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I know my husband does not consider himself European - though he's not opposed to the UK being a part of the EU. I do consider the UK to be a part of Europe, geographically and somewhat politically - but culturally? No, not really. There are similarities which people from an extremely different culture outside of Europe might lump together. But for those within Europe, there is such a vast cultural difference that many (I'd venture to guess even those in mainland Europe) do not refer to themselves as "European".
I think of myself as Scots, British and European. It is my experience that we have much more in common with each other than differences. Of course there are cultural differences but the fundamental value system is the same.
I do because I'm part English, part German, part French, part Polish and part Jewish. It would be kinda silly not to think of myself at least a little bit European, altho that doesn't mean I entirely agree with the EU and all that it does. I do think having a united Europe is a much better idea than anything we've had in the part though.
This is a very interesting discussion. I am Swedish (currently receding in the US) and I when I went to Uni in London people referred to me as a European.
I thought that was a bit funny, because to me Europe “starts” some were in Denmark.
While Britons sees Swedes, Danes and Norwegians as Europeans, most of us do not, not in the same sense as a German or Belgian at least.
I actually think this is a north European thing.
The UK, just as Sweden and Norway are separated from mainland Europe by water. Yes, Sweden and Norway are on a peninsula and “connected” to Europe that way, but to reach Germany by land you would have to drive through Finland, Russia / the Baltic States and Poland. The UK, Sweden and Denmark are part of the EU but do not have the Euro. Norway is not part of the EU and obviously does not have the Euro. I think one can say there is a pattern here.
I also think that British and Scandinavian humor has a lot in common. Just take the case with Monty Python. Swedish pubcaster SVT was the first network in the world to by it. (That’s right not an English speaking country like Australia or the US) The bosses at the beeb were surprised as they had ruled out export since to them the series was too British for any other nationality too understand.
(Still today British television is very popular in Sweden. Midsomer Murders get higher ratings then The Sopranos, when the latter series was still on the air)
There migh be a historical reason for this too. Prior to 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England, most English (Anglo-Saxon) international connections and trade deals were with Scandinavia, not mainland Europe. It should also remembered that for over 100 years large parts of England and Scotland fell under the so called Danelaw – parts of Britan that was governed by the Danes. While William the Conqueror was of Scandinavian heritage, he brought Britain closer to France and the continent.
(The Danelaw was roughly the area to the north of a line drawn between London and Chester, excluding the portion of Northumbria to the east of the Pennines. Five fortified towns became particularly important in the Danelaw: Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln, broadly delineating the area now called the East Midlands. The Danelaw existed from 866 till 954.)
I know I am rambling a bit.
I hope you all can see what I am trying to say.
This is a very interesting discussion. I am Swedish (currently receding in the US) and I when I went to Uni in London people referred to me as a European.
I thought that was a bit funny, because to me Europe “starts” some were in Denmark.
While Britons sees Swedes, Danes and Norwegians as Europeans, most of us do not, not in the same sense as a German or Belgian at least.
I actually think this is a north European thing.
The UK, just as Sweden and Norway are separated from mainland Europe by water. Yes, Sweden and Norway are on a peninsula and “connected” to Europe that way, but to reach Germany by land you would have to drive through Finland, Russia / the Baltic States and Poland. The UK, Sweden and Denmark are part of the EU but do not have the Euro. Norway is not part of the EU and obviously does not have the Euro. I think one can say there is a pattern here.
I also think that British and Scandinavian humor has a lot in common. Just take the case with Monty Python. Swedish pubcaster SVT was the first network in the world to by it. (That’s right not an English speaking country like Australia or the US) The bosses at the beeb were surprised as they had ruled out export since to them the series was too British for any other nationality too understand.
(Still today British television is very popular in Sweden. Midsomer Murders get higher ratings then The Sopranos, when the latter series was still on the air)
There migh be a historical reason for this too. Prior to 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England, most English (Anglo-Saxon) international connections and trade deals were with Scandinavia, not mainland Europe. It should also remembered that for over 100 years large parts of England and Scotland fell under the so called Danelaw – parts of Britan that was governed by the Danes. While William the Conqueror was of Scandinavian heritage, he brought Britain closer to France and the continent.
(The Danelaw was roughly the area to the north of a line drawn between London and Chester, excluding the portion of Northumbria to the east of the Pennines. Five fortified towns became particularly important in the Danelaw: Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln, broadly delineating the area now called the East Midlands. The Danelaw existed from 866 till 954.)
I know I am rambling a bit.
I hope you all can see what I am trying to say.
There migh be a historical reason for this too. Prior to 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England, most English (Anglo-Saxon) international connections and trade deals were with Scandinavia, not mainland Europe. It should also remembered that for over 100 years large parts of England and Scotland fell under the so called Danelaw – parts of Britan that was governed by the Danes. While William the Conqueror was of Scandinavian heritage, he brought Britain closer to France and the continent.
(The Danelaw was roughly the area to the north of a line drawn between London and Chester, excluding the portion of Northumbria to the east of the Pennines. Five fortified towns became particularly important in the Danelaw: Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln, broadly delineating the area now called the East Midlands. The Danelaw existed from 866 till 954.)
I know I am rambling a bit.
I hope you all can see what I am trying to say.
I stumbled on this thread and I find it interesting someone brought that information up...the British blood in me is in fact Danish not really British if traced as far back as is possible (to the early 900's); my British ancestors were in fact descended from a Danish military officer who was granted some land in what is now part of the U.K. by King Canute in return for his services and settled there with his family. Most of the family stayed in the (now known as) U.K. and are in all parts of it now, some of them came over here in the 1630's. And this is not a terribly rare thing. If any Britons, or descendants of British settlers elsewhere manage to trace their family history back to before the Norman Conquest...they have good chances of finding Scandinavian blood in them. There are a lot of Britons and Scandinavians who are related to each other (albeit rather distantly by this point) without even knowing it...
There is no link between caring for a rubber stamp Parliament and being European. I love Europe, but want to be ruled by locally elected politicians who can be replaced at an election. We voted against Kinnock and got him as a corrupt EU commissioner.
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