The culture of Bermuda reflects the heritage of its people, who are chiefly of Native American, African, and European descent. A small percentage of Asians also live on the island. Although

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is an

overseas territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, it also has strong historical links with the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. On one hand, Bermudians seem British in their customs - for example, playing

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

, driving on the left, and having Queen Elizabeth II on their banknotes. At the same time, a strong North American cultural influence is obvious: the currency is on par with the

US Dollar The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...

; Bermudians frequently watch

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

from the US. Dress in Bermuda, however, is distinct from either American or British styles. While in the US or Britain,

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...

are considered casual dress, Bermuda shorts are considered to be formal attire in Bermuda, and are worn with a jacket and tie. Bermudians may seem more conservative than people in the UK or North America, and are more concerned with etiquette. The islanders highly value protocol, and place a great emphasis on pomp and ceremony. For example, to ask somebody for directions in Bermuda without first saying 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' is considered to be abrupt and rude. This causes misunderstandings and embarrassment on the part of many US or British visitors, for whom this is perfectly normal, and who intend no offense. Topless sunbathing is not simply frowned upon as immodest - it is against the law. However, Bermudians can also be tolerant of behaviour that would be considered eccentric elsewhere. One example is Johnny Barnes, a retired bus driver who stood by the road in Hamilton, greeting commuters on their way to work, often by name, wishing them a good morning, and telling them all ''I love you!''. So great is the esteem in which he is held locally that a statue of him now stands in Hamilton.

Architecture

Literature

Bermuda's early literary history was largely limited to non-Bermudian writers commenting on the island. These included John Smith's ''

The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles ''The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles'' (often abbreviated to ''The Generall Historie'') is a book written by Captain John Smith, first published in 1629. The book is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, his ...

'' (1624), and

Edmund Waller Edmund Waller, FRS (3 March 1606 – 21 October 1687) was an English poet and politician who was Member of Parliament for various constituencies between 1624 and 1687, and one of the longest serving members of the English House of Commons. S ...

's poem, ''Battle of the Summer Islands'' (1645).Bartleby.com, Inc.: ''III. Writers of the Couplet. § 4. Edmund Waller.''
/ref> In the 20th century, a large number of books were written and published locally, though few were aimed at a wider market than Bermuda (most of these being scholarly reference books, rather than creative writing). One Bermudian novelist,

Brian Burland Brian Burland (23 April 1931 – 11 February 2010) was a Bermudian writer, who was the author of nine acclaimed novels Mary Prince Mary Prince (c. 1 October 1788 – after 1833) was a British abolitionist and autobiographer, born in Bermuda to a slave family of African descent. After being sold a number of times, and being moved around the Caribbean, she was brought to Engl ...

, which helped to end slavery in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. Bermuda's proximity to the United States means that many aspects of US culture are reflected or incorporated into Bermudian culture. Many non-Bermudian writers have also made Bermuda their home, or have had homes there, including

A.J. Cronin Archibald Joseph Cronin (19 July 1896 – 6 January 1981), known as A. J. Cronin, was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known novel is ''The Citadel'' (1937), about a Scottish doctor who serves in a Welsh mining village before achievi ...

and F. Van Wyck Mason, who wrote on Bermudian subjects.

Music

A traditional form of music and dance is known as The Bermuda

Gombey The Gombey is an iconic symbol of Bermuda, a unique performance art full of colorful and intricate masquerade, dance and drumming. This folk tradition reflects the island's blend of African, Caribbean and British cultures. Dancers are usually ma ...

, which is of

West African West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, ...

derivation, and involves rhythmic chanting and rapid drumbeat. The Gombey incorporates traditional West African dance with components from Christian missionaries, British soldiers and peoples of continental North America and the Caribbean. Also encountered in the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

, the Bermudian version of the dance involves the use of the British military snare drum, beaten with wooden sticks. This practice stems from the fact that many slaves worked in British military bases. These dances are traditionally performed on New Year's Day, Boxing Day, and 24 May (Bermuda Day).

Notable cultural figures

1900 to 1950

* Gordon Thomas (1916 in Bermuda – 2016) played

outsider music Outsider music (from " outsider art") is music created by self-taught or naïve musicians. The term is usually applied to musicians who have little or no traditional musical experience, who exhibit childlike qualities in their music, or who su ...

* Lance Hayward (1916 in Bermuda – 1991) was a jazz pianist, he settled in New York City at the age of 50. * Phyllis Simmons Brooks (1926 in Bermuda – 2012 in Canada) emigrated to Canada in 1945, was a Canadian educator. After retiring from teaching, she taught adult literacy courses. *

Brian Burland Brian Burland (23 April 1931 – 11 February 2010) was a Bermudian writer, who was the author of nine acclaimed novelsDavid B. Wingate OBE (born 1935 in Bermuda) is an ornithologist, naturalist and conservationist. He rediscovered the black-capped petrel in Haiti in 1963. * Michael Mortimore (1937 in Bermuda – 2017 in Somerset) was a British geographer and a prolific researcher of issues in the African drylands. He speaks with some authority about ' desertification'. * Michael K. Frith (born 1941 in Bermuda) is a director, consultant, designer and puppeteer; contributed extensively to

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

* Angela Barry (born Bermuda c.1950) is a Bermudian writer, educator and lecturer. Her creative writing reflects her connections with the African diaspora, and as a PhD student at Lancaster University she worked on cross-cultural projects

1950 to date

* Gina Swainson (born 1958 in Bermuda) is a Bermudian model and beauty queen who won Miss World 1979 * David Morris (born 1964 in Bermuda) is a musician who is best known as the frontman for

Cold Water Army Cold Water Army may refer to: * Cold Water Army (rock band) * Cold Water Army (temperance organization) Cold Water Army was an American temperance organization for children. It was established in 1839 by Rev. T. P. Hunt, who was affiliated with ...

, and his current band Bag We Bag *

Heather Nova Heather Nova (born Heather Allison Frith, July 6, 1968) is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. , she has released eleven full-length albums, six EPs and twelve singles. Biography Heather Nova was born Heather Allison Frith on Bermuda, a B ...

(born 1967 in Bermuda) is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet * Kenneth Amis (born 1970 in Bermuda) is a tuba player and composer * Mishka (born Alexander Mishka Frith in Bermuda in 1974) is a reggae musician *

Jon McGregor Jon McGregor (born 1976) is a British novelist and short story writer. In 2002, his first novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize, making him then the youngest ever contender. His second and fourth novels were longlisted for the Booker Prize ...

(born 1976 in Bermuda) is a British novelist and short story writer. In 2002, his first novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize as its youngest contender * Kieran O'Neill (born 1987 In Bermuda) is an English entrepreneur known for founding several Internet companies. He co-founded Playfire, the largest social network for video games and is currently CEO of a fashion startup company. He moved to England when he was 14 and currently lives in London * Jordan Claire Robbins is a Bermudian model and actress.

Cuisine

References

External links

Old-world charm with an island beat: Bermuda Culture
- The Official Site of the Bermuda Department of Tourism {{Bermuda topics