1. British Festivals:

• NEW YEAR’S DAY (1 I):

- it is a bank holiday (day out of work),

- first footing (the first person who come home is a bringer of good fortune for the coming year),

- children make rounds, sing carols, get money, mince pie (traditional sweet pie which was brought to England during crusades; it was connected with Catholicism so it was forbidden; although it was so popular as it appeared again) or apples,

- New Year’s Eve:

• at 12 o’clock people shout “Happy New Year”,

• parties take place and there is signal from Big Ben,

• Queen gives some wishes to people,

• in London (Trafalgar Square), there is New Year’s Party,

• BURNS NIGHT (25 I):

- the anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth is celebrated,

- Scottish festival,

- Scottish holiday,

- people recite poems of Robert Burns, sing songs, dance,

- some people wear costumes (kilt and tartan),

- pipers play bagpipes,

- people eat traditional food, drink whisky,

- traditional meals: haggis, mashed potatoes, mashed neeps,

- traditional desserts: Cranchan, oastcakes, cheese,

• CANDLEMAS DAY (2 II):

- very important Christian tradition,

- Christian Festival of light,

- candles are brought to church and they are blessed there,

• VALENTINE’S DAY (14 II):

- folk tradition which started to be celebrated in 17^th century,

- it is the day of love,

- people give wishes, send cards,

- it is a common belief how the Valentine’s Day started to be celebrated; when Valentine was in prison, he fell in love with a girl who was the daughter of the jailor and visited Valentine when it was possible; he wrote a letter to her just before his death and signed as “From your Valentine” – that expression is used nowadays (Italian tradition),

- the word of Valentine is a transformation of words: someone in love (French tradition),

• SHROVE TUESDAY (40 days before Easter):

- it is a religious holiday,

- shrive means to confess (our sins),

- there is Pancake Day (people eat pancakes) and people organise Pancake Race (women run with hot pancakes),

- Annual Pancake Grease (very big pancake is prepared; it is kind of the feast),

- The Pancake Bell (church bells ring to remind people to go to confess),

- Skipping in Scarborough (it is done to make crops grow),

• ASH WEDNESDAY (day after Shrove Tuesday):

- it is religious holiday (people go to church and ash from the previous year’s pal trees is put on their heads)

- it marks the beginning of repentance, fasting, abstinence – preparation for Easter,

- ash twig,

• SAINT DAVID’S DAY (1 III):

- 6^th century monk,

- patron of Wales,

- national holiday is in Wales,

- people wear daffodil emblems pinned to their clothes,

- traditions connected with this day:

• attending mass or service,

• attending parades (dragons as symbol of Wales go through the streets),

• concerts or eisteddfodau are organised,

• wearing Welsh costumes,

• eating traditional food (cawl),

- emblems of Wales: daffodil and leek,

- Saint David’s flag:,

• SAINT PATRICK’S DAY (17 III):

- national holiday in Ireland,

- bank holiday in Northern Ireland (people don’t work),

- it is the day of keeping Irish identity,

- traditions connected with this day:

• attending mass or service,

• attending parades (people wear shamrock emblems which are pinned to their clothes),

• wearing green (there are also green decorations as green is very important colour), shamrock (shamrock was introduced when Patrick introduced Christianity there),

• eating traditional food: Colcannon, Irish stew, Boxty (cabbage and potatoes),

• drinking Guinness, Irish whiskey, Irish cream,

• ORANGES AND LEMONS (31 III):

- Saint Clemens Dane (masses),

- nursery rhyme (in the past ships were bringing lemons and oranges from other countries; now they are bringing from another places to parishes and priests give them to children),

• EASTER SEASON:

- Maundy Thursday:

• until 1689 monarch washed feet of poor in Westminster Abbey,

• Royal Maundy Service takes place – monarch gives Maundy money/coins to pensioners (the quality of these coins is the same as the age of the queen + one; the number of pensioners is 12),

