Customs and Traditions
Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they are all interesting. There is the long menu of traditional British food. There are many royal occasions. There are songs, saying and superstitions. They are all part of the British way of life.
ROYAL TRADITIONS
Great Britain is rather conservative country. But it has many holidays, festivals, customs and traditions, which are accurately observed. One of the most exciting features in England is its Royal traditions. Every year, thousands of tourists come to England to visit its historical places, monuments and of course to view some of the Royal traditions. Here are some of them.
The Trooping of the Colour
The Queen is the only person in Britain with two birthdays. Her real birthday is on April 21st, but she has an official birthday, too. That's on the second Saturday in June. And on the queen's official birthday, there is a traditional ceremony called the Trooping of the Colour. It's a big parade with brass bands and hundreds of soldiers at Horse.
Guards Parade in London. The Guards march in front of the Queen. The Guards are trooping the colour. Thousands of Londoners and visitors watch Horse Guards Parade. And millions of people at home watch it on television.
The changing of the Guard
This happens every day at Buckingham Palace, the queen's home in London. Soldiers stand in front of the palace. Each morning these soldiers change. One group leaves and another arrives. In summer and winter tourists stand outside the palace at 11.30 every morning and watch the Changing of the Guard.
Maundy Money
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday, at Easter. On that day the Queen gives Maundy Money to a group of old people. This tradition is over 1000 years old.
Swan-upping
On the River Thames there are hundreds of swans. A lot of these beautiful white birds belong to the king or queen. In July the young swans on the Thames are about two months old. Then the queen's swan keeper goes, in a boat, from London Bridge to Henley. He looks at all the young swans and marks the royal ones.
The State opening of Parliament
Parliament, not the Royal Family, controls modern Britain. But traditionally the Queen opens Parliament autumn every. She travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold carriage. At the Houses of Parliament the Queen sits on a throne» in the House of Lords. Then she reads the «queen's Speech».
The Order of the Garter ceremony
The Order of the Garter ceremony has a long history. King Edward III started the Order in the fourteenth century. At that time, the people in the Order were the twenty-four Bravest knights in England. Now the knights of the Order aren't all soldiers. They are members of the House of Lords, church leaders or politicians.
The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order of the Garter. But she isn't the only royal person in the Order. Prince Charles and Prince Philip are Royal Knights.
In June the Order has a traditional ceremony at Windsor Castle. This is the queen's favourite castle. It's also the home of the Order of the Garter. All the knights walk from the castle to St george's Chapel, the royal church at Windsor. They wear the traditional clothes or «robes of the Order. These robes are very heavy but they are an important part of one of britain's oldest tradition.
The queen's Christmas speech
On Christmas Day at 3.00 in the afternoon, the Queen makes a speech on radio and TV. It's ten minutes long. In it she talks to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a large group of countries. In the past they were all in the British Empire. Australia, India, Canada and New Zealand are among the 49 members.
The В. В. C. (the British Broadcasting corporation) sends the queen's speech to every Commonwealth country. In her speech the Queen talks about the past year.
TEA IS THE MOST POPULAR DRINK IN BRITAIN
Everyone knows that tea is the most popular drink in Britain. It's even more popular than coffee, which is favoured throughout Europe and America. The Dutch brought the first tea to Europe in 1610. But it was not until 1658 that the first advertisement for tea appeared in a London newspaper. At that time a pound of the cheapest tea cost about one-third of a skilled worker's weekly wages. Tea was guarded by the lady of the house and kept in special containers, often with a lock and carefully doled out by the teaspoon. By 1750 tea had become the principal drink of all the classes in Britain. Later, tea-drinking developed into a fashionable social ritual. Tea parties were popular at home and soon the ritual of «afternoon tea» was firmly established.
Nowadays, throughout the homes, tea shops and hotels of Britain, the custom of tea-time continues. Tea in Britain is brewed in a teapot. Then the one spoonful of tea per person and one for the pot is added. Most people in Britain prefer a rich, strong cup of tea with milk, and sugar is sometimes added to taste.
