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Unit 8

Holidays and celebrations

Britain with its rich history has a wide variety of holidays associated with people’s customs and traditions. For centuries a holiday was simply a Holy Day, usually dedicated to one of the saints, on which no work was done. In the 19 th century the many Holy Days were exchanged by law for several

Fixed annual occasions called Bank Holidays because all banks and offices on those days were closed.

At present there are two types of holidays in the UK: Bank Holidays, (national public holidays, when people do not work but get their pay) and Celebration Days – special occasions, which are normal working days, that have a special significance.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

In Britain Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. It combines the celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional Hew Year’s festivities. At Christmas time the British like to decorate their homes with evergreen holly and mistletoe symbolizing life. They usually have a Christmas tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Many people send Christmas cards with winter landscapes, bells, wreaths, candles and other Christian symbols.

On Christmas Eve (24 December) many families have a party and the children put stockings at the ends of their beds in the hope that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them presents.

In the morning on Christmas Day (25 December), which a national holiday, many people go to church to sing carols. After the service the families sit down to a big turkey dinner families generally watch the Queen’s traditional message on TV.

Boxing Day (26 December) is also a national holiday, and this is the time to visit friends and relatives and give them presents. The presents used to come in boxes, hence the name of the holiday.

New Year’s Eve (31 December) is a special celebration, when people gather together with friends or family and welcome in the New Year. At midnight people switch on the TV to hear Big Ben chime in the New Year.

New Year’s Day (1 January) is a holiday in Scotland. On that day people take an opportunity to go for a walk, to see friends and wish them “Happy New Year”.

ST. VELENTINE’S DAY

Every February 14 th boys and girls, sweethearts, friends, neighbours, husbands and wives exchange greetings of affection and love. There are many legends about the origin of the holiday. One of them is that a Christian priest Valentine, who had been thrown into prison for spreading Christian priest Valentine, who had been thrown into prison for spreading Christianity, wrote farewell letters from his cell before his death, to children and friends who missed him.

The modern way of expressing one’s love is by sending unsigned Valentine cards which can be sentimental and romantic, funny and friendly. Valentines can be decorated with hearts, cupids and arrows, roses and rhymes.

Scholl children make Valentines for their classmates and put them in a box. On February 14 the teacher opens the box and distributes the cards to each pupil. After the pupils have read their Valentines they enjoy a small party.

EASTER

Easter is a Christian holiday that occurs on a Sunday in March or April and commemorates the resurrection of Christ.

In Britain it is a time for giving and receiving presents such as decorated eggs, sweet cross buns, chocolate baby rabbits (bunnies) and spring flowers, which signify the Nature’s reawakening. Children enjoy listening to stories about the bunny who brought Easter eggs in a fancy basket.

MOTHER’S, FATHER’S

AND GRANDPARENTS’ DAYS

There are special days to honour Mothers (March), Fathers (June) and Grandparents (24 September). On these days children and grandchildren express their love and respect for their mothers, fathers and grandparents. Children and adults send them greeting cards, spend the day doing good jobs in the house and honour them with small gifts and flowers.

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

April Fools’ Day (1 April) is by tradition the day on which practical jokes are played. It is a very old custom and people have kept it for hundreds of years in many parts of the world. Those who believe something that is untrue are called ‘April Fools’. Children play tricks on each other. At school pupils try to pin notices on one another’s bask with the worlds like “Kick me!” or “I’m a fool”. Those who fall into a trap are greeted with laughter and shouts like “April Fool! April Fool! Send your Mother back to school!” On that day of national humour even TV and newspapers join in the fun.

HALLOWEEN

Halloween, observed on 31 October, means Holy Evening and is associated with the supernatural. It was believed that on this night the spirits of dead people rise from their graves. Witches and ghosts were also free to wander on that night. This is really a young people’s holiday. They hold fancy-dress parties and put a candle inside (Jack-of-lanterns). Children, dressed in white sheets, knock on doors and ask, Trick or treat?’ If you give them something nice (a treat), they go away. If you don’t, they play a trick on you, making a lot of noise or spilling flour on your doorstep.

ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN

Halloween, October 31 is the withiest night of the year. It is the eve of the Festival of All Hallows, better known as All Saints, but it also coincides with a much older pagan festival – Samhain – which was celebrated by the Druids in honour of the Celtic New Year. And because Samhain marked the end of summer sunshine and the beginning of wither’s darkness, it was supposed to herald the arrival of holdes of witches, ghosts and demons. Added to this, the ancient Romans held their Festival of Pomona at about this time of year, Pomona being the goddess of fruit-trees and apples; hence the predominance of apples at Halloween party games. All these ceremonies were grafted one upon the other over the centuries to become our, modern Halloween.

In Britain Halloween celebrations have, until recently, been confined largely to the younger generation.

