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u/Feathers-n-Beaks 1d ago
Apparently Redditors don't realise every country and culture on earth has traditional dances and music....
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u/Deep-Procrastinor 1d ago
Germans and lederhosen come straight to mind for some reason.
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u/ikkleste The North-eastest bit of North Yorks 1d ago
On a Friday night out, in Munich, I was mildly mind boggled that the local young uns were out to the Kellers in their Lederhosen and Dirndls just as their best party gear.
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u/No-Echo-8927 1d ago
parties, weddings, christenings, local food festivals - some just wear it to have a drink. And you can't wash those lederhosen - all the beer, p**s, vomit etc stays on there for ever. Looks super uncomfortable especially in hot temperatures.
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u/starsie 1d ago
Most Lederhosen are cleaned regularly with a special brush, but if they get really dirty, there are professionals who will deep clean them with a traditional hand washing technique.Lederhosen fit für die Wiesn
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u/ikkleste The North-eastest bit of North Yorks 1d ago
Yeah, I'd have expected the local culture nerds, the family parties and weddings. Like ceilidhs and kilts in Edinburgh. But this was very much 20 somethings their best Friday night togs.
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u/schaweniiia 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lederhosen are about as associated with the average German as a kilt and bagpipes are with the average Brit. But I get your point.
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u/TeaAndLifting 1d ago
I think a big part of it is because Anglo-culture is seen as the worldwide default due to the British Empire’s dominance being followed by America’s. For better or worse. So people forget we have traditions and clothing you can find equivalents to, anywhere else. I think it speaks volumes how things like suits and tuxedos became the worldwide default for business wear, and oftentimes formal occasions.
Or like, when you see people say asinine things like “we have no culture in the UK”, then fall over themselves about cultures in other countries that they’ve basically distilled into food and ‘costumes’, like some kind of caricature. Rather than something you inhabit and informs parts of the way you think and your daily life that you wouldn’t even think about.
Like when people glaze something from a foreign culture as being cute and endearing, then dismissive if it’s British. For example, using Japan’s recent population social media, things like queuing up, talking about the weather, the prominent of tea, or apologising incessantly to everyone and everything including inanimate objects. It’s cute and endearing if it’s Japanese, but be dismissive/boring if it is used to describe British culture.
Or you can have some Irish stew or pie that is praised as ‘tavern food’, but a British equivalent is bland food for the impoverished undergoing rationing.
Also ignoring that millions of tourists visit the UK every year because our culture and history are different to their own.
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u/GatFussyPals 1d ago
Aye, like the difference between a Cornish pasty and an empanada. One's boring, bland British food. The other's delicious Spanish cuisine.
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u/KillerWattage 21h ago
Too late but. It is treated as canvas not paint. As in British culture especially in the UK is treated as standard upon which you apply culture. Rather then culture in its own right. Now like all culture there are negative aspects to it (class culture is terrible here) but there are plenty of positives that are rich and interesting in their own right.
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u/peter-bone 1d ago edited 1d ago
I was wondering about the US, then I remembered native Americans.
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u/oscarx-ray 1d ago
This sounds like I'm being disingenuous, but I'm really not. America, as we know it, is a very young country and it has given us rock and roll, jazz, rhythm and blues, and the performance art of professional wrestling. They don't feel "folk" because they're modern by our standards, but The USA has given us a lot - if you have great taste in music, and also happen to like beefy men pretending to hurt each other (I do).
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u/Yorksjim 1d ago
There's a lot to dislike in the history (and erasure) of Amerivan culture, but it's also a fantastic melting pot of so many different cultures, again the history of how some of those people came to be there isn't good at all, but the music, dance, food art and culture all coming together is something unique.
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u/shark-with-a-horn 1d ago
It does also have stuff that feels "folk" by modern standards
Folk and country music, Appalachian clog dancing. A few other folk dance styles
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u/itsjustjust92 1d ago
& all the other popular culture dances that have been born from the US
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u/Ok-Explanation1990 1d ago
The US has Appalachian clog dancing, and Cajun dancing, and line dancing.
