Festivals in Britain

What do people celebrate?

Celebrations and Festivals

There are a lot of celebrations and festivals. They have changed over time. Some festivals are the same as in Europe, but some are just British.

They tell us what is important in a culture. Families and friends have opportunities to get together to visit, eat, exchange good wishes and enjoy each other’s company and hospitality.

Can you name these celebrations and festivals?

Christmas Easter New Year´s Eve

Guy Fawkes´ Night Pancake Day Halloween

Queen´s birthday

St Valentine´s Day

St Patrick´s Day

ChristmasChristmas is the most important, biggest and best loved festival in Britain. Schools, businesses and offices are closed. It´s a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

People decorate their houses and couples kiss under a mistletoe.

Mistletoe

Kissing under a mistletoe is a traditional custom.

EasterFor Christians it´s the most important Christian festival. Easter ¹commemorates:• the ²crucifixion and ³resurrection of Jesus• the promise that those who believe will die but they´ll be resurrected to live with God in heaven forever.

A lot of people attend church and celebrate the secular things – gifts, candies, Easter bunnies, etc.

¹ commemorate /kə,meməreit/ pripomínať si, sláviť

²crucifixion /´kru:si,fik∫n/ ukrižovanie

³ resurrection /´rezə,rek∫n/ vzkriesenie

crucifixion

resurrection

It´s the last festival of the old year or the first festival of the new year. The Scottish call it Hogmanay.There are parties throughout the country and at midnight people sing a traditional song „Auld Lang Syne“.

The first person to visit your home brings you luck. Young, dark haired and handsome person brings extra good luck.

New Year´s Eve

Guy Fawkes´s night(Bonfire Night)

In 1605, Guy Fawkes´s plan was discovered. Together with other Catholics, Guy Fawkes wanted to ¹ blow up the British Parliament and kill the king. It was called „the ² Gunpowder plot“.

The plan failed and they were ³ executed.

¹ blow up /blou ap/ vyhodiť do povetria

²gunpowder /,ganpaudər/ strelný prach

³ execute /´,eksikju:t/ popraviť

Today it´s a very noisy festival. It´s held on 5 November and people burn a model of Guy Fawkes´which is made of old clothes.

There are lots of fireworks, too.

A model of Guy Fawkes

Pancake Day

It´s in February. People race with frying pans and pancakes. They throw them in the air and eat lots of pancakes, of course.

Halloween

4

It´s a great feast of Pegan Celts. Some people believe they can commune with the dead. The feast is full of mischief, fortune telling and masquerades

On the 31 October children dress up as witches, ghosts and monsters and people have parties.

feast /fi:st/ sviatok fortune telling /,fo:t∫u:n teliŋ / veštenie osudu

commune /kə,mju:n/ komunikovať mischief /,mist∫if/ huncútstvo

masquerade /´ma:skə,reid/ maškarný ples

Queen´s birthday

The Queen celebrates two birthdays each year. Her actual birthday is on 21 April and her official birthday is on a Saturday in June because of better weather for the Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour.

Saint Valentine´s DaySt Valentine´s Day, also known as Valentine´s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated on 14 February. The day is associated with romantic love. People send cards and gifts like roses and chocolates in a red satin, heart-shaped box to someone they are in love with. The cards are not signed.

Saint Patrick´s Day

The first St Patrick´s Day took place in the USA. St Patrick´s Day is a time for parties. It´s also a time for fun celebrations. People often dress up in green on St Patrick´s Day. We celebrate this feast on 17 March and the symbol for St Patrick´s Day is gold or leprechauns.

Video

Festivalsin Britain

Thank you

Sources :

-Wikipedia : Public holidays

- Presentations : http://www.google.sk/#q=festivals+in+britain+powerpoint+presentation

- online pictures : http://www.google.sk

-Videos : http://www.youtube.com/