Автор: Абрамова Елена Борисовна Должность: учитель английского языка Место работы: Московская обл., г.Раменское, МОУ СОШ 21 Урок английского языка по теме: «Holidays in the UK» для 6 класса.

In Great Britain there are public holidays that called bank holidays. The term bank holidays dates back to the 19 th century. At that time all the banks were closed on these holidays. Now this term is no longer refered only to banks. Many other firms and offices are closed too. Among these are eight holidays: New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day Holidays, Spring Bank Holidays, Late Summer (August) Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

New Years Eve (December 31 st ) is more special for Scottish people, who celebrate it with their families. They sit the Old Year out and the New Year in. At midnight Scottish people hold their hands in a large circle and sing the song Auld land syne by Robert Burns. That is how they celebrate the coming of a new year. Now people decorate their houses with bouquets of mistletoe.

Friday before Easter is called Good Friday. People usually make special buns which Are marked with a cross on top. On this day the Church marks Jesus Christs death. Easter Monday is the 1 st Monday after Easter Day.

May Day Bank Holiday is celebrated on the 1 st Monday after May Day (May 1 st ). People celebrate the coming of spring. They also select the most beautiful girl on this day, who becomes May Queen. Sometimes May poles are constructed with long coloured ribbons and children dance around these poles holding the ends of these ribbons.

Spring Bank Holiday is marked on the last Monday in May. August Bank Holiday is the last Monday in August. British people usually go on picnics on spring and summer holidays.

The most popular bank holiday is Christmas Day. It is celebrated on December 25 th. Christmas symbolize the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day many people go to Churches, get Christmas presents and make a traditional Christmas dinner (roast turkey and pudding).

On this day children wait for a special person who will come down the chimney during the night and bring them presents. It is Father Christmas. However, Santa Claus is used synonymously with Father Christmas. Children usually hang long socks or stocks (stockings) on their bed and hope that Father Christmas will put his presents in them. Christmas trees are set in the living-rooms and are decorated with toys by children.

Boxing Day is celebrated on the December 26 th. It comes straight away after Christmas Day. This is an old tradition, when in old times rich people used to give their servants money or Christmas Boxes. Now it is the day when people simply have rest or visit their friends. Besides bank holidays, there are also different festivals reflecting interesting traditions and customs. Among them are: St.Valentines Day, Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day), April Fools Day, Mothers Day (Mothering Sunday),Fathers Day, Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night.

St.Valentines Day is celebrated on February 14 th. On this day people send Valentine cards and get presents and valentines from their sweethearts. A valentine is a colourful card with tender love words composed by the sender. It is a kind of a love-token. Valentine cards are usually not signed. Those who get them must guess who the sender is.

Shrove Tuesday is the last day when you can eat and do everything before the fasting of Lent. It also has a popular name Pancake day because many people traditionally eat pancakes on this day. Christians usually go to the church and confess sins to a priest on Shrove Tuesday.

Mothering Sunday or Mothers Day is celebrated on the 4 th Sunday in Lent in March. On this day mothers get presents from their sons and daughters. And all children despite their age return to their homes.

On April Fools Day people play jokes and tricks on each other.

In June there is Fathers Day. On this day fathers get gift cards and a lot of attention from their children.

Halloween is a holiday that is on October 31 st. The most memorable symbol connected to this holiday is a lantern made of a pumpkin. A pumpkin is cut like a face and a candle is put inside of it. So it looks like a face with burning eyes. Usually people dress in colourful costumes of witches and ghosts and go to fancy parties.

Children go from one house to another and say: Trick or treat. If people do not refuse to give them something they sing. If they do refuse children play tricks. Halloween is on the eve of All Saints Day. The word halloween means holy evening. The tradition of Halloween goes back with its roots to a time when people believed in evil spirits.

Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated in the UK on November 5 th. This tradition comes from old times when King James I was on the throne. He was a Protestant that is why Roman Catholics did not like him because of the religious differences. In 1605 Roman Catholics made a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The man called by Guy Fawkes was one of those people.

Nevertheless, they didnt have a chance to blow up the Parliament because the King discovered their plan, his soldiers found Guy Fawkes and executed him. This happened on November 5 th. Since then British people mark this day by burning a dummy made of straw and old clothes on a bonfire. They call this dummy simply a guy.

Alongside public holidays there are not least important holidays celebrated in the UK. They are the patron saint days: St. Davids Day on March 1 st (in Wales), St. George Day on April 23 rd (in England), St. Andrews Day on November 30 th (in Scotland) and St/Patricks Day on March 17 th (in Northern Ireland). The only national holiday from this list is St. Patricks Day for Irish.

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