Traditions, Holidays and
Feast days
Great Britain
New Year´s Eve –
is on 31st December (in SVK it is called Silvester). It´s
the last day before New Year. People go to parties,
bars or restaurants or squares. In London they go to
Trafalgar Square at midnight they sing a song „ Auld
Lang Syne“ a Scottish song.
New Year´s Day 1st January, is the first day of New Year, people stay
at homes and relax. Many of them make New Year´s
resolutions
St.Valentine’s Day –
on February 14th. It is the day of all lovers.This day we
commemorate the Roman priest Valentine who helped soldier
to get married because the Emperor didn´t agree. People in
love send cards to their loved ones or buy them some sweets
or flowers. They do not write their names inside, just write: Be
my Valentine, or From your Valentine
St.David’s Day
All fools’ Day -April 1st. People play jokes and
tricks on people and then shout “April fool!”
Easter- March/April – spring holiday, we
celebrate the beginning of spring and
commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It begins with Good Friday when the Romans
killed Jesus. Then there are Easter Sunday and
Easter Monday. Eggs are important part of
Easter because they mean spring – a new
life.On Easter Sunday people give chocolate
eggs as presents. Parents hide eggs in the
garden and children have to look for them.
Halloween - celebrated on October 31st . Winter is near
and many years ago people believed that bad spirits
came in winter. Now people make lanterns of
pumpinks and have parties. Children go from
house to house and say: „ trick or treat.“ If they
are not given some sweets, they throw eggs at
houses.
Guy Fawkes Day - November 5th. Bonfire Night is
celebrated to remember the day when Guy
Fawkes tried to blow up the King James I and his
Parliament on 5th November 1605. People make
bonfires every 5 November, to remember this
terrible plot. (sprisahanie)
Christmas
December 24th – Christmas Eve . The English have no
traditional celebration on Christmas Eve; it is
the day of “office parties”. A lot of people spend
this day shopping. Before English children go to
bed, they hang up Christmas stockings at the
end of the bed and believe that Santa Claus or
Father Christmas comes down the chimney and
fills the stockings with presents and toys. Larger
things are found under the Christmas tree.
Christmas Day – December 25th - children get up
very early to look into their stockings or under the
Christmas tree what Father Christmas put there for
them. At midday they have a Christmas dinner – a
roast turkey, mince pies or Christmas pudding.
Boxing Day -December 26th. It is called from the
custom in earlier times of giving postmen, milkmen,
dustmen, newspaper boys small sums of money,
which they collected in their Christmas boxes.