- Good Friday – hot cross buns are baked,

- Easter Saturday – painting eggs and going to church to bless them,

- Easter Sunday,

- Easter Monday,

• Easter egg hunt – there is a tradition that parents hide some eggs in garden or another places and children have to find them – it is funny game for children,

• (children roll the eggs down from the hill and then crack them),

• Easter Bunny – part of the tradition (rabbit with eggs – old German tradition; something similar to Father Christmas as they both bring gifts to children on the night before the respective night),

• SAINT GEORGE’S DAY (23 IV):

- from 15^th century monk,

- patron of England (George is said to have fought with dragon in the past),

- patron of scouts (they promotes all kinds of sport),

- national holiday in England (very widely celebrated),

- Royal Society of Saint George,

- queen announced who will get the Order of the Garter,

- traditional parades take place (and people wear national flags),

- the symbol of the England is red rose,

- St. George’s flag: ,

• MAY DAY (1 V):

- welcoming summer,

- in rural areas – once a major festival (the most beautiful girl is chosen),

- people dance around a May Pole (group of people dance together to help crops grow),

- Dancing Morris Dance (dance with bells, swords etc. to frighten away the bad spirits ),

• OAK APPLE DAY (29 V):

- commemorates return of monarchy (it is connected with Charles II who escaped and to protect himself, he hid on oak tree and survived),

• QUEEN’S OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY (second Saturday in June):

- it is not the day of Queen’s true birthday, it was changed because it is better time, better weather to celebrate it than real date of it,

- there is parade (Queen in a coach go around the city),

- Trooping the colours (presenting the flag in front of the Queen),

• EISTEDDFOD (in August):

- in Llangollen, North Wales,

- ‘Eisteddfod’ means meeting,

- it is Welsh national festival of poetry, dance, singing, music, playing on different instrument,

• HALLOWEEN (31 XI):

- Eve of All Hallows,

- origin is connected with Celtic (Celtic festival),

- Jack O’Lantern (it is made from pumpkins with candles inside them to scare away ghosts and children bring them going from house to house),

- ‘trick or treat’ (children go from house to house and say these words),

- Apple bobbing (collecting apples by using mouth),

- pumpkin is used in everything: cakes, soups, etc.,

• GUY FAWKES DAY (5 XI):

- Guy Fawkes was a person whose organised the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to kill the monarch in Parliament – the plan was to blow up the House of Lords,

- people make dolls of Guy Fawkes to next burn it; people go to watch firework displays (Sussex and Luise),

- children go from house to house and say ‘penny for a Guy’ to collect money for fireworks,

• LORD MAYOR’S SHOW (second Saturday in November):

- since 13^th century,

- it takes place in the City of London,

- Lord Mayor (a head of local authorities) starts his work in office,

• REMEMBRANCE DAY (Sunday closest to 11 XI):

- Armistice day (to commemorate people who died in wars),

- it is also known as ‘Poppy Day’ - poppy is the symbol of this day and people wear emblems of red poppy,

- Cenotaph in London (important place where important people arrive like ambassadors, Prime Minister, etc. to pray – there is also 2 minute silence),

- Queen lays wreath,

- 2 minute silence,

• SAINT ANDREW’S DAY (30 XI):

- patron of Scotland,

- since 2006 there is official bank holiday in Scotland,

- official flag day,

- people wear emblems of thistles which are pinned to their clothes and play on bagpipes,

• CHRISTMAS:

- Christmas Eve:

• Christmas tree is decorated (from the Victorian times), mistletoe, holly (people decorate their houses),

• traditions: stockings near the fireplace, Father Christmas (the tradition is that he gives presents into stockings by going through the chimney; children prepare milk and cookies for him),

- Christmas Day (first day which is the most important one):

• Church service,

• Christmas Dinner – turkey (big meal),

• traditional food: mince pies, Christmas pudding, crackers (long tubes with sweets inside which are given to children),

• Christmas carol singing,

- Boxing Day (second day after Christmas Day):

• boxes with presents are given to for example postmen, friends, family, etc.,

• people also visit their families, friends, etc.