Culture

“Why Do I”s about cultural things:

Religion

• Christianity
  - – Christmas – -
  - Why do we put up Christmas wreaths?
  - Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th?
  - Why do we eat Turkey at Christmas?
  - Why are robins on Christmas cards?
  - Why do we put up Christmas lights?
  - – Lent – -
  - Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?
  - – Easter – -
  - Why is Easter called Easter?
  - – Saint Days – -
  - Why do we celebrate St Patrick’s Day? And why do we wear green on this day?
  - Why do we celebrate St Valentine’s Day?
  - – Religious Customs – -
  - Why do people go on pilgrimages?
• Judaism
  - Why do Jews eat Challah, the special Jewish Bread?
  - Why do Jewish people celebrate Rosh Hashanah?
  - Why is the Jewish Holiday Tu B’shevat celebrated?
• Islam
  
• Hinduism
  - Why do Hindus wear a red dot on their forehead?

Non-religious Holidays

Halloween
- Why do we carve pumpkins on Halloween? And why are they called Jack-o-lanterns?

Boxing Day
- Why do we celebrate Boxing Day?

New Year
- Why do we have the New Years Kiss tradition?
- Why do we sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year’s Eve?
- Why do we have these unusual New Year’s Traditions around the world?

Valentine’s Day
- Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Birthdays
- Birthday cake: Why do we celebrate birthdays with birthday cake?
- Birthday song: Why do we sing the happy birthday song?

Weddings
- Why marry? Why do people get married?
- Why do grooms wear a pocket square at weddings?
- Why do we have the engagement and wedding ring custom?
- Why do people go on honeymoons?  And why do we call it a honeymoon?
- Why do we write RSVP on wedding invitations?

Superstitions & Lucky Charms
- Maneki Neko / Waving Lucky Cat: Why do we consider the Beckoning Cat to be lucky?
- Rabbit’s Foot: Why do we consider the rabbit’s foot lucky?
- Good Luck Rooster: Why is the Rooster a symbol of good luck in Portugal?

The way we measure stuff…
- Why do I weigh things in pounds?
- Why do we measure distance in miles?

Stuff we wear
- Why do we wear jewelry?
- Why do we have that small pocket on jeans?
- Why do people wear the peace sign?
- Why do American football players and baseball players have black paint drawn under their eyes?
- Why do cowboys wear hats?
- Why do sailors wear stipes?
- Why do people wear thick black glasses even if they don’t need glasses?
- Why do people wear images of black handlebar moustaches?
- Why do people wear images of triangles?
- Why do people get anchor tattoos?
- Why do tennis players wear white?
- Why do Italians wear blue soccer shirts?
- Why does the Queen wear a crown?

Cultural questions, by country
United Kingdom
- Why do I see the letters ER and GR on red British post boxes?
- Why do I see these people on British bank notes?

China
- Why do Chinese use chopsticks?

Miscellaneous Cultural mysteries!
- Why do we clap in performances?
- Why do we have piggy banks?
- Why do we say Do-Re-Mi in music?
- RSVP: Why do we write RSVP on invitations?
- Why do we call Jack playing cards “Jacks”?
- Place name meanings: Why do we call places by certain names?
- Why do we toast?
- Why do we clink glasses?
- Why are some people hipsters?