Holidays in Britain

England is a country of traditions and public holidays.

The public holidays are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and Late summer holiday.

January has a nice holiday New Year's Day. The most famous celebration is in Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square in London. It is not widely celebrated in England; it is most popular in Scotland.

February 14^th is St Valentine's Day. On this day young people send cards or flowers to those whom they love.

March 25^th is s Mother's day' English people decorate their houses with flowers and cook a nice holiday dinner.

On the morning of the 1st of April the English people play funny tricks. Most newspapers have at least one unlikely story.

May Day is celebrated on the first Monday in May. It is a spring holiday of flowers, dancing and games.

Halloween takes place on the 31^st of October. At parties people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are witches. They cut horrible faces in pumpkins and put a candle inside.

The 5^th of November is Gue Fawkes Night.

In 1605 King James the First was on the throne. Some catholics planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Gunpowder was to be exploded by a man called Guy Fawkes. But he was discovered, arrested and later hanged. Since that day the British celebrate the 5th of November by burning a dummy.

On the 11^th of November all English people remember those who died in the two world wars, in churches special services are held.

Christmas Day is on the 25^th of December. Families decorate their houses with brightly coloured paper or holly, and they usually have a Christmas tree. with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is giving of presents. Family members leave gifts at the bottom a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, 24^th of December be found in the morning.

26^th of December is Boxing Day. People visit friends and relatives or watch one of the many sporting events.

At Easter, the British celebrate the new birth of Christ.

On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter.

Easter Monday is a holiday and some people travel to the seaside for the day.