British
Traditions and Customs
British
nation is considered to be the most conservative in Europe. It is not a secret
that every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In
Great Britain people attach greater importance to traditions and customs than
in other European countries. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and
carefully keep them up. The best examples are their queen, money system, their
weights and measures.
There
are many customs and some of them are very old. There is, for example, the
Marble Championship, where the British Champion is crowned; he wins a silver
cup known among folk dancers as Morris Dancing. Morris Dancing is an event
where people, worn in beautiful clothes with ribbons and bells, dance with handkerchiefs
or big sticks in their hands, while traditional music- sounds.
Another
example is the Boat Race, which takes place on the river Thames, often on
Easter Sunday. A boat with a team from Oxford University and one with a team
from Cambridge University hold a race.
British
people think that the Grand National horse race is the most exciting horse race
in the world. It takes place near Liverpool every year. Sometimes it happens
the same day as the Boat Race takes place, sometimes a week later. Amateur
riders as well as professional jockeys can participate. It is a very famous
event.
There
are many celebrations in May, especially in the countryside.
Halloween
is a day on which many children dress up in unusual costumes. In fact, this
holiday has a Celtic origin. The day was originally called All Halloween's Eve,
because it happens on October 31, the eve of all Saint's Day. The name was
later shortened to Halloween. The Celts celebrated the coming of New Year on
that day.
Another
tradition is the holiday called Bonfire Night.
On
November 5,1605, a man called Guy Fawkes planned to blow up the Houses of
Parliament where the king James 1st was to open Parliament on that day. But Guy
Fawkes was unable to realize his plan and was caught and later, hanged. The British
still remember that Guy Fawkes' Night. It is another name for this holiday.
This day one can see children with figures, made of sacks and straw and dressed
in old clothes. On November 5th, children put their figures on the bonfire,
burn them, and light their fireworks.
In
the end of the year, there is the most famous New Year celebration. In London,
many people go to Trafalgar Square on New Year's Eve. There is singing and
dancing at 12 o'clock on December 31st.
A
popular Scottish event is the Edinburgh Festival of music and drama, which
takes place every year. A truly Welsh event is the Eisteddfod, a national
festival of traditional poetry and music, with a competition for the best new
poem in Welsh.
If
we look at English weights and measures, we can be convinced that the British
are very conservative people. They do not use the internationally accepted
measurements. They have conserved their old measures. There are nine essential
measures. For general use, the smallest weight is one ounce, then 16 ounce is
equal to a pound. Fourteen pounds is one stone.
The
English always give people's weight in pounds and stones. Liquids they measure
in pints, quarts and gallons. There are two pints in a quart and four quarts or
eight pints are in one gallon. For length, they have inches» foot, yards and
miles.
If
we have always been used to the metric system therefore the English monetary
system could be found rather difficult for us. They have a pound sterling,
which is divided into twenty shillings, half-crown is cost two shillings and
sixpence, shilling is worth twelve pennies and one penny could be changed by
two half
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