Holidays-and-Festivals-in-Britain

HolidaysandFestivalsinBritainHolidaysKnowingalittlebitaboutBritishholidaysisagoodwayofunderstandingwhatBritonsfindimportantintheirlives.TheBritishcelebratemanyholidayswhichreflectthereligious,historical,socialandculturaldiversityoftheircountry.Providinganopportunityforfamiliesandfriendsgogettogethertovisit,eat,exchangegoodwishesandenjoyother’scompanyandhospitality.12NationalHolidaysHolidaysinthefournationsEnglandNorthernIreland目录CONTENTWalesScotlandNationalHolidays1NationalHolidaysHistoryUnlikemostcountries,theUKdoesnothavea“nationalday”.Britainhasnouniquenationalday.Inthe18thcenturypageantryusedtooccurdaily.Invictoria’sreignitwasdecidedthatthisceremonyshouldonlybeheldonthesovereign’sbirthday.NationalHolidaysWhatwedoThepompandceremonysurroundinghertroopdrawshundredsofpeople.TheceremonydrivesfromoldmilitarytraditionsinwhichregimentalflagswereparadedbeforethemonarchBritishdiplomatsabroadwilloftenhaveaspecialpartyoreventtocelebratetheQueen’sbirthday——England、NorthernIreland、Scotland、WalesHolidaysintheFourNations2EnglandBonfireNightTheEnglishdonotcelebratetheirfamouswritersorbattlesorpatronsaints,althoughtheyhaveallthesethingBonfireNighttime:intheearlyautumnorigin：Ontheeveningof5November1605,aplantoblowuptheBritishParliament,killtheProtestantKingandreplacehimwithaCatholicKingwasdiscovered.Oneoftheconspirators,GuyFawkes,wasfoundinthecellarsofWestminsterwith36barrelsofgunpowder.Heandtheothermembersofhisgangwerearrested,torturedandkilled.ProtestantpoliticiansdecidedthattheGunpowderPlothadfailedbecauseGodwantedtheProtestantstocontinuetoruleEngland.Parliamentpassedalegalactcallingfora“PublicThanksgivingtoAlmightyGod”forrevealingtheplot,tobeheldontheanniversaryoftheevent.Nowadays,Englishpeoplestillcelebratethiseventinthetraditionalway.InearlyNovember,gangsofsmallchildrenappearonBritishstreets,oftenwithastraweffigycalledthe“Guy”.BonfireNightCustom:ThebiggestBonfireNightcelebrationisheldinthesmallmedievaltownofLewes,wheretorchlightparadeswindthroughthenarrowstreets.Theparadeswearcostumesandcarrymodelsofseveredheadsonpikes,oftendrippingblood,whichrepresentProtestantism’senemies.WhentheparadesreachtheBonfire,fireworksareusedtofightmockbattlesbetweenCatholicsandProtestants.Attheendofthesebattles,gianteffigiesofthePopeandGuyFawkesareblownupwithfireworks.NorthernIrelandBattleoftheBoyneOrigin:TheCatholicKingJamesIIwasforcedoffthethroneanddrivenexile.ThenJamestriedtoretakethethronebuthisforcesweredefeatedbyKingBillyonthebanksoftheBoyneRiverinCountyKildare,nowapartofIreland.Thebattleistheendpointofthewar,soitisrememberedbyProtestantIreland.Custom:MarchingSeasonWhenProtestant“Orangemen”taketothestreetswearingtheirtraditionuniformsofbowlerhats,blacksuitsandorangesashes,marchingthroughthestreetssinging,bangingdrumsandplayinginmarchingbands.Time:12JulyNorthernIrelandSt.PatrickDayOrigin:PatrickwasaCatholicbishopwholivedinthe5thcenturyandisthoughttohavebroughtChristianitytoIreland.HelivedinGreatBritain,butattheageof16wascapturedbyIrishraiders,takentoIrelandandmadeaslave.HeeventuallyescapedandreturnedtoBritain,wherehehadadreamwhichtheIrishbeggedhimtoreturn.Tradition:BothChristiansandnon-Christianscelebratethesecularversionoftheholidaybywearinggreen,eatingIrishfoodorgreenfoods,imbibingIrishdrinkandattendingparades.Time:March17ScotlandHogmanayHogmanayistheScotswordforthelastdayoftheyearandissynonymouswiththecelebrationoftheNewYearintheScottishmanner.ItisnormallyfollowedbyfurthercelebrationonthemorningofNewYear'sDay(1January)or,insomecases,2January—aScottishbankholiday.TheoriginsofHogmanayareunclear,butmaybederivedfromNorseandGaelicobservances.CustomsvarythroughoutScotland,andusuallyincludegift-givingandvisitingthehomesoffriendsandneighbors,withspecialattentiongiventothefirst-foot,thefirstguestofthenewyear.WhileNewYear'sEveiscelebratedaroundtheworld,theScotshavealongrichheritageassociatedwiththisevent-andhavetheirownnameforit,Hogmanay.HogmanayBurnsSupperTime:25JanuaryWhatfor:eachyearScottishpeopleallovertheworldcelebratetheirmostbelovednationalpoet,RobertBurns.How:byholdingaBurnsSupperontheeveningofhisbirthdayRobertBurns:hewrotemainlyintheScotsdialectandhispoemsdrewonoldertraditionsofScottishfolksongsandsohaveawidepopularappeal.BackgroundHalloweenoriginatedasapaganfestivalinpartsofNorthernEurope,particularlyaroundwhatisnowtheUnitedKingdom.ManyEuropeanculturaltraditionsholdthatHalloweenisatimewhenmagicismostpotentandspiritscanmakecontactwiththephysicalworld.ThecommercializationofHalloweenstartedinthe1900s,whenpostcardsanddie-cutpaperdecorationswereproduced.Halloweencostumesstartedtoappearinstoresinthe1930sandthecustomof'trick-or-treat'appearedinthe1950s.ThetypesofproductsavailableinHalloweenstyleincreasedwithtime.NowHalloweenisaveryprofitableholidayforthemanufacturersofcostumes,yarddecorationsandcandy.HalloweenWhatDoPeopleDo?Halloweenisusuallycelebratedamongstfamily,friendsandco-workers.However,someareasholdlargecommunityevents.PartiesandothereventsmaybeplannedonOctober31orintheweekends.Adultsmaycelebratebywatchinghorrorfilms,holdingcost