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     РЕФЕРАТ

 

 

     Курсовая работа 38 страниц, 20 источников.

 

     Key words: holidays, Great Britain, national holidays, British Royal ceremonies, religious holidays, the historical background

 

     Object: holidays in Great Britain

 

     Subject: the traditions and customs in Great Britain, the origins and the way of celebration different holidays and festivals

 

     Methods of research: study and analysis of literature on the problems of the main holidays in Great Britain

 

     Purpose: to describe the main British holidays, making a note of their national, religious or state aspect

 

     Objectives: to study the main British holidays; to describe the way of celebration British Royal ceremonies and festivals; to give the interesting facts about the main national holidays; to single out their features and the origins

 

     Results: British modern holidays have been studied; the information about the national, religious holidays has been given; British Royal ceremonies have been described in every detail

 

     Recommendations: the results of the research can be used in "British Studies"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

 

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………. 4

 

 

1 BRITISH CEREMONIES………………………………………………………... 6

 

 

1.1 Poppy Day…………………………………………………………………….....6

1.2 The Lord Mayor’s Show………………………………………………………...7

1.3 Changing the Guard…………………………………………………………......8

1.4 The Ceremony of the Key……………………………………………………….9

1.5 Trooping the Colour…………………………………………………………….11

1.6 Engagement and the Ceremony of Wedding……………………………………12

 

 

2 TRADITIONAL HOLIDAYS…………….………………………………………15

 

 

2.1 New Year………………………………………………………………………...15

2.2 St. Valentine’s Day ……………………………………………………………..16

2.3 April Fool’s Day………………………………………………………………...19

2.4 May 1 – Day of Solidary………………………………………………………..20

2.5 Merry England and London May Queen Festival …………………………..…22

2.6 August Bank Holiday……………………………………………………………23

2.7 Halloween………………………………………………………………………..24

2.8 Guy Fawkes Night……………………………………………………………….26

 

 

3 RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS………………………………………………………...29

 

 

3.1 Christmas………………………………………………………………………..29

3.2 Mother’s Day……………………………………………………………………30

3.3 Easter…………………………………………………………………………….32

3.4 Pancake Day……………………………………………………………………..35

 

 

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..37

 

 

Bibliography………………………………………………………………………...38

 

    Introduction

 

 

     This course paper tells about traditions and customs in Great Britain, the origins and the way of celebration these holidays and different festivals.

Every country and every nation has its own holidays, customs and traditions. British people are very proud of their traditions, cherish them and carefully keep them up, because many of them are associated with the history and cultural development of the country.

   Britain is a country governed by routine. It has fewer public holidays than any other country in Europe. The British also seem to do comparatively badly with regard to annual holidays. These are not as long as they are in many other countries. In fact, about 40% of the population do not go away anywhere for their holidays. The task and the purpose of my course work is to describe the main British holidays, making a note of their national, religious or state aspect. Thus in this research work traditional and religious holidays of Britain are studied. The main information on the subject is collected. The gathered material is divided into three parts:

1. British ceremonies;
2. Traditional holidays;
3. Religious holidays.

     Each of these parts is described in detail. English traditional and religious holidays are classified according to their types and features.

The main national holidays are:

   New Year is not as widely or as enthusiastically observed as Christmas. However the type of celebrations varying very much according to the local custom, family tradition and personal taste;

    St. Valentine's Day is a day when boys and girls, sweethearts and lovers, will exchange greetings of affection, undying love or satirical comment;

     All Fool's Day is a day when any person may be made an April Fool;

  Halloween is a very special holiday — a combination of holidays. It is time for games, fun and fortune telling, for ghost stories and making mischief;

     Guy Fawkes Night, November 5, it commemorates the discovery or the so- called Gunpowder Plot and is widely celebrated throughout the country;

     British people are proud of ceremonies of the national capital- London. They include daily ceremonies and annuals, Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Ceremony of the Keys in the Tower, Remembrance Day, Mounting the Guard at the Horse Guards square are the most popular daily ceremonies.

