HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS
British Traditions and Customs
British Traditions and Customs
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Britain is like a 'melting-pot' (плавильный котел) - it is multicultural. Different countries have helped build Britain into an exciting place today. Britain has become a 'new' home or a shelter for those people who come different backgrounds and often difficult times from their home countries. The ethnic and cultural diversity adds great value to Britain.
Britain has some traditions and customs that show the typical 'way of life' for British peoples. Not everyone does them, but many do.
Sunday Roast (воскресное жаркое (из говядины или баранины, традиционное воскресное блюдо; готовится в духовке, подаётся на стол с картошкой и овощами)). Roast beef is served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy. It is usually served on a Sunday, mid to late afternoon.
Yorkshire pudding is batter baked in hot fat in the oven. Gravy is a sauce made from meat juices and stock, thickened with flour.
High Tea ("большой чай", ранний ужин с чаем (распространён на севере Англии и в Шотландии)). The modern High Tea is served between 3pm and 5pm. It is a pot of tea usually accompanied by thin sandwiches, scones with cream, small cakes, and pastries. High tea can also be called 'afternoon tea' which can be as simple as a cup of tea (a cuppa) and biscuits.
Fish and Chips (рыба с картофелем во фритюре (треска или камбала; популярное дешёвое блюдо; подаётся в небольших специализированных кафе; если покупатель берёт рыбу с собой, она, по традиции, завёртывается в газетную бумагу)). Friday Fish and chips can, and are, eaten any day of the week. Fridays became the 'traditional' day to eat them due to a Roman Catholic rule that fish was the only meat to be eaten on a Friday.
There are many superstitions in Britain, but one of the most widely-held is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder - even if it means stepping off the pavement into a busy street! If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you've seen a dog. Alternatively, you must lick your finger and make a cross on the toe of your shoe, and not look again at the shoe until the mark has dried.
Another common superstition is that it is unlucky to open an umbrella in the house - it will either bring misfortune to the person that opened it or to the household. Anyone opening an umbrella in fine weather is unpopular, as it inevitably brings rain!
The number 13 is said to be unlucky for some, and when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, anyone wishing to avoid an inauspicious event had better stay indoors.
The worst misfortune that can befall you is incurred by breaking a mirror, as it brings seven years of bad luck! The superstition is supposed to have originated in ancient times, when mirrors were considered to be tools of the gods.
Black cats are generally considered lucky in Britain, even though they are associated with witchcraft - a witch's animal-familiar' is usually a black cat. It is especially lucky if a black cat crosses your path.
A commonly-held superstition is that of touching wood for luck. This measure is most often taken if you think you have said something that is tempting fate, such as 'my car has never broken down - touch wood!'
Holidays in America
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1. What national celebrations in the US do you know?
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Americans share three national holidays with many countries: Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Easter, which falls on a spring Sunday that varies from year to year, celebrates the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. Many Americans follow old traditions of coloring hard-boiled eggs and giving children baskets of candy.
Christmas Day, December 25, is another Christian holiday; it marks the birth of the Christ Child. Decorating houses and yards with lights, putting up Christmas trees, giving gifts, and sending greeting cards have become traditions even for many non-Christian Americans.
New Year's Day, of course, is January 1. The celebration of this holiday begins the night before, when Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year.
Uniquely American Holidays
Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although some of them have counterparts in other nations). For most Americans, two of these stand out above the others as occasions to cherish national origins: Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.
Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November. The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to practice their dissenting religion without interference.
After a rough winter, in which about half of them died, they turned for help to neighboring Indians, who taught them how to plant corn and other crops. The next fall's bountiful harvest inspired the Pilgrims to give thanks by holding a feast. The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition.To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes some of the foods served at the first feast: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, pumpkin pie. Before the meal begins, families or friends usually pause to give thanks for their blessings, including the joy of being united for the occasion.
The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, honors the nation's birthday - the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks.
Besides Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, there are six other uniquely American holidays: Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day. While not holidays, two other days of the year inspire colorful celebrations in the United States: February 14, Valentine's Day, and October 31, Halloween.
Read more: английский этикет
look the video and name the holidays:
Read more: английский этикет
look the video and name the holidays:
