Holidays in great britain

There are only six public holidays a year in Great Britain, the days on which people need not go to work. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Spring Bank Holiday and Late Summer Bank Holiday. In Scotland, the New Year's Day is also a public holiday. Most of these holidays are of religious origin, but for the greater part of the population they have lost their religious significance ,and are simply days on which people relax, eat, drink and make merry. All the public holidays, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, are movable, they do not fall on the same day each year.

In England the New Year is not so widely observed as Christmas. Some people ignore it completely and go to bed at the same time as usual on New Year's Eve. Others cel­ebrate it arranging either a family party or one arranged by a group of young people. At midnight the wireless is turned on, so that everyone can hear the chimes of Big Ben, and on the hour a toast is drunk to New Year..

On February the 14-th is St. Valentine's Day, when boys and girls, sweethearts and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbours and even the office staff exchange greetings of affection, undying love or satirical comment.

Pancake Day is the popular name for Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding the first day of Lent. It is a holiday when a custom of pancake eating is observed

Mother's day is traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday in Lent. The day used to be known as Mothering Sunday and dates from the time when many girls worked away from the homes as domestic servants in big households. On this holiday they had an opportunity of going home to see their mothers and give them presents.'

Easter is also a time when certain old traditions are observed. It is the time of giving presents, and the Easter egg is the most popular emblem of this holiday. Nowadays Easter eggs are usually made of chocolate in Great Britain.

April Fool's Day seems related to the vernal equinox, when nature fools mankind with sudden changes from show­ers to sunshine.

On Late Summer Bank Holiday the townsfolk’s usually flock into the country and to the coast. If the weather is fine, many families take a picnic-lunch or tea with them and enjoy their meal in the open air. It is also an occasion for big sport meetings.

Bonfire Night (November 5) is one of the most popular festivals which commemorates the discovery of the so-called Gunpowder Plot.

Remembrance Day (Poppy Day) is observed throughout Britain in commemoration of the million or more British soldiers sailors and airmen who lost their lives during the two World Wars. On that day special services are held in the churches and wreaths are laid at war memorials.

Christmas day is observed on the 25-th of December. On Christmas Eve in the homes there is a great air of expectation. Children decorate the fir-tree with tinsel, co­loured lights and toys. The houses are decorated with holly and a bunch of mistletoe. The Christmas bird, nowadays usually a turkey, is cooked and stuffed by housewives

Word List:

public holidays - народные праздники

religious - религиозным

origin - происхождение, источник

significance - значение, смысл

to make merry - веселиться

to be observed - соблюдаться

to ignore completely - полностью игнорировать, не обращать

внимания

to arrange - устраивать, улаживать

arranged - устроенный

wireless - радио, сообщение по радио

chime - подбор колоколов, вызываемая ими мелодия

on the hou - в час, во время

sweetheart - возлюбленный, возлюбленная

office staff - штат работающих в учреждении

to exchange - обмениваться

affection - склонность, любовь, симпатія

pancake блин

Lent - великий пост

custom - обычай

Easter Day - Пасха

an easter egg - пасхальное яйцо

vernal equinox - весеннее равноденствие

townfolks - городские жители

to flock - собираться в толпу, идти толпой

to commemorate - праздновать годовщину, служить напоминанием wreath - венок, гирлянда

Christmas Day – Рождество

tinsel - блестки

a bunch of mistletoe - ветка омелы