Holidays and Other Notable Days in GB, USA, CR
In the course of the years we have many opportunities for celebrations. Most often we celebrate the birthday, name day, wedding and baptism of one of our relatives or acquaintances. At this occasion honoured person receives presents, flowers, candy and other gifts.
Among the best known holiday belong Christmas
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated in other countries as well, with each nation keeping its own customs and folk traditions. The relatives and friend send Christmas postcards to each other and wish Merry Christmas and good luck in the New Year. People buy presents for their relatives and acquaintances. Streets, shops and important buildings are decorated. Shops and departures store are filled of people.
In Czech republic families decorated their house and bake Christmas sweet include vanilla rolls, ginger bread and sweet with nuts, raisins and chocolate. Typical meal for Christmas Eve dinner is fish soup, fried carp with potato salad, sweets and fruit. After dinner we go to the tree and unwrap the presents, while Christmas carols are sung.
The Czech customs are pouring of lead, fro which we learn what the future, cutting of apples and skimming walnut shells on the water.
In Great Britain people at Christmas Eve do final preparation on this day. They decorate their tree with colourful ornaments, cupping-glass, sweets, silver chains and lights. Over the door is hung a sprig of mistletoe and if a girl or women stands under it, she can be kissed. Children hang up Christmas stockings at the end of their beds or on the fireplace before they go to bed. They believe in Father Christmas, which rides on a sledge drawn by reindeers.
At Christmas day on the 25th of December children open the Christmas presents after breakfast. At midday is served Christmas dinner. The traditional food in Britain is roast turkey with stuffing with chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes, vegetable and sauces and Christmas pudding for a desert.
There is a custom, when people stir into the pudding some coin or ring. It bring wealth, work or wedding.
In the USA people decorate house with bells, garlands of evergreens and various glittering decorations. The trees and bushes in front of the houses are also decorated with electrical lights and on almost front door there is wreath of green holly as a inscription Marry Christmas. On Christmas Day all family members meet for Christmas dinner. The typical American dishes is roast turkey, corn pudding, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, but many others were brought by the settlers. Santa Claus always comes at night on the 24th of December, when the children are asleep. In the morning they find the present under the tree.
Easter
Easter is a religious holiday. It is an ancient symbol of spring and new life. Christians remember Christ’s death and his resurrect.
In Czech Republic we celebrate Easter on the Sunday and Monday after the first spring full moon. On Monday in the morning boys go around with a rod woven out of willow branches to spank the girls. They reward them with coloured eggs or ribbons. The symbols of Easter are also the symbols of spring – a lamb or yellow chick.
St. Valentine’s day
We celebrated it on 14th of February. This is day of love and lovers. People try to express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards. Card usually have a lots of red hearts and a romantic message inside.
Halloween
Halloween is celebrated on 31st October in the USA, Canada and in some parts of England. According old Celts this was last day of the year and the beginning of winter, when witches and ghosts celebrated their rites. After Christianization it was converted to the Eve of All Saint’s Day, when we honour the memory of the dead.
People cut out faces to the pumpkins and put the candles into them. Children dress up in Halloween costumes of ghosts and witches. They carry bags and go to the friend’s and neighbour’s houses, knock at the door and say “Trick or treat”. People usually say “Treat” and then give the children sweets, fruit or some even money.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated every fourth Thursday in November. The first time, it was celebrated in 1621 by religious group of Puritans, who left England and settled on the America continent in the area called New England. During the first year a lot of pilgrims died because of cold and hunger. But then they had good harvest with helping of the Indians and pilgrims survived the winter.
In modern times it is mainly family holiday with traditional dinner – roast turkey. People usually say prayers. This is also day of gifts, charities and food for poor and homeless people.
Typical American holidays
Martin Luther King’s Day (3rd Monday in January) is festival on honest of M. L. King, black leader and civil and human rights campaigner. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and 4 years after was assassinated.
Independence Day is celebrated on the 4th of July. It commemorates of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which was the official founding of the United States of America.