     Religious holidays are:

   Pancake Day is the popular name for Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding the first day of Lent;

    Mothering Day is a day of small family reunions, when absent sons and daughters return to their homes, and gifts are made to mothers by their children of all ages;

     Easter is also a time when certain old traditions are observed, whether it is celebrated as the start of spring or a religious festival.

     Christmas is a religious holiday and many church services are held to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In December, as Christmas gets closer, carols are sung in churches and schools, often at special concerts, and also, though less often than in the past, by groups of people who go from house to house collecting money for charitable causes.

    Also there are different traditions and holidays in different regions. In Scotland and northern England, the custom of First-Footing in the early hours of January 1st is still kept up with great vigour. He brings symbolic gifts of food or fuel or money as tokens of prosperity in the year that has just begun.

     Some British traditions are known all over the world. Britain is full of customs. There are a lot of English songs, sayings and superstitions. There is a long menu of traditional British food as well. They are a part of the British way of life. A lot of them have very long histories. Some are funny and some are strange. But they are all interesting.

 

 

     1 BRITISH CEREMONIES

 

 

     1.1 Poppy Day

 

 

     Poppy Day or Remembrance Day is observed throughout Britain in commemoration of the million or more British soldiers, sailors and airmen who lost their lives during the two world wars.

     Ceremonies are held at local war memorials, usually organized by local branches of the Royal British Legion, an association for ex-servicemen. Typically, poppy wreaths are laid by representatives of the Crown, the armed forces, and local civic leaders, as well as by local organizations including ex-servicemen organizations, cadet forces, the Scouts, Guides, Boys' Brigade, St John Ambulance and the Salvation Army. A minute's or two minutes' silence is also frequently incorporated into church services. Further wreath-laying ceremonies are observed at most war memorials across the UK at 11 a.m. on the 11th of November, led by the Royal British Legion. The beginning and end of the two minutes' silence is often marked in large towns and cities by the firing of ceremonial cannon and many employers and businesses invite their staff and customers to observe the two minutes' silence at 11:00 a.m.

     The First Two Minute Silence in London (11 November 1919) was reported in the Manchester Guardian on 12 November 1919. The main national commemoration is held at Whitehall, in Central London, for dignitaries, the public, and ceremonial detachments from the armed forces and civilian uniformed services such as the Merchant Navy and Her Majesty's Coastguard. Members of the British Royal Family walk through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office towards the Cenotaph, assembling to the right of the monument to wait for Big Ben to strike 11:00 a.m., and for the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery at Horse Guards Parade, to fire the cannon marking the commencement of the two minutes of silence. Following this, "Last Post" is sounded by the buglers of the Royal Marines. "The Rouse" is then sounded by the trumpeters of the Royal Air Force, after which wreaths are laid by the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family attending in military uniform and then, to "Beethoven's Funeral March" (composed by Johann Heinrich Walch), by attendees in the following order: the Prime Minister; the leaders of the major political parties from all parts of the United Kingdom; Commonwealth High Commissioners to London, on behalf of their respective nations; the Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the British Dependencies; the First Sea Lord; the Chief of the General Staff; the Chief of the Air Staff; representatives of the merchant navy and Fishing Fleets and the merchant air service. Other members of the Royal Family usually watch the service from the balcony of the Foreign Office. The service is generally conducted by the Bishop of London, with a choir from the Chapels Royal, in the presence of representatives of all major faiths in the United Kingdom. Before the marching commences, the members of the Royal Family and public sing the national anthem before the Royal Delegation lead out after the main service.

     Members of the Reserve Forces and cadet organizations join in with the marching, alongside volunteers from St John Ambulance, paramedics from the London Ambulance Service, and conflict veterans from World War II, Korea, the Falklands, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Iraq, other past conflicts and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. The last three British-resident veterans of World War I, Bill Stone, Henry Allingham, and Harry Patch, attended the 2008 ceremony but all died in 2009. After the service, there is a parade of veterans, who also lay wreaths at the foot of the Cenotaph as they pass, and a salute is taken by a member of the Royal Family at Horse Guards Parade.

