Holidays and Festivals in Britain

Purpose : to learn how British children celebrate holidays.

Our tasks. To learn the traditions of celebrating: -Christmas; -Guy Fawkes’ Night; -Halloween; -Easter; -St.Valentine’s Day. To learn the symbols of these holidays.

Merry Christmas People in Britain celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. They celebrate it as the day when Jesus Christ was born.

Families decorate their homes with Christmas trees. The main tradition connected with Christmas is the giving of presents.

Children often write letters to Father Christmas with their wishes. Children leave a long sock or a stocking near the fireplace, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney and bring them presents.

Traditional Christmas meal is a roast turkey, a mince pie and a Christmas pudding.

Easter. Easter Sunday is the day when people сelebrate Christ’s return to life. On this day a lot of people go to church. Easter always means spring, flowers, green trees and young animals, especially lambs and chicks.

Easter symbols. The ancient custom of dyeing eggs at Easter time is still popular.

Children enjoy eating candy bunnies and listening to stories about the Easter bunny, who supposedly brings Easter eggs in a fancy basket.

Guy Fawke’s night

Guy Fawkes’ Night is on the 5th of November. In 1605 some conspirators wanted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I and his ministers. Guy Fawkes was one of them. The King’s men caught Guy Fawkes.

On this day children fill an old suit with straw or old newspapers On this day children fill an old suit with straw or old newspapers. This dummy is called a “Guy” In the evening people make a big bonfire and burn “the Guy”. On the 5th of November when it gets dark, people watch beautiful fireworks.

Children cook traditional toffee apples on Guy Fawkes Day Children cook traditional toffee apples on Guy Fawkes Day. These apples are very tasty and look like little bombs .

Halloween. There is a nice holiday for children in Britain. It is Halloween. It is on the 31st of October.

Boys and girls put on old and funny clothes.

People put pumpkins on the window-sills People put pumpkins on the window-sills. They cut eyes, noses and mouths, put candles into them. So pumpkins look like faces.

Children go from house to house and knock at the doors Children go from house to house and knock at the doors. They say ,”Trick or treat?” People give them sweets, fruit, cakes.

Halloween symbols are:

Many people buy or make cards and send them to their nearest and dearest. Usually people don’t sign cards. It’s fun to guess who the card is from.

Some people like to give roses to their sweethearts. Some people send sweets or biscuits and buns in the form of heart.

There are many legends about Valentine’s Day There are many legends about Valentine’s Day. One legend says that birds choose their mates on the 14th of February. That’s why they are one of the symbols of this holiday.

Who doesn’t like holidays Who doesn’t like holidays? Holidays usually mean not going to school or to work, they also mean nice food, presents and a lot of fun. British holidays have very interesting traditions, bright symbols and a very long history.

Materials. Ощепкова В.В. О Британии вкратце. М.-1999 Speak Out 2001,№5