During the whole year various holidays and feast days are celebrated in Britian, U.S.A. and our country- Czech republic. Some holidays are celebrated in all these countries; some are national holidays.

 

Common feasts:

 

Christmas– we celebrate them because Jesus Christ was born in these days, some weeks before, many shops and streets are decorated, people buy Christmas tree and decorate it with electric lights, sweets and chocolate on Christmas Eve.

–        In Britan,

 Christmas are marked by children awaiting the arrival of Father Christmas coming on his sledge, pulled by reindeer on Christmas Day. Socks are hung up and children believe he will fill them. He enters the house through the chimney and puts the children’s presents into their stockings. They open presents on December 25^th at breakfast time. On noon, they have their traditional dinner- roast turkey and roast potatoes followed by Christmas pudding. There is an old custom of stirring into the pudding a coin, a thimble and a ring to bring wealth, work and a wedding to those who find it. There are plenty of carols on the radio and TV. December 26 is called Boxing Day from the custom in earlier times of giving postmen, milkmen, newspaper boys and the like small sums of money, which they collected in their Christmas boxes.

–        In our country,

preparations for Christmas begin four weeks before 24 December. This time is called Advent. Many people make Advent’s wreath with four candles. One of candles is lighted on in every advent’s Sunday. The most important day of Christmas is Christmas Eve. People eat only Christmas cake with tee or coffee for breakfast. They mustn´t eat any meat all day, because according to custom, in the evening they will see the Golden pig. The children believe that Christ Child brings the presents and he puts them under the tree. Around six o’clock in the evening a lot of families have Christmas dinner. It is the most important meal of the year. They usually have fried carp with potatoes salad. Some people put some scales from carp in the purse because they believe that they will have much money in New Year. After the meal comes the time to unpack the presents under the tree.

• In USA,

children believe in Santa Claus– a cheerful fat man with white beard, dressed in a red suit. He lives at the North Pole where he makes toys during a year. There is a tradition to leave a glass of milk and chocolate cookies for his reindeer Rudolph.

New Year’s Eve is celebrated one week after Christmas, it is the night of merry-making.

St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14^thFebruary. It is lovers´ feast, people send Valentine cards to a person they like or admire.

All Fool’s Day is On 1^st April, people play jokes and  shout “April fool”.

Easter is celebrated after the first full moon in spring so the date of Easter is different every year.  It is a Christian festival, marking the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Many people go to church. For some people it is only a spring holiday.

– In USA, Children hunt for coloured eggs, eat chocolate sweets and wear their best clothes.

– In England, Good Friday and Easter Monday are official holidays.

– In our country, on Easter Monday, boys with willow canes and small baskets come into a girl’s house,  say a rhyme and whip the girl on her legs and bottom. The girl gives them chocolate, Easter eggs, some cake or some money.

Halloween is celebrated in United States, Great Britan and Canada on October 31, at the Eve of All Saints Day. Children celebrate it by dressing up in Halloween costumes with masks over their faces. They carry baskets or bags, go to their friends or neighbours houses and knock at the door or ring the bell. When people come to the door, children say “Trick or treat” which means “Give us a treat or we will play a trick on you”. People treat the children with sweets, fruit or money. There is also a custom to light pumpkin lantern to ward off witches and evil spirits.

 

Feasts in Great Britan:

 

Guy Fawkes Night is on the 5^th of November, when the unsuccessful plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 is commemorated with bonfires and fireworks.

Remembrance Day is on the 11^th of November, it is a ceremony in White Hall in London when two minutes´silence remembers those killed in the two world wars.

 

Feast in Ireland:

The most important feast in Ireland is St. Patrick´s Day on the 17^th of March, named after irish shepherd, who lived in the 5^th century. He became bishop of Ireland and converted many people to Christianity here. This feast is not celebrated only in Ireland but also in United States by 17 milion of Irish immigrants here.

 

Feasts in United States:

Independence Day is on July the 4^th. This day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, thus establishing USA.

Thanksgiving day is celebrated every 4^th Thursday in November. It remembers the first settlers, called the Pilgrim Fathers, who came to America in 1620. It is family holiday when the whole family gathers together and enjoys a traditional dinner – roast turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. This is a day of gifts, charities and food for poor people.

 

Vocabulary: to be marked by………………vyznačovat se čím

reindeer………………………sob

stir into……………………….vmíchat do něčeho

thimble……………………….náprstek

carol…………………………..koleda

and the like……………………a podobně

scale…………………………..šupina

marry-making……………..…veselice

resurrection………………..…zmrtvýchvstání

willow cane…………………..vrbový proutek

whip………………………….mrskat

lantern………………………..lucerna

ward off………………………odvrátit

commemorate….……………..připomenout památku

bonfire………….………….…oheň, varta

firework………….……….…..ohňostroj

gather together………………..shromáždit se