BRITISH & AMERICAN TRADITIONS - BRITISH & AMERICAN TRADITIONS - ISJ Braila

BRITISH & AMERICAN
TRADITIONS

BRITISH & AMERICAN
TRADITIONS

Many festivals and
holidays in Britain are
centuries old. Every city,
town and village in Britain
has its own traditions, some
involving months of careful
planning and preparations of
costumes.

Different festivals take place around the year
in various states of the U.S.A, depending on
the diverse population that lives there: Mardi
       Grass in New Orleans, Oregon
   Shakespeare Festival, Aloha Festival in
    Hawaii or Cheyenne Frontier Days in
                   Wyoming.

NEW YEAR’S DAY
    London's New Year's Day Parade

•   On December 31st, people celebrate
    the year end by recalling all the good
    and bad of the whole year. They
    celebrate in a huge gathering at public
    places by music and dance.
•   More than 10,000 dancers, acrobats,
    cheerleaders, musicians and performers
    assemble in the heart of the city for a
    "celebration of nations." The Parade takes
    the following route:
    Parliament Square, Whitehall, Trafalgar
    Square, Pall Mall, Regent Street, Piccadilly
    Circus and then up to the junction of
    Berkeley Street on Piccadilly.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas
•   5th January is Twelfth Night, 6th January is
    Twelfth Day
• Epiphany     (Twelfth Day) (Christian
                   Festival)
  The Epiphany honours the arrival of the
  Magi (three wise men) and the first
  public presentation of the Baby Jesus.
• Christmas decorations are taken down
  on 5th January (Twelfth Night)
• In London, Twelfth Night is an annual
  seasonal celebration held on the
  Bankside by Shakespeare's Globe, in
  London. It is a celebration of the New
  Year, mixing ancient Midwinter seasonal
  customs with contemporary festivity.
•
  The 2022 TWELFTH NIGHT
  Celebrations will be held on 5th of

Valentine's Day
       Valentine's    Day      (Saint
  Valentine's Day) is an occasion
  celebrated on February 14th. It is
  the traditional day on which
  people express their love for each
  other by sending Valentine's
  cards, presenting flowers, or
  offering chocolate and other gifts
  for Valentine's Day. Traditionally
  these were sent anonymously, but
  nowadays we often make it clear
  who is sending each 'Valentine’.

“Wishing the sweetest, happiest day
  to my forever Valentine”

Pancake Day
          (Shrove Tuesday)
• Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the day before Lent starts.
  Lent is a Christian fast which lasts for 40 days before Easter.
  Pancake Day is always on a Tuesday, as it is always the day
  before Ash Wednesday. Pancake Day in 2022 falls on 4th of
  March.
• The name Shrove comes from the old word "shrive" which means
  to confess. On Shrove Tuesday, in the Middle Ages, people used
  to confess their sins so that they were forgiven before the season
  of Lent began.
• Pancake Day is traditionally a day of celebration, the last day
  when you can eat what you want until Easter. Throughout the
  United Kingdom, people indulge themselves on foods that
  traditionally aren't allowed during Lent. Pancakes are eaten on
  this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which are
  forbidden during Lent.

St. David's Day
             (Patron Saint of Wales)
• St David's Day is celebrated in
  Wales on 1st March, in honour
  of St David (Dewi Sant), the
  patron saint of Wales. St David
  was a Celtic monk and bishop
  who lived in the sixth century. He
  spread the word of Christianity
                                        This is the flag of St David.
  across Wales.
• St      David's        Day       is
  commemorated by the wearing
  of daffodils or leeks. Both plants
  are traditionally regarded as
  national emblems.

St. Patrick's Day

• The National Day of Northern Ireland and Republic of
  Ireland
• St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in the whole of Ireland
  on 17 March, in honour of St Patrick, the patron saint
  of Ireland.
• Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited
  with bringing Christianity to Ireland.
• St Patrick's day is marked by the wearing of
  shamrocks , the national emblem of both Northern
  Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
• St.Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades in the large
  cities, the wearing of the green and drinking Guinness
  (traditional drink of Ireland).