A traditional feature of the children’s Halloween party is “love magic”. In modern Aberdeen young girls stand in turn a looking glass at the stroke of midnight and each brushes her hair three times. A face is then supposed to materialize in the mirror – that of the boy whom fate has decreed she will one day marry. Now it is not only children but adults who hold witchy dances and ghost parties, and listen to spine-chilling tales of the ghosts, goblins and witches of Halloween.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

ON THE SECOND Sunday of November the people of Britain commemorate the British soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives in both World Wars and in more recent conflicts. On that day special services are held in the churches and wreaths are laid at war memorials throughout the country and at London Cenotaph (a war memorial at Whitehall) where a great number of people gather to perform the annual Remembrance Day ceremony.

Supplementary Texts

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

Christmas, the feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, is observed annually on December 25 th by Christians all over the world. In Britain, Christmas is the most colourful holiday of the year. The English like to brighten up their homes at Christmas time with holly, mistletoe and other evergreens.

The Christmas tree is the focal point of the decoration in most homes. This custom came from Germany. Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was the first to decorate a fir-tree with lighted candles to represent the stars in the heavens. The Christmas tree gained popularity in England during Queen Victoria’s reign because of the influence of her husband, Prince Albert who was German. Since then, trees have become more and more decorative. The branches are decorated with lights, small toys, nuts and candies.

The holly with its brilliant red berries is the most cheerful of all the evergreens the English use at Christmas. Its natural significance is in its promise of everlasting life because it bears berries in winter.

The mistletoe symbolizes life. There is an interesting custom of kissing under the mistletoe. If a young man or a girl stops under the mistletoe which is hung above the door, he or she may demand a kiss.

All evergreens used in the decorations are symbols of immortality. Various superstitions are connected with them, such as not bringing them into the house before Christmas Eve and disposing of them, usually by burning, by Twelfth Night.

Sending Christmas cards is a comparatively modern custom; it began about the middle of the 19 th century. The man who invented the Christmas card was Henry Cole. At present, the most popular designs on Christmas card are winter landscapes, followed by holiday symbols (bells, wreaths, candles), religious themes and Santa Clause.

Carol-singing at Christmas is a very old custom. All over the country, groups of people sing in the streets and outside people’s houses. Trafalgar Square is the centre for carol-singing in London.

The 31 st of December is New Year’s Eve. Many English people go to parties on New Year’s Eve and stay up late, but on New Year’s Day they must get up early, as usual, and go to work. The Scots, on the other hand, have an official holiday on that day. Hogmanay is a Scottish name for New Year’s Eve and it is a time for merry-making, the giving of presents and the observance of the old custom of ‘First Footing’. Tradition says that the first person to enter the house on New Year’s Day should be a dark-haired man otherwise ill-luck would follow. The person must bring with him a gift. A piece of coal, a fish, a bottle of whisky or a piece of bread are traditional gifts.

EASIER

One of the holiest days of Christians is Easter, which commemorates Christ’s resurrection from the tomb where he had lain for three days after his crucifixion. When he arose from the tomb it was to fulfil his promise to rise again as proof of eternal life.

Although Easter is based on events in the life of Jesus Christ, other traditions have influenced the customs of this holiday. The celebration owes its name and many of its customs and symbols to a pagan festival devoted to Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of springtime and sunrise. The Christian Easter gradually replaced the pagan festival, but some of the rites of spring were retained.

Many modern Easter symbols come from pagan times. The egg, for instance, was a fertility symbol long before the Christian era. In Christian times the egg took on a new meaning symbolizing the tomb from which Christ rose.

The Easter bunny is also originated in pre-Christian fertility folklore. The rabbit was the most fertile animal, so our ancestors selected it as a symbol of new life.

On Easter Sunday, the churches are beautifully decorated with white lilies. Joyful religious music is heard and sermons ring with hope. Children and their parents attend church, usually wearing new spring clothes. Families hold reunions, and baked ham and chicken are often served for the Easter dinner, with chocolate bunnies for dessert.

An important colourful event in London is Easter Parade. It is a spectacular sight held on Easter Sunday. The parade consists of a great deal of interesting and decorative floats. Some of the finest bands in the country take part in the parade. At the rear of the parade is usually the Jersey float, created from thousands of beautiful spring flowers and bearing the Easter princess and her attendants.

ST. VALENTINE’S DAY

Every February 14 th boys and girls, sweethearts and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbours exchange greetings of affection and undying love.

St. Valentine’s Day has roots in several different legends. The first Valentine was a Christian priest who had been thrown to prison for spreading Christianity. Before he was executed by the Romans, he wrote a farewell letter to his jailer’s blind daughter. The letter was signed. ‘From your Valentine’. The Christian Church took for his saint’s day February 14 th. Another legend tells us that the same Valentine, well-loved by all, wrote notes from his jail-cell to children and friends who missed him.

Another Valentine was an Italian bishop who was imprisoned because he secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman Emperor. Some Legends say he was burned at the stake.

