Тема "Английские традиции и обычаи" (British traditions and customs). Перевод топика: Британские традиции и обычаи

Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain traditions play a more important part in the life of the people than in other countries.

Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. Foreigners coming to England are struck at once by quite a number of customs and peculiarities in English life. Some ceremonies are rather formal, such as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Trooping the Colour, the State opening of Parliament. Sometimes you will see a group of cavalrymen riding on black horses through the streets of London. They wear red uniforms, shining helmets, long black boots and long white gloves. These men are Life Guards. Their special duty is to guard the king or the queen of Great Britain and very important quests of the country.

To this day an English family prefers a house with a fireplace and a garden to a flat in a modern house with central heating. Most English love gardens. Sometimes the garden in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted green in imitation of grass and a box of flowers. They love flowers very much.

The English people like animals very much, too. Pet dogs, cats, horses, ducks, chickens, canaries and other friends of man have a much better life in Britain than anywhere else. In Britain they have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for dogs. In recent years the English began to show love for more “exotic” animals such as crocodiles, elephants, tigers, cobras, camels.

Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday and in Scotland it is not observed at all. But six days later, on New Year’s Eve the Scotts begin to enjoy themselves. All the shops and factories are closed on New Year’s Day. People invite their friends to their houses. Greetings and presents are offered.

A new tradition has been born in Britain. Every year a large number of ancient motor-cars drive from London to Brighton. Some of these veteran cars look very funny. This run from London to Brighton is a colourful demonstration. People are dressed in the clothes of those times. It is not a race, and most of the cars come to Brighton, which is sixty miles from London, only in the evening.

Ответьте на вопросы:

What formal ceremonies in England do you know?

Most English love gardens, don’t they?

What animals do the English have in their houses?

Name the great English national holiday. Is it observed in Scotland?

What new tradition has been born in Britain?

Текст 3 the british year

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In Britain Christmas is the most important public holiday of the year. It combines the custom of giving gifts with the tradition of spending this day with the family. Every year a huge Christmas tree, a gift of Novergian people in thanks for Britains support during the Second World War, graces Trafalgar Square. Christmas is a traditional family reunion day. On this day many people attend a church service, open their presents, eat a Christmas dinner and watch the Sovereign’s annual Christmas broadcast on television.

Boxing Day comes right after Christmas and is celebrated as a bank holiday in Britain(a "bank" holiday is an official public holiday when all banks, post offices, most factories, offices and shops are closed).It was formerly a custom to give "Christmas boxes", or gifts, or money to servants and tradesman on this day. The custom gave a name to a holiday. This is the day when one visit friends or relatives, goes for a drive or a long walk or just stays at home.

New Year

January 1, New Year"s Day is now a public holiday in England. New Year is a big holiday in Scotland. New Year"s Eve is called Hogmanay and is an occasion for much joyous and noisy celebration. When the clock strikes 12 people stand in a circle, join hands and sing the famous song "Auld Lang Syne", written by Robert Burns.

The celebration of the Burns Night is held on the 25-th of January, the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s greatest national poet. It usually takes a form of a supper, at which traditional Scottish dishes are eaten, including haggis, and during which a Scottish piper plays, wearing traditional Highland dress.

14-th of February: St"Valenties Day

February 14 is the day for lovers! Boys and girls, sweetheart and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, and even the office staff exchange greetings of affection.

St" David is the national saint of Wales and March 1 is the national holiday of Wales. On this day many Welshmen wear either a daffodil or a leek, pinned to their jackets, as both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems of Wales.

St" Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. The 17 of March, the church festival of St" Patrick, is regarded as national Day in Northern Ireland.

Pancake Day is the popular name for Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent (the 40 days before Easter). People traditionally eat pancakes on Pancake Day which are made from eggs, flour and milk, fried on both sides in fat on a pan and eaten with lemon juice and sugar. In many towns pancake races are held on Shrove Tuesday in which women run with pancakes. As they run they toss the pancake up and over in the air and catches it again in the pan. It is not at all easy to toss and catch a pancake when running a race!

This is the funniest Day of the year, when traditionally practical jokes are played. People take them in good part and 1 aught heartily even if some tricks or jokes have made April fools of them.

St" George is the patron saint of England. It is the church festival of St" George, regarded as England’s national day(also not an official bank holiday).On this day some patriotic Englishmen wear a rose pinned to their, jackets.

Easter is the most important religious festival. It is traditionally associated with Easter eggs and with the coming of spring and most churches are specially decorated with flowers for the services held on Easter Day. In many towns there are funfairs with roundabouts, coconut shies, switchbakers and other amusements. People who live in London can see the Easter Parade in Battersea Park.

