Do you fit in as an American living in the UK?

 She explained that unless people in the parish vote with their feet by choosing some other religion or church, then she and her church are responsible for their spiritual wellbeing.

Hmm. Maybe that kind of explains the flyers that come through my door inviting me to church services.  I thought it was odd that they would invite me and DH to services when they don't know anything about the people who live in our house. (As a matter of fact, I'm not even Christian.)

Five years ago, I lived in Southwest London for 1.5 years with my English husband. I always felt very accepted there. I was surprised to find that I was somewhat of a "novelty" (in a good way) to everyone, especially his family who thought it was brilliant that their son married an American. I'd like to think that I got on so well with everyone because I was always respectful of British culture and their way of doing things. I am an Anglophile my love for England shines through.

My husband was - and still is - really, really good about helping me understand and "get" all the nuances of jokes, words, etc. When I don't understand something, I just ask, and he does the same here in the States. When we married we both agreed that neither of us would ever "lose" our individuality - I didn't want him "becoming" American, and he didn't want me "becoming" British. Sure, he uses Americanisms and I use Britishisms, but you know what I mean.

We're now in the process of moving back to the UK and I'm wondering how much things have changed since we've been gone....

But in response to the question: Yes, I always felt like I fit in as an American living in the UK.

I've not moved yet but I have visited. That being said poor DH (we still live in the states) does not feel comfortable here. When I was over there I felt more at ease in the UK than I ever have in the states. Yes my accent was pointed out but it was always in a nice way. I personally cannot wait to move back over. It will be an adjustment but when visiting I made it a point to really look around to see the differences and to determine if they would make any big deal to me. In the end, they won't.

On the religious issue, back in the Olden Days in the US, we had (gasp!) the Lord's Prayer every morning at school (the Episcopalian version, I guess it was supposed to be a compromise). We also had to Pledge Allegiance to the Flag and after a few years of that they added the "under God" bit.
In December each class would have a turn standing on the stair landing and singling a Christmas carol. It might just be something like "Up on the housetops" but still it was regarded as a "Christmas" song. Later, in high school they did a "Thought for the Day" sort of thing over the PA. I think this was before praying was actually banned.

The longer I am here, the more I feel I fit in.  When I first moved here, I couldn't even go to Asda without being asked about why I was here (it seems aspects of my personal life are completely fair game; where my husband is from, how we met, about my family back home.  It annoyed me at first, but I'm used to now.) Now, I don't think about not being 'from' here.  There are odd days where I'll be walking to work or something and it sorta hits me and it is now rare for comments to be made about me being over here.

Other than one experience with a member of the public at work (I could have filed a racial harassment complaint about it, but being a typical Minnesotan I didn't want to cause him trouble) I haven't had any negative issues with my being American.

In 4 years, I have run into 3 Americans here (other than tourists).  I think that has helped with fitting in as my only interactions are with people from here. I do love it when people ask me for directions and then get this weird look on their faces when I put on a thick American accent to give them correct directions lol.

I have found that being an atheist is more excepted over here, but I do struggle with the almost ingrained Christian observances.  It really really bugs me that the buses where I live don't run on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (although I do realise that Boxing Day is not a religious holiday) and that shops close on Sunday or have limited hours.  Where I lived in the US religion was seem more as a personal thing, not something that should affect non-belivers, shops would pretty much be open the same hours on a Sunday (definitely wouldn't close at 4.) 

I do love it when people ask me for directions and then get this weird look on their faces when I put on a thick American accent to give them correct directions lol.

That happened to me yesterday!  It made me giggle to myself.

I have found that being an atheist is more excepted over here, but I do struggle with the almost ingrained Christian observances.  It really really bugs me that the buses where I live don't run on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (although I do realise that Boxing Day is not a religious holiday) and that shops close on Sunday or have limited hours.  Where I lived in the US religion was seem more as a personal thing, not something that should affect non-belivers, shops would pretty much be open the same hours on a Sunday (definitely wouldn't close at 4.) 

It's funny that the US has more fundamentalists and intolerant bible thumper types than the UK does, but that the Christian observances are so ingrained in the UK like you said.

I'm not atheist (grew up Jewish--am more new-agey-pagan-ecclectic in my spirituality now), but I still cringe a little when my MIL asks me "if I've called my mother" on Christmas, Easter, etc.  She still forgets that Easter and Christmas have no meaning whatsover to my family.  I won't complain about shops not being open because I work retail, but I certainly understand where you're coming from pengi.

I have found that being an atheist is more excepted over here, but I do struggle with the almost ingrained Christian observances.  It really really bugs me that the buses where I live don't run on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (although I do realise that Boxing Day is not a religious holiday) and that shops close on Sunday or have limited hours.  Where I lived in the US religion was seem more as a personal thing, not something that should affect non-belivers, shops would pretty much be open the same hours on a Sunday (definitely wouldn't close at 4.) 

I feel the same way.

Until I moved to the UK, I lived in parts of Brooklyn with lots of non-Christians, and religious observances were kept private.

The Christians who did live there might have had manger scenes in their yards, or Christmas lights, or a Christmas tree in their house that you could see through the window - but everything was confined to their property.

The same way that some Jews might have Chanukah lights in their windows.

And if you wanted to, you could always visit the busy areas of Manhattan and see all the Christmas displays in the shops.

But Christmas wasn't something that assaulted you the minute you walked out of your front door.

Once my husband actually had difficulty explaining to someone that my family (I'm Jewish) doesn't celebrate Christmas. This person thought that we chose not to celebrate Christmas because we had a problem with it. She just couldn't comprehend that there are actually religions in which Christmas doesn't exist.

This person thought that we chose not to celebrate Christmas because we had a problem with it. She just couldn't comprehend that there are actually religions in which Christmas doesn't exist.

