Holidays and traditions

Every country and every nation has its own holidays, customs and traditions. British people are very proud of their traditions, cherish them and carefully keep them, because many of them are associated with the history and cultural development of the country. Speaking about British traditions we should distinguish bank and public holidays, annual festivals, celebrations and pageant ceremonies.

The term “bank” holiday dates back to the 19^th century when the Bank Holiday Acts of 1871 and 1875 declared certain days to be bank holidays, that is days on which banks were to be closed. Today not only banks, but post offices, most factories and shops are closed too. The bank holidays in Great Britain are: New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, May Day Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, August (or Summer) Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. All public holidays, except New Year’s Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are movable, that is they do not fall on the same day each year. There are some other holidays in Scotland.

Most of the Bank holidays are of religious origin, and meant holy days. But for the greater part of the population they had lost their religious significance and are simply days on which people relax, eat, drink and make merry.

CHRISTMAS DAY, which is the 25^th of December, is the most widely celebrated and the most colourful and merry of all bank holidays. On Christmas Eve everything is rush. Offices close at 1 o’clock but the shops stay open late. Christmas tree is decorated, Christmas cards are arranged on shelves and tables, stockings are hung over the end of the bed, a carrot for the reindeer is left on the mantelpiece.

On Christmas Day many people go to churches, open their Christmas presents and eat Christmas dinner of roast turkey and Christmas pudding. Many people match the Queen’s Christmas broadcast on TV. This day is a traditional family reunion and a special day for children. They wake up early to find a stocking full of presents on their bed. Other presents are opened when everyone is together, arranged around the Christmas tree, which is usually decorated with multicoloured lights.

Christmas meal is usually traditional – stuffed turkey, boiled ham, mashed potatoes to be followed by plum pudding, mince pies, tea or coffee and cakes. People travel from all parts of the country to be at home for Christmas.

BOXING DAY on the 26^th of December is the day of visiting friends, of giving “Christmas boxes” or gifts of money to servants. Many people still give a Christmas gift to paperboys or papergirls. But most people sit in front of TV recovering from Christmas Day.

NEW YEAR’S DAY is on January 1. In England New Year is not as widely observed as Christmas. Some people even ignore it, but others celebrate it. The most accepted type of celebration is a New Year party. Most people see the old year out and the New Year in with their friends and relatives. At midnight on New Year’s Eve when Big Ben is chiming everybody joins hands and sings Robert Burn’s poem “Auld Lang Syne” or “The good old days”.

In Scotland the New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay and it is a very special time for merrymaking and exchange of presents. There and in the North of England people go firstfooting. To symbolise good luck the visitors carry a piece of coal and a glass of water. On New Year’s Day people make New Year’s resolutions. They decide to do something to improve their lives (ex. to give up smoking to go to the gym once a week).

Easter Monday is a day when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot-cross buns – small sweet rolls marked on top with a cross. On Easter people give each other chocolate Easter eggs. This day is a traditional day for a start of the summer tourist season. Schools are closed for two weeks.

MAY DAY BANK HOLIDAY is the first Monday after the first of May (May Day). May Day which is not a bank holiday is a celebration of the coming of spring. Different outdoor events are held and May Queen, the most beautiful girl of the celebration is selected. In villages throughout Britain children dance and sing round the maypole to celebrate the end of winter and welcome summer.

SPRING BANK HOLIDAY falls on the last Monday in May. Summer (August) Bank Holiday is held on the last Monday of August. These two bank holidays are great days for excursions. In Britain people generally make a beeline for the coast. Throngs of cars take to the road to get the family to some seaside resort for a bathe or a game on the beach. On these days the beaches are crowded with visitors from inland. On the last weekend in August there is a big carnival at Notting hill in the west London. People who take part in it dress up in fabulous costumes. It is the biggest carnival outside Brasil.

Besides bank or public holidays there are festivals, anniversaries and celebration days on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall on a Sunday, they are ordinary working days. They are St. Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day, April Fool’s Day, Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes’ Night) Remembrance (or Poppy) Day, Halloween and many others including Royal Ascot - the biggest horse race in Britain, the Proms – a series of classical music concerts, the London Marathon, Harvest Festival, Dogs Shows and so on.