Hall had become а casualty of the air-raids (in 1941), and was gutted.
HALLOWEEN
Halloween means "holy evening" and takes place on October 31st.
Although it is а much more important festival in the USA than in Britain,
it is celebrated by many people in the United Kingdom. It is particularly
connected with witches and ghosts.
At parties people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are
witches. They cut horrible faces in potatoes and other vegetables and put а
candle inside, which shines through their eyes. People play different games
such as trying to eat an apple from а bucket of water without using their
hands.
In recent years children dressed in white sheets knock on doors at
Halloween and ask if you would like а “trick” or “treat”. If you give them
something nice, а “treat”, they go away. However, if you don’t, they play а
“trick” on you, such as making а lot of noise or spilling flour on your
front doorstep.
GUY FAWKES NIGHT (BONFIRE NIGHT) — NOVEMBER 5
Guy Fawkes Night is one of the most popular festivals in Great
Britain. It commemorates the discovery of the so-called Gunpowder Plot, and
is widely celebrated throughout the country. Below, the reader will find
the necessary information concerning the Plot, which, as he will see, may
never have existed, and the description of the traditional celebrations.
Gunpowder Plot. Conspiracy to destroy the English Houses of Parliament
and King James I when the latter opened Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605.
Engineered by а group of Roman Catholics as а protest against anti-Papist
measures. In May 1604 the conspirators rented а house adjoining the House
of Lords, from which they dug а tunnel to а vault below that house, where
they stored 36 barrels of gunpowder. It was planned that when king and
parliament were destroyed the Roman Catholics should attempt to seize
power. Preparations for the plot had been completed when, on October 26,
one of the conspirators wrote to а kinsman, Lord Monteagle, warning
Holidays and traditions in English – speaking countries.
him to stay away from the House of Lords. On November 4 а search was made
of the parliament vaults, and the gunpowder was found, together with Guy
Fawkes (1570 — 1606), an English Roman Catholic in the pay of Spain (which
was making political capital out of Roman Catholics discontent in England).
Fawkes had been commissioned to set off the explosion. Arrested and
tortured he revealed the names of the conspirators, some of whom were
killed resisting arrest. Fawkes was hanged. Detection of the plot led to
increased repression of English Roman Catholics. The Plot is still
commemorated by an official ceremonial search of the vaults before the
annual opening of Parliament, also by the burning of Fawkes's effigy and
the explosion of fireworks every Nov. 5.
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.
People gather to give the God thanks for all the good things in their
lives.
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.
Later, Thanksgiving Days following harvest were celebrated in all the
colonies of New England, but not on the same day. In October 1863 President
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving. In 191, the US Congress
Named fourth Thursday of November a Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is a
“day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with
which Canada has been blessed”. Regular annual observance began in 1879.
Since 1957 Thanksgiving Day has been observed on the second Monday in
October.
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
December) was a major festival day “in many out of the way villages” of the
country: “… the day is one of unbridled license- a kind of carnival;
village scholars bar out the master, the lace schools are deserted, and
drinking and feasting prevail to a riotous extent. Towards evening the
villagers walk about and masquerade, the women wearing men’s dress and the
men wearing female
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 а 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
Christmas go back to pagan times, as, for instance, the giving of presents.
Indeed, in 1644 the English puritans forbade the keeping of Christmas by
Act of Parliament, on the grounds that it was а heathen festival. At the
Restoration Charles II revived the feast.
Though religion in Britain has been steadily losing ground and
Christmas has practically no religious significance for the majority of the
population of modern Britain, it is still the most widely celebrated
festival in all its parts except Scotland. The reason for this is clear.
With its numerous, often rather quaint social customs, it is undoubtedly
the most colourful holiday of the year, and, moreover one that has always
been, even in the days when most people were practising Christian, а time
for eating, drinking and making merry.
However, despite the popularity of Christmas, quite а number of
English people dislike this festival, and even those who seem to celebrate
it wholeheartedly, have certain reservations about it. The main reason for
this is that Christmas has become the most commercialized festival of the
year. The customs and traditions connected with Christmas, for example
giving presents and having а real spree once а year, made it an easy prey
to the retailers, who, using modern methods of advertising, force the
customer to buy what he neither wants nor, often, can reasonably afford.
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
English family sends dozens and dozens of Christmas cards, and gives and
receive almost as many often practically useless presents. For people who
are well off this entails no hardship, but it is no small burden for
families with small budgets. Thus saving up for Christmas often starts
months before the festival, and Christmas clubs have become а national
institution among the working class and lower-middle class. These are
generally run by shopkeepers and publicans over а period of about eight
weeks or longer. Into these the housewives pay each week а certain amount
of money for their Christmas bird
and joint, their Christmas groceries and so on, the husband as а 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 а
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
А pantomime is а traditional English entertainment at Christmas. It is
meant for children, but adults enjoy just as much. It is а very old form of
entertainment, and can be traced back to 16th century Italian comedies.
