To all the British Escapists

[Ubermetalhed]

21 is when you become recognised as an adult.

Also it starts the horrible countdown towards 30.

 

[The Funslinger]

I don't remember much of my 21st though. All I remember is being pinned to a chair and a funnel shoved in my mouth through which various spirits were poured. I was incredibly drunk apparently and struggling to walk. I ended up doing 5 days in our regiments jail for something I said to our CO when I got back to barracks although no bugger can remember what I said.

That's just fantastic!

I'm sorely tempted to do something like that when I join the Royal Marines...

 

[psychodynamica]

18th is important because it is your first legal opportunity to get hammered, and the twenty first is too, because it is said that the great giant Amalgomoth killed the dragon king Omra on his 21st birthday. thats why your twenty first is often called "D-day".

 

[Gluzzbung]

21?

When you can drink alcahol legally in pubs!!!!!!!!!!

It needs changing because you've got 16 for sex, 17 for driving and 18 for drinking at home and being able to buy alcahol from shops

 

[Boombox2003]

The 21st is the old world point of adulthood, it when inheritance and responsibility is traditionally pass down.

 

[Harveypot]

As long as this thread is attracting British people, I have a question too.

Do people actually watch Dr. Who over there?

Because no one fucking watches that show over here. I've tried to get my friends into it, but it's kind of a hard sell, you know? I mean, the entire first and second season...Well, they take some getting used to, let's put it that way. I mean, you have to admit, the show is a bit of an acquired taste, and it takes almost 2 whole seasons before you get to the good ones.

*sigh* Anyway, do people actually watch it over there?

Yes it's the most popular show in the country which isn't a reality show or a soap opera.

OP: No, I think all that happens is the big car thing; also, some pubs won't serve you until you're 21. Still, any excuse for a piss-up, eh?

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Well your Grandmother is living in an older age. 18 is when everything kicks off so that's the major birthday now. Trust me, I'm 17 and nobody gives a shit about 21 anymore than 20 or 22.

 

[Amphoteric]

18 is the important age. 21 is pretty meaningless to me.

 

[devotedsniper]

18 and 21 are both considered big b'days here, 18 is when your allowed to do just about anything, and 21 is more symbolic now as it's when your classed as an adult (back in the old times).

 

[Riobux]

To all the brits on the Escapist, I have a question. Just yesterday I turned 21 and my grandmother says that in Britain the 21st birthday is important, so yeah I was just wondering if it is actually important and how it is?

No, it's not important at all.

As long as this thread is attracting British people, I have a question too.

Do people actually watch Dr. Who over there?

A good amount of people, but it's not selling as well as some people think it does. Although it's more because people don't want TV much any more.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Why the hell would 21 be important? At 18 you can drink, vote, you can already drive (17) and the highest rating for movies and games etc is 18. Literally nothing 'new' happens at 21 tbh. If you go to uni, I think you finish it at about that age, but a lot of people leave after college or secondary school.
18 is the biggie.

 

[Gamer_152]

Yeah, it's a bit of a coming of age thing, an excuse for a big celebration. I think too much importance is attached to that one day personally.

 

[jigilojoe]

Used to be that you'd get a key to the door, not anymore though, but when it is usually it's signified by a stupidly sized key. My family are a bit traditional and they do it, might be a Scottish thing mind you.

 

[ChaoticLegion]

Ok, I've not read every single post so far, but this is due to most of them being rephrases of what has already been said.

Allow me to clarify the issue at hand here.

In modern day Britain, the legal age for most things (eg. alcohol since it seems to be the most popular one) is set ay 18, for this reason the 19th birthday is set as a prominent and important birthday.

To answer your question in short, yes in Britain 21 is seen also as a large and important birthday. The reason behind this is, back when the current generation's(of 20 year olds) parents were turning 21, it was the age of 21 which was when you could legally do pretty much anything that was legal and when you became in most peoples minds an adult. Despite this age now being 18 here, 21 is still celebrated as an important birthday more out of tradition than actual practicality.

 

[richard misiak]

buy anything except knives from poundland

It's worse than that...

I HAVE to check you for ID if you look under 25 for
Alcohol, Eggs/Flour(Co-op), Christmas Crackers, Knives, long Scissors, Scalpels, any solvents, Spray Paint, Pallette Knives, Chinese Lanterns and Tippex.

If I don't, there's a possible £5000 fine and a Gross Misconduct on me.

I once got ID'd when buying some solar powered garden lights

 

[Lethos]

I dunno about Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland, but here in England when we reach 21 we ritually drink the blood of the monarch so that we are bound to them till they die.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

I once got ID'd when buying some solar powered garden lights

The ones with the spike to drive them into the ground? That's why.

 

[Davey Woo]

I don't really understand why 21 is important, it just is, sometimes more important than 18, I guess maybe it's because you're more than 2 decades old?

Also not everywhere, but sometimes guys can't get into clubs unless they're 21.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

As long as this thread is attracting British people, I have a question too.

Do people actually watch Dr. Who over there?

A good amount of people, but it's not selling as well as some people think it does. Although it's more because people don't want TV much any more.

Bzzzzt. Wrong answer - mostly propagated by the tabloids.

MORE people actually watch it than used to. It's just they choose to iPlayer it because it's on at a time when a lot of us are actually working or out.

The lowest the figures have ever been was at 4 million viewers (60 million possible) so 6.66% (Heh) - Highest have been 13 million (US Equivalent of 66 million viewers)

The God Complex got about 6 million LIVE viewers, and there's approximated another 6 million recording viewers - like me.

 

[MindBullets]

Tradition up here in Scotland is we get a kilt (which are bloody expensive btw) and/or throw a ceilidh [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9ilidh] for our 21st.

So, it tends to be a reasonably big deal.