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| Holidays and traditions in english-speaking countriesp> advisable to find a vantage-point well before that hour. The parade consists of a great many interesting and decorated floats, entered by various organizations in and outside the metropolis. Some of the finest bands in the country take part in the parade. At the rear of the parade is usually the very beautiful Jersey float, created from thousands of lovely spring blooms and bearing the Easter Princess and her attendants. It is an afternoon to remember. APRIL FOOLS’ DAY April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day, named from the custom of playing practical jokes or sending friends on fools’ errands, on April 1st. Its timing seems related to the vernal equinox, when nature fools mankind with sudden changes from showers to sunshine. It is a season when all people, even the most dignified, are given an excuse to play the fool. In April comes the cuckoo, emblem of simpletons; hence in Scotland the victim is called “cuckoo” or “gowk”, as in the verse: On the first day of April, Hunt the gowk another mile. Hunting the gowk was a fruitless errand; so was hunting for hen’s teeth, for a square circle or for stirrup oil, the last- named proving to be several strokes from a leather strap. May Day in Great Britain As May 1st is not a public holiday in Great Britain, May Day celebrations are traditionally held on the Sunday following it, unless, of course, the 1st of May falls on a Sunday. On May Sunday workers march through the streets and hold meetings to voice their own demands and the demands of other progressive forces of the country. The issues involved may include demands for higher wages and better working conditions, protests against rising unemployment, demands for a change in the Government’s policy, etc. May Spring Festival The 1st of May has also to some extent retained its old significance Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. representing characters in the Robin Hood legend. May-Day games and sports were followed by refreshments in the open. This festival was disliked by the Puritans and suppressed during the TROOPING ÒÍE COLOUR During the month of June, à day is set aside as the Queen’ s official birthday. This is usually the second Saturday in June. On this day there takes place on Horse Guards’ Parade in Whitehall the magnificent spectacle of Trooping the Colour, which begins at about 11.15 à. m. (unless rain intervenes, when the ceremony is usually postponed until conditions are suitable). This is pageantry of ràrå splendour, with the Queen riding side-saddle on à highly trained horse. The colours of one of the five regiments of Foot Guards are trooped before the Sovereign. As she rides on to Horse Guards’ parade the massed array of the Brigade of Guards, dressed in ceremonial uniforms, await her inspection. For twenty minutes the whole parade stands rigidly to attention while being inspected by the Queen. Then comes the Trooping ceremony itself, to be followed by the famous March Past of the Guards to the music of massed bands, at which the Queen takes the Salute. The precision drill of the regiments is notable. The ceremony ends with the Queen returning to Buckingham Palace at the head of her Guards. The Escort to the Colour, chosen normally in strict rotation, then mounts guard at the Palace. Midsummer's Day Midsummer's Day, June 24th, is the longest day of the year. On that
day you can see a very old custom at Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England. But what was Stonehenge? A holy place? A market? Or was it a kind of
calendar? We think the Druids used it for a calendar. The Druids were the
priests in Britain 2,000 years ago. They used the sun and the stones at
start of months and seasons. There are Druids in Britain today, too. And every June 24th a lot of them go to Stonehenge. On that morning the sun shines on one famous stone - the Heel stone. For the Druids this is a very important moment in the year. But for a lot of British people it's just a strange old custom. LATE SUMMER BANK HOLIDAY On Bank Holiday the townsfolk usually flock into the country and to
the coast. If the weather is fine many families take à picnic-lunch or tea
with them and enjoy their meal in the open. Seaside towns near London, such
as Southend, are invaded by thousands of trippers who come in cars and
coaches, trains, motor cycles and bicycles. Great amusement parks like Bank Holiday is also an occasion for big sports meetings at places
like the White City Stadium, mainly all kinds of athletics. There are also
horse ràñe meetings all over the country, and most traditional of all,
there are large fairs with swings, roundabouts, coconut shies, à Punch and Happy Hampstead August Bank Holiday would not be à real holiday for tens of thousands of Londoners without the Fair on Hampstead Heath! Those who know London will know were to find the Heath – that vast
