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British Holidays
It may seem strange, but in Britain more holidays than in many other countries. Some of them are public holidays. In England and Wales currently only five holidays (New Year, Easter Monday, in spring and late summer, Boxing Day), they are also common to have two holidays (Good Friday and Christmas Day). In Scotland and Northern Ireland, they have six holidays, as well as two other public holiday. Dates of the holidays are set annually.
Public and Bank Holidays England and Wales
New Year's Day 1 Jan
Holiday 2 Jan
Good Friday 14 Apr
Easter Monday 17 Apr
May Day holiday lMay
Spring holiday 29 May
Late Summer Holiday 28 Aug
Christmas Day 25 Dec
Boxing Day 26 Dec
Religious festivals
Christian Festivals
Ash Wednesday 1 Mar
Palm Sunday 9 Apr
Good Friday 14 Apr
EasterDay 16Apr
Ascension Day25 May
Whit Sunday 4Jun
Trinity Sunday 11Jun
Advent Sunday 3Dec
Christmas Day25Dec
Notable Dates
St. Andrew's Day (Scotland) 30 Nov
St. David's Day (Wales) 1 Mar
St.George's Day (England) 23 Apr
St Patrick's Day (Ireland) 17 Mar
Pancake Day 28 Feb
Halloween 31 Oct
Mothering Sunday 26 Mar
Father's Day 18 Jun
British Summer Time begins 26 Mar
British Summer Time ends 29 Oct
Remembrance Sunday 12 Nov
January, 1. New Year's Day
It is a bank holiday though many Britons do not celebrate on New Year's Eve. In Scotland New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay and is an occasion for joyous celebrations. In London Scottish people gather on steps of St. Paul's Cathedral and sing "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight.
February', 14, St. Valentine's Day
February 14th is the day on which young lovers in England send each other anonymous Valentines—bright, lacy, colourful cards, with loving emblems and amorous doggerel. The shops are full of these cards.
The message the Valentine conveys is simple. Love's message has always been so. Here are some examples'.
February the fourteenth day,
It's Valentine, they say,
I choose you from among the rest,
The reason was I loved you best.
Sure as the grape grows on the vine,
So sure you are my Valentine.
The rose is red, the violet blue,
Lilies are fair and so are you.
Round is the ring that has no end,
So is my love for you, my friend,
Again do take this in good part,
Along with it you have my heart.
But if you do the same refuse,
Pray burn this paper and me excuse.
Pancake Races on Shrove Tuesday
In England, Shrove Tuesday is the day for pancakes. At home, families have pancakes to dinner. At school, the children and teachers have pancakes for school dinner, and in restaurants customers often ask for pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
Everyone knows that pancakes are delicious to eat, but do you know that in England, on Shrove Tuesday, people race with them, fight for them? At Westminster School, in London, the boys have pancakes for dinner on Shrove Tuesday. But before dinner there is the pancake fight. The school cook tosses a pancake high into the air. The boys (one from each class) fight for the pancake. The winner of the fight is the boy who gets the biggest piece of pancake. He wins a guinea (£1.05). And the boys who don't win? Well, at least they get a pancake for dinner!
April. 3. Easter
The word Easter owes its name and many of its customs to a pageant festival hold eostre which is the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring time. Every spring European peoples celebrated the festival to honour the awakening of new life in nature.
Christians related the rising of the sun to the resurrection of Jesus and their old spiritual rebirth. This "holy" day is celebrated in many countries of the world.
Egg-rolling is a traditional Easter pastime which still flourishes in northern England, Scotland, Ulster, the Isle of Man, and Switzerland. It takes place on Easter Sunday or Monday, and consists of rolling coloured, hard-boiled eggs down a slope until they are cracked and broken after which they are eaten by their owners. In some districts, this is a competitive game, the winner being the player whose egg remains longest undamaged, but more usually, the fun consists simply of the rolling and eating.
Spring and Summer Bank Holidays
The Summer Bank Holiday is the most popular holiday, because it comes at a time when children are not at school. Many families try to go away to the seaside or the country as they may indeed have done at Easter or in spring.
Merry England and London May Queen Festival
Visitors from many parts of the world are among the thousands of people who gather on the Common at Hayes, near Bromley, Kent, to witness the crowning of London's May Queen. It is the largest May Queen Festival in Britain and over a thousand children take part. The date is the second Saturday in May. The procession forms up in the village about 1.30 p.m. and makes its way to the common by way of the village church. The actual crowning takes place about 3 p.m. As many as forty May Queens from different parts of the country are present and with their attendants present a colourful spectacle. Their dresses are
beautifully made, with a distinctive colour scheme for almost all the different "Realms". The Festival has been held since 1880.