May Dav ! May is a traditional celebration of coming of spring, when many outdoor events are held, and at which a May Queen may be elected. The girl chosen as the most beautiful on May Day is usually crowed with a garland of flowers and often driven in procession through the streets. Some villages have a maypole. This is the tall pole with ribbons hanging from the top. Children dance round it, holding the ribbons.

Trooping the colour takes place every June as a part of a 200-year-old ceremony to mark the official birthday of the monarch. Trooping the Colour is an impressive military dicplay held at Horse Guard Parade, a huge open space behind Whitehall where the various Royal units troop their regimental flag to the tune of marching music and thundering drums. The military taken part are the Household Cavalry and Brigade of Guards, dressed in ceremonial uniforms. They march past hte Queen, dipping their Colours in salute. The ceremony ends with the Queen returning to Buckingham Palace at the Head of the Guards.

Remembarance Day Poppy Day is observed throughout Britain on the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day. On this day the fallen in both world wars are remembered in special chore services and civic ceremonies, the chief of which is the laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph, London, by members of the Royal family in the presence of leading statesman and politicians. On and just before that day artificial poppies, a symbol of mourning are traditionally sold in the streets everywhere, and people wear them in memory of those who fall in the wars.

English traditions are probably world famous. Lots of people have in their mind a picture of a traditional English person happily following most extraordinary and strange customs almost every minute of the day. Of course, like any stereotype it’s not quite accurate, though it does have the basis of truth. English people are traditional in many ways. They do enjoy doing things that have been done for generations for no other reason than they are traditional. English traditions belong to different spheres of life: ceremonies and institutions, entertainment, sport, particular holidays and occasions, folklore and superstitions. Some of traditions have no particular connections.
Probably the most imposing traditions are connected with Parliament. Parliament is a very old institution and throughout its long history it acquired its own traditions. They include processions by Mr. Speaker into the House of Commons and by the Lord-Chancellor into the House of Lords before the usual working day starts in Parliament, Searching by Torch Light of the cellars under the House of Commons - the custom followed ever since 1605 when a group of Catholics headed by a man called Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament with gun powder, and others. But the most spectacular tradition is the State Opening of Parliament at the beginning of November when the Queen reads her speech prepared by the Prime Minister to both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. On the day of the State Opening of Parliament the Queen drives in the State Coach pulled by six white horses from Buckingham Palace to Westminster. Then she goes into Parliament through the Sovereign’s Entrance where she is received by the Great Officers of the State, all wearing traditional clothes - buckled shoes and tight trousers. Then the Queen goes up to the Robing Room where she puts on her crimson parliamentary robe and the imperial state crown. Then she walks in procession through the Royal Gallery to the House of Lords where all lords, also robed, are waiting for her. On her way the Queen orders the Gentleman Usher, known as the Black Rod, to summon the House of Commons. This is a very strange procedure. The Black Rod goes to the door of the House of Commons which is slammed in his face as soon as he reaches it. He then has to knock three times. He is challenged and replies, than in the name of her Majesty the Queen he summons the House of Commons. He himself is not allowed into the Chamber nor is the Queen. This tradition goes back to around 1640, when King Charles I tried to arrest five members of Parliament. The House of Commons then follows the Black Rod to the House of Lords. But they are not allowed right into the Chamber. When at last they are assembled, the Queen reads her speech. After that she returns to Buckingham Palace in the State Coach.
Various festivals and holidays are regularly held all over Britain. They are of course always the time when traditions flourish. And none is more traditional than Christmas. The decorations for Christmas start now to go up in shops, homes and offices about longer than a month beforehand, and they all by tradition have to be taken down before the 12th night after Christmas. Every house will have some sort of Christmas tree decorated with lights. On the Christmas Eve night presents for the family are put in a heap round the foot of the tree. On Christmas Eve young children hang up large socks at the end of their beds.

Vocabulary:

to date back – датироваться

to be proud of – гордиться

to preserve – сохранять

to be linked – быть связанным

to obey – подчиняться

to mark – отмечать

a sweetheart – любимый/ая

a message – послание

a scary face – страшное лицо

So many countries so many customs, an English proverb says. A great number of customs and traditions date back to the early days of Great Britain. We can say that they are the reflection of the country’s history and the people’s psychology. The British can be proud of that they preserved their old customs and traditions most of them have been kept without change since the 13 th century.

Some British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. For example, the celebration of New Year and Christmas is similar to our own. People decorate New Year trees, give each other presents, some go to parties at friend’s home or at night-clubs.

St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 th . On that day people send cards and presents to their sweethearts or friends. Some British newspapers have a whole page for Valentine’s Day messages on that day.

