In Germany, tabu had entered common parlance by the 20th Century, referring to things restricted by custom more so than law. They are the things that are implicitly excluded from society, rather than explicitly ban. They are unspoken of, unrecognised even. They are one of the tricks of human social interaction, and that is what makes them so mysterious.
The institution of the pub persists at the heart of British life, fulfilling an undeniable and necessary social role. The exercise of going for a drink at the pub is something we grow up with – reading about it, watching it on tv, hearing about pub-related antics from other people and seeing the life it fuels on nights in towns and cities across Britain. For someone who grew up that country, it’s hard to imagine social life without a pub-like venue, as malleable a setting as it is. Having spent a while living outside of Britain, I’ve been prompted to reflect on what that means and the place of the pub in everyday life.
In Search of Europa 