XIII. Read the following, paying particular attention to the pronunciation of the letters and combinations of letters in bold type.

Holidays in the United Kingdom

• January, 1 - New Year's Day

• January, 5 - Twefth Night. Christmas decorations should be removed so as not to bring bad luck upon the home.

• February, 1 - Candlemas Day. For the early Christians in Europe it was the custom to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the darkness of winter. A lighted candle was placed in each window.

• February, 14 - Valentine's Day. Just as in many other countries, people in Britain express love for their beloved on this day by presenting them flowers, cards, chocolates and other special gifts. Unmarried girls in Britain and Italy used to wake up before sunrise on Valentine's Day. They believed that the first man they see on Valentine's Day or someone who looks like him would marry them within a year. Girls, therefore, used to wake up early to stand by their window and wait for the man to pass.

• March - Shrove Tuesday is known as Pancake Day. People make and eat foods such as sugar, fat and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the Lent. It was considered a last feast before the lent.

• March- April - Lent, Easter. The period of Great Lent and Paskha (Easter) begin with Forgiveness Sunday, when we ask forgiveness from all and forgive everybody. Great Lent is the time of correction, spiritual and physical restrictions, and Paskha (Easter) is the celebration of the true faith.

• April, 1 - April Fool's Day. The history of April Fool's Day is uncertain, but the current thinking is that it began around 1582 in France with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX. Communication traveled slowly in those days and some people were only informed of the change several years later. Still others, who were more rebellious refused to acknowledge the change and continued to celebrate on the last day of the former celebration, April 1. These people were labeled "fools" and were sent invitations to nonexistent parties and had other practical jokes played upon them.

• May, 1 - May Day. Traditional English May Day celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole. Although summer does not officially begin until June, May Day marks its beginning. May Day celebrations have been carried out in England for over 2000 years.

• September - Harvest Festival. Harvest it is a celebration of the food grown on the land. It is one of the oldest known festivals. The tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches decorating them with home-grown production began in 1843.

• October, 31- Halloween. Halloween is also called All Saints’ Eve. It has ancient roots in the polytheistic Celtic harvest festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, ghost tours, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

• November, 5 - Bonfire Night. People burn a dummy, made of straw and old clothes, on a bonfire and let off fireworks. This dummy is called a "guy" (like Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I, but he was caught and his head was cut off.)

• November, 11- Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day dates back to November 11, 1918 when all fighting in the First World War ended. It now commemorates British soldiers, sailors and airmen who gave their lives in the two world wars.

• December, 25 - Christmas.

• December, 26 - Boxing Day. Boxing Day is so called because on this day it was the customary for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes or gifts in return for good service throughout the year. Also, it included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, and the needy.

Holidays in Russia