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Обсуждение. Traditions and Customs
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Обсуждение
1 Do you agree with the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'? Do you have a similar saying in your language?
2 What are the 'rules' about greeting people in your country? When do you shake hands? When do you kiss? What about when you say goodbye?
3 Think of one or two examples of bad manners. For example, in Britain it is considered impolite to ask people how much they earn.
4 What advice would you give somebody coming to live and work in your country?
Текст 2
TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain traditions play a more important part in the life of the people than in other countries.
Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. Foreigners coming to England are struck at once by quite a number of customs and peculiarities in English life. Some ceremonies are rather formal, such as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Trooping the Colour, the State opening of Parliament. Sometimes you will see a group of cavalrymen riding on black horses through the streets of London. They wear red uniforms, shining helmets, long black boots and long white gloves. These men are Life Guards. Their special duty is to guard the king or the queen of Great Britain and very important quests of the country.
To this day an English family prefers a house with a fireplace and a garden to a flat in a modern house with central heating. Most English love gardens. Sometimes the garden in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted green in imitation of grass and a box of flowers. They love flowers very much.
The English people like animals very much, too. Pet dogs, cats, horses, ducks, chickens, canaries and other friends of man have a much better life in Britain than anywhere else. In Britain they have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for dogs. In recent years the English began to show love for more “exotic” animals such as crocodiles, elephants, tigers, cobras, camels.
Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday and in Scotland it is not observed at all. But six days later, on New Year’s Eve the Scotts begin to enjoy themselves. All the shops and factories are closed on New Year’s Day. People invite their friends to their houses. Greetings and presents are offered.
A new tradition has been born in Britain. Every year a large number of ancient motor-cars drive from London to Brighton. Some of these veteran cars look very funny. This run from London to Brighton is a colourful demonstration. People are dressed in the clothes of those times. It is not a race, and most of the cars come to Brighton, which is sixty miles from London, only in the evening.
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. What formal ceremonies in England do you know?
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2. Most English love gardens, don’t they?
3. What animals do the English have in their houses?
4. Name the great English national holiday. Is it observed in Scotland?
5. What new tradition has been born in Britain?
Текст 3
THE BRITISH YEAR
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25December: Christmas
In Britain Christmas is the most important public holiday of the year. It combines the custom of giving gifts with the tradition of spending this day with the family. Every year a huge Christmas tree, a gift of Novergian people in thanks for Britains support during the Second World War, graces Trafalgar Square. Christmas is a traditional family reunion day. On this day many people attend a church service, open their presents, eat a Christmas dinner and watch the Sovereign’s annual Christmas broadcast on television.
26December: Boxing Day
Boxing Day comes right after Christmas and is celebrated as a bank holiday in Britain( a " bank" holiday is an official public holiday when all banks, post offices, most factories, offices and shops are closed). It was formerly a custom to give " Christmas boxes", or gifts, or money to servants and tradesman on this day. The custom gave a name to a holiday. This is the day when one visit friends or relatives, goes for a drive or a long walk or just stays at home.
New Year
January 1, New Year's Day is now a public holiday in England. New Year is a big holiday in Scotland. New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay and is an occasion for much joyous and noisy celebration. When the clock strikes 12 people stand in a circle, join hands and sing the famous song " Auld Lang Syne", written by Robert Burns.
25 January: Burns Night
The celebration of the Burns Night is held on the 25-th of January, the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s greatest national poet. It usually takes a form of a supper, at which traditional Scottish dishes are eaten, including haggis, and during which a Scottish piper plays, wearing traditional Highland dress.
14-th of February: St'Valenties Day
February 14 is the day for lovers! Boys and girls, sweetheart and lovers, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, and even the office staff exchange greetings of affection.
1 March: St'Davids Day
St' David is the national saint of Wales and March 1 is the national holiday of Wales. On this day many Welshmen wear either a daffodil or a leek, pinned to their jackets, as both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems of Wales.
17 March: St' Patrick's Day
St' Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. The 17 of March, the church festival of St' Patrick, is regarded as national Day in Northern Ireland.
Pancake Day is the popular name for Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent (the 40 days before Easter). People traditionally eat pancakes on Pancake Day which are made from eggs, flour and milk, fried on both sides in fat on a pan and eaten with lemon juice and sugar. In many towns pancake races are held on Shrove Tuesday in which women run with pancakes. As they run they toss the pancake up and over in the air and catches it again in the pan. It is not at all easy to toss and catch a pancake when running a race!
1 April: April's Fool's Day
This is the funniest Day of the year, when traditionally practical jokes are played. People take them in good part and 1 aught heartily even if some tricks or jokes have made April fools of them.
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23 April: St' Georges Day
St' George is the patron saint of England. It is the church festival of St' George, regarded as England’s national day(also not an official bank holiday). On this day some patriotic Englishmen wear a rose pinned to their, jackets.
Easter is the most important religious festival. It is traditionally associated with Easter eggs and with the coming of spring and most churches are specially decorated with flowers for the services held on Easter Day. In many towns there are funfairs with roundabouts, coconut shies, switchbakers and other amusements. People who live in London can see the Easter Parade in Battersea Park.
May Dav! May is a traditional celebration of coming of spring, when many outdoor events are held, and at which a May Queen may be elected. The girl chosen as the most beautiful on May Day is usually crowed with a garland of flowers and often driven in procession through the streets. Some villages have a maypole. This is the tall pole with ribbons hanging from the top. Children dance round it, holding the ribbons.
Trooping the colour takes place every June as a part of a 200-year-old ceremony to mark the official birthday of the monarch. Trooping the Colour is an impressive military dicplay held at Horse Guard Parade, a huge open space behind Whitehall where the various Royal units troop their regimental flag to the tune of marching music and thundering drums. The military taken part are the Household Cavalry and Brigade of Guards, dressed in ceremonial uniforms. They march past hte Queen, dipping their Colours in salute. The ceremony ends with the Queen returning to Buckingham Palace at the Head of the Guards.
Remembarance Day Poppy Day is observed throughout Britain on the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day. On this day the fallen in both world wars are remembered in special chore services and civic ceremonies, the chief of which is the laying of wreaths at the Cenotaph, London, by members of the Royal family in the presence of leading statesman and politicians. On and just before that day artificial poppies, a symbol of mourning are traditionally sold in the streets everywhere, and people wear them in memory of those who fall in the wars.
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