The customs and traditions of the United States are American culture. "Culture includes religion, food, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things," said Cristina De.
The United States is the third largest country in the world with a population of more than 332 million. A child is born every 9 seconds, and a person dies every 11 seconds.
The population of the United States was built on immigration from other countries, as well as Indigenous Americans who were already living on the continent. The Census Bureau says that a new immigrant moves to the US every 666 seconds.
According to The London School, the United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. The English who colonized the country in the early 1600s are said to be the most influential people in American culture. The cultures of Indigenous Americans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians have shaped the U.S. culture.
The United States is sometimes described as a "melting pot", in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct "flavors" to American culture. American culture influences the world just as cultures from around the world have influenced American culture. The term Western culture is often used to refer to the cultures of the United States and Europe.
People in the United States tend to melt down. " Different groups of immigrants integrate in different ways," De Rossi said. In the United States, Catholic Spanish-speaking communities might keep their language and other cultural family traditions, but are integrated in the urban community and have embraced the American way of life in many other ways.
The Northeast, South, Midwest, Southeast and Western regions of the United States have their own traditions and customs. There is a brief overview of the culture of the United States.
It is a language.
There is no official language of the United States according to the US Government.
The U.S. government does not have an official language of the United States. Spanish, Chinese, French and German are the most frequently spoken non-English languages in the world. Most official business in the US is conducted in English, and ninety percent of the population speaks and understands English. Some states have official languages. English and Hawaiian are the official languages in Hawaii.
More than 350 languages are spoken in the US according to the Census Bureau. The bureau divides those languages into four categories: Spanish, other European languages, Russian and Polish. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Tamil and more are included. There is a category for "all other languages," which is for languages that aren't included in the first three categories, such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Hungarian.
Religion.
An example of an American wedding.
The United States was founded on the basis of religious freedom and is home to nearly every known religion. According to information gathered by the Pew Research Center, 70% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. The research found that 23% of the population had no religious affiliation at all, and around 6% of the population was made up of non-Christian religions.
The number of people who don't identify with a religion seems to be decreasing. The category is expected to fall from 16% in 2015 to 13% in 2060.
The style is American.
An example of contemporary American fashion.
Social status, region, occupation and climate are some of the factors that affect clothing styles. There have been a variety of other styles throughout the decades, but jeans, sneakers, baseball caps, cowboy hats and boots are some items of clothing that are closely associated with Americans. Some American brands are well-known.
According to Statista, US clothing and accessories sales amounted to 24 billion US dollars in 2019. More and more Americans are buying things online. In the third quarter of the year, US retail e-commerce sales totaled $214.6 billion.
American food.
A traditional American classic is macaroni cheese.
Europeans and Native Americans influenced American cuisine. There are many foods that are commonly identified as American, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni and cheese, and meat loaf. "As American as apple pie", despite the dishes non-American origins, has come to mean something that is authentically American.
There are different styles of cooking and different types of foods in different regions. Fried chicken, black-eyed peas, and cornbread are some of the dishes that can be found in Southern-style cooking. According to Culture Trip, Tex-Mex is a blend of Spanish and Mexican cooking styles and includes items such as chili and burritos, and relies heavily on shredded cheese and beans.
According to NPR, Jerky, dried meats that are served as snacks, was created in the United States.
The arts are performed.
A view of the Broadway theatre scene.
The United States is a leader in mass media production. The United States is worth $717 billion in the media and entertainment industry.
American television programs are now shown around the world, thanks to the television broadcasting industry that took hold in the United States in the early 1950s. Hollywood, California, and American movies are popular worldwide, and the United States has a vibrant movie industry. The US film industry earned a record $100 billion in the year of 2019.
The United States' arts culture is not limited to movies and television shows. New York is home to Broadway, and Americans have a rich theatrical history. The Folk Art Museum states that American folk art is an artistic style and is identified with quilts and other hand-crafted items. Rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country and western, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll and hip hop are just some of the many styles of American music.
Sports.
An American baseball player.
The United States is a sports-minded country, with millions of fans who follow football, baseball, basketball and hockey. According to the Harris Poll, baseball is America's favorite sport, although it has been overtaken by football for the past three decades.
American holidays.
Only the United States celebrates many holidays. Americans celebrate their independence from Britain on July 4. Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May. Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September. Thanksgiving, a unique American holiday, is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November and dates back to colonial times to celebrate the harvest.
Presidents' Day is a federal holiday on the third Monday in February and commemorates the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Veterans' Day is observed on Nov. 11. On the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr.'s contributions are remembered.
Additional reporting by a Live Science contributor.
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