Traditions, Holidays and Feastdays

• celebrations start on New Years Eve at midnight people have toasts with champagne and then we use fireworks

• celebration of love
• we send cards, flowers, gifts, small presents to people we love
• Valentine was a Roman priest who helped couples by secretly marrying them

• celebrated in England by eating and making pancakes → a race is held in some towns → people toss pancakes on a frying pan. If it falls the person looses

• Christian festival of spring

• Good Friday → crucifixion of Christ, Easter Sunday → Resurrection of Christ
• Symbol: eggs, lambs (symbols of new life)
• Czechs: Easter Monday → boys/men beat girls/women with a woven willow branches with ribbons at the top end → girls/women give them eggs, sweets and shots of alcohol
• UK/USA: Easter egg hunt → eggs are hidden around the garden and children look for them

• we buy our mothers gifts and flowers

• we buy our fathers gifts and flowers

• 13 British colonies in North America fought against the British because they had no representative in the British Parliament, which kept raising taxes.
• So, he colonists started the War of Independence Day by throwing Tea from ships into the ocean (Boston Tea Party). On the 4^th July 1776 the 13 colonists declared independence from Britain.
• It is celebrated by organising parade and fireworks.

• a celebration (mainly in USA and Canada) on the evening of All Saints´ Day to remember + honour the dead. Children dress into costumes (witches, Dracula, skeletons etc.) and go from door to door saying “Trick or treat” which means  “If you do not give us a treat, we’ll play a trick on you” (put soap on you r windscreen, windows etc.)
• Jack – o – Latern is made from carved out pumpkin with a face cut out and candle lit inside

·        Guy Fawks wanted to blow up the House of Parliament and kill the king. It was called the Gunpowder Plot. However, he was discovered and hanged.

·        The king was saved so, people celebrate it by making a bonfire and burning ethigies of Guy Faws + fireworks

·        1620 Pilgrim Fathers (puritans) escaped from England because they prosecuted by the king.

·        Many of them died during the Journey on the ship “Mayflower” and many died because of the harsh winter and lack of food. However, the Indians helped the rest to survive by giving them corn and turkey

·        After the first harnest the Pilgrim decided to celebrate Thanksgiving.

·        It is a national holiday and the whole family meets for dinner with turkey and corn

Xmas Eve

·        British people do not have a holiday, but it is the only day of year reserved for the “office party”. Before children go to bed, they hang x´mas stockings at the end of their beds and believe that Santa Claus or Father Christmas will bring their presents. Bigger presents are put under the tree.

·        Mince pies are left for Santa.

·        Misteltoe is hung over the door or in a central position and when a man catches a woman under it, he is allowed to kiss her

·        for Czech people is this day the most important day, we have a special dinner: potato salad, fish /carp, peas soup; after dinner Baby Jesus brings presents under the tree → then people unwrap them and then we watch TV /fairytales,…/ at midnight people go to church for Midnight Mass

·        They also “crack” a x´mas cracker after dinner.

·        There is a custom of giving presents (money) to postmen, milkmen and dustmen etc., who collect them in boxes. Sales also start in most shops on Boxing Day.