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New Year's Day
On this day people watch the old year out and the New Year in. One of the traditions of the day is the First Footing. The first man to come into the house is very important. The Englishmen believe that he brings luck. This man (not a woman) must be healthy, young, pretty-looking. He brings presents - bread, a piece of coal or a coin. -
Period: to
2013
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St Valentine's Day
Nowadays this is a holiday of all sweethearts. One of the earliest popular symbols of the day is Cupid, the Roman god of Love, who is represented by the image of a young boy with bow and arrow. On this day people buy or make Valentine cards and send them to the people they love. -
St David's Day
Saint David's day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on the 1st of March each year. On this day people usually eat leek broth: the traditional St. David's Day meal. After lunch they dance Welsh dances, sing folk songs and recite Welsh poems. -
Mothers Day
It is the fourth Sunday in Lent. It is customary to visit one's mother on that day. Mother ought to be given a present - tea, flowers or a cake. All the children and adults, come to their mothers on that day to express their love and gratitude. -
Commonwealth Day
Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations held on the second Monday in March, -
St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast. -
Good Friday
In England and Wales, Good Friday is an official public holiday. All schools are closed and most businesses treat it as a holiday for staff; however, many retail stores now remain open.
Some Christians fast (go without food) on Good Friday. This helps them remember the sacrifice Jesus made for them on the day of crucifixion. Some Christians take part in a procession of witness, carrying a cross through the streets and then into church. -
Easter Sunday
Many Christians celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. On this day many churches hold special services. At Easter children eat chocolate Easter eggs. Sometimes parents hide them in the house or in the garden and children have to look for them. Another symbol is the Easter Bunny who brings gifts, toys and candies to children. -
April Fool's Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in many countries on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when people play jokes on each other. -
St George's Day
Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George. It is celebrated by various Christian churches and by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. Saint George's Day is celebrated on 23 April. -
May Day
The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It was an important day in the Middle Ages. In the very early morning, young girls went to the fields and washed their faces with dew. They believed this made them very beautiful for a year after that. Also on this day the young men of each village tried to win prizes with their bows and arrows, and people danced round the maypole. -
The Queen's Official Birthday
The day is marked in London by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour, which is also known as the Queen's Birthday Parade. The list of Birthday Honours is also announced at the time of the Official Birthday celebrations. In British diplomatic missions, the day is treated as the National Day of the United Kingdom. -
Orange Men's Day (Northern Ireland)
Orangemen's Day commemorates the 1690 Protestant victory over Roman Catholic forces in the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland. King William III of Orange, the Protestant King of England, defeated former King James II, a Catholic. In many towns in Northern Ireland, marches or walks are held by organizations with a Protestant orientation.Participants in the walks often wear dark suits, black bowler hats, white gloves and orange V-shaped collarettes. -
Notting Hill Carnival
Around a million people take to the streets of Notting Hill in West London for the Notting Hill Carnival - Europe's biggest carnival. -
Halloween
It is the day or evening before All Saints’ Day. They say ghosts and witches come out on Halloween. People make lanterns out of pumpkins. Some people have Halloween parties and dress as witches and ghosts. -
All Saints Day
Close on the heels of All Hallows’ Eve (Hallowe’en) comes
All Hallows’ Day or Hallowmas; now known as All Saints Day. It’s a Christian festival of remembrance of all saints and martyrs, known and unknown. It has been in the Christian tradition since the 4th century but was celebrated during May. However, it was moved to November 1st during the 8th century and now is celebrated in November. -
Guy Fawkes Night
On the 5th of November in almost every town and village in England one can see fire burning, fireworks, cracking and lighting up the sky, small groups of children pulling round in a homemade cart, a figure that looks something like a man but consists of an old suit of clothes, stuffed with straw. -
Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday in November, is the day traditionally put aside to remember all those who have given their lives for the peace and freedom we enjoy today. On this day people across the nation pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave Service men and women. -
St Andrew's Day
The Scottish flag, or Saltire, is flown on public buildings in Scotland on St Andrew's Day. In the rest of the United Kingdom, the British Union Flag is flown. Some people have a day off work in Scotland. In Edinburgh, there is a week of celebrations, concentrating on musical entertainment and traditional ceilidh dancing. A ceilidh is a social event with couples dancing in circles or sets (groups of eight people). -
Christmas Day
It is one of the people's favourite holidays. People put Christmas trees in their houses and decorate them. There are beautiful Christmas decorations in the streets. On Christmas Eve everybody puts the presents under the Christmas tree. People say that at night Father Christmas puts presents into the stockings which children usually hang above their beds. The traditional Christmas meal is roasted turkey and Christmas pudding. -
Boxing Day
Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor.
