France and England: the cultural differences

France and England may well be two very close countries but there are many cultural differences between the two. At work, at school, or just in daily life: these differences are everywhere. See the most notable below:

  • The Food

It is the first thing you have to talk about for fans of French food. You have surely heard before that English food is not the best food in the world. And this is not completely untrue. However, even if English food is often belittled, there are multiple dishes from different cultures. In effect, England combines several cultures and it comes through in the cuisine.

If you want to taste English culture, you can try Marmite. We cannot promise that you will enjoy it but at the very least you will have been able to try something typically English!

  • The Monarchy

As you will likely know England is led by a monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head and huge importance is accorded to the monarchy. Therefore, do not be surprised in England, if you see many gadgets bearing the image of the royal family. In France, where there is no monarchy, even if this exists it is quite rare to find souvenirs, like keyrings or plates with the President’s face. In England, it is completely normal to have shops selling mostly products related to the royal family. If you are lucky enough to be in England during a royal wedding or another event related to the monarchy, you can see for yourself the importance given to all these events.

  • Wearing uniform

There is also a big cultural difference between France and England at school. School uniforms are rare in France. Whereas in England, students tend to wear uniforms with the name of their school. Therefore, even if you do not study in England, you will probably encounter school students in uniform on the road, or on the bus. The blazers are often in the colour of their school, and the uniform is compulsory so do not be surprised!

We haven’t mentioned money, driving on the right or the difference in electrical sockets, but you now know the cultural differences between France and England, which show the beauty of the two countries.

To learn about the differences between England and Germany, do not hesitate to read our article on the subject.

 

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