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this is a subject that has always fascinated me.
Superficially we are the same, but in reality our 2 nations are so different in many ways, but we don't see ourselves as'foreign'because we speak the same language. this counts for Canada and Australia/New Zealand too.
But the language is often a barrier, it can cause amusement and sometimes offense with misunderstandings rolleyes and on the odd occasion, total incomprehension!
We also have many different customs and traditions and i'm interested in it all!

so here are some of my questions...

we call them handbags, you call them pocketbooks confused what's all that about? the first time i came across that term in a book i was totally confused! lol
Cinco de Mayo~i imagine this is more of a Mexican/Spanish tradition but i'd like to know what it's about. is it a revolutionary thing?
We celebrate May Day over here, well we don't celebrate but it is a bank holiday, i've read that the states is one of the few countries that doesn't recognise this day and you have Labor Day instead?
We have Bonfire night on November the fifth to commemorate the scuppering of Guy Fawkes plot to blow up the houses of parliament in 1605.
this dayused to include children making they own 'Guy' they used to push them round in wheelbarrows with a sign around the guys neck'penny for the guy'
that has died out now, but the guy was burnt atop the bonfire in true heathen fashion
http://www.bonefire.org/guy/gunpowder.php
a lot of the history behing bonfire night is forgotten now(same as it has been for Easter and christmas) now people just want to set of fireworks and accidentally set fire to their sheds/fences with badly placed bonfires neutral
we call December 26th Boxing Day, they do in Canada, Australia and New Zealand too, this stems from the middle ages, this was the traditional day for church poor boxes to be opened and alms distributed and for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes in return for good services throughout the year.
do you have any other traditional days that i don't know about? Thanksgiving is the only one that most people are aware of, the Pilgrim Fathers came from just down the road from me here actually biggrin

there's so many other things too, the many different names we have for things, especially foodstuffs, but seeing as i don't want to fill a whole page with one post i think i'll leave that for now wink

It's funny you bring this up. In my Communications class (Speech) we have been discussing the different cultures. I have learned quite a few things that I honestly didn't know. The one thing I loved was when the teacher talked about different accents. I'm from PA and there we talk a whole different language.Pittsburghese

Susanshoe used to catch me all the time with some of the things she would say. Have you heard from her at all?? I miss her dearly!

i have heard them called pocketbooks, handbags, and purses....me i call mine a bag....i just started toting one a few months back...being a tomboy i always said i didnt want to tote one around...but when you have kids and loads of stuff for them...you cant help but to tote one rolleyes ....lol rofl

my topic for today....the robin
you have them over there but they don't look like ours. the British robin is maybe the most fondly thought of bird in the country, possibly because of its associations with Christmas, they adorn thousands of cards every festive season and people are always delighted if one takes up residence in their garden.
Does the American robin have any links like this?

yours

our little chap

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I have heard of Jammie Dodgers and Dandelion and Burdock drink even though they ARE NOT a very big thing over here sad Imagine my surprise the first time I heard you guys did not have Bisquick or (I think) Kool Aid (unless she meant certain flavors)

Oh, and we are missing the "U" in flavour and colour among others rofl

They are often offerred on Chinese menus. My sister ordered some as an appetizer the other day, and offered me some, which somehow she did not know I don't care for them... I will take an Eggroll over a potsticker any day, well, depending on the Eggroll, too I guess.
I have only had Potstickers made for like resturants and such, so I cannot speak for difference when they are home made... but the ones I have always seen are crispy around the edge that is squeezed together... and the middle is usually mushy, and so far I cannot identify what is in them... I could look for a recipe and say what is supposed to be in them, but that would be cheating since I have never had a potsticker in Las Vegas I could identify the center of. The strangest part is generally I L heart VE Chinese food, which might be what my sister was thinking when she offerred me a pot sticker rolleyes