Why does the US seem to lack a sense of ceremony and formality?

Question

Not the people in particular... just the culture in general.

Confused? Here are some examples...

1. US graduations are held in open-air stadiums with many students wearing flip-flops and sporting Hawaiian leis, or otherwise sloppily dressed. Besides, they seem to be a competition for "who can scream the loudest". (Contrast with British graduation ceremonies in ornate halls, with elaborate gowns and Latin announcements. Or Japanese graduations, with formal sequences of bows, salutes, and school songs.)

2. Few American schools have uniforms. Those uniforms that exist are rather casual.

3. US soldiers can't march, and don't have any occasion to. When they do march, their drill is sloppy. But most of the time, even on national celebrations, there isn't any opportunity for them to display their drill. (Contrast with the military fanfare in London: the Changing of the Guard, or the Trooping the Colour parades on the Queen's Birthday.)

I don't mean to be critical.

To be fair, a casual and relaxed attitude is good, especially in daily live and in the workplace. Besides, Americans are rather productive and the US military is the strongest in the world.

But... you know, there is a special feeling to ceremony and formality. It is hard to describe. Remember the first time you dressed up for a wedding as a child? Sometimes, society needs some ceremony, some fanfare, some special feeling of elegance and dignity.

Imagine how proud British soldiers feel when they march past Buckingham Palace.

Imagine the enchanted, almost surreal atmosphere, in the halls of Oxford and Cambridge.

Where can you find such magic in the US?

But Ana, life can be boring without these foo-foo things =p

Answer 1

I agree that our country has become so informal that it's hard to find any pomp & circumstance. I like to be casual, yet I know when the time is right to be formal out of respect. Yet, I watched Gerald Ford's week's worth of funerals, etc. and thought it might have been a bit overdone. I do, however, tend to long for some of that wonderful British fanfare. Maybe when our country has had as many years to develop rituals, we'll finally respect them more.

Answer 2

We lack formality because this is not an American value so much as in other countries. Britain is a place based on royalty and its values, while America is a place based on a republic democracy and its values. So in Britain the ceremonies would emphasise the differences between royalty and commoners, while in America the ceremonies would emphasises what we have in common as members of a democratic republic.
However, we do have a sense of ceremony. Consider the ordinary interactions between people.
"how are you doing?"
"how was your weekend?"
"how's your daughter (son, wife, etc)?"
etc
These are all ceremonial questions that people ask each other at certain times, and they have ceremonial answers.
If you don't believe this, try asking a question that is out of place, or answering in a way that is out of place. You'll see.
I have Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism, and social interactions don't come natrually to me. Instead I must intellectualise them via specific rules, and follow them just like following the rules of a game. So I see very clearly that people in the US do carry out ceremonies just as much as in any other place, although on a more informal and subtle level than in places such as Britain.

Answer 3

Yes, I do think America is leading the world to see what is truly important. How much excess is necessary, to keep status as a civilized society?

Ceremony is intricately intermingled with hierarchy, and class. This is not true of American culture, necessarily. Many American believe that what's between their ears outweighs what's on their backs. Some, not all.

Answer 4

diverse human beings think of accents are "wierd" and that they could think of they don't have an accessory or don't have a "wierd" accessory. don't get me incorrect individuals are egocentric dumbasses who think of they are entitled to everythin and something. Ex: whiny newborn needs an iPhone, egocentric b***h of a parent is going to Walmart and gets an iPhone for newborn. i'm American, yet became taught disipline, in evaluation to some different douchebags in this u . s .. Ex- i'm scripting this on an iPod touch that i bought at terrific purchase with my birthday money And money I earned for reducing lawns. we've extremely sensible individuals who're no longer egocentric bas**rds like my mom. She is a foreclosures prevention recommend who has a school degree. on a daily basis she takes crap from 9-5 m-f from people who think of they are greater helpful than everybody.

Answer 5

i agree and i live in the us but it gives a sense of freedom Here you can dress up or dress down whenever you want for any occasion you can go to a wedding in a plain skirt and shirt and flip flops lol it does make the occasion less special i think but you can lol

Answer 6

Go to a football game. Or any parade. Go to a backyard cookout. Ceremony doesnt need formality. traditions arent suppost to be country wide are they? Do you really care that much that we are more extrverted than most countries? Our formal tradition is individuality.

Answer 7

In my opinion, in the past couple of decades, the powers that be is so concerned with making non US citizens feel welcome and part of the US and incorporating everyone elses culture into our's that we have lost all of our's. We've become a country of "If it feels good, do it".

Answer 8

Never really noticed. Maybe life's too short for all those foo-foo things.