Обычаи и праздники Великобритании

      English customs and traditions, first of all, concerns United  Kingdom

political system. In Great Britain there is no  written  constitution,  only

customs, traditions and precedents. After the English  Revolution  of  Great

Britain is a constitutional monarchy headed by King  (now  Queen,  Elizabeth

the second). Traditionally  the  Queen  acts  only  on  the  advice  of  her

Ministers. She reigns but she does not rule.

Englishmen have traditions not only in political, but in  social  life.  For

example, London, the capital  of  England,  is  traditionally  divided  into

three parts: the West End, the East  end,  and  the  City.  The  City  is  a

historical, financial and business center of London. The  East  End  is  the

district inhabited by the  workers,  and  the  West  End  is  a  fashionable

shopping and entertaining center. English people like to  spend  their  free

time in numerous pubs where they can have a glass of  beer  and  talk  about

different things with their friends.

The English are traditional about their meals. They eat eggs and bacon  with

toasts for breakfast, pudding  or  apple  pie  for  dessert.  Every  English

family has five o'clock tea. A typical feature of  an  English  house  is  a

fireplace, even when there is central heating in the house.

English people like domestic animals. Every family has a pet: a dog,  a  cat

or a bird.

Politeness is a characteristic feature of Englishmen. They often say  "Thank

you", "Sorry", "Beg your pardon".

Englishmen   have   many   traditional   holidays,   such   as    Christmas,

St.Valentine's Day, Mother's day, Easter and others.

 

      Some English customs   and  traditions are famous all over the  world.

Bowler hats, tea and talking about the weather, for example.  From  Scotland

to Cornwall, the United Kingdom is full of customs   and   traditions.  Here

are some of them.

 

St. Valentine’s

 

       St. Valentine's Day roots in  several  different  legends  that  have

found their way to us through the ages. One of the earliest popular  symbols

of the day is Cupid, the Roman god of Love, Who is represented by the  image

of a young boy with bow and arrow. Three hundred years after  the  death  of

Jesus Christ, the Roman emperors still demanded  that  everyone  believe  in

the Roman gods. Valentine, a Christian priest, had  been  thrown  in  prison

for his teachings. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded, not only  because

he was a Christian,  but  also  because  he  had  performed  a  miracle.  He

supposedly cured the jailer's daughter of her blindness.  The  night  before

he was executed, he wrote the jailer's daughter a farewell  letter,  signing

it,  "from  Your  Valentine".  Another  legend  tells  us  that  this   same

Valentine, well-loved by all, wrote notes from his  jail  cell  to  children

and friends who missed  him.  Whatever  the  odd  mixture  of  origins,  St.

Valentine's Day is now a day for sweethearts. It is the day  that  you  show

your friend of loved one that you care. You can send candy  to  someone  you

think is special. Or you can send "valentines" a greeting card  named  after

the  notes  that  St.  Valentine  wrote  from  jail.   Valentines   can   be

sentimental, romantic, and heartfelt. They can be  funny  and  friendly.  If

the sender is shy, valentines can be anonymous. Americans  of  all  ages  as

other people in different countries love to  send  and  receive  valentines.

Handmade valentines, created by cutting hearts out of coloured  paper,  show

that a lot of thought was put into making them personal. Valentines  can  be

heart-shaped, or have hearts, the symbol of love,  on  them.  In  elementary

schools,  children  make  valentines,  they  have   a   small   party   with

refreshments.

 

November, 5 is Guy Fawkes’s Day.

 

      On the 5th of November in almost every town and village in England

one can see fire burning, fireworks, cracking and lighting up the sky,

small groups of children pulling round in a home made cart, a figure that

looks something like a man but consists of an old suit of clothes, stuffed

with straw. The children sing:" Remember, remember the 5th of November; Gun

powder, treason and plot". And they ask passers-by for "a penny for the

Guy" But the children with "the Guy" are not likely to know who or what day

they are celebrating. They have done this more or less every 5th of

November since 1605. At that time James the First was on the throne. He was

hated with many people especially the Roman Catholics against whom many

sever laws had been passed. A number of Catholics chief of whom was Robert

Catesby determined to kill the King and his ministers by blowing up the

house of Parliament with gunpowder. To help them in this they got Guy

Fawker, a soldier of fortune, who would do the actual work. The day fixed

for attempt was the 5th of November, the day on which the Parliament was to

open. But one of the conspirators had several friends in the parliament and

he didn't want them to die. So he wrote a letter to Lord Monteagle begging

him to make some excuse to be absent from parliament if he valued his life.

Lord Monteagle took the letter hurrily to the King. Guards were sent at

once to examine the cellars of the house of Parliament. And there they

found Guy Fawker about to fire a trail of gunpowder. He was tortured and

hanged, Catesby was killed, resisting arrest in his own house. In memory of

that day bonfires are still lighted, fireworks shoot across the November

sky and figures of Guy Fawker are burnt in the streets.

 

 

Christmas.

 

      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.

       At  midnight  on  31th  December  throughout  Great  Britain   people

celebrate the coming of the New Year, by holding hands  in  a  large  circle

and singing the song:

 

                  Should auld acquaintance be forget,

 

                  And never brought to mind?

 

                  Should auld acquaintance be forget?

 

                  And auld lang syne?

                  For auld lang syne, my dear,

 

                  For auld lang syne,

 

                  We'll take a cup of kindness yet,

 

                  For auld lang syne!..