CHRISTMAS IN GREAT BRITAIN
It is certain that Christmas is celebrated all over the world. Perhaps no other holiday has developed a set of customs and symbols. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their famillies on Christmas Day, 25th December. The Christmas story comes from bible. An angel appeared to shepherds and told them that a Savior had been born to Mary and Joseph in a stable in Bethlehem. Three Wise Men from the East followed a wondrous star which led them to the baby Jesus to whome they paid homage and presented gifts of gold, frankicense and myrrh. To people all over the world, Christmas is a season of giving and receiving presents. In Scandinavian and other European countries, Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, comes into house at night and leaves gifts for the children. Saint Nicholas is represented as a fidly man with a red cloak and long white beard. He visited house and left giftes, dringing people happiness in the coldest months of the year. Another character, the Norse God Odin, rode on a magical flying horse across the ages to make the present day Santa Claus.
For most British families, this is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration or the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter. On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes carol-singers can be heard on the streets as they collect money for charity. Most families decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner or the front foom, glittering with coloured lights and decorations. The Christmas tree was popularized by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who introduced one to the Royal Household in 1840. Since 1947, the country of Norway has presented Britain annually with a large Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square in commemoration of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation during the Second World War.
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of present. Familly members wrap up their gifts and leave them bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave sock or stocking at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve, 24th of December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts. They are usually not disappointe! At some time on Christmas Day the familly will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. Christmas dinner consists traditionally of a roast turkey, goose or chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes. Mince pies and Christmas pudding flaming with brandy, which might contain coins or lucky charms for children, follow this. (The pudding is usually prepared weeks beforehand and is customarily stirred by each member of the family as a wish is made.) Later in the day, a Christmas cake may be served - a rich baked fruitcake with marzipan, icing and sugar frosting.
The pulling of Christmas crackers often accompanies food on Christmas Day. Invented by a London baker in 1846, a cracker is a brightly colored paper tube, twisted at both ends, which contains a party hat, riddle and toy or other trinket. When it is pulled by two people it gives out a crack as its contents are dispersed.
26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, which takes its name from a former custom of giving a Christmas Box - a gift of money or food inside a box - to the deliverymen and trades people who called regularly during the year. This tradition survives in the custom of tipping the milkman, postman, dustmen and other callers of good service at Christmas time. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or watch football.
ENGLISH HALLOWEEN CUSTOMS
The celebration of All Saints Day or just Halloween takes place on October 31st. The tradition of Halloween began in the fifth century B. C. This day the Irish Celts celebrated their New Year at that time, because they organized their year according to the agricultural calendar and marked the transition from one year to the next on October 31.
In the year 835 A. D. the Roman Catholic Church made November 1st a church holiday to honour all the saints. This day is called All Saint's Day. Since that time many years have passed. Some traditions are gone, new traditions appeared.
The most known custom is the tradition of dressing.
The tradition of dressing in costume for Halloween has both European and Celtic roots. Hundreds of years ago, winter was an uncertain and frightening time. Food supplies often ran low and, many people afraid of the dark, the short days of winter were full of constant worry. On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. On Halloween, people placed bowls of food outside their homes to appease the ghosts and prevent them from attempting to enter their home.
Fire has always played an important part in Halloween. Fire was very important to the Celts as it was to all early people. In the old days people lit bonfires to ward away evil spirits and in some places they used to jump over the fire to bring good luck. Today, we light candles in pumpkin and then put them outside our homes to ward of evil spirits.
Another tradition is Apple Bobbing. It has the roman origins. The Roman festival for remembering the dead was also in October. During this time, the Romans remembered their goddess, Pomona. She was the goddess of the trees and fruits, and when the Romans came to Britain, they began to hold these two festivals on the same day. Apples probably became associated with Halloween because of this festival. Some people believe that, if you slice an apple through the equator (to reveal the five-pointed star within) and then eat it by candlelight before a mirror, your future spouse will appear over your shoulder.
Trick or Treat was first known as Mischief Night. Halloween was a time for making mischief — many parts of England still recognize this date as Mischief Night — when children would knock on doors demanding a treat (Trick or Treat) and people would disguise themselves as witches or ghosts, in order to obtain food and money from nervous householders.