     The Poppy is internationally recognized as a symbol of remembrance because 3 months after the first world war ended the trenches in Flanders Field became overgrown with poppies. That is why on that day artificial poppies, are traditionally sold in the streets everywhere, and people wear them in their button-holes. The money raised from the sale of the poppies worn by almost everyone in the UK every year goes to the Earl Haig fund which was set up after world war I to provide immediate assistance to ex-servicemen and women in need. This may include food, shelter or medical attention.

 

 

 

 

1.2 The Lord Mayor’s Show

 

 

     Winding its way through the city of London, the Lord Mayor’s Show celebrates 800 years of history and pageantry watched by millions throughout Britain.

     The Lord Mayor’s Show forms the longest running and most well-known spectacles in the fabulous city of London. The day after being sworn into service, the Lord Mayor, travelling in a glamorous state coach leads a procession from the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice in the City of Westminster, where they mayor officially swears allegiance to the Crown.

     This procession is known as the Lord Mayor’s Show and mixes 800 years of traditional pageantry and modern day carnival, with military bands and floats from organizations within the London community, while in the evening a huge fireworks display is held by the banks of the Thames.

     Around half a million people are expected to turn out on the streets of London to watch the Lord Mayor’s Show, while millions more will watch the event at home on the BBC.

     The Lord Mayor’s Show, dates back to 1215 and the tradition has been upheld even through the dark days of the Black Death and the Blitz. Dick Wittington was famously thrice Mayor of London and led the procession in 1397, 1406 and 1419. In 1759 the fabulous Lord Mayor’s state coach was built at a staggering cost of £120,000 and has carried the Mayor along the route each year since. From 1959, the Lord Mayor’s Show has been held on the second Saturday of November.

     The Lord Mayor governs the City of London region and is not to be confused with the Mayor of London, whose remit covers the Greater London area. The first Lord Mayor was Henry Fitzailwyn in 1189, from 1215 has been elected by the City and since then almost 700 people have served as Lord Mayor of London.

    The Mayoral insignia include the Seal, the Purse, the Sword and the Mace. In their role the mayor serves on the governing body of the City of London, the Corporation of London, though their role is primarily ceremonial rather than political hosting foreign dignitaries and representing the London financial sector. The Lord Mayor’s other roles include Chief Magistrate of London and Admiral of the Port of London.

Lord Mayor of London lives in   the   City - in   the Mansion with a classic front very much like a Greek temple.

    The Lord Mayor is the first citizen of the City and the first Magistrate. He has the Keys of the City. No troops are allowed to cross the limits of the City, neither King nor Queen is allowed to come here without his permission.

The Lord' Mayor is elected every year by the Aldermen and every year on the second Saturday in November there is a great ceremony —  "The Lord Mayor's Show."

 

 

 

 

 

1.3 Changing of the Guard

 

 

     Changing of the Guard is a top London attraction for residents and tourists alike and embodies much of the pomp and ceremony that the British are so well known for around the world.

     The guards who take part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony may look like ceremonial guards, but they are actually also serving Soldiers in Her Majesty's British Army.

     The Household Division is made up of The Household Cavalry Regiment, The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals as well as the five regiments on foot, which are the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and also the Welsh Guards. The Queen's Life Guards are mounted troopers of the Household Cavalry, whose job is to guard the official entrance to St. James's Palace, as well as Buckingham Palace outside Horse Guards in Whitehall. Each detachment of the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace and St. James's is under the command of the Captain of the Queen's Guard.

    Guarding the ruling Sovereign is a job that has been traditionally performed by the Household Troops (as they were then known) which dates back to the accession of Henry VII in 1485. These soldiers still actively protect the Queen. At night, the guards patrol the grounds at Buckingham Palace and St. James's.

