As an American living in the UK, I thought wigs were something you’d only see in history books, costume dramas, or maybe at Halloween parties. But then I discovered that here in Britain, wigs aren’t just relics of the past—they’re still very much alive. Yes, in the year 2025, there are people who put on white wigs as part of their job. Not actors, not re-enactors… but judges, barristers, and even members of Parliament during certain ceremonial events.

British life is full of small traditions and quirks that don’t always make sense at first—tea breaks, queuing etiquette, calling cookies “biscuits.” But football chants? They’re a reminder that, here, sport isn’t just a game. It’s community. It’s culture.

Every November, Brits gather to celebrate the fact that a man named Guy Fawkes failed to blow up Parliament in 1605. How do they mark this historic non-event? By burning his effigy on a massive bonfire while eating toffee apples and cheering. Yes, really.

As someone who grew up with presidents rather than kings, the level of admiration (and sometimes obsession) for the royal family can be surprising. From commemorative tea towels to royal documentaries, from wedding watch parties to souvenir shops filled with Charles and Camilla mugs—royal fever is real.