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     The plot centered around five conspirators, Robert Catesby, Thomas Winter, Thomas Percy, John Wright, and Guy (or Guido) Fawkes, later joined by Robert Keyes, who were determined to blow up of the House of Lords in 1605. The detonation was to take place on State Opening day, when the King, Lords, and Commons would all be present in the Lords Chamber.

     There is no doubt that Fawkes, though remembered wrongly as the principal conspirator, was in fact a minor cog in the wheel. Born in 1570 in York, he was brought up as a Protestant. In 1593, he enlisted as a mercenary in the Spanish Army in the Netherlands - he became a Catholic shortly before that date. He was at the capture of Calais in 1595, where he apparently distinguished himself greatly. He may have been chosen for his skills when it was planned to tunnel under the House, and it was an advantage that, having been abroad for some time, he was not known in London.

     The plot was discovered, in the official version, through an anonymous letter to Lord Monteagle, a Catholic, warning him not to attend the State Opening. Whether the letter was genuine or a forgery is uncertain. In any event, on November 4 an initial search was made of Parliament. The cellar was thoroughly searched at midnight and Fawkes found with the gunpowder. He was then arrested.

     All the conspirators (except Robert Winter) were killed or arrested by November 12 and taken to the Tower of London. They were probably subjected to extensive torture, which formed part of the punishment for treason at the time. Fawkes and the other conspirators who remained alive were tried for high treason and were convicted and sentenced to death. The executions included hanging, drawing and quartering. The heads and other portions of the conspirators' bodies were set up at various points around Westminster and London.

     The Houses of Parliament are still searched by the Yeomen of the Guard just before the State Opening to ensure no latter-day Fawkes is concealed in the cellars, though this is retained as a picturesque custom rather than a serious

     Though not a UK National Holiday Bonfire Night is a deep seated tradition and is marked by public and private fireworks displays and huge public bonfires all over the UK. In fact, many people say that November 5th, Bonfire Night, is the smokiest night in the realm.

     Many people light bonfires and set off fireworks. As it is the end of autumn, it is the ideal opportunity to burn garden rubbish. Some light small bonfires in their own gardens, while other light larger ones in a communal space. In some towns and cities, the municipality organizes a bonfire and professional firework display in a park. These tend to be very popular. Due to its proximity to Halloween, many people organize a combined party for Guy Fawkes Night and Halloween. These parties often include elements from both festivals, such as a bonfire and dressing up in spooky outfits. Popular foods include toffee apples, bonfire toffee and potatoes baked in the ashes of the fire. Guy Fawkes, a Catholic, was arrested, tortured and executed for his part in the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Hence many Catholics are more restrained in their celebration of this day. In addition, many injuries and even deaths occur as a result of fireworks being used incorrectly. For this reason, many safety campaigners call for the sale of fireworks to the public to be restricted even more than at present and for more professional displays to be organized.

 

 

     In conclusion I'd like to say that many festivals and holidays in Britain are centuries old. Every town, village and hamlet in Britain has its own traditions, some involving months of careful planning and preparations of costumes and choreography, others requiring simply a worrying desire to make a complete and utter fool of oneself. New Year's Day is the first day of the year. In Scotland, people celebrate with a lively festival called Hogmanay. All over Britain there are parties, fireworks, singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the new. As the clock - Big Ben - strikes midnight, people link arms and sing a song called Auld Lang Syne. It is a time for looking forward and wishing for a good year ahead. Valentine's Day is the traditional day on which people express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. 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 is said to be a time of love and romance. It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. On October 31st, English people celebrate Halloween, thought to be the one night of the year when ghosts, witches, and fairies are especially active. Besides public holidays there are some special holidays in Britain. One of them takes place on the 5 of November. On that day in 1605 Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the House of Parliament and kill a King James the first. But he didn't succeed. The King's man found the bomb and took Guy Fawkes to the tower. Since what day the British celebrate the 5 of November. Finally I can say British customs and  traditions are known all the world. From Scotland to Cornwall, Britain is full of customs and traditions. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they are all interesting.

 

 

     3 RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

 

 

      3.1 Christmas

 

 

     Christmas Day, December 25, is probably the most popular holiday in Great Britain. It is a family holiday. Traditionally all relatives and friends give each other presents. So, before Christmas all the department stores and shops are crowded, everybody is choosing a present.

