NATIONAL HOLIDAYS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Britain has always been a country of legends, ghost stories, superstitions and ancient customs.

St Valentine´s Day (celebrated on14th February) is named after a Roman priest. He was sentenced to death for his help to persecuted Christians.
On that day people express their love and feelings. Many people send Valentine cards to the ones they love, buy small presents and couples have
romantic dinners with candles.

Easter is a Christian holiday and it is celebrated in spring (usually in March or April). People give each other chocolate or dyed and decorated eggs
as a symbol of new life. Children like the traditional egg hunts. Parents hide eggs around houses and gardens and children run, look for them and
put them in their baskets. Easter Monday is a national holiday and many people travel to the seaside or go and watch football matches or horse-
races.

Halloween takes place on 31st October. It is connected with witches and ghosts. People have parties and they dress in strange and scary
costumes. They cut horrible faces in pumpkins and put candles inside which shine through the eyes. Children dressed in white sheets often go,
knock on people´s door and say „trick or treat“. It means if you don´t give us a treat (something sweet or a small present), we´ll play a trick on you!

Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated in November. It commemorates an unsuccessful attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes was
arrested and later hanged. That night – 5th November- people burn a dummy (called a „guy“ like Guy Fawkes) made of straw and dressed in old
clothes. The night before children try to collect enough money by saying „penny for the guy“ to buy some fireworks.

For most British families the most important holiday of the year is Christmas. At Christmas the whole family gathers together. Most families
decorate their houses with lights, mistletoe, holly and ivy. Every family has a Christmas tree. The tradition of Christmas tree was brought to England
by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, who was German. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping.
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important is giving of presents. Children leave a long sock or stocking
on their bed or on the fireplace on Christmas Eve (24th December) and hope that in the morning it will be full of small presents, fruit and nuts.
Sometimes children leave mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them. On Christmas Day - December 25th
at breakfast time everyone opens the presents. The main Christmas meal is eaten at lunchtime or early afternoon. It is a roast turkey, roast
vegetables, stuffing and sometimes bacon and sausages. Dessert is often Christmas pudding. The table is decorated with Christmas crackers for
everyone and candles.

The day after Christmas Day is called Boxing Day (26th December). It is a public holiday. In the past on that day people gave small amounts of
money to milkmen and postmen. Boxing Day is also the time to visit friends and relatives.

On New Year´s Eve (31st December) people have parties and at midnight they toast and wish each other good luck for the coming new year. In
London people go to Trafalgar Square to watch fireworks, sing and dance. Some enthusiasts traditionally swim in the fountain.

Trooping the Colour has marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years. Over 1400 parading soldiers, 200
horses and 400 musicians come together each June in a great display to celebrate The Queen's official birthday. The streets are lined
with crowds waving flags as the parade moves from Buckingham Palace and down The Mall to Horse Guard's Parade. Members of the
Royal Family take part on horseback and in carriages. The display closes with a RAF flypast, watched by Members of the Royal Family
from Buckingham Palace balcony.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS IN THE USA

Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in January to commemorate the life and work of Martin Luther King. He was a black clergyman who fought
for civil rights of black people. He was assassinated in 1968.
Veterans’ Day - The celebration is held on November 11 in the USA and honours the veterans of all wars.

Independence Day is celebrated on 4th July and it is a federal holiday. It commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It
is a very important holiday for the Americans. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, flying the
flags, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions and political speeches.

Columbus Day commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in America.

Thanksgiving Day is the second most important family holiday after Christmas. When first settlers came to America, they were hungry during the
first winter because they didn´t know how to grow corn and a lot of them died. The Native Americans (Indians) helped them survive. The next year
they invited the Indians to express their gratitude and celebrated their Thanksgiving Day for the first time. Nowadays families eat roast turkey with
cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. It is the day of gifts, charity and food for poor people.

Easter is a Christian holiday and it is celebrated in April. People give each other chocolate or decorated eggs as a symbol of new life. Children like
the traditional egg hunts. Parents hide eggs around houses and gardens and children run, look for them and put them in their baskets.
There is a tradition that every year the American President organizes Easter egg hunt for kids in front of the White House.

Christmas is the most important holiday for most Americans. At Christmas families are together. People in the USA love to decorate their houses
with lights, mistletoe, holly and sometimes even with statues of Santa Claus, snowmen and reindeers. They always have a big Christmas tree.

On Christmas Eve (24th December) children leave a long sock or stocking on their bed or fireplace and hope that in the morning it will be full of
small presents, fruit and nuts. Children believe that Santa Claus comes down the chimney and brings Christmas presents. They leave a glass of
milk and some biscuits for him next to the fireplace.
Most families open their presents on Christmas Day - December 25 at breakfast time. For lunch they have roast turkey with cranberry sauce.
Eggnog is a traditional drink at Christmas.

St Valentine´s Day The 14th February is Valentine´s Day in Great Britain and the USA. On this day people exchange greeting cards, presents,
sweets, chocolates and flowers. There is a story about a priest named Valentine who helped people and was put in prison. He fell in love with the
jailor´s daughter Julia who was blind. He restored her sight. He wrote love letters to her just signed: Your Valentine. He was executed on 14th
February 270.

Halloween - on 31th October is the day when children are dressed in costumes (witches, ghosts). They have baskets or bags and they go to their
friends and neighbors to get some sweets. They knock at the doors and say "trick or treat". When they get nothing they go away and are very noisy
or they spill flour on the front of doorsteps. Symbols of Halloween are ghostly pumpkins.

April Fools´Day – It is celebrated on April 1st. It is named after a custom of playing practical jokes or tricks on people. If you manage a good joke
then you can call the person “April fool!”