Schedule:
1) Introduction (Traditions)
2) US specific holidays and festivals
3) British specific holidays and festivals
4) Common for US and Britain (Easter, Halloween, St. Valentine’s Day)
5) Conclusion
1)
British are used to be conservative. They still drive on the left, have their weights and measures and wear traditional school uniforms. They don’t shake hands, kiss and say hello so often as we do. Saying “My house is my castle” symbolises their right to privacy. In spite of their conservatism they are much advanced in science and technology.
The Americans are not conservative. The saying “Time is money” stands for everything. They follow the science and technology expansion and change everything to following the world’s style.
2)
There are no national holidays in the USA. Each state has the right to decide about its own holidays. Here are some the most important holidays and festivals celebrate in the USA.
Martin Luther King’s Day
-3rd Monday in January
M. L. King fought for the civil rights for Blacks, against racism, discrimination and segregation. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was assassinated in 1968
Memorial Day
-4th Monday in May
It honours Americans killed in all the pas wars. The flowers and flags are placed on the graves of the dead. It is celebrated since the WWI
Veterans’ Day
-The nearest Sunday to November 11
Honours all veterans of all wars
Independence Day
-July 4
This day commemorates the signifying of the Declaration of Independence. Each city has its own ceremony e.g. band concerts and fireworks displays in the evening
Columbus Day
-October 12
The anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492
Thanksgiving
-4th Thursday in November
It is the national holiday in the USA and Canada (in October). Originally the first celebration was in 1621 by the Pilgrim settlers of Plymouth colony on their first harvest. In modern times it is a day when whole family is together. It is celebrated by having the traditional dinner whose main course is roast turkey.
3) Here are some important festivals in the Britain.
St. Patrick’s’ Day
-March 17th
Patrick was the Ireland patron. He became the bishop in Europe and he returned to convert people in Ireland to Christianity. St. Patrick Day is a public holiday in Ireland. People wear shamrock on that day.
Guy Fawkes Day
-November 5th
It is the anniversary of the Gunpowder plot in 1605. Radical catholic group wanted to blow up The Houses of Parliament and James I. Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators. The plot was discovered and conspirators were executed. Nowadays this day is celebrated by fireworks and burning of guys.
Remembrance Day (Poppy Day)
-November 11th
There is a ceremony in the Cenotaph in Whitehall in which two minutes of silence honours those killed in the two world Wars.
People wear the flower of poppy.
4) Here are holidays and festivals celebrated both in the Britain and in the USA and differences between them.
St. Valentines’ Day
-February 14th
It is lovers’ day. It is celebrated in the entire world. Originally this day commemorated the Roman priest who gave aid and comfort to the persecuted Christians before he was put to death. Nowadays young people send Valentine cards to a person of the opposite sex usually anonymously. The cards have funny or serious contents. (Be my Valentine,..)
Easter
-April
Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion and Easter Sunday commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus. Originally it was a festival celebrating the spring equinox (rovnodennost)
People celebrate it by giving Easter eggs that symbolizes new life. It is celebrated on Easter Sunday in Britain.
In the USA it is not a national holiday. The Americans spend Easter with the family. People give children dyed eggs or sweet. They sometimes organize an egg hunt – parents hide eggs somewhere in the house or garden and children look for it. There is a traditional Easter Roll in front of the White House on Easter Sunday.
Halloween
-October 31st
Originally it was a Celtic fest day celebrated the last day of the year and beginning of winter when witches and ghosts were supposed to celebrate their rites. When the pagans were Christianised the holiday converted to the Eve of All Saints’ Day.
Nowadays children celebrate it by dressing up to the costumes with masks on their faces. They go by house to house and say “Trick or treat”, which means give us a treat or we will play a trick on you. Treats are some sweets, fruit, money and the most common trick is a soaping the windows or spill the flour on the stairs. Very favourite custom is to make a
Jack-o’-lantern form pumpkins which is scarped out and eyes and nose are cut into it and inside is a candle.
Xmas
English don’t have any traditional celebration on Christmas Eve. December 24th has never been holiday in Britain, but it is a day reserved for “office party”.
Many people spend the day shopping. Children hang up the stockings at the end of their beds.
They believe that Santa Claus will come down chimney and fill the stockings. Another custom is to leave out mince pies. Xmas tree is usually decorated by fairly lights and bright colour ornaments. Sweets or sparklers are not hanged on the tree.
December 25th is Christmas Day. In the morning children enjoy unwrapping the presents they were given. The great occasion is the dinner. It consists of roast turkey with chestnut stuffing and roast potatoes and Christmas pudding. It is full of fruit, eggs…. etc. There is also very old custom of stirring into the pudding and who will find a coin, a thimble and a ring will have a wealth. People sing carols which are played everywhere. On Christmas day the monarch address the nation and the Commonwealth on the radio and television.
December 26th is called Boxing Day from the old custom when people give small sums of money to milkmen, postmen, dustmen…etc which are collected into their Christmas boxes.
December 31st some nations celebrate New Years Eve, but for English it is a most important holiday in Xmas. People stay up till midnight to see old year out and drink a toast to the New Year.
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year and it is more celebrated than Xmas. Guests who were invited to join the family have haggis with family. Haggis is national Scottish dish (minced heart, lungs and liver of the sheep boiled in a sheep’s stomach)
Christmas is not a national holiday in the USA, but almost all shops are closed and people have a rest day on Christmas Day and New Years Day. Americans follow traditions of the British ancestors. Families invite friends to join them to the Christmas dinner. Americans also decorate their houses with garlands and electric coloured lights.
Christmas in The Czech Republic is different. 24th December is a Christmas Day on which people give each other the presents. They are usually put under the decorated Xmas tree. We use everything for decorate it. (Candles, bulbs, sweet) Before the family go to the tree, we have Xmas dinner, which consists of the fish soup and fried carp with potato salad.
Our famous traditions are throwing the slipper and spilling the lead.
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