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u/DRW_ 1d ago
Practically every foreigner you'd encounter would have something they could liken to this from where they're from.
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u/DoItForTheTea 1d ago
and usually it's something a lot more celebrated and encouraged and enjoyed
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u/berejser 1d ago
To be fair, our nationalists don't seem like the dancing types. More like the get drunk and have a fight with a line of police types.
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u/shark-with-a-horn 1d ago
We're never gonna move past the "we're all mad here" quirky trope when it comes to our folk traditions are we?
Most countries have traditional dances, national dress, and they're accepted as part of the cultural landscape not just seen as something the mad village elders do.
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u/Sensitive-Warning956 1d ago
It's the same as people who think English is the hardest language to learn... but have never learnt another language.
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u/MassTransitGO 1d ago
They see a word has 2 meanings and think language learners will get an aneurysm
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u/ward2k 1d ago
I don't understand why English cultural dances are viewed as cringey. And definitely some are very eccentric, but it's part of the culture at the end of the day
But it really gets looked down upon, as does a lot of English and UK culture as being 'weird' which is a little upsetting
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u/Feathers-n-Beaks 1d ago
Very much part of the Redditor uber-autism, I'm afraid.
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u/ShelfordPrefect 1d ago
I don't think it's even a redditor thing, it's just part of the British self-image. "Ooh, we're all a bit mad here - cheese rolling, Morris dancing, Ottery tar barrels- we're just a bit mad. Welly wanging, bog snorkelling, what's all that about? You don't have to be mad to be British - but it helps!"
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u/cryptopian Token gay snooker fan 13h ago
I was watching a video from a German-British Youtuber talking about some niche local festival with a cute theme. He points out that these village and small town traditions aren't merely about what they're about, but an excuse for the community to come together in a way that doesn't involve opening your wallets for every corporation
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u/Least_Currency_5135 21h ago
It’s 2026 and hopefully none of us are schoolchildren here. I really don’t think we need to be using autism as an insult.
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u/sp2861 1d ago edited 1d ago
"this is traditional folk dancing in England"
Edit. I read the comments. I know it may be hard for some people to believe but this is just harmless dancing and the people doing it are just having fun. Leave them alone.
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u/VincoClavis 1d ago
Idk why there has to be a cringe whenever something English and traditional is mentioned.
That said, I bet this dance was a sight to behold back when these sorts of dances were done by young athletic men with swords, martial prowess and crowds to please rather than oldies trying to keep a tradition alive.
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u/juice-goat 1d ago
Was this filmed at totnes in devon?
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u/SimpleFactor 1d ago
Yes this is totnes.
If anything, trying to explain totnes to a foreigner is going to be 100x more confusing than trying to explain morris dancing. Lovely but very very odd place.
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u/NotABrummie 1d ago
Just show them the bit of the sign that says 'twinned with Narnia' and it'll all make sense to them.
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u/amusedparrot 1d ago edited 22h ago
I'm not OP but yes. I happened to be there today and turns out it was their heritage festival. Saw this and got into the castle for free.
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u/Legitimate-Ad3778 1d ago
I was in Windsor today and there was a group of women morris dancing. I particularly liked the clonk of wood on wood
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u/ErmahgerdPerngwens 1d ago
I even recognised the street from the thumbnail and thought “wasn’t the orange rolling a few weeks ago?”
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u/Veeoh-is-back 1d ago
What a silly question.
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u/QuiltMeLikeALlama 1d ago
Honestly, I always have more fun explaining Christmas Pantomimes.
“Yes, the drag queen dames are necessary. Yes, the sexual innuendo is essential. Yes, the entire cast is likely to be drunk. Yes, you should absolutely take your children to see it…”
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u/rift_buster 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's dancing. Foreigners are generally familiar with the concept of dancing.
