Text 1 time for reading
Read the text about public holidays in the UK and compare them with the holidays we have in Russia. Are they the same? Do we celebrate them in the same way?
Public holidays in the united kingdom
Public holidays in Britain were introduced in Victorian times as a way of the working classes getting some respite from the grind of unremitting work. Public holidays are now a tradition observed in the countries of the United Kingdom. British people tend to call their public holidays ‘bank holidays’, because these are days on which banks are legally closed. If the bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then the government decree the following Monday as the holiday.
There are several public holidays a year in Great Britain which are the days when people need not go to work. They are: Christmas Day (25th December), Boxing Day (26th December), New Year’s Day, Good Friday*, Easter* Monday (day after Easter), May Day, Spring Bank Holiday (the last Monday in May) and Late Summer Bank Holiday (the last Monday in August).
All the public holidays, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day* observed on December 25th and 26th respectively, are movable that means they do not fall on the same day each year. Shops, museums and other public attractions, such as historic houses and sports centres, may close on certain public holidays, particularly Christmas Day.
Christmas and New Year is the one time that most British people take a real public holiday. The whole nation virtually closes down for two weeks. On bank holidays millions of people get into their cars and head for the coast. Sensible people stay off the roads on public holidays. Tourists need to be aware of them as hotels in resort areas will have no spare rooms if you turn up without a reservation.
Besides public holidays, there are other holidays, for example Pancake Day* and Bonfire Night*, on which certain traditions are observed, but unless they fall on a Sunday, they are ordinary working days.
____________
*Good Friday - Страстная, Великая пятница
*Easter - Пасха (праздник)
*Boxing Day - День подарков, 26 декабря
*Pancake Day - вторник на Масленой неделе
*Bonfire Night - "ночь Гая Фокса"
DID YOU GET IT?
Answer the questions on the text.
Why were public holidays introduced in Britain?
Why do people call public holidays ‘bank’ holidays?
What public holidays are observed on strict dates?
Are public attractions open on bank holidays?
Where do people traditionally spend their bank holidays in spring and summer?
Is Pancake Day a public holiday in Britain?
Words, words, words…
Choose the right word.
1. Public holidays in Britain were introduced in _______________ times.
a) ancient b) Victorian c) recent
2. If the bank holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, the following _____________ is decreed as the holiday.
a) Tuesday b) Friday c) Monday
3. On public holidays people need not to go to _____________.
a) work b) church c) library
4. British call their public holidays ‘bank holidays’ because on these days banks are _______________.
a) open b) closed c) welcome
5. On bank holidays it’s not easy to find a ______________ room at hotels in resort area.
a) spare b) expensive c) tidy
6. Public holidays which don’t fall on the same day each year are called ________________ holidays.
a) uncertain b) bank c) movable
Text 2
CHRISTMAS
QUESTION TIME
Do you know any traditions of celebrating Christmas in other countries? In Britain? In Russia?
Think of
traditional dishes
songs
special ceremonies
usual presents
decorations
special preparations
superstitions
etc.
TIME FOR READING
Read the text and check your answers to the pre-reading questions:
Christmas in Great Britain
In Great Britain the hustle and bustle of the season begins well before Christmas and there is barely anytime for a break until the Twelfth night. The preparation going on of foods, the sending of Christmas cards, the decorating of houses and churches, and the readying of gifts keep everyone busy even the youngest family members.
On Christmas Eve children hang up their stockings on the ends of the beds or by the chimney so that when Father Christmas comes he can leave them presents.
O
n
Christmas morning the family traditionally opens their presents and
prepares for a big feast which typically is served just after midday.
The table gleams with the best china and glassware, and at every
place on the table there is a cracker. The meal begins with a toast,
followed by the popping of the crackers. After the meal they sit down
in front of the television for the traditional Christmas speech of
the British Monarch.
In the afternoon they exchange visits with neighbors and other family members.
Some churches in Great Britain have a Christingle service on the fourth Sunday of Advent. This is a carol service of Scandinavian origin at which every child received an orange and candle wrapped in a red ribbon. The candle represents Jesus and the ribbon stands for the blood of Christ and the love of God embracing the world.
In Britain, children write their letters to Father Christmas and then throw them into the fireplace so they will float up the chimney and fly to the North Pole. If the lists catch fire first, they have to rewrite them.
At Christmas dinner, a plum pudding is served with little treasures hidden inside that bring their finders good luck. Britain was the first country to hang up mistletoe.
*You can find the lyrics of a traditional British Christmas song “The 12 Days of Christmas” in Unit 14. Supplements.