Traditions, Holidays and Feast days Great Britain

New Year´s Eve – is on 31st December (in SVK it is called Silvester). It´s the last day before New Year. People go to parties, bars or restaurants or squares. In London they go to Trafalgar Square at midnight they sing a song „ Auld Lang Syne“ a Scottish song. New Year´s Day - 1st January, is the first day of New Year, people stay at homes and relax. Many of them make New Year´s resolutions St.Valentine’s Day – on February 14th. It is the day of all lovers.This day we commemorate the Roman priest Valentine who helped soldier to get married because the Emperor didn´t agree. People in love send cards to their loved ones or buy them some sweets or flowers. They do not write their names inside, just write: Be my Valentine, or From your Valentine

St.David’s Day

All fools’ Day -April 1st All fools’ Day -April 1st. People play jokes and tricks on people and then shout “April fool!” Easter- March/April – spring holiday, we celebrate the beginning of spring and commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It begins with Good Friday when the Romans killed Jesus. Then there are Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Eggs are important part of Easter because they mean spring – a new life.On Easter Sunday people give chocolate eggs as presents. Parents hide eggs in the garden and children have to look for them.

Halloween - celebrated on October 31st Halloween - celebrated on October 31st . Winter is near and many years ago people believed that bad spirits came in winter. Now people make lanterns of pumpinks and have parties. Children go from house to house and say: „ trick or treat.“ If they are not given some sweets, they throw eggs at houses. Guy Fawkes Day - November 5th. Bonfire Night is celebrated to remember the day when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the King James I and his Parliament on 5th November 1605. People make bonfires every 5 November, to remember this terrible plot. (sprisahanie)

Christmas December 24th – Christmas Eve . The English have no traditional celebration on Christmas Eve; it is the day of “office parties”. A lot of people spend this day shopping. Before English children go to bed, they hang up Christmas stockings at the end of the bed and believe that Santa Claus or Father Christmas comes down the chimney and fills the stockings with presents and toys. Larger things are found under the Christmas tree.

Christmas Day – December 25th - children get up very early to look into their stockings or under the Christmas tree what Father Christmas put there for them. At midday they have a Christmas dinner – a roast turkey, mince pies or Christmas pudding. Boxing Day -December 26th. It is called from the custom in earlier times of giving postmen, milkmen, dustmen, newspaper boys small sums of money, which they collected in their Christmas boxes.