To think Mumsnet is xenophobic

[sittight]

When it comes to Americans?

If it was about any other nation it would be called out as the racism is it.

I’ve seen it today across the Halloween threads - people looking down their nose at Halloween because it’s an ‘American import’ (which it isn’t).

The attitude that baby showers are disdainful because they’re American. The snobbery about proms because they’re American. Elf on the Shelf, gender reveal parties etc. - fair enough if you just don’t like them but there are always derisive posts about them being American.

I suspect the same people embrace traditions imported from other cultures but when it comes to American traditions there is such snobbery.

We still have harvest festival in the village church but I don’t get involved as I’m not a believer. Sometimes they add on a secular lunch.

i just think we all might feel a bit better if we thought a bit more about what we do have to be grateful for.

I remember that being the theme of harvest, being thankful for our food and thinking of those less fortunate. We could do with a secular version.

I think that anywhere there was domestication of agriculture, the local culture would have a celebration, a festival, something involving giving “thanks” for the harvest. It’s just the word “Thanksgiving” that seems to be claimed by the Americans.
(In Canada our Thanksgiving is held on the second Monday in October.)

Ah, got ya, thanks ;)

These are the tackiest aspects of American culture. Nobody complains about non-tacky aspects of American culture.

I'm 70 did Halloween as a child. Hollowed out turnips though. That's a pita. I'm fond of the naughty elf. Enjoy a baby shower, what's not to celebrate about a new life. I get into father Christmas, I like to welcome in the new year. Love haggis and neeps, st Patrick day, st David's day. Bonfire night. Witches, fairies, elves, leprechauns.A lot of it's ancient pagan muddled up with saints and Christianity anyway.

Skippythemagnificent · 01/11/2026 22:12
It’s a hugely English site and they’re also really shitty to Scottish posters and can’t seem to wrap their minds around the idea that there are other countries in the UK and we don’t do things the way they do them. I’ve just been attacked on here for saying I was in Asda this evening because Asda isn’t open due to English Sunday trading times. They really just can’t understand that England isn’t the only place in the world.

Can’t find it and I don’t really have the time for this nonsense but someone complained that in my first answer I confused Britain and England.

Ok I’ll bite. First off this post was in reply to the op complaining about Anti Americanism so my reply took that into consideration too. Next, I note that the post above made no mention of Wales - why not? Is Scotland the only non-English nation of interest to Americans? Wales is, politically and culturally, the survivor of pre Roman times in Britain so is at least of equal interest. Next have a look at the population levels, England population massively outstrips all other countries combined, so any self selected ‘British’ group will be heaving England-centric. There are large political differences involved in any disagreement with Scotland too. Personally I’m a northerner and would rather England had more leanings towards Scotlands political positions, talking of which I note also the lack of any appreciation of interregional differences within England in the post above. We can go on. Britain is a country the internal politics of which may be as accessible to outsiders as the US of As are to us.

We also had Balls at University but for school it was a leaver's disco at best - the kids at my school would no doubt have accused anyone who turned up in a prom dress of being a snob and had a huge laugh about it. 😁

Yes, same at my school!

Good point, it was Balls at university only, it must have been Leaver's party but just wasn't a reference to a prom. That said, this was late 90s so I think I'm a bit old for the 'Prom' phase that probably did follow not long after so 00s.

"You do know" that little tea rooms selling reasonably-sized snacks have been priced out of existence and pushed out of train stations and high streets by global multinational tyranny?
Cba looking up the ownership structure of Costas and Caffe Nero and the rest of thrm but you can bet your bottom dollar they got the idea from greedy American chains selling shit coffee against whom they have chosen to compete.
There is no choice any more, especially when travelling. I want to pay 2.50 for a cup of ☕ and locally made fairy cake at a station not 6 pounds for oversized junk.

I wasn’t allowed to watch anything ‘too American’ when I was younger and that was the 1980s. The ATeam, Knight Rider even UK versions of Wheel of Fortune and Gladiators.
There is a significant difference between UK and American cultures and the ‘import’ of US cultural things can be jarring; overly dramatic or intensely earnest, loud or overly commercial that
can feel unnatural, over the top, grabby or embarrassing to British people.

Ironically USA TV is more suitable for children now than much of the UK TV. How times change.

To be honest MN loves to hate any country which hasn’t yet (fully) succumbed to wokery.

MN also hates the Middle East. See any thread where someone asks about their desire to go work in the Middle East for a better quality of life compared to this declining country. And watch the pile on. Apparently the Middle East oil states are terrible as are the people running them. Yet these same people fall over themselves defending people from properly backwards and broken countries arriving here illegally. So it’s frowned upon for a woman to go and work in functioning countries with a better quality of life and safety for women. But it’s ok to welcome illegal migrants who are a genuine threat to women.

At least the racist rapist got a good knee to the nuts today though. Long overdue and satisfying for the world, given the last few years of hopelessness he has enforced on the planet.