April 1 st is April Fool’s Day in Britain. It is linked with the celebration of spring, the return of sun and warmth. This tradition is very old and goes back to the Middle Ages. At that time the servants were masters for one day of the year. They gave orders and the masters had to obey. Now April Fool’s Day is different. It is a day for jokes and tricks.

May 1 st was another important day in the Middle Ages. Early in the morning, young girls went to the field and washed their faces with dew. They believed this made them beautiful for the whole year.

Midsummer’s Day, June 24 th , is the longest day of the year. Even today Druids come to Stonehenge to see the morning sun shine on the famous stones. Stonehenge is one of Europe’s biggest stone circles. The stones are ten meters high and nearly five thousand years old. They say, the Druids used it as a calendar to know the start of months and seasons.

Hallowe’en is celebrated on October 31 st . it is a religious holiday known as All Saint’s Day. The symbols of Hallowe’en are evil spirits (witches, ghosts, goblins and skeletons), black color and pumpkins with scary faces and a candle inside. Children usually go trick or treating on that day.

Guy Fawke’s Day is marked on November 5 th . All over the country people build wood fires or “bonfires”. On top of each bonfire is a guy. It is made of straw and old clothes.

Answer the questions:

1. What can we say about the customs and traditions of Great Britain? How old

2. What are the most famous winter traditions?

3. What holidays do they celebrate in spring?

4. What do they mark in summer?

5. What are the most famous autumn traditions?

Translate from Russian into English.

1. Строительство этой церкви датируется 18 веком.

2. Его сестра гордиться своими оценками в школе.

4. Этот праздник связан с религией.

5. Граждане должны подчиняться закону.

6. Учитель отметил все мои ошибки.

7. Он оставил сообщение своей любимой.

8. Фильм, который я посмотрел вчера, был не очень страшный.

Text 4. St. Valentine’s Day.

Vocabulary:

St. Valentine"s Day - День Святого Валентина
Christian - христианский
priest - священник
prison - тюрьма
to behead - отрубить голову
authorities - власти
teachings - учение
miracle - чудо
to cure - исцелить
jail - тюрьма
jailer - тюремщик
blindness - слепота
execution - казнь
bishop - епископ
to marry (couples) - венчать (пары)
to be burnt at the stake - быть сожженным на костре
randomly - случайно
sweetheart - возлюбленный
medieval - средневековый
custom - обычай
to spread - распространяться
to care for - любить
valentine - открытка или подарок, посылаемые в день Валентина
anonymous - анонимный
heart-shaped - в форме сердца

There are several legends about St. Valentine"s Day. One of the legends says that Valentine was Christian priest who lived in the 3 century A.D. He was put into prison by roman authorities for his teachings and was beheaded on February 14. According to the legend he performed a miracle - he cured his jailer"s daughter of her blindness. Before the execution he wrote her a letter signed «From Your Valentine». Another legend says that the same Valentine wrote to children and friends who loved him from the jail.

According to another legend, Valentine was an Italian bishop who lived at about the same time. He was thrown into prison because he secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman empire. The legend says that he was burnt at the stake.
February 14 was also a Roman holiday. On this day young men randomly chose the name of the girl to escort to the festival. The custom of choosing a sweetheart on this day became very popular in the medieval Europe. Later this custom spread to American colonies.

Now, St. Valentine"s Day is the day of sweethearts. On this day, people show their friends relatives and loved ones that they care. People send candy or flowers to those whom they love. Most people send «valentines», greeting cards named after St. Valentine"s letters written from jail. Valentines can be sentimental and romantic, or funny and friendly. Valentines can be anonymous. Valentines can be heart-shaped or can carry hearts on them. People buy valentines or make them themselves.

Answer the questions:

1. Who was Valentine according to one legend?
2. What was he beheaded for?
3. What was the Valentine"s guilt according to the other legends?
4. What holiday was on February 14 in the Roman empire?
5. What do people send to their loved ones and friends on St. Valentine"s Day?
6. What is a «valentine»?

some English customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather, for example. From Scotland to Cornwall, the United Kingdom is full of customs andtraditions. Here are some of them.

St. Valentine"s is the saintof people in love, and St. Valentine"s day is February, 14. On that day, people send valentine cardsand presents to their husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. You can also send a card to a person you don"t know. But traditionally you must never write your name on it. Some British newspapers have apage for Valentine"s Day messages on February 14th

April, 1 is April Fool"s Dayin Great Britain. This is a very old tradition from the Middle Ages.At that time servantsfor one day of the year. Now April Fool"s Day is different. It"s aday for jokes and tricks.