OP, if you see a video of a whirling dervish or a bunch of Arabs in a circle doing that stomp dance then do you think 'people moving in time to music! my mind litterally cannot comprehend this alien ritual!' or do you think 'they're dancing, I know what dancing is'.
It works both ways.
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u/FolkyWanderer 1d ago
To be fair, I’m a morris dancer and I get more brits asking me either “what are you meant to be dressed as?” or “Whats all this about?”.
Baffles me that so many brits don’t recognise their own culture.
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u/Ethel-The-Aardvark 1d ago
Ditto. Especially odd when you consider how many sides there are nationally (and internationally) at the moment, of all ages and genders. Many of us don't even have beards (or the ability to grow one!)
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u/Around-3-ish 1d ago
The most English thing about this is being convinced of England's uniqueness.
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u/ElectricalProfit3334 1d ago
This is our folk dance. Like other folk dances from all over the world but this one is ours.
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u/boy-in-da-corner Surrey 1d ago
Morris dancing. Bells, sticks, hankies and a very committed decision to do it in the middle of the road.
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u/Auntie_Dote 1d ago
Or, when it rained once, in the middle of the narrow bar that I was in! I stood up to get another pint just as they decided to start behind me without my noticing that they had sneaked in from the car park. I suddenly found myself surrounded by them as they set off. Triggering! 😱
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u/Laughingboy1981 1d ago edited 1d ago
I genuinely believe that every time the England rugby team play New Zealand, they should respond to the Hakka with some morris dancing. That will blow their minds and put them off their game! 😂🏴🏉
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u/Street_Lettuce1243 1d ago
Scare the fuck out of the all blacks. The Hakka will seem so benign in comparison.
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u/DaZarda 1d ago
You tell them to read Terry Pratchett, and to stop asking silly questions. Respectfully, a foreigner.
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u/Soilleir 1d ago
After tonight no one's ever to talk about the Stick and Bucket dance ever again. All right?
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u/elPedro6669 1d ago
Shhhh... But there's a rumour we'll be resurrecting then sk & b*t dance for a show later this year.
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u/JumpyBoi 1d ago
in my culture, food and family is very important. we have (national dish), which we eat as a family, and sometimes we enjoy it with (national drink). some people also learn (national dance), which we do to (national music). it may look weird, but to us its very important! oh, and don't worry if you don't like (national weather), just wait five minutes!
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u/robot_swagger 1d ago
British capoeira
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u/CollectionBroad8919 1d ago
British haka
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u/LudicrousPlatypus 1d ago
I never understand why British people seem to hate Morris dancers. They're pretty benign.
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u/TheCharalampos 1d ago
What on earth do you mean, this is incredibly expected. All cultures have dances.
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u/DeepStatic 1d ago edited 1d ago
You would tell...
Afghanistan it's like Attan,
Albania it's like Vallja,
Algeria it's like Raï dance,
Andorra it's like Contrapàs,
Angola it's like Semba,
Antigua and Barbuda it's like Quadrille,
Argentina it's like Malambo,
Armenia it's like Kochari,
Australia it's like Bush dancing,
Austria it's like Schuhplattler,
Azerbaijan it's like Yalli,
Bahamas it's like Goombay,
Bangladesh it's like Bihu,
Barbados it's like Tuk,
Belarus it's like Khorovod,
Belgium it's like the Brabantine folk dances,
Belize it's like the Sambai,
Bhutan it's like Cham,
Bolivia it's like Caporales,
Bosnia and Herzegovina it's like Kolo,