The Fifth of November—Guy Fawkes Day
There is a special day in England which is called Guy Fawkes Day. On the fifth of November every year English boys and girls carry funny figures about the streets. These figures are made of straw and dressed in an old coat and a hat, with a mask for a face. The children knock at the doors and sing; "Remember, remember,
The fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot.
I don't see no reason Why Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot."
The children expect people to give them some money which is spent on fireworks. In the evening a bonfire is made, and the figures are burnt on it. Each of the figures is called Guy Fawkes. You want to know, of course, who Guy Fawkes was and what he did.
On November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes and some other people planned to blow up the English Parliament. The plot was discovered and Guy Fawkes was hanged. At the moment of his arrest he wore a mask on his face.
So ever since, as November 5th approaches, children let off fireworks and burn straw figures on a big bonfire.
November. 11, Remembrance Day
This day is observed throughout the Commonwealth and dates back to November 11, 1918 when all fighting in the First World War ended. It now commemorates British soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives in the two World Wars. Special services are held and wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph, a war memorial at Whitehall, where thousands of Londoners observe the two-minute silence and participate in the remembrance ceremony. Similar ceremonies are held throughout the country.
December. 25. Christmas
In England Christmas is the most important of all the bank holidays of the year. It is celebrated much the same way as in the United States of America. On December 26, the Boxing Day, traditionally people give each other Christmas presents, which used to come in boxes. It is a very pleasant custom indeed.
Christmas Day, December 25th, is probably the most exciting day of the year for most English children. They know that they will get presents, just as they do on their birthdays, but on Christmas Day most of them will also see what their brothers and sisters have received. They also have the pleasure of giving presents, which is often as satisfying as receiving them.
Traditionally, English children hang a stocking at the end of the bed on Christmas Eve. In the morning they check whether the stocking has been filled with small toys, fruit and sweets. Larger toys will be nearby.
The morning will be spent playing with new toys, then comes lunch, often with the turkey or goose as the main dish. Afterwards there is Christmas pudding to be eaten. Usually a coin or two will have been hidden inside it, and part of the fun is to see who finds it. No doubt English hospitals receive urgent telephone calls every year from parents whose children noticed the coins only as they were swallowing them.
Stress and Anger (Стресс и Гнев)
Every day you read in newspapers, books and magazines that it is important to avoid stress. Stress can kill, they say. Stay calm. Be relaxed. Slow down. Don’t worry so much and don’t work so hard. Unfortunately, this is difficult. There are always money problems and family problems. Our cities are full of traffic and noise. Stressful situations seem to be everywhere.
When people are under stress they react in different ways. Some people find it difficult to stay calm and often become tense. Little things, like a baby crying, can make them irritated. They get very annoyed if they have to wait just a few minutes too long in a shop or a restaurant. These people are usually very moody. One minute they are fine and the next they can be really angry – absolutely furious. Other people seem to stay calm almost all the time, and rarely get angry. For example, if they are caught in bad traffic, they don’t get frustrated. They sit calmly in their cars, telling themselves that there is nothing they can do about the situation. These people are not moody at all. They don’t change from moment to moment, but always seem to be in control of their emotions.
Some doctors give names to these two personality types: Type A and Type B people. Type A work very hard, worry a lot, and are often bad-tempered. Type Bs are the opposite. They don’t worry. Work’s not so important to them and they don’t get angry easily. They like to relax a lot and have fun. The doctors say it is better for your health and heart if you are a Type B person.
Перевод
Стресс и Гнев
Каждый день Вы читаете в газетах, книгах и журналах, что важно избежать стресса. Говорят, стресс может убить. Успокойтесь. Расслабьтесь. Притормозите. Не волнуйтесь так много, и не работайте столь усердно. К сожалению, это трудно. Есть всегда денежные проблемы и проблемы в семье. Наши города полны дорожного движения и шума. Стрессовые ситуации, кажется, всюду.
Когда люди находятся в состоянии стресса, они реагируют различными способами. Некоторые находят трудным оставаться спокойными и часто бывают напряженным. Мелочи, подобно крику ребенка, могут сделать их раздраженными. Они очень раздражаются, если должны подождать всего на несколько минут дольше в магазине или ресторане. Эти люди обычно очень капризны. В одну минуту они веселы, а в следующую могут быть действительно рассерженными - абсолютно разъяренными. Другие люди, кажется, остаются спокойный почти все время, и редко злятся. Например, если они попадают в пробку, они не расстраиваются. Они сидят спокойно в своих автомобилях, говоря себе, что они ничего не могут сделать в данной ситуации. Эти люди не капризны вообще. Они не меняются через секунду, и всегда кажется, что они контролируют свои эмоции.
