Calendar of special occasions New Year’s Day* (1 January)

2 January is also a public holiday in Scotland.

St Valentine’s Day (14 February)

Shove Tuesday (Forty-seven days before Easter)

St Patrick’s Day (17 March)

This a public holiday in Northern Ireland.

Mother’s Day (The fourth Sunday in Lent)

£50 million worth of flowers are bought for this day. Cards are also sent.

April Fools’ Day (1 April)

It is traditional for people to play tricks or practical jokes on each other on this day. Children are the most enthusiastic about this custom, but even the BBC and serious newspapers sometimes have ‘joke’ (i.e. not genuine) features on this day.

Good Friday*

The strange name in English for the day commemorating Christ’s crucifixion.

Easter Monday* (The day after Easter Sunday)

May Day* (The first Monday in May)

In Britain this day is associated more with ancient folklore than with the workers. In some villages the custom of dancing round the maypole is acted out.

Spring Bank Holiday* (the last Monday in May)

There used to be a holiday on ‘Whit Monday’ celebrating the Christian feast of Pentecost. Because this is seven weeks after Easter, the date varied. This fixed holiday has replaced it.

Father’s Day (The third Sunday in June)

This is probably just a commercial invention – and not a very successful one either. Millions of British fathers don’t even known they have a special day.

Queen’s Official Birthday (The second or third Saturday in June)

It is ‘official’ because it is not her real one. Certain public ceremonies are performed on this day.

Orangemen’s Day (12 July)

This is a public holiday in Northern Ireland only. In this way, the holiday associated with the Catholic part of the community (St Patrick’s Day) is balanced by one associated with the other part, the Protestants.

Summer Bank Holiday* (The last Monday in August).

Hallowe’en (31 October)

This is the day before All Saints’ Day in the Christian calendar, and is associated with the supernatural. Some people hold Hollowe’en parties, which are fancy-dress parties (people dress up as witches, ghosts etc.). However, this day is observed much more energetically in the USA than it is in Britain.

Guy Fawkes’ Day (5 November).

Remembrance Sunday (Second Sunday in November)

This day commemorates the dead of both World Wars and of more recent conflicts. On and before this day, money is collected in the street on behalf of charities fox ex-service-men and women. The people who donate money are given paper poppies to pin to their clothes. No politician would be seen on this day without a poppy!

Christmas Eve (24 December).

Christmas Day* (25 December).

Boxing Day* (26 December)

Explanation for the origin of this name vary . One is that it was the day on which landowners and householders would present their tenants and servants with gifts (in boxes), another is that it was the day on which the collecting boxes in churches were opened and the contents distributed to the poor.

New Year’s Eve (31 December)

III. What do the names of these types of holidays imply? Give your description of each.

1. caravan holidays;

2. package holidays;

3. seaside holidays;

4. holiday camp;

5. hiking;

6. “activity” holiday;

7. working holidays.

IV. Name five places where British people may stay on holiday starting from the cheapest ones: self-catering apartment; hotel; caravan; hostel; bed and breakfast. Prove your opinion.

V.Match the English names for the following ways of having a break with their descriptions:

1. a day of public enjoyment and entertainment, held out of doors in villages in

summer; money is collected for special purposes by selling cakes*, jam;

home made woolen clothes.

2. a special occasion in memory of a religious event, marked by public

enjoyment and religious ceremonies.

3. a period of rest from work.

4.a period when universities are closed.

A. Vacation

2. Festival

3. holiday

4. fete

VI. Answer the question:

1. What holidays do you think are more popular in Britain: public or religious? Why?

2. What are traditional ways of holiday making in Britain? Are they the same for people in our country?

3. What kinds of attraction can resorts offer?

4. Why do you think, have the two traditional types of holiday in Britain become less popular in the last quarter of the twentieth century?

5. What does the notion “commercialization” of Christmas imply?

6. Are the Christmas attributes in Britain similar to those in Russia? Name them.

7. How is Easter celebrated in Britain? In Russia?

8. What other holidays should be mentioned while speaking of British holidays?

9. In Britain, you are generally considered to be unfortunate if your birthday is in the last half of December. Why?

10. What special days do we have in Russia for individuals to celebrate which British people don’t celebrate?

VI. Comment on the following:

1. The British seem to do comparatively badly with regard to annual holidays.

2. The “commercialization” of Christmas has itself become part of tradition.

3. The general feeling is that Christmas is a time for families.