May, 1was an important day in the Middle Ages. In the very early morning young girls went to fields and washed their faces with dew.They believed this made them very beautiful for a year after that. Also on May Day young men of each village tried to win prizeswith their bows and arrows, and people danced round the Maypole.

November, 5 is Guy Fawkes"s Day. All over the country people buildwood fires, or «bonfires»,in their gardens. On top of each bonfire is a guy, this is a figure of Guy Fawkes. On November, 5, 1665, Guy Fawkes tried to kill King James I. He and a group of his friends put a bomb underthe Houses of Parliament in London. But the king"s men found the bomb and Guy Fawkes. They took him to the Tower of London, where his headwas cut off.Before November 5, children use guys to make money. They stand in the street and shout: «Penny for the guy».

Some English customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather, for example. From Scotland to Cornwall, the United Kingdom is full of customs andtraditions. Here are some of them. St. Valentine"s is the saintof people in love, and St. Valentine"s day is February, 14. On that day, people send valentine cardsand presents to their husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. You can also send a card to a person you don"t know. But traditionally you must never write your name on it. Some British newspapers have apage for Valentine"s Day messages on February 14th April, 1 is April Fool"s Dayin Great Britain. This is a very old tradition from the Middle Ages.At that time servantsfor one day of the year. Now April Fool"s Day is different. It"s aday for jokes and tricks. May, 1was an important day in the Middle Ages. In the very early morning young girls went to fields and washed their faces with dew.They believed this made them very beautiful for a year after that. Also on May Day young men of each village tried to win prizeswith their bows and arrows, and people danced round the Maypole. November, 5 is Guy Fawkes"s Day. All over the country people buildwood fires, or «bonfires»,in their gardens. On top of each bonfire is a guy, this is a figure of Guy Fawkes. On November, 5, 1665, Guy Fawkes tried to kill King James I. He and a group of his friends put a bomb underthe Houses of Parliament in London. But the king"s men found the bomb and Guy Fawkes. They took him to the Tower of London, where his headwas cut off.Before November 5, children use guys to make money. They stand in the street and shout: «Penny for the guy».

Определить язык Клингонский Клингонский (pIqaD) азербайджанский албанский английский арабский армянский африкаанс баскский белорусский бенгальский болгарский боснийский валлийский венгерский вьетнамский галисийский греческий грузинский гуджарати датский зулу иврит игбо идиш индонезийский ирландский исландский испанский итальянский йоруба казахский каннада каталанский китайский китайский традиционный корейский креольский (Гаити) кхмерский лаосский латынь латышский литовский македонский малагасийский малайский малайялам мальтийский маори маратхи монгольский немецкий непали нидерландский норвежский панджаби персидский польский португальский румынский русский себуанский сербский сесото словацкий словенский суахили суданский тагальский тайский тамильский телугу турецкий узбекский украинский урду финский французский хауса хинди хмонг хорватский чева чешский шведский эсперанто эстонский яванский японский Клингонский Клингонский (pIqaD) азербайджанский албанский английский арабский армянский африкаанс баскский белорусский бенгальский болгарский боснийский валлийский венгерский вьетнамский галисийский греческий грузинский гуджарати датский зулу иврит игбо идиш индонезийский ирландский исландский испанский итальянский йоруба казахский каннада каталанский китайский китайский традиционный корейский креольский (Гаити) кхмерский лаосский латынь латышский литовский македонский малагасийский малайский малайялам мальтийский маори маратхи монгольский немецкий непали нидерландский норвежский панджаби персидский польский португальский румынский русский себуанский сербский сесото словацкий словенский суахили суданский тагальский тайский тамильский телугу турецкий узбекский украинский урду финский французский хауса хинди хмонг хорватский чева чешский шведский эсперанто эстонский яванский японский Источник: Цель:

Результаты (русский ) 1:

некоторые Английский обычаи и традиции являются известные во всем мире. Котелок шляпы, чай и говорили о погоде, например. Из Шотландии в Корнуолле Соединенное Королевство полна таможенных итрадиций. Вот некоторые из них.День Святого Валентина это saintof люди в любви, и день Святого Валентина-14 февраля. В этот день люди посылают cardsand Валентина подарки на их мужей, жен, друзей и подруг. Вы также можете отправить открытку с человеком вы не знаете. Но традиционно вы никогда не должны написать свое имя на нем. Некоторые британские газеты имеют apage для сообщений, день Святого Валентина 14 февраля1 апреля - апреля Fool"s Dayin Великобритании. Это очень старая традиция от средней Ages.At что время servantsfor один день в году. Теперь День дурака отличается. Это Адай для шутки и приколы.Возможно, 1was важный день в средние века. Очень рано утром молодые девушки пошли к полям и промывают их лица с росой. Они считали, что это сделало их очень красивая год после этого. Также на день мая молодых людей каждого села пытался выиграть prizeswith их Луки и стрелы, и люди танцевали вокруг майского дерева.5 ноября - День Гая Фокса. Всей стране люди buildwood пожаров, или «костер», в их сады. На вершине каждого костра парень, это фигура Гая Фокса. На 5 ноября 1665, Гая Фокса пытался убить короля Якова I. Он и группа его друзей положил бомбу Подвремя парламента в Лондоне. Но королевская рать нашли бомбу и Гая Фокса. Они доставили его в Лондонский Тауэр, где его headwas отрезаны. До 5 ноября детей использовать парни, чтобы заработать деньги. Они стоят на улице и кричать: «Пенни для парня».

