Festivals and Special Occasions (customs-traditions) of English-speaking Countries

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1 Festivals and Special Occasions (customs-traditions) of English-speaking Countries Students This assignment was made by Konstandinos Chantzis and Nickolaos Frantzis, students in the first year of Experimental Senior-High School of Patras, Greece, during the school year Introduction The purpose of this assignment was to make a presentation about festivals, customs and traditions of english-speaking countries. We did research on the Internet and we also exploited the knowledge we already had about this topic. We collaborated through a videocall in our home each. We were working together at the same time and we discussed to decide which of the festivals to include. New Year s Day New Year s day has been celebrated since 4241 B.C. The Egyptians had a celebration for the birth of New Year during the Nile floods in July. In 46 B.C., when the Julian Calendar was established, the Romans proclaimed 1st January as the New year s Day. 1

2 Saint Valentine s Day Saint Valentine s Day originated from the Roman festivities in honour of the goddess Juno, called Lupercalia. Later on, this festivity was related to two catholic priests about Valentine who were martyrs of Saint Valentine s Roman executions. It is celebrated on the 14th of February. Saint Patrick s Day Saint Patrick s Day is observed on the 17th of March. Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland and it is believed that he died on 17th March between the years 461 and 493. It is said that he used a clover to represent the Holy Trinity. This Saint s celebration started in Ireland and by Irish people living in the USA. 2

3 Easter Easter commemorates Christ s Resurrection and His ascension into heaven. Its date of celebration varies according to the vernal equinox. There are different customs and traditions to celebrate this date. April Fool s Day April Fool s Day is observed on the 1st of April. It originated from the Roman festival of Hilaria and the medieval Festival of Fools. It is celebrated in many countries around the world. 3

4 Mother s Day Mother s Day is observed to honor mothers, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. The date varies depending on the country where it is celebrated. In Canada and the USA it is observed on the second Sunday of May. This date originated from the Greek cult to Mother s Day, Cybele and the Roman festival of Hilaria. Memorial Day Memorial Day is celebrated in the USA on the last Monday of May. It is a date for honoring all Americans who died defending their country in any of the wars in which the USA was involved. It originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Memorial Day. 4

5 Father s Day Father s Day is observed to honor fathers, paternal bonds and the influence of fathers in society. The date varies depending on the country where it is celebrated. In Canada, the USA and the UK it is observed on the third Sunday of June and in Australia and New Zealand on the first Sunday of September. This celebration complements Mother s Day. Independence Day Independence Day or the 4th of July is celebrated in the USA to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, declaring independence from the United Kingdom. 5

6 Labor Day Labor Day is observed to honor the workers on the first Monday of September in the USA. In other countries it is celebrated on 1st May. Columbus Day Columbus Day is celebrated in the USA to commemorate the arrival of Christopher Columbus to America on 12th October,

7 Halloween Halloween is observed in England and the USA on the night of October 31st, when it was believed that the spirits of the dead appeared. Guy Fawke s Night Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated in Britain on November 5th. It commemorates the night when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Parliament in London in

8 Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is observed on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the USA. It is celebrated to thank God for the harvest. Christmas Christmas is celebrated on 25th December and it commemorates the birth of Christ. 8

9 Bog Snorkeling Participants dive into a bog, wearing goggles, a pair of flippers and a snorkel, they then proceed to race each other along a 120 ft trench filled with mud. Held every year, the participants come from all over the world and raise lots of money for charity. Straw Bear Straw Bear (Strawboer) Day is an old English tradition held on the 7th of January. It is known in a small area of Fenland on the borders of Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, including Ramsey Mereside. This day is believed to be the traditional start of the agricultural year in England. A man or a boy wears a straw costume covering him from his head to toes. He goes from house to house where he dances. As prize for his dancing people give him money, food or beer. 9

10 Worm Charming Worm charming is a way to attract earthworms from the ground. Many do it to collect bait for fishing. But there are also those who do it as sort of sport. The village of Willaston, near Nantwich, Cheshire is the place where since 1980 the annual World Championships have been organized. The competition was actually initiated by a local man, Tom Shufflebotham, who on the 5th of July 1980 charmed 511 worms from the ground in only half an hour. The competition has 18 rules. Here are just few of them. Each competitor competes in the 3 x 3 meters area. Music of any kind can be used to charm worms out of the ground. No drugs can be used! Water is considered to be a drug (stimulant). Wife Carrying The ancient tradition of carrying your other half over the threshold is alive and well and has turned into an unusual race over the hills of Surrey (as well as Finland and the US). The course runs in at a little under four hundred metres, which may not seem very much, but when you re carrying your spouse, it probably feels like a marathon. 10

11 World Hen Racing Championships They ve been doing this for about a hundred years at Bonsall, although the event at the Barley Mow is a comparatively recent revival. Hen racing was usually a competition between rival villages any fighting between the hens is strictly forbidden. Races always take place in complete silence so as not to upset the chickens. Tar Barrel Racing Tar barrel racing is a strange custom and is held on November the 5th. No one is quite sure why they started doing this in Ottery St Mary, but it is probably connected to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 or the Spanish Armada. Barrels are coated with tar and then filled with straw and paper to make them easier to light. The flaming barrels are then carried through the street, because that is far more interesting than simply rolling them. 11

12 Conclusion Our research gave us the opportunity to learn more about the major festivals and special occasions of english-speaking countries. We realised that we knew some (either through our English subject and coursebooks, or various English-speaking films and books), but there were plenty more we ignored. We hope we covered the topic sufficiently, as we tried to include the majority of the main festivals and occasions that are celebrated in the various English-speaking countries around the world. Sources