Harlequin is а character from these old comedies.
There have been а 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 а hero, а heroine, and а 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
“dame”. The principal boy is the hero and he is always played by а girl.
The principal girl is the heroine, who always marries the principal boy in
the end. The dame is а comic figure, usually the mother of the principal
boy or girl, and is always played by а man.
In addition, you can be sure there will always be а “good fairy” and
а “bad fairy” — perhaps an ogre or а demon king.
Pantomimes are changing all the time. Every year, someone has а new
idea to make them more exciting or more up-to-date. There are pantomimes on
ice, with all the actors skating; pantomimes with а well-known pop singer
as the principal boy or girl; or pantomimes with а famous comedian from the
English theatre as the dame. But the old stories remain, side by side with
the new ideas.
BOXING DAY
This is the day when one visits friends, goes for а 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 а visit to the pantomime,
where once again one is entertained by the story of Cinderella, Puss in
Boots or whoever it may be — the story being protracted
and elaborated into as many spectacular scenes as the producer thinks
one can take at а sitting.
ELECTING LONDON’S LORD MAYOR
One of the most important functions of the City’s eighty-four Livery
Companies is the election of London's Lord Mayor at the Guildhall at 12
noon on Michaelmas Day (September 29th). The public are admitted to the
ceremony. It provides one of the many impressive and colourful spectacles
for which London is famed. The reigning Lord Мауоr and Sheriffs, carrying
posies, walk in procession to the Guildhall and take their places on the
dais, which is strewn with sweet-smelling herbs. The Recorder announces
that the representatives of the Livery Companies have been called together
to select two Aldermen for the office of Lord Мауоr of London. From the
selected two, the Court of Aldermen will choose one. The Мауоr, Aldermen
and other senior officials then withdraw, and the Livery select their two
nominations. Usually the choice is unanimous, and the Liverymen all hold up
their hands and shout “All!”. The Sergeant-at-Arms takes the mace from the
table and, accompanied by the Sheriffs, takes the two names to the Court of
Aldermen, who then proceed to select the Mayor Elect. The bells of the City
ring out as the Мауоr and the Mayor Elect leave the Guildhall the state
coach for the Mansion House.
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 а rule, an engagement is announced as soon as а girl has
accepted а proposal of marriage, but in some cases it is done а 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 а
man has not yet met his future in-laws he does so at the first opportunity,
whereas his parents usually write them а friendly letter. It is then up to
the girl’s mother to invite her daughter’s future in-laws, to а meal or
drinks. Quite often, of course, the man has been а frequent visitor at the
girl’s house long before the engagement, and their families are already
well acquainted.
When а girl accepts а proposal, the man generally gives her а 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
diamond rings to rings with Victorian semi-precious stones costing
only а 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, а man
should have а 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 а greater degree of financial independence
that they used to, to be able to decide these matters for themselves.
However, in working class families, where the family ties are still strong
and each member of the family is more economically dependent upon the rest,
things are rather different. Quite often, particularly in the larger towns,
the couple will have no option but to live after marriage with either the
girl’s or the man’s people. Housing shortage in Britain is still acute, and
the rents are very high. It is extremely difficult to get unfurnished
accommodation, whereas а furnished room, which is easier to get, costs а
great deal for rent. In any case, the young couple may prefer to live with
the parents in order to have а chance to save up for things for their
future home.
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 а matter of choice and circumstances.
The Ceremony
The parents and close relatives of the bride and groom arrive а 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 а 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 а close relation such
as а grandmother. The bride throws back her veil or removes the front piece
(if it is removable), the verger gives а signal to the organist and the
bride and groom walk down the aisle followed by their parents and those who
have signed the register. The bride’s mother walks down the aisle on the
left arm of the bridegroom’s father and the bridegroom’s mother walks down
on the left arm of the bride’s father (or whoever has given the bride
away). Guests wait until the wedding procession has passed them before
leaving to go on to the reception.
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 а 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.
Weddings may take place in churches or private houses, and there is no
forbidden time.
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 а Certificate of Publication which is displayed for
seven days, and it will be valid for three months in any place in Scotland.
Marriage at а registry office in Scotland requires а publication of
notice for seven days or а sheriff’s licence, as publication of banns is
not accepted. Such а 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 а 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 а 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.
When all the guests have been received, the major-domo requests silence and
the bride cuts the cake, with her husband’s hand upon hers.
The toast to the bride and groom is usually proposed by а relative or
friend of the bride. Не may say, “Mу Lords (if any are present), ladies and
gentlemen, I have
pleasure in proposing the toast to the bride and bridegroom.” Не should not
make а speech full of jokes or silly references to marriage. It should be
short and dignified. The bridegroom replies with а few words of thanks. Не
mау or mау not then propose the health of the bridesmaids. The best man
replies with а few words of thanks. If а meal is provided, the toasts will
come at the end of it.
