Introduction:
Many of
festivals are connected with religions
Christianity:
Christmas celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Easter celebrate death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, All Souls’ Day
Independence
day, 28th October, 1st May, Jan Hus Day, End of the WW
II. – 8th May
The end of
the Year, Birthday of the head of the state
Birthday –
all family is together, the honoured person becomes presents and flowers, children
often give parties for friends
Name day –
only small celebrations, small gifts or just congratulations
Wedding
anniversary
International
Teachers’
day, Children’s day, Mothers’ day
Bank
holiday (state)
1st
May; 6th July; 28th October
Important
days 17th November
1st January - New Year’s Day
14th February - St. Valentine’s Day
28th March - Teacher’s Day
March/April – Easter
Boys have
stock whips, water and some sprays and they goes from house to house and hit
girls with stock whips, pour water on them and they usually become painted
eggs, sweets, chocolates
1st April - Fool’s Day
1st May - The Day of Work
The day of
Work and workers, they do not go to work, they have holiday. In 1889
Communistic International said that 1st May is the day of workers
and since then it is still celebrated.
5th May - May’s rising of Czech
nation
8th May - The end of WW II.
The forces
of Alliance came in Prague and beat Germany in Czechoslovakia
The Second Sunday in May - Mother’s Day
1st June - Children’s Day
5th June - The Day of Constantine
and Method
6th June - The Day of Jan Hus
Jan Hus had
been burned in 1415.
28th October – The Independence of
The State of Czechoslovakia
Austria-Hungary
had been beaten on 27th October 1981.
17th November - Day of Students’
fight for freedom
24th December - Christmas
31st December – New Year’s Eve
Big
celebrations, till the morning, at 24 o’clock New Year’s Toast, fireworks, with
family or with friends
We dress a
Christmas Tree one or two days before. Sometimes we have live tree, but
sometimes we have plastic one. We usually put glass baubles, silver chains
(tinsel) and colour lights on it. We also decorate our house with Christmas
decorations and tree branches. On a Christmas Day we eat breakfast together.
This breakfast consist from a Christmas Cake and anything to drink. We have to
eat a lot because we don’t eat whole day, just fruits. Then we usually watch TV
or just do nothing while my mother is preparing dinner. When it gets dark we
practise some Christmas traditions. We for example cut an apple and when there
is a star we will be happy. We make small ships from walnuts and candles and
sail with them in a bath and my sister throws a shoe over her head. Then we
have a dinner. Fried carps, potato salad, pea soup and anything to drink. Then
we put all the dishes into a dishwasher and go to living room to see
presents. Than my sister plays the
piano and we sing carols. After that we go to see our grandma and stay there
till night and drink and eat biscuits. Next day we go to see our second grandma
and there is usually whole our family and we celebrate together.
New Year’s Day – 1st January
· it is a day of new resolution
· in USA it is a day of shopping because there are New Year’s sales everywhere around
Valentine’s Day – 14th February
·
the day of love and lovers
· people try to express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards
· cards usually have a lots of red
hearts and pink flowers on the cover and a romantic message inside
Mother’s Day - Second Sunday in March
St. Patrick’s Day – 17th March
· this festival come to the USA from
Ireland
· everything turns green on this day
– green food, green clothes
· millions of three-leafed shamrocks
(representing the Holy Trinity) are used for decorations
· in some places there are parades
Easter – March/April
· recall the events leading to Jesus
Christ’s death and resurrection
· Palm Sunday – first day of Holy Week
- many churches spend this Sunday remembering and celebrating Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. He was greeted by crowds of people waving branches of palm trees and celebrating
his arrival.
- today many churches are decorated by palm branches to remember this event
· Maunday Thursday – remember the
Last Supper – the last meal of Jesus
- also on
this day all decorations are removed from the alter in the church
· Good Friday – the most solem day of
Holy Week
- commemorate the crucifiction of Jesus
Christ by the leadres of Jerusalem
- the songs and mood
of the service reflect the sadness believers feel for the death of Jesus Christ
- many Christianist
hold a lent (eat little or no food)
· Easter Monday – Americans celebrate
only Easter Sunday, there is no Easter Monday
- this cheerful
Monday is a sharp contrast to Good Friday
- it is a joyous celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from death
- churches are
decorated with colorful banners and Eastr lilies
· eggs, rabbits and chicks are three
symbols of new life, fertility and Spring
· the Easter version of Santa Claus
is Easter Bunny – he brings colored eggs, candy and chocholate eggs and rabbits
to the children
· in our country boys go from house
to house and whips girls with a willow canes, then boys get some sweets.
If girl was
whipped on Easter, she would be health all next year.
· It commemorates the signing of the
Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which was the official founding of
the United States of America
· people are dressed in national
colours, houses are decorated by national flags
· in every town (even the smaller
ones) there are parades. Sometimes the military join in, too.
· every town organizes the fireworks
displays. People also set off their own fireworks.
Halloween – 31st October
· Halloween = Eve of all hallows
· Children go from house to house in
costumes (often dressed as ghosts, skeletons, animals or fairy tale heroes) and
say “Trick or treat!”
- If the neighbour says
“Trick”, the children play a trick
- But people usually says
“Treat”- then gives the children sweets or some even money
· people decorates their houses with
spiders webs, coffins, bats and pumpkins
· pumpkins have a cut out faces and
people put the candles into them
(pumpkins called “jack-o’-lantern”)
· In 1606 in London a man called Sir
Guy Fawkes plotted to blow up King James I. and the Houses of Parliament. The
plot called “The gunpowder Plot” was discovered on 4th November and
Guy Fawkws and his friends were executed on 5th November.
· Sience then every 5th
November the British people let of fireworks, light bonfires and burn a “guy”.
· Guy is a large doll, made of straw.
Children put old clothes and funny masks on the doll. Then they go into the
streets and say “penny for the Guy, please”. When they have enough money, they
buy lots of fireworks.
· it remembers the end of the 1. world war
· symbol is poppy – it symbolized a blood in a bettlefiled
· the money from poppys goes to war veterans
· people hold a 2-minutes silence to commemorate a victims of war
· the queen lays a wreath at the
Cenotaph in Whitehall (London)
Thanksgiving Day – the last Thursday in November
· 1620 – the first pernament settlers
in the USA – named Pilgrim Fathers were puritans and were persecuted from
England, came to the USA and started to built a new settlement, very
hardworking people
· The first winter was for them,
terrible half of them died, but with helping of the Indians the second year was
better and they had got a very good harvest – big celebration, since 1621
Americans celebrate Thanksginving Day
· In modern times it is the day when
whole families get together and enjoy themselves and enjoy good food.
Christmas –25th December
· there is Christmas Eve on December
24 in the USA, but people get their presents on December 25 in the morning
· it’s day when Jesus Christ was born
· a lot of people decorete trees with
colourful ornaments, cupping-glass, sweets, silver chains and lights
· streets, shops and important
buildings are also decorated, there are often carol singers of the streets
· the tradicional food in Britain is
roast turkey with stuffing, roast potatoes, vegetable and sauces and Christmas
pudding for desert
· in the Britain the presents give
Father Christmas (live in Lapland), in the USA Santa Claus (live in North pole)
New Year’s Eve – 31st December
· this day everyone waiting fot the
end of the old year
· there is a lot of fireworks in our
country