Holidays and traditions in Great Britain and Belarus

1.What are the major holidays in Great Britain and which is the favorite one?

There are 8 public holidays or bank holidays in a year in Great Britain. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday and Late Summer Bank Holiday. Public Holidays in Great Britain are called bank holidays because banks as well as most of offices and shops are closed. Christmas is the most popular holiday. Children enjoy receiving presents which are traditionally put into the stocking. Most houses are decorated with holly and there is usually a Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. The traditional Christmas dinner includes roast turkey or goose with potatoes, peas and carrots and pudding for dessert. An important part of Christmas is carol singing.

2.What can you tell me about your favorite holiday in Belarus?

Many great holidays and anniversaries are celebrated in our country. On the 1^st of May there is May Day-the holiday of spring and labor. On the 8^th of March there is Women’s Day. We also celebrate the Day of Independence of Belarus on the 3^rd of July and Victory Day on the 9^th of May. Nowadays people celebrate some religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. But my favorite holiday is New Year’s Day. It’s a really wonderful time of the year. People get ready for this day long before it. They buy New Year trees and decorate them. Children and even grown-ups wait for New Year’s Eve because they believe that all their wishes come true on that day.

3.Do you know any old Belarusian customs?

Let me tell you a few words about Kalyady. During this holiday groups of merry young boys and girls go from house to house in Belarusian villages and towns. They dress as animals and carry the goat’s head on a stick. Hosts usually give them tasty things and thank them for well-wishing and carol-singing. Kalyady is the time when special food is cooked. For example “ Kalyaddaya Kuttzya” is a sort of porridge which is believed to protect people. The main idea of this holiday is to get rid of everything bad in one’s life and to begin a new life cycle with optimism.

Youth and Society.