St. Valentine’s Day now is a day for sweethearts. You can show your love to a person by sending presents, flowers or Valentines’. Greeting cards named after the message that St. Valentine wrote from his jail. There are all kinds of cards to suit all tastes. Valentines can be heart-shaped, or have hearts, the symbol of love, on them. They may be decorated with fancy ribbons, entwined hearts, gold arrows, roses, cupids and rhymes.

In elementary schools, children make valentines for their classmates and put them in a large decorated box, similar to a mailbox. On February 14, the teacher opens the box and distributes the valentines to each student. After the students read their valentines, they have a small party with refreshments.

For teenagers-and adults, major newspapers have a Valentine’s Day page. Everyone can send in a message, for a small fee, to a sweetheart, friend, an acquaintance, husband or wife.

HALLOWEEN

Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is observed by many people in the UK. It is the eve of the festival of All Hollows, better known as All Saints, but it also coincides with a much older pagan festival which was celebrated by the Druids in honour of the Celtic New Year. And because this festival marked the end of summer sunshine and the beginning of winter’s darkness, it was believed that withes, ghosts and demons were free to wander on that night. Added to this, the ancient Romans help their festival of Pomona at about this time of the year. Pomona was the goddess of fruit-trees and apples, hence the predominance of apples at Halloween party games. All there ceremonies were fused over centuries to become modern Halloween.

In Britain Halloween’s celebrations have, until recently, been confined largely to the younger generations.

At parties young people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are witches. They cut horrible faces in potatoes and other vegetables and put a candle inside which shines through the eyes. Children may play different games such as trying to eat an apple from a bucket of water without using their hands.

Halloween in now celebrated not only by children but by adults who hold witchy dances and ghost parties and listen to spine-chilling tales of the ghosts, goblins and withes of Halloween.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

This day is observed throughout the Commonwealth on the second Sunday in November and dates back to November 11, 1918 when all fighting in World War I ended. It now commemorates the dead of both World Wars and of more recent conflicts. On and before this day, money is collected in the streets on behalf of charities for ex-servicemen and servicewomen. The people who donate money are given paper, poppies to pin to their clothes. No politician would be seen on this day without a poppy!

Special services are help in churches and wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph, a War memorial at Whitehall, where thousands of Londoners observe the two-minute silence and participate in the remembrance ceremony. Similar services are held throughout the country.

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY

April Fools’ Day is April 1. By tradition it is the day on which jokes are played. No one knows how this custom began. A common theory is that it started in France in the 1500s, when the calendar was changed to make the year begin on? January 1. Before that time, the New Year celebrations had started on March 25 and ended on.

April 1, when people gave each other presents. When New Year’s Day was moved to January 1, some people still gave presents on April 1 as joke. The customs of playing jokes on friends and relatives on April 1 became popular in France and spread to other countries. It grew widespread in Britain in the 1700s.

Now the most enthusiastic about this custom are children. At school serious work is practically forgotten on that day. Children try to play tricks or practical jokes on each other.

On that day of national humour, the television services join in the fun. Even serious newspapers have ‘joke’ features on that day.

GUY FAWKES’ DAY

On the 5 th of November in almost every town and village of England you can see bonfires burning, and fireworks shooting across the skies. You will see small groups of boys, and girls pushing an old cart with a dummy, made of straw and old clothes. This dummy is called a ‘guy’ and children often can be seen before 5 th November asking passers-by for a ‘penny for a guy’. If they collect enough money, they can buy some fireworks. This has been the custom every 5 th of November since 1605, with the exception of the war years, when bonfires were prohibited.

In 1605 King James 1 was on the throne. As a Protestant, he was very unpopular with Roman Catholics. Some of them planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5 th November of that year, when the King was going to open Parliament. Under the House of Lords they had stored 36 barrels of gun powder, which were to be exploded by a man called Guy Fawkes. However, one of the plotters betrayed him and Fawkes was arrested and later executed. Since that day the British traditionally celebrate 5 th November by burning a dummy on a bonfire and letting off fireworks at the same.

Tasks

Read the texts.

How well have you read? Can you answer the following questions?

What does the word ‘holiday’ mean?

What kinds of holidays exist in Britain nowadays?

What is a “bank holiday?”

What is the most popular holiday in Britain and when is it celebrated?

What is a carol?

What event do British people celebrate at Christmas time?

What is the name of New Year’s Eve in Scotland?

What are the main decorations of British homes at Christmas time?

What do the British do on Boxing Day?

When is Guy Fawkes Night celebrated? What do you know about Guy Fawkes?

What event do the British celebrate at Easter?

What are the traditional Easter presents?

When do British children celebrate Halloween?

Discussion

Discuss Christmas celebrations in your country.

Describe your idea of a present:

-Which do you prefer: giving or receiving presents?

-Where do you get the presents from: go shopping or make them yourself?

-Why, in your opinion, do people exchange presents on holidays?

3. Compare Halloween traditions with a similar tradition in this country, if any. If there is no, in your opinion, explain the reason.