way in which militarism seeps into education is 
also linked to the way in which gender identities are taught.Gbowee spoke critically about the way in 
which her child had been taught that ‘daddies work’ 
and mummies in her native Liberia. She concluded: ‘children are being taught patriarchy and militarism 
in a very mild form. How do we step into their world?’

Moving forward: towards a culture of peace
The culture of war is already being deconstructed 
and replaced by a culture of peace.

Peacejam is a project that connects young people 
in over 7 countries to work for justice in their 
community and to address questions of identity and difference. Another educational initiative 
which seeks to educate young people in a culture 
of peace is Peace Boat, a Japanese educational organisation that works with students and activists 
from conflict areas including Israel and Palestine, 
India and Pakistan, Belfast, Colombia and the Balkans. 
Explaining why she became involved in the project, Jasna Bastic, International Coordinator for Peace Education Programs, explained, ‘I grew up in 
Sarajevo, Bosnia. I witnessed how the army can 
change young men; what it means to get a union 
or a sniper in the hand and a machine gun. 
How it can twist the mind of the most optimistic 
positive person in the world...we had cinema, boyfriends, summer holidays, music, optimism, 
lots of ambitions for the future and that was gone 
in a second. A big challenge of my life was how 
that happened. A war dosen’t happen overnight. 
I was interested in the structure of the military 
mind and how to fight against it’.

These are not just examples, but methodologies of making a culture of peace. Indeed the first day of 
the conference demonstrated the vast array of nonviolent tactics, syllabuses, movements and strategies for peace. It also demonstrated 
the integrity and diversity of the peace movement. 
Whilst ‘we’re very good at building the picture and building the map that has the potential to subvert 
the tyrannies of our day. It’s the disconnect’. 
Part of the next stage in tackling this ‘disconnect’ 
is perhaps,‘to tackle the denigration of those who 
work for peace’. This means the practical work of continuing to protect human rights defenders on 
the ground from death and violence. It also means continuing to elevate the culture of peace. Through events such as these, we can occupy the position currently occupied on our TV screens, buses, radios, schools and streets by the culture of war. We can 
move from a culture of war to a culture of peace.
                                                                                        written by  Jennifer Allsopp

Culture of War to Culture of Peace

Culture of War to Culture of Peace 

The United Nations resolutions on a culture of 
peace are based on an analysis of the values, 
attitudes and behaviors that are necessary for 
a culture of war and violence. What are they? 

Audiences throughout the world have responded to 
the question by making their own lists of 
the characteristics of the culture of war.The lists 
differ in the terms used and in the order they are presented, but they have a remarkable consistency. Apparently, the culture of war and violence is present and recognized throughout the world.In the following table these results are presented in terms of eight characteristics, each expressed in several ways: 

Power based on force / Belief that violence works / Military training Enemy images/ Intolerance and prejudice against people who are different / Extreme patriotism / Religious intolerance (suspicion and fear) 

Authoritarian governance / Corruption / Obedience to orders from the top down (subservience and fear) 

Propaganda / Secrecy / Government control of media / Militaristic language / Censorship 

Armaments / Armies / War preparations / Military industry Disregard for human rights (people living in fear) Profiting from the exploitation of people and 
nature within and/or between countries (greed) 
Male domination and power / Patriarchy 

In drafting the UN Programme of Action on a Culture 
of Peace the eight characteristics of a culture of war were taken into consideration and alternatives 
proposed to each one.To quote the document, 
it provides a "conceptual framework" to address 
"the deep cultural roots of war and violence" 
and "the basis for a coherent strategy for 
a transformation to a culture of peace and non-violence."To give one example, the document states "There has never been a war without an 'enemy', and
to abolish war, we must transcend and supersede 
enemy images with understanding,tolerance and solidarity among all peoples and cultures." 

Audiences around the world come up with the same alternatives, shown here in the form of a table with
the culture of war values,attitudes and behaviors 
on the left and, on the right,those of a culture of 
peace corresponding to the eight programme areas 
in the UN resolution 

CULTURE OF WAR AND VIOLENCE 
CULTURE OF PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE 

Belief in power that is based on force 
Education for a culture of peace 

Having an enemy 
Tolerance, solidarity and international understanding 

Authoritarian governance 
Democratic participation 

Secrecy and propaganda 
Free flow of information 

Armament 
Disarmament 

Exploitation of people 
Human rights 

Exploitation of nature 
Sustainable development 

Male domination 
Equality of women and men 

It was a bit different than the UN resolutions which 
were designed for nation-states.For example,education for peace was not included as such in the Manifesto 
and disarmament was translated to reject violence.
Both democracy and women's equality were included, 
in addition to community development, under "rediscover solidarity."Both the free flow of information and tolerance, solidarity and international understanding were included in listen to understand.
And "preserve the planet" was considered so important that it was separated out from "share with others" 
as daily life equivalents of sustainable development. When the eight peacekeys were formulated at 
a later time,democracy and women's equality 
were recognized as separate keys. 
Also, the share with others peacekey took on an education for peace content. 

Education for a Culture of Peace 
(implied in all other points) 
Developing attitudes and skills for living together (content of share with others) 
  
Tolerance, solidarity and international understanding 
Rediscover solidarity and Listen to understand 
Rediscover solidarity 
  
Democratic participation 
(included in Rediscover solidarity) 
Participate in democracy 
  
Free flow of information 
Listen to understand 
Listen to understand 
  
Disarmament 
Reject violence 
Reject violence 
  
Human rights 
Respect all life 
Respect all life 
  
Sustainable development 
Share with others 
Share with others (title only) 
  
Sustainable development 
Preserve the planet 
Preserve the planet 
  
Equality of women 
(included in Rediscover solidarity) 
Work for women's equality 
  

Here, you have a strategy for the transition from 
a culture of war and violence to a culture of peace 
and non-violence:starving the culture of war of 
the nutrients it needs and without which it cannot continue. In so far as a culture of peace grows, 
the culture of war can no longer survive. Without 
an enemy there can be no war.Without authoritarian governance, propaganda and secrecy,and the belief 
that power comes from force, the people will no 
longer accept to go to war.Without armaments it becomes more difficult to carry out wars. 

At the same time, peaceful alternatives are provided 
for the necessary functions now performed by 
the culture of war and violence,including governance, solidarity and economic and social development. 
The very concept of power is redefined as listening, dialogue,negotiation and cooperation instead of force.