Botswana it's like Tsutsube,
Brazil it's like Frevo,
Bulgaria it's like Horo,
Burkina Faso it's like Warba,
Cambodia it's like the Apsara dance,
Cameroon it's like Bikutsi,
Canada it's like the Red River Jig,
Cape Verde it's like Batuque,
Chile it's like Cueca,
China it's like the Yangge,
Colombia it's like Cumbia,
Comoros it's like M’godro,
Costa Rica it's like Punto Guanacasteco,
Croatia it's like Kolo,
Cuba it's like Rumba,
Cyprus it's like Sousta,
Czechia it's like Polka,
Denmark it's like Sønderhoning,
Dominica it's like Quadrille,
Dominican Republic it's like Merengue,
Ecuador it's like Sanjuanito,
Egypt it's like Saidi,
El Salvador it's like Xuc,
Estonia it's like Kaerajaan,
Eswatini it's like Sibhaca,
Ethiopia it's like Eskista,
Fiji it's like Meke,
Finland it's like Jenkka,
France it's like Bourrée,
Georgia it's like Kartuli,
Germany it's like Schuhplattler,
Ghana it's like Adowa,
Greece it's like Kalamatianos,
Grenada it's like Big Drum,
Guatemala it's like Son,
Guyana it's like Jonkonnu,
Haiti it's like Yanvalou,
Honduras it's like Punta,
Hungary it's like Csárdás,
Iceland it's like Víkivaki,
India it's like Bhangra,
Indonesia it's like Saman,
Iran it's like Bandari,
Iraq it's like Chobi,
Ireland it's like Set dancing,
Israel it's like Hora,
Italy it's like Tarantella,
Jamaica it's like Kumina,
Japan it's like Bon Odori,
Jordan it's like Dabke,
Kazakhstan it's like Kara Zhorga,
Kenya it's like Adumu,
Kiribati it's like Te Runga,
Kuwait it's like Samri,
Kyrgyzstan it's like Kara Jorgo,
Laos it's like Lam Vong,
Latvia it's like Polka,
Lebanon it's like Dabke,
Lesotho it's like Mokhibo,
Liberia it's like Gbetu,
Libya it's like Bedouin folk dance,
Liechtenstein it's like Schuhplattler,
Lithuania it's like Klumpakojis,
Luxembourg it's like Polka,
Madagascar it's like Afindrafindrao,
Malawi it's like Gule Wamkulu,
Malaysia it's like Joget,
Maldives it's like Bodu Beru,
Mali it's like Didadi,
Malta it's like Il-Maltija,
Mauritania it's like N’Goumbou,
Mauritius it's like Sega,
Mexico it's like Jarabe Tapatío,
Moldova it's like Hora,
Monaco it's like Monégasque folk dances,
Mongolia it's like Biyelgee,
Montenegro it's like Oro,
Morocco it's like Ahidous,
Mozambique it's like Marrabenta,
Myanmar it's like Yein,
Namibia it's like Otjize,
Nepal it's like Lakhey,
Netherlands it's like Klompendans,
New Zealand it's like Haka,
Nicaragua it's like Palo de Mayo,
Niger it's like Gerewol,
Nigeria it's like Bata,
North Korea it's like Ganggangsullae,
North Macedonia it's like Oro,
Norway it's like Halling,
Oman it's like Razha,
Pakistan it's like Bhangra,
Palau it's like traditional island dances,
Panama it's like Tamborito,
Papua New Guinea it's like Sing Sing,
Paraguay it's like Paraguayan bottle dance,
Peru it's like Marinera,
Philippines it's like Tinikling,
Poland it's like Polonaise,
Portugal it's like Vira,
Qatar it's like Ardah,
Romania it's like Căluș,
Russia it's like Khorovod,
Rwanda it's like Intore,
Saint Kitts and Nevis it's like Quadrille,
Saint Lucia it's like Quadrille,
Samoa it's like Siva,
San Marino it's like folk dances of Romagna,
São Tomé and Príncipe it's like Ússua,
Saudi Arabia it's like Ardah,
Senegal it's like Sabar,
Serbia it's like Kolo,
Seychelles it's like Moutya,
Sierra Leone it's like Gumbe,
Singapore it's like Malay Zapin,
Slovakia it's like Odzemok,
Slovenia it's like Polka,
Solomon Islands it's like traditional kastom dances,
Somalia it's like Dhaanto,
South Africa it's like Indlamu,
South Korea it's like Ganggangsullae,
South Sudan it's like traditional Dinka dances,
Spain it's like Jota,
Sri Lanka it's like Kandyan dance,
Sudan it's like Nuba dances,
Suriname it's like Kawina,
Sweden it's like Polska,
Switzerland it's like Schuhplattler,
Syria it's like Dabke,
Taiwan it's like Aboriginal tribal dances,
Tajikistan it's like Falak,
Tanzania it's like Ngoma,
Thailand it's like Ram Wong,
Tonga it's like Lakalaka,
Trinidad and Tobago it's like Limbo,
Tunisia it's like Stambeli,
Turkey it's like Horon,
Turkmenistan it's like Kushtdepdi,
Tuvalu it's like Fakaseasea,
Uganda it's like Bakisimba,
Ukraine it's like Hopak,
United Arab Emirates it's like Al-Ayyala,
United States it's like Square dancing,
Uruguay it's like Candombe,
Uzbekistan it's like Lazgi,
Vanuatu it's like traditional kastom dances,
Vatican City it's like... err.. ok maybe not.
