Life in the UK Test
Chapter 3:UK TODAY:A PROFILE
Customs and Traditions of the
UK
Patron saints
England,Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each has
a national saint called a patron saint. Each saint has a feast day. In
the past these were celebrated as holy days when many people had a day
off work. Today these are not public holidays except for 17 March in Northern
Ireland.
| Nation |
Patron
saint |
National
day |
National
flag |
| Wales |
St.David |
1
March |
|
| Northern
Ireland |
St.Patrick |
17
March |
|
England |
St.Georges |
23
April |
|
Scotland |
St.Andrews |
30
November |
|
Throughout the year there are festivals of art, music
and culture, such the Notting Hill Carnival in west London and the Edinburgh
Festival.
The main Christian festivals
- Christmas- December 25th-celebration of the birth
of Jesus Christ.
- Christmas eve- December 24 th :- People attend
prayers
- Boxing day - December 26th:- Unpacking Christmas
presents( Boxes)
- Easter Sunday - Between March 22th and April 25 th:- Celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.Two
days prior to this is Good Friday,the day Jesus Christ
was crucified.
Other Religious festivals
- Eid ul-Fitr-Muslim
- Dewali-Hindu
- Hanukkah-Jewish
Other non religous festivals
-
New Year (January 1st):- Bank Holiday
; celebration of the New Year
-
Valentine’s Day (February 14th):-
Lovers exchange gifts and cards to each other. Secret admirers send cards to
their admirers anonymously.
-
Mothers day (Mother's Sunday-3 weeks prior to
the Easter Sunday):- Children send cards and gifts to their mothers
-
April fools day (April 1st):-People
play practical jokes until mid day
-
Hallowe’en (October
31
st):- Young people will often dress up in frightening costumes
to play’ trick or treat.
-
Guy Fawkes Night (November 5
th):-This is an occasion
when people in Great Britain set off fireworks at home or in special
displays. The origin of this celebration was an event in 1605, when
a group of Catholics led by Guy Fawkes failed in their plan to kill
the Protestant King with a bomb in the Houses of Parliament.
-
Remembrance Day (November 11th):-
Commemoration of those who died fighting in World War 1, World War 2
and other wars. Many people wear poppies (a red flower) in memory of
those who died. At 11 a.m. there is a two-minute silence.
Sports and Music events
Football, tennis, rugby and cricket are very popular
sports in the UK.
There are no United Kingdom teams for football , rugby or cricket. England,
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own teams.
Important sporting events include, the Grand National horse race, the
Football Association FA cup final
,Open golf championship and the
Wimbledon tennis tournament.
Glastonbury Festival, and
Proms are some of the popular music festivals held in Britain each
year.
Good!.You have now revised all essential areas on chapter
3. Try a
practice test on Chapter 3:UK TODAY: A Profile
