HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS
UK
St. David’s Day March 1st The patron saint of Wales
St. Patrick’s Day March 17th The patron saint of Ireland
St. George’s Day April 23rd The patron saint of England
St. Andrew’s Day November 30th The patron saint of Scotland
Bank Holidays
- are public holidays when banks and shops are closed
- people spend these days going for excursions
- Londoners (real Cockneys) take their families to a big fair on Hampstead Heath
- January 1st – New Year’s Day
- first Monday in May – May Day
- last Monday in May – Spring Bank Holiday
- last Monday in August – Summer Bank Holiday
- the Bank Holidays Act 1871
New Year’s Day January 1st
- titles and decorations are conferred by the sovereign
St. Valentine’s Day February 14th
- lovers’ day
- sending Valentine cards, usually anonymously and exchanging gifts
- originally this day commemorated the Roman priest who gave aid and comfort to the persecuted Christians
before he was put to death
All Fools‘ Day April 1st
- is named after the custom of playing practical jokes and tricks on people and then you can shout April Fool!
Easter April
- spring feast of the Christian Church
- Good Friday commemorates Jesus‘ crucifixion while Easter Sunday commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus
- is connected with pre-Christian (Celtic) tradition
- originally it was a festival celebrating the spring equinox
- Easter eggs – dyed and decorated – symbolizing new life are given as presents
- is celebrated on Easter Sunday in Britain
Mother’s Day 2nd Sunday in May
- honours all mothers
Father’s Day 3rd Sunday in June
- honours all fathers
The Queen’s Official Birthday Saturday after June 9
- the ceremony of Trooping the Colour (a ceremonial mounting of the
guard in the presence of the sovereign) at the Horse Guards Parade in
London
Halloween October 31st
- among the old Celts it was the last day of the year and the beginning of winter when witches and ghosts
were supposed to celebrate their rites
- when the pagans were Christianized, the holiday was converted to the Eve of All Saints‘ Day when the
Christian Church honours the memory of the dead
- children celebrate it by dressing up in Halloween costumes with masks over their faces
- carrying baskets or bags they go to their friends‘ and neighbours‘ houses
- children say Trick or Treat which means – Give us a treat or we will play a trick on you
o treat – sweets, fruit or money
o trick – soaping the windows of houses and cars …
- custom – to make a jack-o-lantern – pumpinks with faces carved in them
Guy Fawkes Day November 5th
- Bonfire Night
- the anniversary of the Gunpowder plot in 1605
- is celebrated with bonfires, fireworks
- a big part of the Bonfire Night tradition is burning an effigy of Guy
Fawkes
- Guy Fawkes (1570 – 1606) – an English conspirator who, with
other catholics, attempted to blow up James I and Parliament; the
plot was discovered and the conspirator executed
- is often organised by local councils or charities and are much safer
- food – the humble potato has been a favourite and British people enjoy them cooked in their skin or `jacket`
(jacket potatoes) with toppings like chili con carne, baked beans or simply butter – a real traditionalist;
- Bonfire Night special is the toffee apple: an apple on a stick covered in a sugary coating
Remembrance Day November 11th
- there is a ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, in
which two minutes‘ silence honours those killed in the two world
wars
USA
- there are no national holidays in the USA since each state has the right to decide about its own holidays
- most states observe the federal public holidays (F)
- the American people are not only descendants of the British immigrants, there are many ethnic groups,
these ethnic groups have brought their own customs and traditions which may be quite different – their
customs differ especially about the holidays which were originally connected with religious feasts (Easter or
Christmas)
Martin Luther King’s Day (F) 3rd Mon in January
- M. L. King (1929 – 1968) was a black leader and civil-rights campaigner
- he demanded racial equality
- as an advocate of nonviolence he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
- was assassinated in 1968
Lincoln’s birthday February 12th
- some states celebrate it instead of the Presidents‘ Day
St. Valentine’s Day February 14th
Washington’s birthday February 22nd
- commemorated by public ceremonies
- some states celebrate it instead of the Presidents‘ Day
The Presidents‘ Day (F) 3rd Mon in February
- all presidents of the USA are honoured
Easter
- is not a national holiday
- most Americans spend Easter Sunday with the family
- dyed eggs and sweets
