Holidays

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Every nation and every country has its own traditions and customs. Traditions make a nation special. Some of them are old-fashioned and many people remember them, others are part of people’s life. Some British customs and traditions are known all the world.

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Halloween. It is fun to be scared. Not scared out of your wits. But just a little scared. The way you feel while watching a scary movie. Or when you see a house that is supposed to be haunted. You know nothing really bad is going to happen. But it is fun to pretend. And HALLOWEEN is a time when we want to be scared. THE ROOTS OF HALLOWEEN. In the fall the nights get longer. The weather turns colder. For these reasons, fall has long been thought of as a time of death.

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St. Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day has been a day for lovers since ancient times. At this time of the year, it is traditional for young people to send cards and presents with red hearts on them to one another.

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New Year. New Year is regarded as a time for celebrating and for making a new start in life. People wish each other ‘Happy New Year’ and often send special greeting cards. On New Year’s Eve many people go to parties or get together with their families, neighbours or friends and they stay up until midnight to see the New Year in. Some people can’t resist drinking a little bit more than they should on this night. In Britain and especially in Scotland, they sing a special song called ‘Auld Syne’.

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Christmas. Christmas is a joyful religious holiday when Christmas celebrate the birth of Jesus Christmas celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Most people in Britain see Christmas as the major festival of the year-an occasion for parties, giving and receiving gifts, eating and drinking, and generally having fun.

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Easter. Although the Christmas religion gave the world Easter as we known it today, the celebration owes its name and many of its customs. In Christian times the egg took on a new meaning symbolizing the tomb from which Christ rose. The ancient custom of dyeing eggs at Easter time is still very popular. The Easter bunny also originated in pre-Christian fertility lore. The rabbit was the most fertile animal our ancestors knew, so they selected it asymbol of new life .

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May Day Celebrations. The beautiful springtime festival of May Day. As summer comes, Britain likes to celebrate the end of winter. Much of this celebration is connected with dancing, which is performed to encourage life and Children may be seen dancing round the Maypole on village greens, weaving their brightly-coloured scarves into a beautiful pattern. Morris men dance all day long on May 1st waving their white handkerchiefs to drive away the evil sprits and welcome in the new ones. Growth and drive away harmful spirits.

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Clans and Trans. The wearing of tartans or coloured checks was common in the Highlands before the defeat by the English in 1745. Originally, the tartan was worn as a single piece of cloth, drawn in at the waist and thrown over the shoulder. The kilt did not become popular until the beginning of the 18th century.

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Tea. The English known how to make tea In England they say jokingly: “The test of good tea is simple. If a spoon stands up in it, then it is strong enough; if the spoon starts to wobble, it is a feeble makeshift.” and what it does for you.

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Late Summer Bank Holiday. It is another official public holiday, and it is celebrated on the last Monday in August. During the August Bank Holiday townsfolk usually go to the county and to the seacoast. If the weather is fine, many families take a picnic lunch or tea with them and enjoy their meal in the

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Guy Fawkes Night. Guy Fawkes Night is one of the most popular festivals in Britain. It commemorates the discovery of the so-caled Gunpowder Plot, and is widely celebrated all over the country. November 5 is a day on which children are allowed, under proper supervision, to let off fireworks, to make a bonfire and to burn on it a guy made of old clothes, straw and - if possible - one of father’s old hats. On the days before November 5, one may see groups of children going about the streets with their faces blackened and wearing some fancy clothes. Sometimes they have a little cart with a guy in it. They ask the passers-by to give them a penny for the guy. With this money they buy fireworks for the festival.

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Mounting the Guards. Mounting the Guards is another colourful ceremony. It takes place at the Horse Guards, in Whitehall, at 11 a.m. every weekday and at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The ceremony begins with the trumpeters sounding the call. The new guard arrives and the old guard is relieved. The two officers, also on horseback, salute each other and then stand side by side while the guard is changed. The ceremony last fifteen minutes and ends with the old guard returning to its barracks.

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The Lord Mayor’s Show. The local power of the City of London is headed by the Lord Mayor who is elected every year from among the most prominent citizens. The splendid ceremony of election known as the Lord Mayor’s Show dates back more than six hundred years. Starting from the Guildhall at about 11.30 a.m., the newly-elected Lord Mayor travels in a gilded coach which dates from the mideighteenth century. At about noon the Lord Mayor arrives at the Royal Court of Justice, where he takes the oath before the Lord Chief Justice and Judges of the Queen’s Bench to perform his duties Faithfully. The bells of the City ring out as the festive procession leaves the Court of Justice after the ceremony and heads for the Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor. During the evening the traditional Banquet takes place at Guildhall.