To think most of what people call “British” is actually borrowed from other cultures?

[BlendedByEmpire]

From food to fashion to language, it seems like a lot of what’s considered traditionally British has roots elsewhere. Yet people still cling to the idea of a “pure” British culture. AIBU to think the whole concept is more mixed than most are willing to admit?

Depends where you live and how far back you go in history.
Big multi cultural city won't have so much of a traditional British feel.
Small village in agricultural area, many people will continue traditions that their parents and grandparents did.

Oh let's bash the Brits.

Yawn!

Roast dinner? Shepherd's pie? Toad in the hole? Steak and kidney pie? Cornish pasty? Scotch eggs?

No idea what you're on about OP.

If “most of what people call British is actually borrowed from other cultures”, how do you come to the conclusion that people are trying to cling onto the idea of a “pure” British culture?

If you haven't seen it, Google "Stewart Lee - coming over here". Brilliant.

I raise you rissoles!

The king of all - haggis! You aren’t even allowed to import it overseas. So defo Scottish (not British 😂)

I kind of see what you’re coming from
but by that token pizza isn’t Italian, so 🤷🏽‍♀️

Everything from all cultures is from somewhere else originally.
People have been wandering about since they wandered out of Africa.
And within Africa there was already a shed load of different cultures.

Even Balti was invented in Brum!

Why is there this obsession with some people trying to prove or disprove what is Britishness?
There must be something good about it otherwise nobody would end up moving here. And it's most likely not the weather.

Just to save everyone’s time reading posts after this:
no such thing as British culture blah blah they’re racist blah blah blah nation of immigrants blah blah British empire yawn, spices blah blah St George’s flag is foreign blah blah blah etc.
You’re welcome.

Those are all great examples of what’s become part of British cuisine today, yes. But even many of those have influences or origins outside the UK or have evolved from borrowed techniques over time. I’m not saying there’s no British culture, just that a lot of what we think of as ‘quintessentially British’ often has more global roots than people realise. It’s not a dig, more just an observation about how cultures blend and shift.

Rissoles are French.

Every culture and nation has borrowed from others.

Yet no other country has given more to the world than the British. Modernity was invented here.

Is this yet another tiresome ‘Brits have nothing to be proud of since it was all anyone else’s idea anyway’ thread? Aren’t you tired of demonising this country yet?

Is it that tea is from another country?

British architecture, our Christian traditions, classical music, village and small town social culture, pop music, fashion, arts, yeah yeah, none of it stemming from Britain, all imported 🙄

And why are you posting a common anti-British talking point as if it’s some revelation you’ve come up with yourself?

Because despite the mix of cultural influences that have shaped British identity, there’s still a noticeable anxiety, especially in certain conversations or media narratives, around preserving a ‘British way of life’ or resisting anything perceived as foreign. I’m not saying everyone does this but the idea of a ‘pure’ British culture still gets used as a kind of ideal, even though so much of what we consider British today is the result of global exchange.

No culture is pure in the way you're using the word. Every culture develops over time with influences from outside, usually taking those influences and putting their own spin on them (see American Italian food, K-pop and so on). Even something like pasta which we think of as quintessentially Italian came from the East and China. But you wouldn't say Italy doesn't have its own food culture.

That is far from meaning that somewhere has no culture of its own, Britain is the same as anywhere in that respect.

Who’s clinging to pure British culture?
And when you say British culture has roots elsewhere, isn’t that just how all human culture works? Constantly checking other cultures for ideas, fashions, foods, music and dance and adapting it?

Bloody beaker folk!

Do you, for example, take umbrage with Brazilians wafting their flag around and taking pride in their national identity and patriotism? Being that their culture originates in, part to African Slavery?

Do you have issue with Australians loving their national identity despite their culture coming, in a large part, due to the British?

The Americans have been patriotic long before Donald Trump and their culture and way of life from Alaska down to Florida are an amalgamation of the world - they’re still proud to be American.

The list could go on. All countries love and appreciate their culture which, by sheer history, comes from all over the shop. So does ours. It’s still British. It’s still something to be proud of. It’s not a bad thing to be proud of the hard work that the working class people of this country put into building us a Nation.

It’s not about disproving Britishness, it’s about recognising how layered and dynamic it is. British culture has evolved through centuries of migration, trade, colonisation and global influence. That doesn’t make it less valuable, it actually makes it richer. I think being honest about that complexity is a sign of respect, not critique.

Your faux-naivety isn’t convincing, just disingenuous and dishonest, and therefore irritating.

A portion of every nation is a result of a global exchange. But that’s not a reason to denigrate or dismiss the large portion which is not, and never has been.

So other cultures have a culture so where do they get their culture from then if Britain doesn't have one itself?