 

New Year's Eve is a more important  festival  in  Scotland  than  it  is  in

England, and it even has a special name. It is  not  clear  where  the  word

'Hogmanay' comes from, but it is connected with the provision  of  food  and

drink for all visitors to your home on 31th December. It was  believed  that

the first person to visit one's house on New Year's Day could bring good  or

bad luck. Therefore, people tried to arrange for the  person  or  their  own

choice to be standing outside their houses ready to be  let  in  the  moment

midnight had come. Usually a dark-complexioned man was chosen, and  never  a

woman, for she would bring bad luck. The first footer was required to  carry

three articles: a piece of coal to wish warmth, a piece  of  bread  to  wish

food, and a silver coin to wish wealth.

 

Easter.

 

      Easter is a Christian spring festival that is  usually  celebrated  in

March  or  April.  The  name  for  Easter  comes  from  a  pagan   fertility

celebration. The word  "Easter"  is  named  after  Eastre,  the  Anglo-Saxon

goddess og spring. Spring is a natural time  for  new  life  and  hope  when

animals have their young and plants begin  to  grow.  Christian  Easter  may

have purposely been celebrated in the place  of  a  pagan  festival.  It  is

therefore not surprising that relics of doing and beliefs not  belonging  th

the Christian religious should cling  even  to  this  greatest  day  in  the

Church's year. An old-fashioned custom still alive is to get  up  early  and

climb a hill to see the sun rising.  There  are  numerous  accounts  of  the

wonderful spectacle of the sun whirling round  and  round  for  joy  at  our

Saviour's Resurrection. So many people go outdoors on Easter morning  hoping

to see the sun dance. There is also a custom of putting on something new  to

go to church on Easter morning.   People celebrate the holiday according  to

their beliefs and  their  religious  denominations.  Christians  commemorate

Good Friday as the day that Christ died and Easter Sunday as  the  day  that

He was resurrected. Protestant settlers brought  the  custom  of  a  sunrise

service, a religious gathering at dawn, to the United States.

      Today on Easter Sunday, children wake  up  to  find  that  the  Easter

Bunny has left them baskets of candy. He has also hidden the eggs that  they

decorated earlier that week. Children hunt  for  the  eggs  all  around  the

house. Neighborhoods and organizations hold Easter egg hunts, and the  child

who first the most eggs wins a prize.

      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.

      Christians fast during the forty days before Easter.  They  choose  to

eat and drink only enough to feep themselves alive.

      The day preceding Lent is known as Shrove  Tuesday,  or  Pancake  Day.

Shrove Tuesday recalls the day when people went to Church ti confess and  be

shriven before Lent. But now  the  day  is  more  generally  connected  with

relics of the traditional  feasting  before  the  fast.  Shrove  Tuesday  is

famous for pancake calebration. There is  some  competition  at  Westminster

School: the pancakes are tossed over a bar by the cook and struggled for  by

a small group of selected boys. The boy  who  manages  to  get  the  largest

piece is given a present. This tradition dates from  1445.  In  the  morning

the first church  bell  on  Orley  is  rung  for  the  competitors  to  make

pancakes. The second ring is a signal for cooking them. The third  bell  set

rung for the copetitors to gather at the market  square.  Then  the  Pancake

bell is sounded and the ladies set off from the church porch, tossing  their

pancakes three times as they run. Each woman must wear an apron  and  a  hat

or scarf over her head. The winner is given a Prayer Book dy the Vicar.

      Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday in  Lent.  It  is  customary  to

vasit one's mother on that day. Mother ought to be given a  present  -  tea,

flowers or a simnel cake. It is possible to buy the cake, they are  sold  in

every confectionery. But it is preferrable to  make  it  at  home.  The  way

Mothering Sunday is celebrated has much in  common  with  the  International

Women's Day celebration in Russia.

      Good Friday is the first Friday before Easter. It is the day when  all

sorts of taboos on various works are in force. Also it is  a  good  day  for

shifting beers, for sowing potatoes, peas, beans, parsley, and pruning  rose

trees. Good Friday brings the once sacred cakes, the famous Hot Cross  buns.

These must be spiced and the dough marked with a cross before baking.

      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, there 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.

 

Harvest

 

Corn Dollies

      Many countries seem to have had a similar custom to  the  British  one

of making a design from the last sheaf of corn to be harvested.  In  Britain

a corn dolly is created by plaiting the  wheat  stalks  to  create  a  straw

figure. The corn dolly is kept until the  Spring.  This  is  because  people

believed that the corn spirit lived in  the  wheat  and  as  the  wheat  was

harvested, the spirit fled to the wheat  which  remained.  By  creating  the

corn dolly the spirit is kept alive for the next  year  and  the  new  crop.

Sometimes the  corn  dolly  is  hung  up  in  the  barn,  sometimes  in  the

farmhouse, and sometimes in the church. In Spring the corn  dolly  would  be

ploughed back into the soil. There are many types of corn dolly.

 

 

The story of John Barleycorn

      A story to the corn  dolly  is  to  be  found  in  the  folksong  John

Barleycorn. Three men swear that John  Barleycorn  must  die.  They  take  a

plough and bury him alive. But the Spring comes and John rises  through  the

soil. After a while he grows big and strong, even growing a  beard,  so  the

three men cut him down at the knee, tie him on to a cart,  beat  him,  strip

the flesh off his bones and grind him between two stones. But at the end  it

is John Barleycorn who defeats his opponents, proving the stronger  man,  by

turning into beer.

 

Harvest Festivals

      In churches all over Britain there are services to thank God  for  the

Harvest. As part of these services local people bring baskets of  fruit  and

vegetables to decorate the church. The produce is then  distributed  to  the

poor.