New year in Great Britain

New Year in Britain is celebrated on 1 January, the first day of the first month as per the Gregorian Calendar. This day was officially declared as New Year’s Day in 1752. New Year is the much awaited celebration for the people of Britain. Many people hold or attend parties in the evening to say goodbye to the old year and to welcome the new year. The past year is also thoroughly reviewed in the media, including television and newspapers.

The custom of exchanging gifts on New Year has become widely popular in Britain. Although this custom of exchanging gifts was originally done at New Year it is now transferred to Christmas. In England the children rise early on New Year so that they can make rounds to neighbors and singing songs. The children are given sweets, coins, apples and mince pies for singing.

New Year in Great Britain is also a time to make New Year Resolutions New Year in Great Britain is also a time to make New Year Resolutions. A New Year Resolution is a commitment to change a habit or engage in a healthier lifestyle. Typical New Year Resolution’s include giving up smoking, losing weight, vowing to get fitter or saving money. However, many of these resolutions, made in a flush of alcohol and partying, are not kept for very long and are apt to be repeated year after year!

One of the most widely known symbols of New Year’s Eve is the image of the Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster, in London, counting down the last minutes of the old year. The first chimes of Big Ben, the bell housed in the Clock Tower, in the new year are broadcast live on radio and television. This is followed by a spectacular fireworks performance, often centered on the London Eye, which is claimed to be the largest Ferris wheel in Europe.

Saint Valentine Day

Every 14 February flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in mystery. St. Valentine’s Day contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. There are many legends about Saint Valentine and the origins of the holiday.

One legend says that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those married, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. And Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death, which probably occurred around 270 A.D.

According to another legend, Valentine actually sent the first «valentine» greeting himself. While in prison, Valentine fell in love with a young girl, his jailor’s daughter, who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed «From your Valentine» an expression that is still in use today. Legends usually say that Valentine was a sympathetic, heroic, and romantic person. In the middle ages Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Nowadays Valentine’s Day is celebrated in many countries of the world on February 14. It is a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). Modern Valentine’s Day symbols include the h eart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Angel.

Halloween In great Britain

Halloween is an ancient festival, which has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain, this was when the Celts (the ancient inhabitants of Great Britain) celebrated their New Year and the day they believed that the souls of those who had died that year progressed to the underworld. It was said to be a night when ghosts, demons and witches roamed the earth and people tried to placate them with offerings of nuts and berries.  

At this time these offerings are more likely to be the Mars Bars and Snickers given out to children trick or treating, but it remains a day when we can acknowledge our fears and celebrate forces we do not understand. Today in the UK it is celebrated on All Hallows Eve, the night of October 31, the last night of October which was originally the eve of Samhain.

It's traditional for people (especially children) to dress up at Halloween. Halloween costumes can range from cute to downright scary. The simplest costume has to be draping a white sheet over your head and making a couple of holes for the eyes. But a lot of people go all out as vampires or witches and others.

Christmas in Great Britain

For most British families, this is the most important festival of the year. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day. If you try to catch a train on 24th December you may have difficulty in finding a seat. There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but the most important one is the giving of presents. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning.

At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. In the afternoon they may watch the Queen on the television as she delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. Then they enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie. On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes 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 of the room, glittering with coloured lights and decoration. 26th December is also a public holiday, called Boxing Day. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or be a spectator at one of the many sporting events. Everyone in Great Britain is waiting and enjoying this holiday very much!