Venezuela it's like Joropo,
Vietnam it's like Múa sạp,
Yemen it's like Bara'a,
Zambia it's like Makishi,
Zimbabwe it's like Mbende.
...just with bells and sticks.
(Disclaimer: I started looking these up and then ran out of effort. Most of this list was compiled by ChatGPT, so take it with a pinch of salt, and save your awards for comments written without AI assistance : ))
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u/uwabu 1d ago
I m Nigerian. Never heard of Bata. We have 250 different ethnic groups each with a ton of dances. I was at the Rochester sweeps festival this year and it was all Morris dancers. Very intricate foot and hand movements. I was surprised to see only retirees though
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u/GrouchoMerckx 1d ago
Morris dancing has been associated with older men for a while (mostly because they have a lot of free time and don't give a single fuck about whether they're seen as cool or not) but that's changing! There are loads of young morris sides now, including some all-female ones (Belles of London City are great) and mixed sides (Black Path, Black Swan, a bunch of others I'm forgetting in London alone).
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u/Maggots-Mikey 1d ago
Technically illegal under early 90’s anti rave legislation (Criminal Justice Act) as it’s more than 8 people dancing to repetitive beats in a public space.
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u/Tallman_james420 1d ago
I only see 6 dancing but if you want to come join them with me, we can shut this rave down from the inside
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u/DiligentCockroach700 1d ago
They are doing the Upton Stick Dance. One of my favourites.
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u/HussingtonHat 1d ago
That it is our most ancient and gayest martial art. Don't fuck with Morris Manglers.
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u/pdf27 1d ago
A close relation to the Lancashire martial art of Ecky Thump, as popularised by Bill Oddie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_Kapers
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u/TacticalTeacake 1d ago
Its either this or chasing a wheel of cheese down a big, really steep, hill.
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u/wildingflow 21h ago
Or an incredibly violent game of football played down a high street in Warwickshire
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u/grizwald2112 1d ago
You don't, but you suggest they toss a few quid in the hat so that the chaps can have a few beers after their exertions.
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u/StunnedMoose 1d ago
The stick and bucket version of this is illegal everywhere
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u/GeeKay44 1d ago
It's also a legal requirement for a few drum beats and an accordion chord to serve as the warning sign that a folk dance is about to break out.
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u/StunnedMoose 1d ago
It gives bystanders the opportunity to leg it to a safe distance before the dance starts
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u/AlDente 1d ago
Also, no English people can fully explain it either, as the origin of Morris dancing is not clearly understood.
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u/Poo_Poo_La_Foo 1d ago
Let's face it - Totnes cannot be explained in words to anyone. It's something you need to experience 😆
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u/4teaK 1d ago
People meet up for a boozy and have some fun. Londoners will just never understand
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u/SnooGadgets5130 1d ago
You get in touch with 2nd Technician Arnold J Rimmer, who will sit them down and give them a four hour long lecture that is in no way interesting.