Mothering Sunday
                The UK's version of Mother's Day

• Mothering Sunday is a time when children pay respect to
  their Mothers. Children often give their Mothers a gift and
  a card.
• Mothering Sunday (Mother's Day) is always the fourth
  Sunday of Lent (the forty days, not counting Sundays,
  before Easter). Mothering Sunday in UK in 2022 – 27th of March.
• Mothering Sunday is also sometimes known as Simnel
  Sunday because of the tradition of baking Simnel cakes.
  The Simnel cake is a fruit cake. A flat layer of marzipan is
  placed on top of and decorated with 11 marzipan balls
  representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, who betrayed
  Christ.

APRIL FOOL’S DAY

  April Fool’s Day is
celebrated on 1st April.
You can play jokes on
people,     even    on
teachers. When they
discover the joke, you
say “April Fool !”.

EASTER
• Easter Day is always a
  Sunday and is surrounded,
  in the UK, with the Easter
  Bank Holiday which also
  comprises of Morn day
  Thursday, Good Friday and
  Easter Monday. Easter Day
  in 2022 falls on 17th of April.

• On Good Friday, people eat
  hot cross buns, which are
  small sweet rolls. They eat
  them toasted with butter.
  People give each other
  chocolate Easter eggs on
  Easter Sunday

St George's Day
•   St. George's Day is on 23rd April. It
    is England's national day.
•   St. George is the patron saint of
    England. His emblem, a red cross on
    a white background, is the flag of
    England, and part of the British flag. St
    George's emblem was adopted by
    Richard The Lion Heart and brought to
    England in the 12th century. The king's
    soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid
    confusion in battle.
•   St George is always depicted as a
    knight carrying a shield with a red
    cross (or a banner with a red cross),
    generally sitting upon a horse and
    always        killing     a       dragon.
    By tradition, 23rd April is the day for a
    red rose in the button hole, the
    national flower.
                                                St George’s Day Parade

Trooping the Colour
• The official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is
  marked each year by a military parade and
  march-past, known as Trooping the Colour
  (Carrying of the Flag). The official name is “the
  Queen’s Birthday Parade”. It is celebrated the
  second Saturday in June (her real birthday is
  21st April).

Father's Day
• Father's Day is celebrated in U.K. on the 3rd Sunday of
  June (19th June 2022). Father's Day is a festival to
  honour your father for everything he did for you.
• On this occasion, children present a bouquet of fresh
  flowers, a greeting card or a gift to their father. They
  usually spend a full day with dad by going out for a picnic
  or for a treat in a restaurant. Some people also like to
  have a great party on Father's Day and invite friends and
  relatives on this auspicious day.

Orangemen's Day
                  (Northern Ireland)
Orangemen's Day, (also known
as "Orange Day", "the Glorious
Twelfth" or just "the Twelfth“) is
celebrated on July 12th.
 Protestant Irish march with
drums       and      pipes      to
commemorate the Battle of
Boyne, which occurred on
Ireland’s East coast in 1690. In
Northern Ireland, it is a bank
holiday.
 Men wear orange sashes and
black suits and bowler hats.
Orange Day marches also take
place in Birmingham and
Liverpool, and in some parts of
Canada.

The Edinburgh Festivals
• The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival
  in the world.
• Edinburgh International Festival
  is held in August over a three-week period in late summer
  each year. In 2022 it is from 16th until 30 August.
  The Edinburgh International Festival presents a rich
  programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance
  in six major theatres and concert halls.

Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival is a celebration of
the food grown on the land. Harvest
festivals are traditionally held on or
near the Sunday of the Harvest
Moon. British celebrate this day by
singing, praying and decorating the
churches and schools with baskets
of fruit, vegetables and flowers. After
the Harvest Festival Service, the
food that has been put on display is
usually made into parcels and given
to people in need.

