Home and Foreign Holidays and Traditions

Every country has its own traditions and superstitions. In Britain traditions play more important part in the life of people than in some other countries. English are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. There is a big difference between American and British people. They say an Englishman in America is respected: Americans like his accent and his country. An American in England is thought to be a little strange because of his behavior and his language. To the English their private lives, holidays, gardens and animals are important. For American the work is the most important thing in life. And in England you can hear the most extraordinary excuse not to go to work, for example “My dog’s got a cold”. The English are a nation of stay-at-homes. There is no place like home. The Englishman is never tired to say ‘My house is my castle.’ The Americans are different. They are more open, they speak their minds. If they don’t like something, they actually tell it directly. Not like the British, who might think one thing and say another. Americans start conversations with people in the street, in the subway; they are more enthusiastic. American customs underline independence and freedom of the nation. Every country is also known for its food. England is noted for its pudding, bacon, marmalade, porridge and five-o’clock-tea. America is the country of Coca-Cola, hamburgers and chewing gum.

There are international holidays which are celebrated in all countries world-wide. They are: Christmas, New Year, Easter and St. Valentine’s Day. There are also some special holidays which are usually celebrated in a particular country when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations. It is very important to follow special traditions, because they unite people. Public holidays in Britain are called bank holidays, because the banks as well as most of the offices and shops are closed. The most popular holiday is Christmas. Every year the people of Norway give the city of London a present. It’s a big Christmas tree and it stands in Trafalgar Square. Central streets are beautifully decorated. The fun starts the night before, on the 24th of December. Traditionally this is the day when people decorate their trees. Children hang stockings at the end of their beds, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and fill them with toys and sweets.

New Year’s Day is less popular in Britain than Christmas, yet it has a joyful celebration in Ukraine. People stay awake until after midnight on December, 31 to watch the Old Year out and the New Year in. Many parties are given on this night. Theatres, night clubs and streets are crowded. In every home there is a New Year tree glittering with colored lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them a present.

In different countries according to their traditions and history, there is a set of various national holidays. But there is one thing, which unites all of them: a holiday is always fun and pleasure.