     In general, people get prepared for this holiday very carefully. They decorate their houses in the traditional way. Christmas trees are set up in houses, in the streets and churches. They are always decorated with fairy lights, angels and small toys. In addition, little packets with nuts, candies and special biscuits are hung on the tree. Presents are put around the tree and artificial «frost» is scattered over the branches.

     The Germans are believed to be the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations and Martin Luther was the first to place a star on the top of the tree. This star represents the star appeared over the stable in which Christ was born.

     In Great Britain, the Christmas tree became popular while Queen Victoria ruled the country.

     Besides the Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe are used to decorate the house. Branches of holly are put up behind pictures and mistletoe is hung over doors, so the young people have a chance to kiss the girls under it, plucking each time a red berry from the mistletoe. It is said that the girl who was not kissed under it at Christmas would not get married that year.

     In England less emphasis is placed on Christmas Eve than in other countries, much more is made of Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Carol singing, midnight church services and going out to the pub are some of the activities that many families enjoy (sometimes all three activities can be combined into one fun night out!).

     Night time on Christmas Eve though is a very exciting time for young children. It is the time when Santa or Father Christmas comes. They hang up their stockings and go to sleep. Santa and his elves make all the toys for Christmas in his home in Greenland. On Christmas Eve he piles all of the toys onto his sleigh and rides across the sky with his 9 reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or it may be Donder), Blitzen and of course Rudolf!). The most famous one is Rudolf who is always the one at the front, to lead the way with his red nose. In the morning when the children wake up they open their stocking presents. Traditionally on Christmas Eve mince pies and sherry (or milk) are left out for Santa and nowadays carrots are left for his reindeer. Most children are in bed way before midnight waiting for Santa to visit.

     Santa Claus got his name from a man known as St. Nicolas, who lived in the fourth century. He gave his wealth to the poor and often to children. After he died, the Dutch brought this legend to colonial America. Soon the Dutch name Sinter Klaus became Santa Claus.

 

     Carol singing is an essential part of Christmas. No church or school is without its carol service. Carols may be traditional or with some variations that express different feelings. Carols were used for the first time during Christmas in the fifteenth century.

     Usually children come around in the evening to the front doors and start singing carols and people who live in these houses give children candies, nuts, pies and so on, to thank them for carol singing.

     A typical Christmas lunch includes turkey with cranberry sauce and pudding. Every young woman in each household helps to stir the Christmas pudding, if she wishes to be married that year. Usually a coin or two are hidden inside the pudding and part of the fun is to see who finds it.

     After the lunch they go to the sitting room to listen to the Christmas speech of the Queen, shown on TV. On Christmas Day at 3.00 in the afternoon, the Queen makes

 a speech on radio and TV. It is ten minutes long. In it Queen talks to the people of United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a large group of countries, which in the past were all in the British Empire. Australia India, Canada and New Zeland are among the 49 members. The British Broadcasting Corporation sends the Queen’s speech to every Commonwealth country. In her speech the Queen talks about the past year. Traditionally in speeches, kings or queens say “we”, not “I”. Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t do this, she says “My husband and I”, or just “I”. The Queen doesn’t make her Christmas speech on Christmas Day, she films it a few weeks before. Then she spends Christmas with her family at Windsor.

     In England Boxing Day celebrated on December 26th, is traditionally a time to give gifts to tradesmen, servants, and friends.

     It originated in medieval times, when every priest was supposed to empty the alms box of his church and distribute gifts to the poor. Wealthy people indulged in huge Christmas feasts, and when they were finished, packed up the remains of feasts in boxes and gave them out to their servants. It didn't become widely celebrated though until Victorian England.

     In the UK Boxing Day is still a public holiday, some shops and supermarkets open nowadays, but banks and most offices remain closed.

     Most people go out to see friends, watch sports events, go to theatre to see a pantomime, or increasingly nowadays, go shopping.

     Christmas holiday are not over after 26th December. In fact, many offices and factories are close for whole Christmas period from 24th December to 2nd January. On New Year’s Eve there are a lot of parties and at midnight everyone joins hands to sing Aloud Lang Syne. Then after New Year’s Day to sleep it off, that’s Christmas over for another year. So, Christmas is a merry family holiday for all the people of Great Britain.

 

 

 

 

 

3.2 Mother’s Day

 

 

     UK holds the prestige of being the first country in the world to dedicate a special day for mothers, as early as 17th century. During that period, Roman and British Empire converted to Christianity and celebration of this day became a part of their Liturgical calendar. Since then in UK, mother's day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in the month of Lent to honour Virgin Mary, unlike United States of America where it is celebrated on second Sunday of May. Since the days of lent are not fixed, the date for mother's day keeps on changing as well. However, the emotions remain the same. The feelings associated with the day are much alike those in the rest of the world that is to express gratitude towards our mother. It is an opportunity for the children to let their mother know that she is special and loved and cared for.

