Why don't Americans use umbrellas in the rain?
Americans seem to have a funky relationship with umbrellas. Some outsiders and visitors have observed this little phenomenon: they see Americans forgo the umbrella and just trudge through the rain.
In contrast, some East Asian cultures (Japan, for example) practically require an umbrella for rain AND shine. It’s just what people do to protect themselves from the rain and the sun.
So what’s the deal with Americans and umbrellas, then? Don’t they want to get protected from the elements?
While there aren’t any scientific explanations to determine what causes this phenomenon, a handful of social articles and observations in people’s blogs on the internet give way to a few reasons:
1. People don’t want to be inconvenienced and hassled by having to carry umbrellas.
2. People aren’t so bothered by a little rain here and there; if it’s gonna rain, you’re probably gonna get wet!
3. People will just deal with the weather as it comes (sometimes forgetting the umbrella or sometimes just purposefully leaving it).
People in Oregon and Washington (and most of the Pacific North West, really) for their year-long rainy weather, are some of the people who are most notably anti-umbrella. One of the main reasons that Oregonians don’t carry an umbrella is the sheer inconvenience of having to carry it. People want to keep their hands free, and for a place where there seems to be varying levels of perpetual mist, it’s just too much of a hassle having to worry about it if you’re going to get wet anyway.
Another reason that people have cited for keeping their umbrellas at home is because it’s just rain! If it’s not a hurricane or some torrential downpour, people don’t see the big deal when it comes to getting a little wet. After all, it’s not as if most people are going to be walking in the rain from destination A to destination B for much too long. And if they are, a lot of people prefer to wear raincoats and parkers – again for convenience and to keep their hands free.
Plus, think about the wind! So many people have endured the demise of their umbrellas in the midst of a downpour when it inevitably turns inside out. Sure, there are companies who have created much stronger and sturdier umbrellas that can weather (ha!) the storm, but most people would rather just turn their head away from the rain and keep it moving.
Something that’s a little bit subtler about this phenomenon is the “cool” factor of being able to brave the storm. For people in the PNW, seeing someone with an umbrella can show natives of who is from that area and who isn’t. Something a little bit more insidious is this notion of going through the rain without an umbrella can be seen as “tough and masculine” considering the history of umbrellas, by way of parasols, were considered as feminine accessories in years past.
Ultimately, for the people who forget their umbrella or leave home without it, the world doesn’t stop. People will just have to think of much more creative ways of covering themselves, with newspapers or backpacks or plastic bags over their head. Or, they’ll accept their fate from the rain gods.
References:
https://www.oregonlive.com/trending/2017/03/do_oregonians_really_hate_umbr.html
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/the-complexities-of-using-an-umbrella-in-new-york-city/
https://bite-japan.com/kako-m/umbrella-e.html
https://blog.willamette.edu/worldnews/2015/02/27/why-don%E2%80%99t-you-americans-wear-socks-and-use-umbrellas/
https://q13fox.com/2017/10/17/we-dont-want-no-stinkin-umbrellas/
https://midnightamane.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/umbrella-culture/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11169323/Why-real-men-dont-use-umbrellas.html
Gifs:
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