Vocabulary
| Christmas Day Boxing Day New Year's Day Good Friday Easter Monday May Day Spring Bank Holiday Summer Bank Holiday bank holiday ancient people stocking chimney turkey donation | servant paperboy to mark the death of Christ hot-cross bun biscuit outdoor May Queen fair swing to blow up to succeed straw to knock gunpowder treason , bonfire |
There are following public holidays in Great Britain: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holidays, and Summer Bank Holidays. Public holidays in Britain are called bank holidays, because the banks as well as most of the offices and shops are closed.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. It is the most colourful holiday of the year. On Christmas Eve offices and public buildings close at one o'clock, but the shops stay open late. Most big cities are decorated with coloured lights across the streets and beautiful Christmas trees. The biggest Christmas tree stands in Trafalgar Square in London. At homes there is great air of expectation. Children decorate the trees with toys and coloured lights. They also hang stockings on their beds. They hope that Santa Claus will use the chimney to come at night and fill stockings with toys and sweets. Christmas is a family holiday. Traditional Christmas bird is a turkey. There is also Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents.
The 26th of December is called Boxing Day, because many years ago the next day after Christmas people traditionally went to the church. There are special boxes in the churches and they usually put their donations there for the poor people. Nowadays people also presents servants, postmen, paperboys with lit- tie gifts or money. They also visit their friends or relatives and watch TV.
In England New Year is not as popular as Christmas. Usually it is a family party or a party arranged by a group of young people. It begins at 8 pm and goes on until the morning. There is a lot of drinking, cold meat, pies, sandwiches, cakes, and biscuits. New Year's dances are held in most hotels and dance halls on New Year's Eve. Some people send the New Year's cards and give presents, but it's not a custom.
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, when the church marks the death of Christ. On this day people eat hot-cross buns buns marked on top with a crosa. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Day. It is a traditional day for the start of the summer tourist season.
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May Day is the first Monday after the first of May. It is celebration of the coming of spring. On May Day different outdoor events are held. Usually May Queen, the most beautiful girl of the celebration, is selected.
Spring Bank Holidays falls on the last Monday in May. Summer Bank Holidays falls on the last Monday in August. During these holidays all the banks, offices, factories and shops are closed. On Bank Holidays the townsfolk usually goes to the country or to the coast of the sea. If the weather is fine many families take a picnic-lunch or tea with them and enjoy their meal in the open air. During these holidays there are also large fairs with swings and roundabouts.
Besides public holidays there are some special festivals in Great Britain. One of them takes place on the 5th of November. On that day in 1605, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. He didn't succeed. At the moment of his arrest he had a mask on his face. Guy Fawkes was taken to the Tower and killed. That's why on the fifth of November every year English boys and girls carry funny figures about the streets. These figures are made of straw and dressed in an old coat and a hat, with a mask for a face. The children knock at the door and sing:
"Remember, remember
The fifth of November
Was Gunpowder reason and plot.
I see no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot".
The people give children some money for fireworks. In the evening a bonfire is made and the figures are burnt on it. Each of these figures are called Guy Fawkes. Children like this holiday very much.
