English customs and traditions
Englishmen have many traditional holidays, such as Christmas, St.Valentine's Day, Mother's day, Easter and others. Some English customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Here are some of them.
Christmas.
It is certain that Christmas is celebrated all over the world. Perhaps no other holiday has developed a set of customs and symbols. This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day, 25th December.
On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes carol-singers can be heard on the streets as they collect money for charity. Most families decorate their houses with brightly-colored paper and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the room.
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of present. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave sock or stocking at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve, 24th of December, hoping that Father Christmas will come and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts
26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, which takes its name from a former custom of giving a Christmas Box - a gift of money or food inside a box. This is the time to visit friends and relatives or watch football.
New Year.
At midnight on 31th of December throughout Great Britain people celebrate the coming of the New Year, by holding hands in a large circle and singing the song:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot?
And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!..
The Christmas tree was popularized by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who introduced one to the Royal Household in 1840. Since 1947, the country of Norway has presented Britain a large Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square.
St. Valentine’s
St. Valentine's Day roots in several different legends that have found their way to us through the ages. Valentine, a Christian priest, had been thrown in prison for his teachings. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded, not only because he was a Christian, but also because he had performed a miracle. He supposedly cured the jailer's daughter of her blindness. The night before he was executed, he wrote the jailer's daughter a farewell letter, signing it, "from Your Valentine". St. Valentine's Day is now a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend of loved one that you care. You can send candy to someone you think is special. Or you can send "valentines" a greeting card named after the notes that St. Valentine wrote from jail. Valentines can be sentimental, romantic, and heartfelt. They can be funny and friendly.
Halloween
The word itself, "Halloween» has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife.
Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
ЛИТЕРАТУРА
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