Проектная работа "Holidays in England"

Муниципальное общеобразовательное учреждение

«Гимназия № 18» муниципального образования городской округ Люберцы Московской области

VII Всероссийская научно-практическая

конференция школьников

«Мой шаг в будущее»

Проектная работа

HOLIDAYS IN ENGLAND

                                                          Выполнили:

                                                               Сивоконь Иван,  

                                                                               учащийся 9 «АА» класса

                                                               Руководитель:  

                                                                                Мох Марина Николаевна,

                                                                                     учитель английского языка  

                                                                             МОУ «Гимназия № 18»  

Люберцы, 2024

Contents:

1. Introduction.
2. The most popular holidays in England.
3. History of the most popular holidays.
4. What do English people cook for the holidays?
5. Conclusion.

1. Introduction

           The purpose of the project is finding out the information about holidays in England, learning the history of the most popular holidays and also getting new knowledge about their special dishes. After seeing my project, you will have a better understanding of holidays celebrating and their place in English life.

The British love and honour their holidays and traditions: they have evolved over the centuries and included pagan and Christian rituals, official state dates, musical and sporting events. Today, cultural symbols and traditional rites are borrowed and mixed, but for Britain, with its multicultural population, its history of the mutual influence from the colonies and colonialists, and its attention to its own ancient pre-Christian culture, the diversity of traditions has always been characteristic. For foreign tourists and students, some holidays will be familiar. Not all English holidays have weekend associated with them, but certainly they all have their own history, symbolism and rituals.

2. The most popular holidays in England

         You can’t really say that Great Britain is a country that likes to have some fun. There are only a few official holidays but every of them is celebrated in a big way!

Many countries and many nations have their own holidays. In the United Kingdom there are two types of them — bank holidays and public holidays. Bank holidays are days when everyone in the UK has a day off to celebrate a national event. These days are:  New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas and Boxing Days.

Public holidays are special occasions such as Guy Fawkes Night, Mother’s Day, Remembrance Day, Valentine’s Day and so on. People usually celebrate them but don’t have a day off on these events, unless they fall on weekends.

Every holiday is good, but there are some of them that are really special and more popular than others. Let me tell you about some of them.

Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in the UK. It is celebrated on the 25th of December and commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. All the people in England begin their preparations for it a few weeks before. There is a real hustle and bustle in the city. People almost attack shopping centers to buy food, presents and greeting cards for their relatives and friends. All houses, churches and shops are decorated with garlands, lights, candles, bells and toy angels. There is also a beautiful Christmas tree in every family’s home. 

Another major holiday in Great Britain is undoubtedly Halloween, which is celebrated on the 31st of October. According to the popular belief, on this day all witches, ghosts, and fairies are especially active. On this special occasion, English children dress up as witches and ghosts, knock on doors and say “Trick or treat”. If they don’t get anything, they play a trick on the person who opens the door. Halloween has many symbols, such as orange pumpkins, black witches and cats. On the Halloween night in almost every window of the house or on the street you can see a Jack-o-Lantern.

Guy Fawkes Night is a public holiday celebrated on 5th. It is a day that commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which a group of conspirators, led by Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. One of the most well-known traditions of Guy Fawkes Night is the lighting of bonfires. 

Finally, I would like to tell you about St. Valentine’s Day. This is a day for all lovers. It is usually celebrated on 14th of February. On this day, lovers traditionally send anonymous heart-shaped greeting cards to their loved ones.

3. History of the most popular holidays

          The word Christmas means Christ’s Mass, which is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. People decorate their houses and light candles on the Christmas Eve. There is a tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with baubles, glass balls, toys and tinsel. It started in Germany in the 16th century. The old legend says that Martin Luther, an important Christian leader, was walking home through the forest one Christmas Eve. Suddenly, he looked up and saw a beautiful starry sky. The stars looked like as if they were shining on the branches of the fir tree. When he got home, he put a small fir tree in his house and decorated it with candles. In England this tradition was introduced by Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria.
         Halloween is originally a religious festival. The word ‘Halloween’ is a contraction of ‘All Hallows’ Evening’. The tradition started with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III designated 1st November as a time to honour all the saints. Soon, All Saints Day took some of the traditions of Samhain. The night before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities such as trick - or - treating, carving jack - o’ - lanterns, festive gatherings, dressing up in costumes and eating treats.

       Guy Fawkes Night is a day that is filled with tradition and celebration. It is a day that commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which a group of conspirators, led by Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. The most popular tradition is the setting off fireworks, which are often displayed in public parks and other open spaces.

      The Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14th February. The story of Valentine’s Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor Claudius II and a humble Christian priest Valentine. According to the legend, while in prison Saint Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, Julia. Before his execution, the bishop gave her a farewell note signed «From your Valentine». Every year on 14th February, Saint Valentine’s Day, messages of affection and devotion are exchanged around the world.

4. What do English people cook for the holidays?

          People in England usually eat the main Christmas meal at lunchtime or early afternoon on Christmas Day. It usually consists of roast turkey, roast vegetables and ‘all the trimmings’, which usually means carrots & peas, stuffing and sometimes bacon and sausages. Desserts usually include Christmas pudding, Mince pies, and chocolates.

The main Halloween activity for children is trick-or-treating. Neighbors give children treats such as candies, fruits and coins so they do not play tricks on them. At the festive meal, everyone eats potato pancakes, caramel apples, sweets and pumpkin biscuits. Music, fortune-telling and horror stories about round off the Halloween night.

The traditional dessert for Guy Fawkes Day is bonfire toffee, a sweet, sticky candy made with butter, sugar and golden syrup boiled to chewy perfection. Other popular sweets include treacle tarts, gingerbread men, baked apples stuffed with raisins and cinnamon, and toffee apples coated in crunchy nuts. Heartier pies and pasties are often served as a nod to the failed Gunpowder Plot. Steak and ale pie, shepherd’s pie, and roasted chicken or turkey may fill the table along with lots of warming soups and baked potatoes. And since it falls in early November, seasonal produce like squash and root vegetables are ripe for harvest.

The most valuable Valentine’s Day gift is actually baked goods and sweets made with your own hands. There is a tradition of baking a cake in the shape of a heart, which is given to the loved one. Sometimes they cook special Valentine’s buns baked with caraway seeds, prunes or raisins. The British do not make expensive presents. They buy chocolates, various sweets, Valentine’s cards and fluffy toys.

5. Conclusion

         In conclusion, English holidays are very important to the culture and to the people. There are many different types of holidays in England that are celebrated throughout the year: public, religious and traditional, important events in national history, festivals. Some of the holidays have their origins in the distant past, while others are relatively new and modern. The British love to celebrate, and every English village has its own holidays, and some of them require careful and long preparation, and the purpose of some is just to make fun of a neighbor.