Czech

April – Easter – celebrated on Easter Monday

1^st May – Labour Day – a public holiday

8^th May – Liberation from Nazi occupation

5^th July – Cyril and Methodius

6^th July – John Huss

28^th October – Founding of the independent Czech republic

17^th November – Day of students

24^th December – Christmas Eve

 

British

14^th February – St.Valentine’s Day – It is lovers’ day. On this day young people send Valentine cards to a person of the opposite sex and exchange gifts.

1^st March – St.David’s Day – the patron of Wales

17^th March – St.Patrick’s Day – the patron of Ireland

April – Easter – celebrated on Easter Sunday

23^rd April – St.George’s Day – the patron of England

May – last Monday – Spring Bank Holiday

June – Saturday after 9^th June – The Queen’s official Birthday

31^st October – Halloween – It is celebrated only in the North of England and in Scotland. Children dress up in Halloween costumes. They carry baskets or bags and knock at neighbour’s door. When people open children say “Trick or treat” (Give us a treat or we will play a trick on you.). People treat children with sweets, fruit or money. A favourite custom is to make a jack-o-lantern from a pumpkin pie which is scraped out and has a candle in.

30^th November – St.Andrew’s Day – the patron of Scotland

24^th – 26^th December – Christmas

 

American

February – 3^rd Monday – The President’s Day – on this day all presidents of the USA are honoured

April – Easter – celebrated on Easter Sunday

May – 4^th Monday – Memorial Day – It honours Americans killed in all the past wars.

4^th July – Independence Day – Each city has its own ceremony and parades, band concerts and firework displays. It commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

September – 1^st Monday – Labor Day

12^th October – Columbus Day

31^st October – Halloween – Celebrated the same as in the UK.

November – 4^th Thursday – Thanksgiving – It commemorates the first settlers. It is celebrated by a traditional dinner whose main course is roast turkey.

24^th – 26^th December – Christmas

 

 

 

Easter

CZ – People bake lambs and dye eggs. On Easter Monday boys and men carol with a thin stick made of twigs of willow. They ask girls and women for eggs and sweats and they lash them on their back.

 

USA – They usually get new “Easter outfit” (new dress) and go in church in the morning. When they get home they look for Easter basket hidden by the Easter bunny. Than follows Easter egg hunt outside in a garden. Children look for hidden plastic eggs which contains some money, candy or something bad.

 

UK – Good Friday is connected with hot cross buns (they eat it whole week before Easter). Easter Sunday is a chocolate eating day. Easter eggs are disturbed before breakfast (children also seek them), then some people go to church. Easter Monday is a day of rest. People also dye eggs and bank holiday on Friday and Monday are very popular for sports.

 

Christmas

CZ – In the morning on Christmas Eve (24^th December) people usually decorate Christmas tree. After lunch people go outside for a walk. The main events come in the evening. Around 5 or 6 o’clock we have Christmas dinner (fish soup, fried carp, potato salad). After dinner some of adults ring a bell in another room (it indicates that Father Christmas was there) and then presents, which are under the tree, are unwrapped.

The next day the whole family (uncles, aunts, grandmothers and grandfathers) has lunch together.

 

USA – It may vary because there are many nationalities. On Christmas Eve (24^th) people wrap presents and do last minute shopping and some of them have parties. At night they have dinner (they also may visit friends) and Santa Claus comes (some adult dress up) and asks them whether or not they were good. At midnight they go to midnight mass and when they return home they can open 1 present.

On Christmas Day (25^th) they get up late. After they wake up they can unwrap 1 bigger present. They have a big brunch and stay all day in pajamas. Some families also watch American football. Day is finished by opening stockings at night.

 

UK – On Christmas Eve (24^th December) people sing carols and hang their stockings. Presents for a family are placed under a Christmas tree. On Christmas Day they open their presents and many families go to a church. Christmas dinner traditionally consists of roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, potatoes and Christmas pudding. It is a tradition that the Queen has her Queen’s Christmas Message to the nation.

The day after Christmas Day is called Boxing day (a former custom of giving money or food inside a box to deliverymen and trades people). This tradition survives in the custom of tipping the milkman, postman, dustmen and other callers of good service at Christmas time.