Halloween Night

On October 31st, we celebrate Halloween. This pagan
festival celebrates the return of the souls of the dead who
come back to visit places where they used to live. In the
evening there are lots of Hallowe’en parties, or fancy dress
parties. People dress up as witches, ghosts, devils, cats,
bats or anything scary. Houses are decorated with
pumpkins with candles put inside. Some children follow
the American custom called Trick or Treat. They knock at
your house and ask “Trick or Treat ?”. If you give them
some money or some sweets (a treat), they go away.
Otherwise, they play a trick on you .

Guy Fawkes Night
                      (Bonfire Night)
          Bonfire Night is celebrated all over the UK on 5th November.
          In November 1605, the Gunpowder Plot took place in which some Catholics
plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament and the King of England, James l. The
men were angry because the king had treated them badly and they didn't like it. The
plot was discovered and Guy Fawkes was hanged.
The story is remembered each 5th November when 'Guys' are burned in a celebration
known as "Bonfire Night".
          Throughout England, towns and villages light huge bonfires and let off
magnificent fireworks. People burn an effigy (a homemade model of a man, like a
scarecrow) a reminder of Guy Fawkes. They celebrate the fact that the Parliament
and James I were not blown sky high by Guy Fawkes.
          The bonfires are also used to cook potatoes wrapped in foil and to heat up
soup for the crowds that come to watch the fireworks. Other foods include sausages
cooked over the flames and marshmallows toasted in the fire.

St Andrew`s Day
        (Patron Saint of Scotland)
• St Andrew's Day is
  celebrated in Scotland
  on 30th November, in
  honour of St Andrew, the
  patron saint of Scotland.
• The national emblem
                               St Andrew's flag is also the flag of Scotland
  and national flower of
  Scotland is the thistle, a
  prickly-leaved     purple
  flower which was first
  used in the 15th century
  as a symbol of defence.

Christmas Eve
    Christmas Eve is traditionally the day for decorating
churches and homes. It marks the beginning of the period
formally known as Christmas-tide. Night time on Christmas
Eve is a very exciting time for children, as they are waiting
for Santa. The children leave mince pies and brandy for
Santa, and a carrot for the reindeer.
    Christians go to a special carol service at their church
on Christmas Eve night. They hold a candle each and sing
Christmas songs. Then, they watch a Nativity performed
by children.

Christmas Day
• Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. This day is
  observed by prayers, exchanging of gifts, and family parties.
• The whole family sit down for Christmas dinner at mid-day. A
  traditional Christmas dinner includes roast turkey, roast
  potatoes and brussel sprouts, followed by Christmas pudding.
  Early evening they have a Christmas tea.
• At three o’clock in the afternoon, the Queen gives her
  Christmas Message to the nation which is broadcast on radio
  and television.
• The pulling of Christmas crackers often accompanies food on
  Christmas Day. A Christmas cracker traditionally contains a
  paper crown, a small gift and a joke written on a slip of paper.

Boxing Day
In England, Boxing Day
celebrated on December
26th, is traditionally a
time to give gifts to
tradesmen, servants, and
friends. It originated in
medieval times, when
every      priest      was
supposed to empty the
alms box of his church
and distribute gifts to the
poor.

NEW YEAR’S EVE
      All over Britain, on 31st December there are New Year
celebrations. All over Britain there are parties, fireworks,
singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the
new one. As Big Ben strikes midnight, people join arms and
sing a song called Auld Lang Syne (“Times gone by”), a
poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. It reminds them of
old and new friends.
      In Scotland and the North of England, people go “first
footing”. They go to their friends’ houses, trying to be the
first person through the door after midnight. To symbolise
good luck, the visitor carries a piece of coal (to make sure
that the house would always be warm), some bread
(everyone in the house would have enough food to eat),
some money (they would have enough money) and some
greenery (they would have a long life).
      In Scotland, on the 1st January people celebrate with a
lively festival called “HOGMANAY”.

Resources

• http://www.woodlds-
  junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/holidays.html
• http://www.visitbritain.tv/southeast/britain-
  celebrates.html
• http://projectbritain.com/calendars/

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR PATIENCE !

     Prof. Violeta Elena Ionescu
        Prof. Corina Ciocarlan
 Ion Creangă European School, Braila