Halloween was sometimes called Nut Crack Night or Snap Apple Night, in England. Families would sit by the fire and tell stories while they ate apples and nuts.
BONFIRE NIGHT
From Scotland to the Channel, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny, some are strange. But they're all interesting and are all part of the British way of life.
I am going to tell you about the holiday called Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day.
It all started, when Queen Elizabeth 1st took the throne of England, she made some laws against the Roman Catholics. Guy Fawkes was one of a small group of Catholics who felt that the government was treating Roman Catholics unfairly. They had hoped that the next King, James 1st, would change the laws but he didn't. A group of men, led by Robert Gatesby, plotted to kill King James. Guy Fawkes was one of the group. They made a conspiracy to blow up the English Parliament and King James 1st on November 5, 1605. It was the day set for the king to open Parliament.
Before that, a man bought a house next door to the parliament building. The house had a cellar which went under the parliament building. They planned to put gunpowder under the house and blow up parliament and the king.
Guy Fawkes was given the job to keep watch over the barrels of gunpowder and to light the fuse, but he was discovered before he could blow up parliament. Guy Fawkes was put in prison and tortured until he told them the names of all the people involved in the Gunpowder Plot.
Every year on 5th November, the Day of the Gunpowder Plot or Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated. Throughout England, towns and villages light huge bonfires, let off magnificent fireworks, burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes and celebrate the fact the Parliament and James I were not blown by Guy Fawkes.
As well as burning effigy of Guy Fawkes, the bonfires are used to cook potatoes wrapped in foil, they call it jacket potatoes. In main town and cities, torch-lit processions are also popular on this night too.
During the days before Bonfire Night, children used to take their home-made guys out on the street and ask for a penny for the Guy» for fireworks.
EASTER
Americans celebrate the Easter bunny coming. They set out Easter baskets for their children to anticipate the Easter bunnys arrival whi leaves candy and other stuff. The Easter Bunny is a rabbit-spirit. Long ago, he was called the "Easter Hare". Hares and rabbits have frequent multiple births, so they became a symbol of fertility.
Eggs, chickens, rabbits and flowers are all symbols of new life. Chocolate and fruit cake covered with marzipan show that fasting is over. Wherever Easter is celebrated, their Easter eggs are usually to be found. In England, just as in Russia, Easter is a time for giving and receiving of presents that traditionally take the form of an Easter egg. Easter egg is a real hard-boiled egg dyed in bright colors or decorated with some elaborate pattern. Coloring and decorating eggs for Easter is a very ancient custom. Many people, however, avoid using artificial dyes and prefer to boil eggs with the outer skin of an onion, which makes the eggs shells yellow or brown. In fact, the color depends on the amount of onion skin added. In ancient times they used many different natural dyes fir the purpose. The dyes were obtained mainly from leaves, flowers and bark.
At present Easter eggs are also made of chocolate, sugar, metals, wood, ceramics and other materials at hand. They may differ in size, ranging from enormous to tiny, no bigger than a robin's egg. Easter Sunday is solemnly celebrated in London. Each year the capital city of Britain greets the spring with a spectacular Easter Parade in Battersea Park. The great procession, or parade, begins at 3 p.m. The parade consists of many decorated floats, entered by various organizations in and outside London. Some of the finest bands in the country take part in the parade. At the rear of the parade is usually the very beautiful float richly decorated with flowers. It is called the Jersey one because the spring flowers bloom early on the Island of Jersey.
In England, children rolled eggs down hills on Easter morning, a game has been connected to the rolling away of the rock from Jesus Christ's tomb then He was resurrected. British settlers brought this custom to the New World. It consists of rolling coloured, hardboiled egg down a slope until they are cracked and broken after whish they are eaten by their owners. In some districts this is a competitive game, the winner being the player whose egg remains longest undamaged, but more usually, the fun consists simply of the rolling and eating.
MOTHER'S DAY
Every second Sunday in May, English mothers become queen-for-a-day. Children present cards, flowers call their mothers. In fact, the holiday's history embodies many social changes of recent centuries.
The earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many божества. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent, in honour of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.