Результаты (русский ) 2:

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Результаты (русский ) 3:

некоторые английские обычаи и традиции - известный во всем мире.котелки, чай и говорить о погоде, например.из шотландии в корнуолле, соединенного королевства полна таможенных andtraditions.вот некоторые из них.святого валентина составляет saintof людей в любви, и день святого валентина - 14 февраля.в этот день люди отправляют валентина cardsand свидетельствует их мужья, жены, друзей и подруг.также вы можете отправить открытку на лицо, вы не знаете.но традиционно никогда не писать свое имя на нем.некоторые британские газеты apage на день святого валентина сообщения по 14 февраля1 апреля - первое апреля dayin великобритании.это очень старая традиция из средневековья. тогда, servantsfor один день в году.сегодня первое апреля день отличается.это - день для шуток и трюки.может, 1was важный день в средневековье.в самом начале утром девушки отправились в областях и смыл их лица с росой. они считают, что это делает их очень красиво за год после этого.также на первомайской молодых мужчин в каждой деревне так - выиграть prizeswith луки и стрелы, и люди танцевали вокруг майское дерево.5 ноября - день гая фокса.по всей стране люди buildwood пожары, или « жечь костры ", в своих садах.на крыше каждого костер - парень, это фигура гая фокса.на 5 ноября, 1665, гай фокс пытался убить короля якова I. он и группа его друзей - подложили бомбу в здание парламента в лондоне.но король мужчины нашли бомбу и гая фокса.они доставили его в лондонский тауэр, где его headwas - отрезать. до 5 ноября детей используют ребята делают деньги.они стоят на улице и кричать: « подайте пенни для гая ".

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Customs and traditions

English customs and traditions, first of all, concerns United Kingdom political system. In Great Britain there is no written constitution, only customs, traditions and precedents. After the English Revolution of Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy headed by King (now Queen, Elizabeth the second). Traditionally the Queen acts only on the advice of her Ministers. She reigns but she does not rule.

Englishmen have traditions not only in political, but in social life. For example, London, the capital of England, is traditionally divided into three parts: the West End, the East end, and the City. The City is a historical, financial and business center of London. The East End is the district inhabited by the workers, and the West End is a fashionable shopping and entertaining center. English people like to spend their free time in numerous pubs where they can have a glass of beer and talk about different things with their friends.

The English are traditional about their meals. They eat eggs and bacon with toasts for breakfast, pudding or apple pie for dessert. Every English family has five o"clock tea. A typical feature of an English house is a fireplace, even when there is central heating in the house.

English people like domestic animals. Every family has a pet: a dog, a cat or a bird.

Politeness is a characteristic feature of Englishmen. They often say "Thank you", "Sorry", "Beg your pardon". Russian people, I think, have to learn this good custom.

Englishmen have many traditional holidays, such as Christmas, St.Valentine"s Day, Mother"s day, Easter and others.

Some English customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather, for example. From Scotland to Cornwall, the United Kingdom is full of customs and traditions. Here are some of them.

St. Valentine’s

St. Valentine"s Day roots in several different legends that have found their way to us through the ages. One of the earliest popular symbols of the day is Cupid, the Roman god of Love, Who is represented by the image of a young boy with bow and arrow. Three hundred years after the death of Jesus Christ, the Roman emperors still demanded that everyone believe in the Roman gods. Valentine, a Christian priest, had been thrown in prison for his teachings. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded, not only because he was a Christian, but also because he had performed a miracle. He supposedly cured the jailer"s daughter of her blindness. The night before he was executed, he wrote the jailer"s daughter a farewell letter, signing it, "from Your Valentine". Another legend tells us that this same Valentine, well-loved by all, wrote notes from his jail cell to children and friends who missed him. Whatever the odd mixture of origins, St. Valentine"s Day is now a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend of loved one that you care. You can send candy to someone you think is special. Or you can send "valentines" a greeting card named after the notes that St. Valentine wrote from jail. Valentines can be sentimental, romantic, and heartfelt. They can be funny and friendly. If the sender is shy, valentines can be anonymous. Americans of all ages as other people in different countries love to send and receive valentines. Handmade valentines, created by cutting hearts out of coloured paper, show that a lot of thought was put into making them personal. Valentines can be heart-shaped, or have hearts, the symbol of love, on them. In elementary schools, children make valentines, they have a small party with refreshments. You can right a short rhyme inside the heart:

There are gold ships
And silver ships,
But no ships
Like friendship.

