TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS

Traditions and Customs in Great Britain

January

• New Year’s Day (Jan 1)- the beginning of the new year. People make resolutions.

• Twelfth Night (Jan 6)- a party after the Christmas break and before the return to work in the fields.

Crufts Dog Show

• In February.
• Valuable dogs from all over the world compete in Birmingham.
• The best dog gets the title Crufts Supreme Champion.

Saint Valentine’s Day

• February 14
• Was started in the time of Roman Empire.
• Is dedicated to St. Valentine.
• People send a card to someone they love, like, fancy or admire.

The Boat Race

• In March
• A rowing race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
• On the river Thames in London (7,2 km).

Pancake Day

• In March
• The last day before Lent.
• Pancake race-running while holding a pancake in a frying pan. Competitors have to throw it in the air and catch it again in the pan.

April Fool’s Day

• April 1
• A day of practical jokes.
• You have to play the joke before 12 o’clock midday, otherwise the joke is on you.

Good Friday

• The Friday before Easter.
• The church marks the death of Christ.
• British usually eat hot-cross buns, which are marked on top with cross.

Easter

• In April.
• The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ
• Schools are closed for two weeks.
• People give each other chocolate eggs that are wrapped in silver paper.

The London Marathon

• One of the biggest marathons in the world.
• Each year about 30,000 people start the race and about 25,000 finish.
• Raise money for charity.

May Day

• May 1
• A pagan festival to celebrate the end of winter and welcome summer.
• Children dance around the maypole and sing songs.

Chelsea Flower Show

• In May
• Britain’s most important flower and garden show.
• Thousands of people come to see the prize flowers and specially built gardens.

Midsummer Day

• June 24
• Summer solstice.
• People stay up until midnight to welcome in midsummer day.
• When the fires die down, men run or jump through it to bring good luck.

Trooping The Colour

• The second Saturday in June.
• Celebrates the Queen’s official birthday.
• Lots of marching, military music and the soldiers are dressed in colourful uniforms.

Saint Swithin’s Day

• July 15
• Saint Swithin was England’s Bishop of Winchester.
• 40 days of bad weather will follow if it rains on this day.

Wimbledon

• The last week of July and the first week of June.
• At Wimbledon in South-West London.
• One of the four great world tennis championships and the only one which is played on grass.

Notting Hill Carnival

• The last weekend in August.
• Takes place in Notting Hill.
• People dress up in fabulous costumes.
• Steel bands play African and Caribbean music.

Harvest Festivals

• In September.
• A Christian festival.
• It was held to say thank you to God for a good harvest.
• Churches are decorated with fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Halloween

• October 31
• A pagan festival celebrates the return of the souls that visit their former houses.
• People dress up as witches, ghosts etc.
• Houses are decorated with pumpkins.

Guy Fawke’s Night

• November 5
• He was a terrorist.
• The day marks the discovery of a plot to blow up Parliament in 1605.
• People make models of him and burn them on big bonfires.

Christmas Day

• December 25
• Religious ceremony commemorating the birth of Christ.
• Children wake up early to find presents in their stockings.
• Traditional Christmas tree and dinner.

Boxing Day

• December 26
• It is usually spent in front of the TV, recovering from Christmas Day.
• Servants go from house to house with collecting boxes.

New Year’s Eve

• December 31
• Traditionally Scottish celebration.
• At midnight everybody joins hands and sings Auld Lang Syne.