By: Kourtnie Schlacter, Jaelle Judkins, Natalie Belka, and Ammon Schafer

Europe

ORIGIN Europe is one of the smallest countries in the world and yet the cultural diversity is unlike any other place. As of 2009 Europe has a population of roughly million people, which is about 11% of the world. There are 47 independent countries in Europe. 23 official Languages

Prejudice in Europe Europeans dislike immigrants because they are perceived as a threat. Especially during economic failures and blamed them for it. The term “guest worker” implies a temporary, low- status position in society. A study in 1997 proclaimed 10-71% of Europeans from various European countries said that there were “too many” foreigners in their nation. Since September 11, 2001 the are a lot more prejudice towards Muslims.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS U.S. vs. European Culture is very subjective…

Customs and traditions: Clothing differences Russia: Traditional Russian clothing consists of embroidered colourful shirts and blouses. Including embroidered headwear, and also shoes that are specially woven from bast, a very strong and tough fiber from the bark of special trees. Portugal: Their traditional clothing consist of berets, stocking caps, baggy shirts and trousers for the men. Women wear long dresses and shawls. In other places the people dress entirely in black or another dark colour for their daily activities, but they put on colourful garments on special occasions. Scotland: The people from the highlands of Scotland wear kilts. It is a knee-length, skirt-like garment that is pleated at the back, but has a plain front. These kilts are made of tartan, a checked cloth. The design of the kilt is usually associated with a particular Scottish clan. Ireland: The Irish wear kilts of saffron colour, which are made of fine-spun woolen cloth and a sporran (an ornamental pouch), is worn in

European Wedding Traditions European Wedding Traditions involve the practice of different types of customs in the several nations of the continent. Such traditions vary between the West and East European countries. In case of the Western European countries, generally a diamond ring is used for the engagement ceremony. But in certain East European countries gold rings witness the engagement occasion. European Wedding Traditions follow various extensive and lavish customs. In any European Wedding a white wedding gown for the bride is a compulsory attribute. The Western European countries follow the custom of tying shoes at the back of the bridegroom's car since it signifies good luck. The groom must put on a flower from the bride's bouquet. The wedding ceremony takes place in the churches, chapels and cathedrals. The bride and the groom take the vows as referred to by the church priest and promise to stand by each other in every moments of life. This is followed by the exchange of the rings. After this they are allowed to kiss each other as a token of love. The guests along with the bridegroom and their families then head to attend a lavish spread along with dance and music. Wedding Traditions of Europe feature the popular idea of the 'Best Man' which has its origin in Germany. It is selected by the groom as a company for his wedding. It was in Italy where the custom of breaking the wedding cake or bread upon the bride's head was pioneered. In England, any old piece of ornament or any other accessory is gifted to the bride to mark inheritance. The gift of new garments to the couples refer to the commencement of a new life and a bright future. Couples are also gifted at times with some such items borrowed from a happy couple from the bride's side. This indicates lifelong togetherness. The bridegroom are suppose to wear a blue-colored wedding band as blue symbolizes purity. European Wedding Traditions in the East European countries the newly-wed couples are allowed to break plates as it is said the more the pieces the more successful is the marriage. In a Czech wedding, the bride's friend plants a tree on the day before the wedding and decorate with painted egg shells and colorful ribbons. The notion underlying this is that the bride would be happy and prosperous as long as the tree lives. Post-wedding is marked by placing a child on the couples' bed as a sign of fertility. This same tradition is marked by a long headdress made of wheat strings worn by the bride in Hungary.

Customs and traditions: Holidays and celebration differences CHRISTMAS: Santa Clause is not a part of Christmas. Most Europeans believe that the Christ Child is the one that brings them their gifts DECEMBER 5-6: Is when Saint Nicholas comes. You leave your shoes outside your door or on your window sill and he leaves candy for children that have been good that year… ALL SAINTS DAY: November 1, is like their memorial day, put candles on the graves of all of your ancestors, it’s the day where the righteous can roam. (Jack-o- lantern)

Major Religions in Europe Christianity—four regions in Europe Northern Europe: Lutheran Church(Protestants) Southern Europe: Roman Catholic church Eastern Europe: Orthodox Church Central Europe: Mix of Protestants and Catholics

Customs and Traditions: Religion Statistics in 2006 Great Britain FranceItalySpainGermanyUS %%% Believer in God or superior being Agnostic Atheist Prefer not to say Not Sure743343

How does this benefit a teacher by being aware of cultural differences? They can better understand where their students are coming from! Helps them and their students to be accepting of everyone's cultures, customs, and beliefs. Also helps the teacher to see different ways in which each student can learn the best possible way!

References urope AAIZ9P3 Journal of Social Issues, vol. 64, no. 2, 2008, pp sid= around-the-world/european-wedding-traditions.html