Valentine cards are usually decorated with symbols of love and friendship. These symbols were devised many centuries ago. Lace symbolises a net for catching one"s heart. If you get a Valentine with a piece of a lace you may understand that the person who sent it must be crazy about you. A symbol should have several meanings, so some experts maintain that lace stands for a bridal veil. A ribbon means that the person is tired up, while hearts, which are the most common romantic symbol, denote eternal love. Red roses are also often used as a love emblem. Valentine"s Day grows more and more popular in many countries of the world. Some people have already begun to celebrate it in Russia. They try to imitate European Valentine customs and want to known more about their origin. St. Valentine"s Day is the day when boys and girls. friends and neighbours, husbands and wives, sweethearts and lovers exchange greeting of love and affection. It is the day to share one"s loving feelings with friends and family, but it is young men and girls who usually wait it with impatience. This day has become traditional for many couples to become engaged. That makes young people acknowledge St. Valentine"s as the great friend and patron of lovers.

November, 5 is Guy Fawkes’s Day.

On the 5th of November in almost every town and village in England one can see fire burning, fireworks, cracking and lighting up the sky, small groups of children pulling round in a home made cart, a figure that looks something like a man but consists of an old suit of clothes, stuffed with straw. The children sing:" Remember, remember the 5th of November; Gun powder, treason and plot". And they ask passers-by for "a penny for the Guy" But the children with "the Guy" are not likely to know who or what day they are celebrating. They have done this more or less every 5th of November since 1605. At that time James the First was on the throne. He was hated with many people especially the Roman Catholics against whom many sever laws had been passed. A number of Catholics chief of whom was Robert Catesby determined to kill the King and his ministers by blowing up the house of Parliament with gunpowder. To help them in this they got Guy Fawker, a soldier of fortune, who would do the actual work. The day fixed for attempt was the 5th of November, the day on which the Parliament was to open. But one of the conspirators had several friends in the parliament and he didn"t want them to die. So he wrote a letter to Lord Monteagle begging him to make some excuse to be absent from parliament if he valued his life. Lord Monteagle took the letter hurrily to the King. Guards were sent at once to examine the cellars of the house of Parliament. And there they found Guy Fawker about to fire a trail of gunpowder. He was tortured and hanged, Catesby was killed, resisting arrest in his own house. In memory of that day bonfires are still lighted, fireworks shoot across the November sky and figures of Guy Fawker are burnt in the streets.

Christmas.

It is certain that Christmas is celebrated all over the world. Perhaps no other holiday has developed a set of customs and symbols. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their famillies on Christmas Day, 25th December. The Christmas story comes from bible. An angel appeared to shepherds and told them that a Savior had been born to Mary and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem. Three Wise Men from the East followed a wondrous star which led them to the baby Jesus to whome they paid homage and presented gifts of gold, frankicense and myrrh. To people all over the world, Christmas is a season of giving and receiving presents. In Scandinavian and other European countries, Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, comes into house at night and leaves gifts for the children. Saint Nicholas is represented as a fidly man with a red cloak and long white beard. He visited house and left giftes, dringing people happiness in the coldest months of the year. Another character, the Norse God Odin, rode on a magical flying horse across the ages to make the present day Santa Claus.

For most British families, this is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration or the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter. On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung.Sometimes carol-singers can be heard on the streets as they collect money for charity. Most families decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner or the front foom, glittering with coloured lights and decorations. The Christmas tree was popularized by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who introduced one to the Royal Household in 1840. Since 1947, the country of Norway has presented Britain annually with a large Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square in commemoration of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation during the Second World War.

There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of present. Familly members wrap up their gifts and leave them bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave sock or stocking at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve, 24th of December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts. They are usually not disappointe! At some time on Christmas Day the familly will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. Christmas dinner consists traditionally of a roast turkey, goose or chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes. Mince pies and Christmas pudding flaming with brandy, which might contain coins or lucky charms for children, follow this. (The pudding is usually prepared weeks beforehand and is customarily stirred by each member of the family as a wish is made.) Later in the day, a Christmas cake may be served - a rich baked fruitcake with marzipan, icing and sugar frosting.