     Mother's day is the contemporary version of the original name - 'Mothering Sunday'. The occasion has a long history, which dates back to as far back as the year 1600. During that time, the poor used to send their children to work as domestic servants or trainees in the homes of higher class of people. Once in a year, these children were given leave for a day, so that they could visit their Mother Church as well as their own mother. The day coincided with the middle Sunday of the fasting period of Lent. It was known as 'Refreshment Sunday' or 'Mid-Lent Sunday'.

     The children would visit their Mother Church and then head straight to meet their own mother, with some fresh flowers. While the boys would present their mother with flowers, girls would go a step further by presenting them freshly baked handmade cakes, which were also called 'Simnel Cakes' and hence, the day was even named Simnel Sunday. This day is also known as 'Pudding Pie Day' as it was the day when fasting rules were relaxed to honour the famous Christian Bible story, 'Feeding of the Five Thousand'. On the same Sunday, the Lent robes were changed from purple to rose coloured robes and therefore mother's day is also associated with rose day. With time, the holiday came to be known as 'Mothering Sunday'. The custom of mother's day was halted when the world underwent Industrial revolution, but steeply bounced back after World War II. With time, the fourth Sunday of Lent came to be dedicated to the mothers in UK.

    UK, however, has lost the original meaning entitled to the Mothering Day. Nonetheless, the day is celebrated with lot of excitement and enthusiasm. Roses, carnations and chrysanthemums qualify as the most popular flowers on Mother’s Day in Great Britain. The people of UK also follow the tradition of making a rich almond cake for their mother, on mother's day, which is often called 'Mothering Cake' or 'Simnel Cake'. UK people pay tribute to their mothers and honour their contribution in their life. They let their mother know that she is very special and holds a very important place in their lives, which no one can replace. Today people go out for lunch or dinner and pamper their mothers by doing all the household tasks themselves. Some popular dishes for this day include, 'Mothering Sunday Buns' made with raisin and butter icing and in northern England they prefer carling, which is a pancake made of steeped peas fried in butter. They even go for a picnic or resort for relaxation.

     The sanctity of this day will remain as long as mothers will live. They are among those wonderful human-beings, who support us in our endeavours and without whom we can't do a simple thing.

    

 

 

 

3.3 Easter

   

 

 In the UK Easter is one of the major Christian festivals of the year. It is full of customs, folklore and traditional food. However, Easter in Britain has its beginnings long before the arrival of Christianity. Many theologians believe Easter itself is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and spring - Eostre.

     Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, and in Britain many people attend Easter services and receive Communion who are not churchgoers at other times. Joyous peals of bells are rung, and many churches are lavishly decorated with flowers in the spring colors of yellow, white and green. 'Easter lilies' are often displayed on the altar. Following a custom which has spread from Wales to the rest of Britain, family graves are sometimes also decked with flowers at Easter.

     In Britain Easter occurs at a different time each year. It is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that the festival can occur on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Not only is Easter the end of the winter it is also the end of Lent, traditionally a time of fasting in the Christian calendar. It is therefore often a time of fun and celebration.

     The Friday before Easter Sunday and the Monday after are a bank holiday in the UK. Over Easter schools in the UK close for two weeks, just enough time to digest all the chocolate.

     Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist. The word “Maundy” comes from the French word, “Mande”,  meaning “command” or “mandate” and is taken from the command given by Christ at the Last Supper, “love one another as I have loved you.”

    In Britain, the Queen takes part in the Ceremony of the Royal Maundy, which dates back to Edward 1. This involves the distribution of Maundy Money to deserving senior citizens (one man and one woman for each year of the sovereign's age), usually chosen for having done service to their community. They receive ceremonial red and white purses which contain coins made especially for the occasion. The white purse contains one coin for each year of the monarch's reign. The red purse contains money in place of other gifts that used to be given to the poor.

     In the 17th century, and earlier, the King or Queen would wash the feet of the selected poor people as a gesture of humility, and in remembrance of Jesus's washing the feet of the disciples. Suffice to say that doesn't happen any more, in fact the last monarch to do this was James 2.

     On the Friday before Easter, Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is a day of mourning in church and special Good Friday services are held where Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith.

     Calling it “Good Friday” may seem a bit bizarre, but some people think that it was once called God's Friday or Holy Friday.