Некоторые доктора дали названия этим двум типам личности: тип А и тип B. Люди типа А усердно работают, много волнуются и часто злятся. Люди типа В - противоположны. Они не волнуются. Работа не столь важна для них и их нелегко рассердить. Они любят расслабляться и веселиться забаву. Доктора говорят, что для вашего здоровья и сердца лучше, если Вы - человек Типа B.
Advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city, in a small town and in the country The city is the place where all industrial cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. People try to live in cities because all necessary objects are situated nearby. For example if you get ill a hospital or a chemist’s shop will be situated near your home in the city, and if you live in the country it will be hard to find any medical help very quickly. Besides in big cities you can find all sorts of entertainment such as cinemas, clubs, parks and so on. Many people like to spend their free time there because it helps them to relax and brings them a lot of pleasure. It is really convenient that everything you need in your everyday life is situated near you. One of the most important comforts of big cities is that you can get everywhere you like very fast either by underground or by bus or trolley bus.
In big cities there is electricity therefore you can use electrical devices such as TV sets, computers, radio, microwave ovens, refrigerators and so on. One more thing, without which it would be impossible to live today, is the telephone and where there is a telephone there is also Internet. The connection is very important for people and we’ve got used to it so without telephone we feel uncomfortable and lonely.
Yes, it is really comfortable, and at first glance everything is good but nowadays in big cities there is a great amount of cars and factories. Big cities suffer from overpopulation, dirty air and water, the streets are noisy and after hard working day people cannot relax. People try to do everything to go to the countryside because only there they can find quietness. Every holiday and every weekend people try to leave their houses and go to the country. The ecological conditions in towns are very bad because there are a lot of industrial objects there.
As for me I prefer to live in a big city because a lot of big shops are situated near my home, but I also like to spend my holidays in the country because after living in the city for about 9 months I start getting tired.
Travelling by air and by train
It is very interesting to travel. You can see other countries, continents; you get acquainted with other people, their traditions and customs. You can travel by car, by train, by air, by sea. If you like to see the nature, enjoy the process of travelling and have a route it will be easier if you travel by car. Travelling by train is usually chosen by people who have enough time to get from one place to another. Travelling by air usually preferred by people who haven’t got much time and want to get to another city, country or continent as quickly as possible. Nowadays there are a lot of businessmen who have to communicate with people from other countries. Every day they must sign a lot of contracts. Sometimes they have to sign several contracts within one day, for example in France and in Spain. And if there are no planes it will be impossible. Each of us has a lot of relatives and friends. Some of them
live in other countries. For example you live in Russia, Moscow and you have some relatives in France or in Britain. You certainly can get to GB by train or by sea but it will take you a lot of time. It would be easier if you choose a plane. Imagine that something has happened to your friends and you are needed immediately. The plane will help you in such a case.
Nowadays we try to use fast means of travelling such as a modern high-speed railways and planes. As for trains there are railway stations, for planes there are airports. In every airport there are some formalities without which you cannot come or leave the country. First it is Customs. Every country has it’s regulations. Then you are given luggage tags and boarding passes. The last is the Passport control. When you decide to travel by air you can buy first and economy class tickets. “First” class is more comfortable than “economy” and it is always more expensive. In spite of first class tickets being very expensive they have some advantages over economy. At first it’s more comfortable seats. The dinner is much better then in economy class, and if you have bought a first class ticket you can have 30 kg luggage free of charge. Also you have a private emergency exit for the first class passages only. You have one more advantage: you can take any drinks free. Although flying by plane is very fast it has some inconveniences. It is difference between the time you are accustomed to and the new time. At first you won’t be very well because of it, but don’t worry – it won’t take you long to get used to it. On the whole to travel by planes is pleasant and convenient
Hobbies
People live a very busy life nowadays, so they have little time to spare. Still they try their best to make use of those rare hours of leisure. A hobby is a favorite pastime of a person.
Hobbies differ like tastes. People choose their hobbies according to their taste and character. Someone likes simply to watch TV, lying on a sofa, when someone climbs to the mountains.
If you have chosen a hobby to your liking, lucky you are: you have made your life more interesting. But many people have nothing to do during their spare time, though there are many different hobbies: reading, collecting, going in for sports, traveling and others.
If a person collects something, he does it according to his financial abilities: someone collects cars or pictures of world-known painters, while another one collects beer cans or stamps. But no matter what they collect, it gives them pleasure. Many collections started in a small way with one or two items. Some private collections are really valuable.
No matter what kind of hobby a person has, he always has an opportunity of learning
from it.
Some young people find it a pleasure to go to the theatre. The theatre is one of the most ancient kinds of art. For centuries people have come to the theatre for the different aims: to relax, to be amazed or entertained, to have a good laugh, to enjoy the acting of their favorite actors and actresses.
Modern life is impossible without traveling. Many people travel by rail, by air, by sea or by road for pleasure.