    The Queen's Life Guard ceremony takes place each day during the week at 11:00 a.m. and on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at Horse Guards. The mounted sentries are on duty from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

     The St. James' Palace detachment of the Queen's Guard, led usually by the Corps of Drums, and bearing the Colour (if the Queen is in residence, then this will be the Queen's Colour; if she is not, then it is the Regimental Colour), marches along the Mall to Buckingham Palace, where the Buckingham Palace detachment has formed up to await their arrival. These two detachments are the Old Guard. Meanwhile the New Guard is forming up and are awaiting inspection by the Adjutant on the parade square at Wellington Barracks. The Band, having been inspected by the Adjutant, forms a circle to play music whilst the New Guard is inspected. The Guard provides a full Military Band consisting of no fewer than 35 musicians (usually, though not always, from one of the Guards regiments) accompanied by their Director of Music. When the New Guard is formed up, led by the Band, it marches across into the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. Once there, the New Guard advances towards the Old Guard in slow time and halts. The Old Guard presents arms, followed by the New Guard presenting arms. The Captains of the Guards march towards each other for the handing over of the Palace keys. The new reliefs are marched to the guardrooms of Buckingham Palace and St James' Palace where new sentries are posted.

     During this time the Band has taken its place by the centre gate, formed up in a half-circle, where it plays music to entertain the New and Old Guard as well as the watching crowds. During this period, the two regimental colours are paraded up and down by the Ensigns (usually junior officers of 2nd Lieutenant rank or equivalent). With the Old and New Guards formed up once again, the Old Guard and the Band marches out through the centre gates in slow time to their Regimental Slow march played by the Band. At the end of the slow march the Captain of the Old Guard gives the word of command to 'Break into Quick Time' and with a brisk five pace roll from the drums, the Band leads the way back to Wellington Barracks.

 

 

 

 

 

     1.4 The Ceremony of the Key

 

 

     While London is full of history, there are few opportunities for visitors to be part of a centuries old tradition in a very up-close-and-personal way while also getting a very direct feel of the history of the place. One of those opportunities comes when attending the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.

     The Ceremony of the Keys has been conducted nightly for the past 700 years, and the tradition continues on into the 21st Century. While the Queen no longer lives at the Tower of London, the Crown Jewels and other valuable artifacts are still there, and the Tower, which continues to serve as a fortress, must be securely locked each night by the famed Beefeaters, who act in concert with the military guards, the same ones who can be seen wearing large “Bearskin” hats during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

     The exact origin of the Ceremony is somewhat obscure, though it probably dates from the time of the White Tower - the great Norman fortress commenced by William the Conqueror and completed in about 1080 AD - become regularly used as a Royal stronghold in the capital city.

     As the fortifications around the Tower were increased from time to time so it became used not only as Royal residence, but also as the Mint and State Prison. The Country's gold was stored at the Tower, as were the Royal Records and Royal Regalia, and numerous historical figures were imprisoned within its walls for political reasons, many of whom were never to emerge to freedom, dying either from natural causes or by execution on Tower Green or Tower Hill.

     The surrounding populace were not always in sympathy with activities inside the Tower, and as enemies of the King might attempt to rescue prisoners or to steal the Crown Jewels, the need for security was very great. Thus it was in olden times that every night at dusk the Gentlemen Porter - now known as the Chief Yeoman Warder - would collect an armed escort, and would Lock and secure all the gates and doors leading into the Tower, thereby making it proof against hostile attack or intrigue, This done, the Keys would be handed over to the Tower Governor for safe keeping during the night.

     In 1826, the Duke of Wellington (then Constable of the Tower) ordered that the time of the Ceremony be fixed at ten o'clock each night, so as to ensure that his soldiers were all inside the Tower before the gates were locked.

     Accordingly, every night at exactly 7 minutes to ten, the Chief Warder emerges from the Byward Tower, carrying the traditional lantern - still lighted with a piece of candle - and in the other the Queen's Keys. He proceeds at a dignified pace to the Bloody Tower, where an escort consisting of two sentries, - a Sergeant and a representative Drummer are marched to the outer gate. En route, all guards and sentries present arms as the Queen's Keys pass.

     As the Chief Warder shuts and locks the great oak doors of first the Middle Tower and then the Byward Tower, the escort halt and present arms.

     They now return along Water Lane towards the Wakefield Tower, where in the deep shadows of the Bloody Tower Archway a sentry waits and watches.

     As the Chief Warder and escort approach, the sentry's challenge rings out.

"Halt!" the escort is halted.

"Who comes there?"

"The Keys" replies the Chief Warder.

"Who's Keys?"

"Queen Elizabeth's Keys" is the answer.

"Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys - All's well".