THE WAY OF LIFE:

• The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech.Their insularity, conservaticism and sticking to traditions are often pointed to.
• They are famous for their politness, self-discipline, reliability and for their specific sense of humour. They never seem to be in a hurry and are seldom nervous.
• They rarely shake hands when they meet (it is common for young people to kiss on the cheek).
• They are fond of animals, and of sports : football (soccer), rugby, golf, tennis,...
• They like to spend their free time outdoors (go for a picnic)

FESTIVALS:

• St. Valentine`s day :
• February 14th
• In the past on that day, pagans asked their gods to give them good fruit and vegetables, and strong animals.
• Then Christians came with a story about man called Saint Valentine.He fell in love with daughter of a man who worked in prison, where he was because he helped a soldier to get married. The day he died he sent her a note.
• People send Valentine´s cards to the person they love (usually anonymously); a man will perhaps give his girlfriend or wife red roses or some chocolate and sweets; a lot of people go to restaurants and have dinner for two with candles and soft music.
• it is lovers´day

St. Patrick´s Day:

• March 17th
• St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland (he brought Christianity to Ireland).
• it is a public holiday in Ireland
• people often wear shamrock on that day
• bands play traditional Irish songs, people eat corned beef sandwiches and drink Irish stouts and ales.

Easter :

• April
• it is the most important festival in church year:
• lent starts 40 days before Easter Sunday in Ash Wednesday
• Palm Sunday ( kvetná nedeľa) - Jesus´ entry into Jerusalem
• palm branches
• services
• Mounday Thursday (zelený štvrtok) – the day before Jesus´ crucifiction
• Last Supper (posl. večera)
• disciples (učeníci)
• Good Friday (veľký piatok) – services to commemorate the crucifiction
• big fast
• Easter Sunday – celebrating of Jesus resurrection
• for pagans it was a celebration of spring coming
• many animals are born in spring (baby sheep, rabbits, birds,...), nature wakes up. Eggs are an important part of Easter because they mean spring and new life. One Easter British tradition is “egg rolling“- people take the eggs to the top of hill and the eggs roll down. The first egg is winner. In some famillies children must go outside and look for eggs which are hidden in their garden by their parents. Many people eat hot cross buns- it is small loaf of bread, made with fruit and spices with cross on the top. Some women decorate hats, called Easter bonnets and wear them at Easter bonnet parades.

Halloween:

• October 31th
• The pagans who lived in Britain two thousand years ago celebrated New Year on 1st November, then Christians came and people celebrated “Hallowmas“ and slowly the name changed to Halloween. In the past people believed that bad spirits, like ghosts, came in winter. They wanted them to go away, so they made fires outside and made jack o´lantern. A lantern is a kind of light, and some people think Jack was a nightwatchman who had one of these lights. To make jack o´lantern, people cut a hole into a pumpkin, they put a candle in the hole, and cut a face in the side. Another thing people did to make the bad spirits go away was to dress like witches and ghosts.