stretch of open woodland which sprawls across two hills, bounded by Golders The site of the fair ground is near to Hampstead Heath station. From that station to the ground runs à broad road which is blocked with à solid, almost Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. immovable mass of humanity on those days when the fair is open. The walk is not more than à quarter of à mile, but it takes an average of half-an hour to cover it when the crowd is at its thickest. But being on that road is comfortable compared with what it is like inside the fair ground itself. Íåãå there are, hundreds of stalls arranged in broad avenues inside a huge square bounded by the caravans of the show people and the lorries containing the generating plants which provide the stalls with their electricity. The noise is deafening. Mechanical bands and the cries of the The visitors themselves are looking for fun, and they find it in full measure. There are fortune-tellers and rifle-ranges and “bumping cars”, there are bowling alleys and dart boards and coconut shies. There is something for everybody. And for the lucky ones, or for those with more skill than most, there are prizes — table lamps and clocks and à hundred and one other things of value. À visit to the fair at Happy Hampstead is something not easily forgotten. It is noisy, it is exhausting — but it is as exhilarating an experience as any in the world. HENRY WOOD PROMENADE CONCERTS “Ladies and gentlemen — the Proms!” Amongst music-lovers in Britain — and, indeed, in very many other countries — the period between July and September 21 is à time of excitement, of anticipation, of great enthusiasm. We are in the middle of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts — the Proms. London music-lovers are particularly fortunate, for those who are able
to obtain tickets can attend the concerts in person. Every night at 7
î'clock (Sunday excepted) à vast audience assembled at the Royal Albert But even if seats are not to be obtained, the important parts of the concerts can be heard — and are heard — by à very great number of people, because the ÂÂÑ broadcasts certain principal works every night throughout the season. The audience reached by this means is estimated to total several millions in Britain alone, and that total is probably equalled by the number of listeners abroad. The reason why such à great audience is attracted is that the Proms present every year à large repertoire of classical works under the best conductors and with the best artists. À season provides an anthology of masterpieces.
The Proms started in 1895 when Sir Henry Wood formed the Queen’s Hall The coming of the last war ended two Proms’ traditions. The first was
that in 1939 it was nî longer possible to perform to London audiences — the
whole organization was evacuated to Bristol. The second was that the Proms
couldn’t return to the Queen’s Hall after the war was over — the Queen’s HALLOWEEN Halloween means "holy evening" and takes place on October 31st. At parties people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are witches. They cut horrible faces in potatoes and other vegetables and put à candle inside, which shines through their eyes. People play different games such as trying to eat an apple from à bucket of water without using their hands. In recent years children dressed in white sheets knock on doors at GUY FAWKES NIGHT (BONFIRE NIGHT) — NOVEMBER 5 Guy Fawkes Night is one of the most popular festivals in Great Gunpowder Plot. Conspiracy to destroy the English Houses of Parliament
and King James I when the latter opened Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605. Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries.
him to stay away from the House of Lords. On November 4 à search was made
of the parliament vaults, and the gunpowder was found, together with Guy Thanksgiving Day Every year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Families and friends get
together for a big feast. It is a legal holiday in the US. Many people go
to church in the morning and at home they have a big dinner with turkey. Thanksgiving is the harvest festival. The celebration was held in 1621
after the first harvest in New England. In the end of 1620 the passengers
from the Mayflower landed in America and started settling there. Only half
of the people survived the terrible winter. In spring the Indians gave the
settlers some seeds of Indian corn and the first harvest was very good. St. Andrew’s Day In some areas, such as Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire,
and Northamptonshire, St Andrew was regarded as the patron saint of lace-
makers and his day was thus kept as a holiday, or “tendering feast”, by
many in that trade. Thomas Sternberg, describing customs in mid-19th-
century Northampton shire, claims that St Andrew’s Day Old Style (11 attire, visiting one another’s cottages and drinking hot Elderberry wine, the chief beverage of the season …”. In Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, a future of the day was the making and eating of Tandry Wigs. A strange belief reported Wright and Lones dedicate that wherever lilies of the valley grow wild the parish church is usually to St Andrew. CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS Christmas Day is observed on the 25th of December. In Britain this day
was à festival long before the conversion to Christianity. The English
historian the Venerable Bede relates that “the ancient peoples of Angli
began the year on the 25th of December, and the very night was called in
their tongue modranecht, that is ‘mother’s night’. Thus it is not
surprising that many social customs connected with the celebration of Though religion in Britain has been steadily losing ground and However, despite the popularity of Christmas, quite à number of It is not only children and members of the family that exchange
presents nowadays. Advertising has widened this circle to include not only
friends and distant relations, but also people you work with. An average
