Embracing the British Pub Tradition

The Most British Tradition

It seems that my husband and I have adopted the most quintessentially British tradition of all—popping into a pub during an ordinary weekday evening.

What I mean is that we don’t go there with a specific purpose; we simply take our dog for a stroll and, as we walk by, we casually think... How about stopping in for a pint?

It hardly takes up any time or money. You spend a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes there, not eating anything, just enjoying one pint at a price slightly above that of a cup of coffee, and then you head home.

As someone from a completely different culture, this concept blows my mind. It feels like you need a reason to visit a place like that—at least something like, “we usually have breakfast out on weekends.”

So often, as I step into the pub, I hear my mom's voice in my head: “WHAT are you doing out?! It’s a weekday!” Yet, there I am on a Tuesday evening in a nearly empty pub when a British man walks in and exclaims:

WHERE THE F**K IS EVERYONE?!?

Clearly, there’s been some sort of misunderstanding in his world view.