2. Customs and traditions

Customs and traditions

In the course of the year we have many opportunities for celebrations. Many of holidays and traditions are connected with religions. Some holidays and traditions we have identical as the Americans or the British and some are very different. At this occasion the guest of honour receives presents, flowers, candies or other presents.

There are some identical holidays:

St. Valentine’s Day

it is a lovers’ day. On this day people send Valentine’s cards, usually anonymously, and exchange gifts. Cards usually have a lots of red hearts and pink flowers on the cover and a romantic message or poem inside.

Easter

it’s celebrated on the first Sunday after the first spring full moon. Christians remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Easter eggs are given as presents. They symbolize a new life. In the USA Easter is not a national holiday. Most Americans spend Easter Sunday with the family. In the Czech Republic boys have stock whips and they go from house to house and hit girls with stock whips. They usually become painted eggs, sweet, chocolates, some money, drink or ribbon. They have to recite a poem.

Mother’s Day

it’s celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

Christmas

in GB: consists of three days: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Christmas is the most important holiday for Christians because it’s a day when Jesus Christ was Born. But it’t the most favourite holiday too. In the Great Britain people have no traditional celebration on this day, it’s not a holiday. A lot of people spend this day shopping. They decorate the Christmas tree, hang holy and ivy in the room, and misteltoe is hanged over the door. If you catch a girl under it, you are allowed to kiss her. Before children go to bed, they hung up Christmas stockings at the end of their beds and believe that Father Christmas fills up the stockings with presents. Children unwrap presents in the morning.

In the USA Christmas it’s not a national holiday. Almost all shops are closed and people have a rest on this day. Americans and British origin follow the same traditions as their ancestors. The person who brings children presents is called Santa Claus. Children hang their stockings on a mantelpiece of the fireplace, and they leave milk and cookies for Santa to eat.

In the Czech Republic people decorate Christmas trees and houses too. To dinner people usually have some carp with potatoe’s salad. After the dinner children can unwrap their presents. There are a lot of sweets on the table, also there is fruit (oranges, bananas, apples, …).  There are many old traditions that are kept by some families:

Golden piglet- this tradition says that if Czechs don’t eat all day, they see a gold piglet.

Pouring lead- The lead is poured into water and people foretell future according to the shape of cold lead.

Cutting apples – when people cut the apples in half and the pip looks like a star, they will have lucky year. If it is looks like cross the year will be miserable.