and joint, their Christmas groceries and so on, the husband as à rule paying into the club run by the local pub, for the drinks. As much of this spending is forced upon people and often means that à family has to do without things they really need, it inevitably leads to resentment towards the festival. Needless to say that it isn’t the old customs and traditions that are to blame, but those who make huge profits out of the nationwide spending spree which they themselves had boosted beyond any reasonable proportion. The Christmas Pantomime À pantomime is à traditional English entertainment at Christmas. It is
meant for children, but adults enjoy just as much. It is à very old form of
entertainment, and can be traced back to 16th century Italian comedies. There have been à lot of changes over the years. Singing and dancing
and all kinds of jokes have been added; but the stories which are told are
still fairy tales, with à hero, à heroine, and à villian. Because they are
fairy tales we do not have to ask who will win in the end! The hero always
wins the beautiful princess, the fairy queen it triumphant and the demon
king is defeated. In every pantomime there are always three main
characters. These are the “principal boy”, the “principal girl”, and the In addition, you can be sure there will always be à “good fairy” and à “bad fairy” — perhaps an ogre or à demon king. Pantomimes are changing all the time. Every year, someone has à new
idea to make them more exciting or more up-to-date. There are pantomimes on
ice, with all the actors skating; pantomimes with à well-known pop singer
as the principal boy or girl; or pantomimes with à famous comedian from the BOXING DAY This is the day when one visits friends, goes for à long walk or just
sits around recovering from too much food — everything to eat is cold. In
the country there are usually Boxing Day Meets (fox- hunting). In the big
cities and towns tradition on that day demands à visit to the pantomime,
where once again one is entertained by the story of Cinderella, Puss in
and elaborated into as many spectacular scenes as the producer thinks one can take at à sitting. ELECTING LONDON’S LORD MAYOR One of the most important functions of the City’s eighty-four Livery II. Customs, Weddings, Births and Christenings. GETTING ENGAGED In Britain the custom of becoming engaged is still generally retained, though many young people dispense with it, and the number of such couples is increasing. As à rule, an engagement is announced as soon as à girl has accepted à proposal of marriage, but in some cases it is done à good time afterwards. Rules of etiquette dictate that the girl’s parents should be the first to hear the news; in practice, however, it is often the couple’s friends who are taken into confidence before either of the parents. If à man has not yet met his future in-laws he does so at the first opportunity, whereas his parents usually write them à friendly letter. It is then up to the girl’s mother to invite her daughter’s future in-laws, to à meal or drinks. Quite often, of course, the man has been à frequent visitor at the girl’s house long before the engagement, and their families are already well acquainted. When à girl accepts à proposal, the man generally gives her à ring in token of the betrothal. It is worn on the third finger of the left hand before marriage and together with the wedding ring after it. Engagement rings range from expensive Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. diamond rings to rings with Victorian semi-precious stones costing only à few pounds. In most cases the engagement itself amounts only to announcements being made to the parents on both sides and to friends and relations, but some people arrange an engagement party, and among the better-off people it is customary to put an announcement in the newspaper. In the book Etiquette the author writes that “as soon as
congratulations and the first gaieties of announcement are over, à man
should have à talk with the girl’s father about the date of their wedding,
where they will live, how well off he is and his future plans and
prospects”. Nowadays this is often not done, one of the reasons being that
today the young people enjoy à greater degree of financial independence
that they used to, to be able to decide these matters for themselves. But if the young people, particularly those of the higher-paid section of the population, often make their own decisions concerning the wedding and their future, the parents, particularly the girl’s, still play an important part in the ensuing activities, as we shall see later. The period of engagement is usually short, three or four months, but this is entirely à matter of choice and circumstances. The Ceremony The parents and close relatives of the bride and groom arrive à few minutes before the bride. The bridegroom and his best man should be in their places at least ten minutes before the service starts. The bridesmaids and pages wait in the church porch with whoever is to arrange the bride’s veil before she goes up the aisle. The bride, by tradition, arrives à couple of minutes late but this should not be exaggerated. She arrives with whoever is giving her away. The verger signals to the organist to start playing, and the bride moves up the aisle with her veil over her face (although many brides do not follow this custom). She goes in on her father’s right arm, and the bridesmaids follow her according to the plan at the rehearsal the day before. The bridesmaids and ushers go to their places in the front pews during the ceremony, except for the chief bridesmaid who usually stands behind the bride and holds her bouquet.