Many of the symbols and traditions of Easter are connected with renewal, birth, good luck and fertility.

     Of course as it is a Christian festival one of the main symbols is a cross, often on a hill. When Jesus was crucified, the cross became a symbol of suffering. Then with the resurrection, Christians saw it as a symbol of victory over death. In A.D. 325, Constantine issued a decree at the Council of Nicaea, that the Cross would be the official symbol of Christianity.

     The week of Easter begins on Palm Sunday. In Roman times it was customary to welcome royalty by waving palm branches, a bit like a ticker-tape parade. So, when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what is now known as Palm Sunday, people welcomed him with palm branches carpeting the streets and waving them. Today, on Palm Sunday, Christians carry palm branches in parades, and make them into crosses and garlands to decorate the Church.

     One more symbol of Easter is Easter eggs. It is a very old tradition going to a time before Christianity. Eggs after all are a symbol of spring and new life.

     Exchanging and eating Easter eggs is a popular custom in many countries. In the UK before they were replaced by chocolate Easter eggs real eggs were used, in most cases, chicken eggs. The eggs were hard-boiled and dyed in various colors and patterns. The traditionally bright colours represented spring and light. Sadly, nowadays if you gave a child in Britain a hard-boiled egg on Easter Sunday, you would probably end up wearing it!

     An older more traditional game is one in which real eggs are rolled against one another or down a hill. The owner of the egg that stayed uncracked the longest won. Even today in the north of England, for example as at Preston in Lancashire, they still carry out the custom of egg rolling. Hard boiled eggs are rolled down slopes to see whose egg goes furthest. In other places another game is played. You hold an egg in the palm of the hand and bang against your opponent's egg. The loser is the one whose egg breaks first.

     Nowadays people give each other Easter eggs made of chocolate, usually hollow and filled with sweets. On TV you will see adverts for Cadbury's Creme Eggs, a very sweet confectionery. The catchphrase for the adverts is "How do you eat yours?" And Britain children hunt for (chocolate) Easter eggs hidden about the home or garden by the Easter bunny.

     Rabbits, due to their fecund nature, have always been a symbol of fertility. The Easter bunny (rabbit) however may actually be an Easter hare. The hare was allegedly a companion of the ancient Moon goddess and of Eostre.

    Strangely the bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have its origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 16th Century. The first edible Easter bunnies appeared in Germany during the early 1800s, they were made of pastry and sugar.

     In the UK children believe that if they are good the "Easter Bunny " will leave (chocolate) eggs for them.

     Sadly hare hunting (hare coursing) used to be a common pastime at Easter. But this might please some of the more fundamentalist Christians, who consider the fluffy fellow to be unchristian.

     Morris dancing is a traditional English form of folk dance which is also performed in other English-speaking countries such as the USA and Australia. The roots of morris dancing seem to be very old, probably dating back to the Middle Ages.

     In the dance men dress up in costumes with hats and ribbons and bells around their ankles. They dance through the streets and one man often carries an inflated pigs bladder on the end of a stick. He will run up to young women in the street and hit them over the head with the pigs bladder, this is supposed to be lucky (men)!

     Easter was once a traditional day for getting married, that may be why people often dress up for Easter. Women would make and wear special Easter bonnets decorated with flowers and ribbons. Even today in Battersea in London there is a special Easter Parade, where hand-made bonnets are shown off.

     Hot cross buns, now eaten throughout the Easter season, were first baked in England to be served on Good Friday. These small, lightly sweet yeast buns contain raisins or currants and sometimes chopped candied fruit. Before baking, a cross is slashed in the top of the bun. After baking, a confectioners' sugar icing is used to fill the cross.

     An old rhyme was often sung by children awaiting their sugary treat:

"Hot cross buns,

 hot cross buns,

 one a penny, two a penny,

 hot cross buns.

 If you do not like them,

 give them to your sons,

 one a penny, two a penny,

 hot cross buns."

     A traditional way of breaking the Lenten fast is to eat some simnel cake. These are raised cakes, with a crust made of fine flour and water, coloured yellow with saffron, and filled with a very rich plum-cake, with plenty of candied lemon peel, and dried fruits.

     Also there is a spectacular parade on Easter. It is a truly spectacular Easter Parade in Battersea Park. It is sponsored by the London Tourist Board and is usually planned around a central theme related to the history and attractions of London. The great procession, or parade, begins at 3 p.m. but it is advisable to find a vantage-point well before that hour.