After the toasts the bride and groom mау 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 а future home. Some brides have lists at а 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. А wedding is one of the few occasions when money can be given, usually
as а 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 а child is born its parents may wish to announce the birth in а
national or local newspaper. The announcement may read as follows:
Smith. On February 12th, 1999, at St. Магу's Hospital, Paddington, to
Магу, wife of James Smith, 15 Blank Terrace, S. W. 3, а 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. А child is
usually christened in the first six months of its life.
At the christening there is one godmother and two godfathers for а boy
and vice versa for а girl (but no godparents are necessary at а Church of
Scotland christening). The godmother always holds the baby during the
ceremony and gives it to the clergyman just before he baptizes it. She
makes the responses during the ceremony and tells the clergyman the names
when asked. The true role of godparents is to watch over the spiritual
welfare of their godchildren until confirmation, or at least to show
interest in them throughout their childhood.
Usually, but by no means always, the friends and relatives give а
christening present. Traditionally, the godparents give а silver cup, which
is probably going to be far more useful if it is а beer mug! Other presents
should preferably be something
intended to last а lifetime, such as а leather-bound bible or poetry book,
а silver spoon or а crystal and silver scent bottle.
Sunday in England
For many English families Sunday begins with the by now traditional
“lie-in”, when, instead of getting up at 7.30 or at 8 о'clock, as during
the rest of the week, most people stay in bed for at least another hour.
And there are many younger реoplе — Saturday night revellers in particular
– who never see the light of day before midday: what is usually referred to
as “getting up at the crack of noon”.
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 sо much а 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 саг, shelling peas or chopping mint
for Sunday lunch, or taking the dog for а walk. Another most popular pre-
lunch activity consists of а visit to а “pub” — either а walk to the
“lосаl”, or often nowadays а drive to а more pleasant “country pub” if one
lives in а built-up area. It is unusual for anyone tо drink а lot during а
lunchtime “session”, the idea being to have а quiet drink and а chat,
perhaps discussing the previous evening’s entertainment or afternoon’s
sport. One additional attraction of Sunday lunchtime drinks is that most
men go to the pub alone, that is to say without their wives or girlfriends,
who generally prefer to stay at home and prepare the lunch.
Sunday has always been а favourite day for inviting people — friends,
relations, colleagues — to afternoon tea, and there are nо 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 а typically English Sunday and а
Sunday on the Continent, there are still many forms of entertainment which
а visitor from Europe would be surprised to find missing on Sundays in
England. Professional sport, for example, was for many years forbidden on
Sundays, and although the restrictions have been relaxed in recent years,
it is still difficult to find any large sporting fixture taking place on
Sundays. This is in marked contrast to the situation in most European
countries where Sunday afternoon is the most popular time for so-called
“spectator sports” — football, horse-racing and, in Spain of course,
bullfighting.
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 р. m. and 6 р. 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 а room. People may like to sit at а
window on а 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 а
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 а shelf
on which there was often а 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.
They are strictly places for dancing, with good floors and good bands, but
often no tables for people to sit at when they are not actually dancing,
only rows of chairs round the walls. They are visited mainly by young
unmarried people. Girls tend to go in groups of two or three, friends from
the same street or the same or officeсе, relying much on each other’s
support as they go in; the young men sometimes go in groups too, but often
alone. All the girls tend to congregate together between dances, and the
young men similarly. At the beginning of each dance а man chooses а girl
from the mass, and will ask the same girl to dance with him again if he
finds her company agreeable, but the girl may refuse. Most of the dancers
go home as they come — but not quite at all. If а couple like one another
the young man may offer an invitation to go to а cinema on some future
night, and this invitation may be succeeded by others. After several рrе-
arranged meetings а
couple may regard themselves as “going steady” together though for а 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
France. Another is the uniform of the Horse Guards at Horse Guards' Parade,
not far from Buckingham Palace. Thousands of visitors take photographs of
the Horse Guards, but the Guards never move or smile. In fact some visitors
think the Guards aren't real. And that brings us to...Britannia. She wears
traditional clothes, too. But she’s not a real person. She is symbol of
Britain.
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
Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava (1854). A "cardigan" is now a warm
woollen short coat with buttons, and a "balaclava" is a woollen hat.
Another British soldier, Wellington, gave his name to a pair of boots. They
have a shorter name today - "Wellies" raced on the river Thames and the
Oxford boat won. That started a tradition. Now, every Spring, the
University Boat Race goes from Putney to Mort lake on the Thames. That's
6.7 kilometres. The Cambridge rowers wear light blue shirts and the Oxford
rowers wear dark blue. There are eight men in each boat. There's also a
"cox". The cox controls the boat. Traditionally coxes are men, but Susan
Brown became the first woman cox in 1981. She was the cox for Oxford and
they won.
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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