After the ceremony the couple go into the vestry to sign the register
with their parents, best man, bridesmaids and perhaps à close relation such
as à grandmother. The bride throws back her veil or removes the front piece Marriage in Scotland In Scotland, people over the age of sixteen do not require their
parents’ consent in order to marry. Marriage is performed by à minister of
any religion after the banns have been called on two Sundays in the
districts where the couple have lived for at least fifteen days previously. Alternatively, the couple may give notice to the registrar of the district in which they have both lived for fifteen days previously. The registrar will issue à Certificate of Publication which is displayed for seven days, and it will be valid for three months in any place in Scotland. Marriage at à registry office in Scotland requires à publication of notice for seven days or à sheriff’s licence, as publication of banns is not accepted. Such à licence is immediately valid but expires after ten days. One of the parties must have lived in Scotland for at least fifteen days before the application, which is often prepared by à solicitor. The Reception The bride’s parents stand first in the receiving line, followed by the groom's parents and the bride and groom. Guests line up outside the reception room and give their names to the major-domo who will announce them. They need only shake hands and say “How do you do?” to the parents, adding perhaps à word about how lovely the bride is or how well the ceremony went. The bride introduces to her husband any friends that he may not already know, and vice versa. The important parts of the reception are the cutting of the cake and
the toast to the bride and groom. There should never be any long speeches. The toast to the bride and groom is usually proposed by à relative or friend of the bride. Íå may say, “Mó Lords (if any are present), ladies and gentlemen, I have Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. pleasure in proposing the toast to the bride and bridegroom.” Íå should not make à speech full of jokes or silly references to marriage. It should be short and dignified. The bridegroom replies with à few words of thanks. Íå màó or màó not then propose the health of the bridesmaids. The best man replies with à few words of thanks. If à meal is provided, the toasts will come at the end of it. After the toasts the bride and groom màó move around the room talking to their friends until it is time for them to go and change. When they are ready to leave, guests gather to see them off. Wedding Presents can be anything, according to your pocket and your friendship with the bride or groom. Such presents are usually fairly substantial compared with most other presents, and should preferably be things useful for à future home. Some brides have lists at à large store near their homes. It is always wise to ask if there is one, as this eliminates your sending something the couple may have already. The list should contain items of all prices and when one is bought it is crossed off. À wedding is one of the few occasions when money can be given, usually as à cheque. Presents are sent after the invitations have been received, usually to the bride’s home. You address the card to both the bride and bridegroom. BIRTHS AND CHRISTENINGS When à child is born its parents may wish to announce the birth in à national or local newspaper. The announcement may read as follows: Smith. On February 12th, 1999, at St. Ìàãó's Hospital, Paddington, to Ìàãó, wife of James Smith, 15 Blank Terrace, S. W. 3, à daughter. (The, name can be added in brackets.) The birth must be registered at the local registrar's office within six weeks in England and Wales and three weeks in Scotland. À child is usually christened in the first six months of its life. At the christening there is one godmother and two godfathers for à boy
and vice versa for à girl (but no godparents are necessary at à Church of Usually, but by no means always, the friends and relatives give à christening present. Traditionally, the godparents give à silver cup, which is probably going to be far more useful if it is à beer mug! Other presents should preferably be something Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. intended to last à lifetime, such as à leather-bound bible or poetry book, à silver spoon or à crystal and silver scent bottle. Sunday in England For many English families Sunday begins with the by now traditional Church bells are another typical feature of an English Sunday morning, although by many their summons remains unanswered, especially by those in need of physical rather than spiritual comfort. But whether people get out of bed for morning service or not, their first meaningful contact with the world beyond the four walls of their bedroom will be the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs being fried by mother downstairs in the kitchen. This smell is for most people sî much à part of Sunday mornings that they would not be the same without it. During the mid-morning most people indulge in some fairly light
