Traditions and holidays of the uk

I. Read the following words and word combinations paying attention to their pronunciation:

annual gift to fall in love with sign guess pancake to throw to celebrate chocolate Easter eggs bun brightly ghost witch particularly to connect to pretend strange recent sheet to knock trick treat to spill carol to glitter to wrap up turkey spectator Event

ежегодный подарок влюбляться подписывать угадывать блин бросать праздновать шоколадные пасхальные яйца сладкая булочка ярко призрак ведьма особенно соединять, связывать притворяться, делать вид странный настоящий, современный простыня стучаться обман, фокус, хитрость, взятка угощение просыпать пасхальное песнопение сверкать заворачивать индейка зритель событие

II. Read and translate the text: Traditions and Holidays of the uk

It may seem surprising but the British have fewer holidays than many other countries. Some of them are named Bank Holidays due to the fact that on those days banks are closed. The particular dates of the bank holidays are fixed annually.

New Year's Day is a bank holiday though many Britons do not celebrate New Year’s Eve. The Christmas tree is an annual gift from Norway. That Day people traditionally take a shower in the fountains in Trafalgar Square! In Scotland New Year is a occation for joyous celebration.

On February 14, St. Valentine's Day, many people send a card to the one they love or someone whom they have fallen in love with. People usually do not sign these cards and a lot of time is spent trying to guess who has sent them!

Easter

At Easter time, the British celebrate the idea of new birth by giving each other chocolate Easter eggs which are opened and eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday is a holiday and many people travel to the seaside for the day or go and watch one of the many sporting events, such as football or horse-racing.

May is here

As summer comes, Britain likes to celebrate the end of the harsh winter months on May, 1 welcoming the beginning of Summer, and optimistically look forward to the bright and productive months. At school children may dance traditional spring dances such as the Maypole, when they weave their brightly coloured scarves into a beautiful pattern around a long pole.

Ghosts and witches

Halloween means 'holy evening', and takes place on October 31. This festival is particularly connected with witches and ghosts.

At parties people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are witches. They cut horrible faces in pumpkins and other vegetables and put a candle inside, which shines through the eyes. People may play different games such as trying to eat an apple from a bucket of water without using their hands.

In recent years children dressed in white sheets knock on doors at Halloween and ask you if you would like a 'trick' or 'treat'. If you give them something nice, a 'treat', they go away. However, if you don't, they play a 'trick' on you, such as making a lot of noise or spilling flour on your front doorstep!

Christmas

For most British families this is the most important festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter.

On Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung.

Most families decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room, glittering with coloured lights and decorations.

One of the most main traditions of this festival is the giving of presents. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning.

At some time on Christmas Day the families will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding. In this day Queen delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

December 26 is also a public holiday, Boxing Day (the first weekday after Cristmas Day, the day of giving small Cristmas presents/money to emploees, postmen, milkmen, etc), and this is the time to visit friends and relatives or to be a spectator at one of the many sporting events.

Pancake Day

On Pancake Tuesday, they eat lots of pancakes. These are made of flour, milk and eggs, and fried in a hot pan.

Some towns also hold pancake races on that day. People run through the streets holding a frying pan and throwing the pancake in the air. Of course if they drop the pancake, they lose the race!

Read, make and serve your friends!!!