- an egg hunt – looking for them in the house, yard or garden
- traditional Easter Egg Roll in front of the White House in Washington on Easter Monday
Mother’s Day 2nd Sunday in May
- honours all mothers
Father’s Day 3rd Sunday in June
- honours all fathers
Memorial Day (F) 4th Monday in May
- honours Americans killed in all the past wars and most recently all the
dead
- flowers and flags are placed on the graves of the (war) dead
- marks the beginning of the summer season
- first called Decoration Day and celebrated on May 30, was established to
honour those who died during the American Civil War (1861 – 1865),
then subsequently those who died in all American wars
Independence Day (F) July 4th
-
- each city has its own ceremony and parades, band concerts and
firework displays in the evening
- the day when the US proclaimed its freedom from Britain
- commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776,
thus establishing the USA
Labor Day (F) 1st Mon in Sept
- honours all the working people
- is celebrated by a day of rest
- marks the end of the summer season
Columbus Day (F) October 12th
- is the anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492
Halloween October 31st
Veterans‘ Day (F) November 11th
- honours the veterans of all wars
- was first named Armistice Day and marked the end of World War I
(1914 – 1918), during the 1950s the name of the holiday was
changed and its significance expanded to honour armed forces
personnel who served in any American war
Thanksgiving (F) 4th Thursday in Nov
- national holiday in the USA and Canada (in October)
- a feast of giving thanks to God
- first celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrim settlers of Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, on their first harvest
- an occasion for the whole family to be together
- is celebrated by a traditional dinner whose main course is roast turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce,
mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, rolls and pumpkin pie
CHRISTMAS
Christmas Eve – December 24th
Christmas Day – December 25th
Boxing Day – December 26th
Three Wise Men (Three Kings) Day – January 6th
Boxing Day is not celebrated in the USA.
Boxing Day (UK) – Saint Stephen’s Day, long ago, English gentry gave small gifts known as Christmas boxes to their
servants on the day after Christmas. English custom still sets aside Boxing Day for tipping the delivery person and
others who have provided personalized services throughout the year. Many British also make contributions to
churches and charities.
Hogmanay
- the Scottish name for New Year’s Eve, in Scotland is celebrated more intensely than Christmas
CHRISTMAS
Czech British American
Who brings Baby Jesus Father Christmas Santa Claus
presents?
What do people nothing a carrot for the reindeer and a a carrot or apple for the
leave for him? glass of whisky for Santa reindeer, milk and cookies
for Santa
Opening the evening on December 24th morning on December 25th morning on December
presents 25th
Christmas dinner evening on December 24th lunchtime on December 25th afternoon on December
25th
Traditional meal carp and potato salad turkey with roast potatoes a big ham and lots of side
dishes
Dessert little Christmas cookies Christmas pudding Christmas cookies or
fruitcake
December 25th visit relatives, friends open presents open presents
Christmas Day watch fairy tales have Christmas dinner visit friends and relatives
watch the Queen’s Speech at listen to Christmas carols
3pm.
December 26th skiing, skating visit friends and relatives students visit friends
Boxing Day watch fairy tales watch films working people go back to
visit relatives, friends go shopping – big sales the office
Christmas carols
commemorate slavit, připomínat
contribute přispět
equinox rovnodennost
gentry nižší šlechta
honour ctít, poctít, vyznamenat
Traditions
- traditional values – principles followed by people continuously from generation to generation
- Why is important to keep the traditions of the country?
- Czech, British, American, family and individual traditions
Customs
- celebrations and holidays – Easter, Christmas (Hanukkah), Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Velvet
Revolution, Guy Fawkes Night, the day of Saints Cyril and Methodius
- Czech folk customs – e.g. Easter – whip girls
- traditional customs survive in the country rather than in towns – Why?
Festivals and celebrations
- commemoration of important historical and cultural events
- understanding the national heritage
- types:
o harvest festivals, thanksgiving festivals
o festivals honouring the dead (Memorial Day, Veterans Day)
o cultural festivals (Prague Spring)
o other (Celtic celebration etc.)
Holidays
- political and religious
- summer or winter