activity such as gardening, washing the ñàã, shelling peas or chopping mint
for Sunday lunch, or taking the dog for à walk. Another most popular pre-
lunch activity consists of à visit to à “pub” — either à walk to the Sunday has always been à favourite day for inviting people — friends, relations, colleagues — to afternoon tea, and there are nî signs that this custom is losing popularity nowadays. In recent years television has become increasingly popular, and Sunday evening is now regarded as the peak viewing period of the week. Concerning the differences between à typically English Sunday and à Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. On the Continent museums and art galleries also attract large numbers of visitors on Sundays, whereas in England it is only in recent times that such places as the National Portrait Gallery and “The Tate” have been open on such days – at present between 2 ð. m. and 6 ð. m. One of the most popular attractions in London on Sunday afternoons, especially in summer, is the Tower, although this too was closed for many years on Sundays. FIREPLACES In English homes, the fireplace has always been, until recent times, the natural centre of interest in à room. People may like to sit at à window on à summer day, but for many months of the year they prefer to sit round the fire and watch the dancing flames. In the Middle Ages the fireplaces in the halls of large castles were very wide. Only wood was burnt, and large logs were carted in from the forests, and supported as they burnt, on metal bars. Such wide fireplaces may still be seen in old inns, and in some of them there are even seats inside the fireplace. Elizabethan fireplaces often had carved stone or woodwork over the fireplace, reaching to the ceiling. There were sometimes columns on each side of the fireplace. In the 18th century, space was often provided over the fireplace for à painting or mirror. When coal fires became common, fireplaces became much smaller. Grates were used to hold the coal. Above the fireplace there was usually à shelf on which there was often à clock, and perhaps framed photographs. DANCING Dancing is popular, and the numerous large and opulent-looking public
dance-halls are an important element in the folklore and courtship
procedures of all but the upper and middle classes. They manage to survive
against the competition of the more modern, smaller, noisier discotheques. Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries. the young man may offer an invitation to go to à cinema on some future night, and this invitation may be succeeded by others. After several ðrå- arranged meetings à couple may regard themselves as “going steady” together though for à long time they will meet only in public places, and an invitation home implies great admiration. Young people are thoroughly emancipated, and find it easy enough to meet each other. III. COSTUMES AND CLOTHES Many British costumes and uniforms have a long history. One is the
uniform of the Beefeaters at the Tower of London. This came first from Lots of ordinary clothes have a long tradition. The famous bowler hat, for example. A man called Beaulieu made the first one in 1850. The very cold winters in the Crimea in the war of 1853-56 gave us
the names of the cardigan and the balaclava. Lord Cardigan led the Light Introduction. At the end of the 9th form my classmates and I were given a very interesting task for the examination: to write the reports on different themes. I introduced with all of them very carefully and choose one that I like more then others. The theme of my report is “Holidays and Traditions in English- Speaking Countries”. I was eager to work with the material on this theme because it’s really interesting and exciting for me to know more about the customs and traditions that came to people’s life many hundreds years ago. I’m also interested in their everyday way of life and I can get something for myself. I worked hard and did my best to deal with different kinds of information and literature to make my report differ from the reports of my classmates. I tried to explain everything with simple phrases to make my listeners and readers be satisfied with my work. I wish everybody could get a lot of new information about customs and traditions of many civilized countries and may be hold them in future too. I hope that my report will be interesting for everybody. Conclusion. I feel proud of myself because I did my best to cope with this work and I hope that I did it quiet well. In my report I tried to show the life of different nations, which live in English – speaking countries. I wrote about their customs, traditions and holidays, about their costumes and clothes. It was very interesting to look for the information for my project.
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