The pulling of Christmas crackers often accompanies food on Christmas Day. Invented by a London baker in 1846, a cracker is a brightly colored paper tube, twisted at both ends, which contains a party hat, riddle and toy or other trinket. When it is pulled by two people it gives out a crack as its contents are dispersed.

26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, which takes its name from a former custom of giving a Christmas Box - a gift of money or food inside a box - to the deliverymen and trades people who called regularly during the year. This tradition survives in the custom of tipping the milkman, postman, dustmen and other callers of good service at Christmas time. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or watch football.

At midnight on 31th December throughout Great Britain people celebrate the coming of the New Year, by holding hands in a large circle and singing the song:

Should auld acquaintance be forget,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forget?
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We"ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!..

New Year"s Eve is a more important festival in Scotland than it is in England, and it even has a special name. It is not clear where the word "Hogmanay" comes from, but it is connected with the provision of food and drink for all visitors to your home on 31th December. It was believed that the first person to visit one"s house on New Year"s Day could bring good or bad luck. Therefore, people tried to arrange for the person or their own choice to be standing outside their houses ready to be let in the moment midnight had come. Usually a dark-complexioned man was chosen, and never a woman, for she would bring bad luck. The first footer was required to carry three articles: a piece of coal to wish warmth, a piece of bread to wish food, and a silver coin to wish wealth.

Easter.

Easter is a Christian spring festival that is usually celebrated in March or April. The name for Easter comes from a pagan fertility celebration. The word "Easter" is named after Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess og spring. Spring is a natural time for new life and hope when animals have their young and plants begin to grow. Christian Easter may have purposely been celebrated in the place of a pagan festival. It is therefore not surprising that relics of doing and beliefs not belonging th the Christian religious should cling even to this greatest day in the Church"s year. An old-fashioned custom still alive is to get up early and climb a hill to see the sun rising. There are numerous accounts of the wonderful spectacle of the sun whirling round and round for joy at our Saviour"s Resurrection. So many people go outdoors on Easter morning hoping to see the sun dance. There is also a custom of putting on something new to go to church on Easter morning. People celebrate the holiday according to their beliefs and their religious denominations. Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day that Christ died and Easter Sunday as the day that He was resurrected. Protestant settlers brought the custom of a sunrise service, a religious gathering at dawn, to the United States.

Today on Easter Sunday, children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of candy. He has also hidden the eggs that they decorated earlier that week. Children hunt for the eggs all around the house. Neighborhoods and organizations hold Easter egg hunts, and the child who first the most eggs wins a prize.

Americans celebrate the Easter bunny coming. They set out easter baskets for their children to anticipate the easter bunnys arrival whi leaves candy and other stuff. The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the "Easter Hare". Hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births, so they became a symbol of fertility.

Christians fast during the forty days before Easter. They choose to eat and drink only enough to feep themselves alive.

The day preceding Lent is known as Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day. Shrove Tuesday recalls the day when people went to Church ti confess and be shriven before Lent. But now the day is more generally connected with relics of the traditional feasting before the fast. Shrove Tuesday is famous for pancake calebration. There is some competition at Westminster School: the pancakes are tossed over a bar by the cook and struggled for by a small group of selected boys. The boy who manages to get the largest piece is given a present. This tradition dates from 1445. In the morning the first church bell on Orley is rung for the competitors to make pancakes. The second ring is a signal for cooking them. The third bell set rung for the copetitors to gather at the market square. Then the Pancake bell is sounded and the ladies set off from the church porch, tossing their pancakes three times as they run. Each woman must wear an apron and a hat or scarf over her head. The winner is given a Prayer Book dy the Vicar.

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent. It is customary to vasit one"s mother on that day. Mother ought to be given a present - tea, flowers or a simnel cake. It is possible to buy the cake, they are sold in every confectionery. But it is preferrable to make it at home. The way Mothering Sunday is celebrated has much in common with the International Women"s Day celebration in Russia.

Good Friday is the first Friday before Easter. It is the day when all sorts of taboos on various works are in force. Also it is a good day for shifting beers, for sowing potatoes, peas, beans, parsley, and pruning rose trees. Good Friday brings the once sacred cakes, the famous Hot Cross buns. These must be spiced and the dough marked with a cross before baking.

