10 Czech, British and American traditions and festivals

New Year's Day - January 1st

St. Valentine's Day - February 14th it’s lovers' day. On this day people send Valentine cards to their lovers and exchange gifts.

St. David's Day - March 1st, The patron saint of Wales

St. Patrick's Day - March 17th, The patron saint of Ireland (a lot of legends and stories). It's public holiday in Ireland.

Easter - April. It’s the spring feast of the Christian Church. Good Friday commemorates Jesus crucifixion while Easter Sunday commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus. It's connected with pre-Christian tradition, originally it was festival celebrating the spring equinox.

It's celebrated on Easter Sunday in Britain.

Celebration – painting eggs, …

St. George's Day - April 23rd, The patron saint of England

Spring Bank Holiday - Last Monday in May. Bank Holidays in England are also public holidays when shops and banks are closed.

The Queen's Official Birthday - June (Saturday after June 9th). There are various ceremonies associated with it, such as the ceremony of Trooping the Colour at the Horse Guards Parade in London.

Summer Bank Holiday - last Monday in August

Halloween - October 31st. In Britain it's celebrated only in the North of England and in Scotland, but it's generally celebrated in the USA and Canada. Children celebrate it by dressing up in Halloween costumes. They go to their friends' and neighbours' houses and they knock at the door or ring the bell. When people come to the door, children say "Trick or treat." The people treat the children with sweets, fruit or money. A favourite custom is to make a jack-o'-lantern from a pumpkin.

Costumes, apple bobbing, …

Remembrance Day - November 11th. There is a ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, LoPondon, in which two minutes silence honours those killed in the World War II.

St. Andrew's Day - November 30th, The patron saint of Scotland

Christmas

Christmas Eve - December 24th

The English have no traditional celebration on this day. It's only day of the year reserved for the "office party". A lot of people spend this day shopping. Children hang up Christmas stocking at the end of their bed and believe that Santa Claus fills up the stockings with presents.

Christmas Day - December 25th

In the morning children enjoy unwrapping present and at midday Christmas dinner is great occasion. It consists of roast turkey with chestnut stuffing and roast potatoes and Christmas pudding. There is also an old custom of stirring into the pudding the coin, a thimble and a ring to bring wealth, work and a weeding to those who find it. Other typical food (mince pie, Yorkshire pudding, …). There are plenty of carols on the radio and TV and various professional choirs sing carols in old people's homes, hospitals and professional choirs sing carols in old people's homes, hospitals and outside churches. On Christmas Day the monarch addresses the nation and the Commonwealth on radio and television.

Boxing Day - December 26th. Lots of people go visiting on Boxing day or go to parties in the evening.