And just to complicate things further, you get people like my (nominally) Muslim colleague who has a Christmas tree every year and turkey for dinner on Dec 25th plus chocolate eggs for the kids at Easter.

I am more or less of an atheist, but I've got no problem with Christmas or Easter celebrations, particularly Christmas trees, which are pagan, and the Easter bunny which according to Wikipedia has vague German origins.  These things feel more cultural than religious.  I felt the same way in the US, and even though many of my friends there were quite religious, I never felt like I was being bombarded with religiousness during either of those holidays.  I do understand that it's different for people who are of another religion rather than of no religion, but then when I lived in Japan I took part in some Shinto and Buddhist traditions, because I felt that they were an important way to get a feel for the culture.  People in the UK may not be excessively religious, but the country has a long Christian history, so some religious-based things are going to be culturally important even to non-religious people. 

.  I do understand that it's different for people who are of another religion rather than of no religion, but then when I lived in Japan I took part in some Shinto and Buddhist traditions, because I felt that they were an important way to get a feel for the culture.  

I think there is a difference between taking part in someone else's cultural traditions to get a feel for the culture and, for example, not being able to go to the shop to buy essentials because the shop is closed because it is somebody else's holiday.

It's also odd how here "Christmas" here lasts from January 25 until New Year's Day - so it's not just about things being closed on Christmas (things are closed on Christmas Day in the US as well)  and Boxing Day - it's about everything being practically shut down for a week.

In the UK, people don't ask you about your religion, like they might do in the US, but in the US, in my experience, nobody seems to assume what anybody else's religion is either.

I am more or less of an atheist, but I've got no problem with Christmas or Easter celebrations, particularly Christmas trees, which are pagan, and the Easter bunny which according to Wikipedia has vague German origins.  These things feel more cultural than religious. 

I agree with this. I love Christmas trees and Easter eggs, but I don't believe in God and I have no trouble reconciling the two. 

not being able to go to the shop to buy essentials because the shop is closed because it is somebody else's holiday.

I remember in the US being caught out numerous times trying to go to the mall on Easter Sunday (forgetting completely that it was Easter) and finding it closed. Is that a regional thing or perhaps something that's stopped since I lived in the US?

In the UK, people don't ask you about your religion, like they might do in the US, but in the US, in my experience, nobody seems to assume what anybody else's religion is either.

But to be fair, here there is official state religion whereas in the US there is official separation of church and state.

It's also odd how here "Christmas" here lasts from January 25 until New Year's Day - so it's not just about things being closed on Christmas (things are closed on Christmas Day in the US as well)  and Boxing Day - it's about everything being practically shut down for a week.

(I assume you mean December 25). That hasn't been my experience, but then apparently it's only been in the last maybe 40 years or less that Christmas has been a major holiday in Scotland (my partner's dad remembers working on Christmas day and that not being unusual). Up here things tend to be closed on the 25th, 26th, 1st and 2nd only; if those days fall on weekends the following Monday will be the bank holiday instead but the days between Christmas and New Year are generally normal for the shops. I've always felt that Christmas and Easter here are celebrated in such a secular way that even as a fairly militant atheist I celebrate them quite happily.

As for shops not being open on Sunday or open fewer hours, the unions here have historically had as much to say about that as the religious groups, and slowly both groups are losing.

In the UK, people don't ask you about your religion, like they might do in the US, but in the US, in my experience, nobody seems to assume what anybody else's religion is either.

Exactly.  It's been a Christian country for so long, and doesn't have the same tradition of at least paying lip service to religious freedom the way the US does, so closing down for Christmas and taking Easter off is more a cultural and historical thing than a religious one.  That's the point I was trying to make.    

Plus, opening hours here are just different than they are in the US, full stop.  That's the one thing about the UK that I genuinely hate.  In Dorchester, everything's closed by 5.30, every day.  It's really frustrating, but it's just part of living in a country with a different history and different culture than your own.  Or at least that's what I tell myself when I get home from work after 5.30.  
 

ETA: I've also experienced shops being closed on Christmas and Easter in the US.  I was really surprised this year in fact, because we could not find anywhere to eat on Easter Sunday for love or money.  Every place we tried was open but completely booked.  In my experience, people stay home on Easter Sunday in the US, and all the restaurants are closed.  Even in my non-religious family, we would never have considered going out to eat on Easter.  We'd have had no place to go. 

Where religion is concerned, I agree with much of sweetpeach and historyenne is saying. 

As far as opening hours of shops go, yeah they are just different here full-stop.  The little health food shop in my neighborhood closes at 4!  My shop closes at 5 and after years of working til 9pm in the US I am not complaining!  Also I would work Christmas and other Christian holidays for my co-workers so they could go home and see family.

But to be fair, here there is official state religion whereas in the US there is official separation of church and state.

Absolutely.  It's just one of those differences that makes living in the UK, well, different than living in the US.

As a person who is of Jewish upbringing but who is now pagan, I have not a lot of trouble celebrating Christmas and Easter, etc and am aware of the pagan origins of many of the trappings of those  holidays.  I've also celebrated them with exes in the past and their families.  I just don't see them as my own holidays and they are certainly not of any importance to my own parents who did not allow any such things as Christmas trees (or the silly "Chanukah Bushes" and was not thrilled with my grandfather giving us an Easter basket every year.  I understand that especially in that generation my parents tried hard to make us appreciate our own background and not "Christianize" it. 

I agree that the closing on sundays has become cultural, but it's basis is in the christian tradition of not working on sundays. it is also one of the things about living in another country, just one of those things that annoys me when I want to do shoping.

I remember my Jewish sister and I would celebrate Christmas by going to the movies. Here I couldn't get to the cinema if it were open! And I think what bugs me is that I am forced to be house bound.