Eggs, chickens, rabbits and flowers are all symbols of new life. Chocolate and fruit cake covered with marzipan show that fasting is over. Wherever Easter is celebrated, there Easter eggs are usually to be found. In England, just as in Russia, Easter is a time for giving and receiving of presents that traditionally take the form of an Easter egg. Easter egg is a real hard-boiled egg dyed in bright colors or decorated with some elaborate pattern. Coloring and decorating eggs for Easter is a very ancient custom. Many people, however, avoid using artificial dyes and prefer to boil eggs with the outer skin of an onion, which makes the eggs shells yellow or brown. In fact, the color depends on the amount of onion skin added. In ancient times they used many different natural dyes fir the purpose. The dyes were obtained mainly from leaves, flowers and bark.

At present Easter eggs are also made of chocolate, sugar, metals, wood, ceramics and other materials at hand. They may differ in size, ranging from enormous to tiny, no bigger than a robin"s egg. Easter Sunday is solemnly celebrated in London. Each year the capital city of Britain greets the spring with a spectacular Easter Parade in Battersea Park. The great procession, or parade, begins at 3 p.m. The parade consists of many decorated floats, entered by various organizations in and outside London. Some of the finest bands in the country take part in the parade. At the rear of the parade is usually the very beautiful float richly decorated with flowers. It is called the Jersey one because the spring flowers bloom early on the Island of Jersey.

In England, children rolled eggs down hills on Easter morning, a game has been connected to the rolling away of the rock from Jesus Christ"s tomb then He was resurrected. British settlers brought this custom to the New World. It consists of rolling coloured, hardboiled egg down a slope until they are cracked and broken after whish they are eaten by their owners. In some districts this is a competitive game, the winner being the player whose egg remains longest undamaged, but more usually, the fun consists simply of the rolling and eating.

Harvest

Corn Dollies

Many countries seem to have had a similar custom to the British one of making a design from the last sheaf of corn to be harvested. In Britain a corn dolly is created by plaiting the wheat stalks to create a straw figure. The corn dolly is kept until the Spring. This is because people believed that the corn spirit lived in the wheat and as the wheat was harvested, the spirit fled to the wheat which remained. By creating the corn dolly the spirit is kept alive for the next year and the new crop. Sometimes the corn dolly is hung up in the barn, sometimes in the farmhouse, and sometimes in the church. In Spring the corn dolly would be ploughed back into the soil. There are many types of corn dolly.

The story of John Barleycorn

A story to the corn dolly is to be found in the folksong John Barleycorn. Three men swear that John Barleycorn must die. They take a plough and bury him alive. But the Spring comes and John rises through the soil. After a while he grows big and strong, even growing a beard, so the three men cut him down at the knee, tie him on to a cart, beat him, strip the flesh off his bones and grind him between two stones. But at the end it is John Barleycorn who defeats his opponents, proving the stronger man, by turning into beer.

Harvest Festivals

In churches all over Britain there are services to thank God for the Harvest. As part of these services local people bring baskets of fruit and vegetables to decorate the church. The produce is then distributed to the poor.

Halloween

The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.

One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.

Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.

Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.

Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth. The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween. The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840"s by Irish immigrants fleeing their country"s potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates.

The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul"s passage to heaven.

The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree"s trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let him down the tree.

According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer.

The Irish used turnips as their "Jack"s lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.

So, although some pagan groups, cults, and Satanists may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it.

Fire has always played an important part in Halloween. Fire was very important to the Celts as it was to all early people. In the old days people lit bonfires to ward away evil spirits and in some places they used to jump over the fire to bring good luck. Now we light candles in pumpkin lanterns.

Halloween is also a good time to find out the future. Want to find out who you will marry? Here are two ways you might try to find out:

Apple-bobbing - Float a number of apples in a bowl of water, and try to catch one using only your teeth. When you have caught one, peel it in one unbroken strip, and throw the strip of peel over your left shoulder. The letter the peel forms is the initial of your future husband or wife.

Nut-cracking - Place two nuts (such as conkers) on a fire. Give the nuts the names of two possible lovers and the one that cracks first will be the one.

There are several unusual traditions:

"Wrong side of the bed"

When people are bad tempered we say that they must have got out of bed on the wrong side. Originally, it was meant quiet literally. People believe that the way they rose in the morning affected their behavior throughout the day. The wrong side of the bed was the left side. The left always having been linked with evil.

"Blowing out the candles"

The custom of having candles on birthday cakes goes back to the ancient Greeks. Worshippers of Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunting, used to place honey cakes on the altars of her temples on her birthday. The cakes were round like the full moon and lit with tapers. This custom was next recorded in the middle ages when German peasants lit tapers on birthday cakes, the number lit indicating the person"s age, plus an extra one to represent the light of life. From earliest days burning tapers had been endowed with mystical significance and it was believed that when blown out they had the power to grant a secret wish and ensure a happy year ahead.