Why is turning 21 such a big deal in usa (please read description before judging me)?

[Anonymous]

i am from Deutschland (Germany) and moved to california at middle of June with my family. i remember a classmate from school saying they are celebrating her sisters 21 birthday and another student saying they were celebrating the same thing except her brothers 21 birthday a week some after. why is turning 21 a big deal in usa? please do not judge me because i am new to this country from living in a different country and still getting used to the ways and differences from on the other side of the world for 18 years and we never celebrate a persons 21 birthday like americans do

sorry about my English. i am not very good at it because i don't speak English as a first language

[Anonymous]

Mostly it's about the alcohol, as others have said. Americans have a very different attitude about alcohol than Europeans. I have feet in both continents and have a little insight (Meine Eltern sind ausgewandert.) For Americans who drink, turning 21 is the last rite of passage to adulthood, so it's something to be celebrated. You may be wondering, what's the big deal about alcohol?

There are a few points to consider about the history of the USA: 1) It was founded by people trying to escape religious persecution. The religious people in question were persecuted for being "too" religious back in England. They settled here and their legacy remains in many corners of the States. Looking down on drinking is part of that, and part of our laws. 2) The oil and automobile industries started here, and grew *very* quickly, with cars quickly supplanting rail as the preferred method of getting around. 3) Cars appeal to the independent-mindedness of Americans. We have much less of the good-of-the-many socialistic attitude that is common in Europe. You see it in our lower taxes and, by European standards, limited government services. 4) The USA is big. Building a rail infrastructure to serve every town is not feasible even if Americans were willing to pay for it. 5) What public transportation we do have is *awful* compared to Western Europe. It often is perceived to be (or actually is) inefficient and unsafe.

Why does all this matter about 21 and drinking? It's all to do with drinking and driving, as well as the puritanical attitudes you find here. Even if you grow up in a home where alcohol is consumed, you generally aren't allowed to touch the stuff. Parents who do host risk the judgement of their neighbors and really bad legal problems, especially if something goes wrong. When kids drink, it's illicit and naughty. When kids leave home to go to college, many have little or no experience or guidance with alcohol. (Parents simply forbid it.) Many of these kids end up going overboard in the worst way. They eventually learn their lesson and pass this alcohol-is-bad attitude on to their own kids.

In Europe, you can take public transport everywhere, so you don't need to drive until you're 18. Alcohol is normal thing and kids often have some experience with it at home. Here, you need a car to get around. Kids drive at 16. It's either one way or the other; learning to drink and drive at the same time is probably not good.

[StanLaurel]

In the US, 21 makes you officially and adult. You can now buy alcohol, and gamble at casinos. At 18, you can only buy tobacco or cigarettes. It's not that big of a deal. Not everyone celebrates their 21st birthday. Not everybody cares to drink. I wish they would just round out, and make 20 legal for everything (smoking, drinking, gambling..).

[Anonymous]

because you are allowed to do most things

[Graydon]

I think legal drinking age is 21 in USA. Don't know for sure though. In Canada, legal drinking age is 19 so a lot of Canadians treat their 19th birthday a bit differently. I'm 17 but I doubt I'll do anything specal for my 19th birthday.

[ltsQae]

Your right 21 for drinks

[Asker]

no, some Canadians i've met are like germans, we drink legally at age 18?

[Anonymous]

Because they can legally drink alcohol, and being an alcoholic is the goal of many Americans, even though they won't admit it. Even look in the grocery stores and see how much alcohol is in each one.
Don't follow their bad example of being party people.

[j_lima96]

booze. You can purchase and drink booze at the age of 21 in the US

[chefG]

yeah but in the states most areas are 21 to gamble and drink unlike us Europeans which is 18.

[WarlandWriter]

Drinking age of 21 means it has the feel of becoming an adult. Same as turning 18 here

[Mikmex1651]

Here 21 is the legal drinking age, so usually people get super drunk on their 21st lol.

[Rangers]

Because you become a full adult, you can get a concealed weapons permit, drink, gamble, get any job you want and so on.

[NYkid27]

The drinking age is 21 here so it's considered an important birthday

[FrenchyRomain]

because at 21 you can do anything you are MAJOR ;) legally able to drink, drive and play in a casino

[ltsQae]

You can drive at 17

[Asker]

@ltsQae what about 16? when i visited Canada for driving, they got learners at 15 and their actual (i do not know what it is called) at 16

[ltsQae]

Yea 16 too but most just get a permanent then and and start at 17

[TheDamnYankeeLad]

21 is the age at which drinking alcohol becomes legal.

[NaultD]

Legal drinking age in America

[AaronTupaz]

In USA, 21 is legal drinking age I believe

[Pomegranate139]

Because now they can legally consume alcohol

[Lumberman53]

Because it's the legal drinking age

[Anonymous]

Because 21 is the legal drinking age in the US.

[CT_CD]

it's no big deal