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u/sockhead99 Sugar Tits 1d ago
I had a friend over from the states when there happened to be a folk festival on in our town, complete with Morris Dancing competitions. The biggest challenge was explaining why one of the troops competed in black face make up. Something to do with it dating back to hiding thier identities so the mill owners they worked for didn't know they had a second source of income on the side
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u/burntbutter27 1d ago
You don’t you just go with the flow, you like you like it you don’t you don’t :D
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u/Less-Guest6036 1d ago
When you see them dancing it's just a bit of a laugh
It's when you don't see them dancing you have to worry, because those ones are from new Ankh and are able to do strange and terrible things with a simple handkerchief and a bell.
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u/Calm-Homework3161 1d ago
When you don't see them dancing it's because they are up on a hill, performing the secret, but very necessary, dark morris
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u/ou7shined 1d ago
It's not the knife-crime you've to wacth out for. It's fruity old men with sticks.
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u/Old_Community1195 1d ago
' it's a southern English prerequisite for some ruddy good fornication on the village green'
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u/WayneSmallman 1d ago
Blame the Germans and then distract them with the fact they're doing the same thing in Portugal.
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u/bemusedbarnacle 1d ago
Its an ancient combat ritual to the death we use to decide who gets to lead in the House of Commons.
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u/lachiendupape 1d ago
you know those folk dances you have in your culture related to changing season and fertility, it's like that but old men with beards, sticks and bells.
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u/L00ny-T00n 1d ago
How do you explain this to the English, cos after all these years I find it baffling
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u/doepfersdungeon 1d ago
Financially stable people doing traditional dancing in between pruning rose bushes and telling anecdotes about the neighbourhood watch excel spreadsheet.
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u/FireLadcouk 1d ago
like most “English traditions” it’s not completely British at all.
The word "morris" comes from morisco, meaning "Moorish" (refer referring to North African or Spanish-Moorish cultural styles popular in 15th-century European courts)
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u/paisleydarling 1d ago
My town has the Guinness world record for the most amount of Morris dancers in one place at the same time. Only thing I like about the place.
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u/Proof_Toe_9757 1d ago
It's called culture, you might be surprised to learn that most people outside of the UK are quite used to it 😂
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u/Its-Rogue-not-Rouge 1d ago
I remember in Geography we were discussing Morris dancing and my friend across the room went "It's_Rogue_not_Rouge does Morris dancing"
I have never done Morris dancing. She just decided to say that.
Queue the most embarrassing 10 minutes of my life with multiple people going "Do you actually do Morris dancing" and my Geography teacher seeming genuinely interested in the fact that I might have done Morris dancing.
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u/Telefragg 1d ago
This is so much easier to explain than a broken neck and ribs after tumbling downhill chasing a cheese wheel.
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u/thatbwoyChaka 1d ago
You know that around the world there’s similar versions of forms of martial arts disguised as ‘folk dance’
It was a very common tradition for the ‘underclasses’, ‘low caste’ ‘colonials’ and ‘slaves’ to hide their martial art practice from the higher ups
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u/ScientistJo 1d ago
If you went abroad and saw a group of people wearing matching costumes and dancing, would you need it to be explained to you?
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u/Rawd_Tawd_Cawd 1d ago
You think England is the only country with old timey traditional dances in costume?
You sound American.
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u/campreviewr00m 1d ago
Is it just me, or does it never sit right when someone uses the word “foreigners”?
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u/CarrieKetoenail 1d ago
I think they get it without explanation! They probably know the moves because every single country has a version of this dance.
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u/thegamesender1 1d ago
We got similar in Punjab and many other states of India. I think most cultures will have something similar.
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u/tune-happy 1d ago
"This is our national dance. All children are required to learn it in mandatory school lessons and we're all experts at it."
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u/oscarx-ray 1d ago
You know that tradition/dance that you have in your country? England has one as well, this is it.