Holidays and traditions in Russia and English-speaking countries

Every country has its national holidays, but there are also holidays that are common for many countries. New Year's Day is the first holiday of each New Year. In Russia it is the most popular holiday, but in the West people pay more attention to Christmas. The celebration begins on New Year's Eve, that is, on the 31st of December. At home we all stay up until midnight and much later. We light coloured lamps on our New Year Tree and have a late dinner with cake and champagne. Sometimes we just watch TV, but we also go out for a late walk. Everybody gets presents.

New Year's Day is a family event. But in Russia we also have holidays commemorating some important events in our history, for example, Victory Day, Constitution Day, the Day of the Sovereignty of the Russian Federation. There are also holidays like May Day and Women's Day which started as political events but over the years have become family holidays.

Recently Russian people have begun to celebrate religious holidays again. The most important religious holidays are Christmas and Easter. In Russia Christmas is celebrated on January 7, and in Europe and in the USA, on December 25.

In Great Britain there are also many holidays, some of them the same as in our country, and some different. Bank Holidays, the peculiar English holidays, were appointed by Act of Parliament in 1871. They happen four times a year: Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first Monday in August and December 26th. December 26th is Boxing Day. The "boxing" refers to the boxes of Christmas presents which are usually given on that day. Other public holidays are: Christmas Day, New Yearns Day, Good Friday and May Day. On these days all banks and all places of business are closed and nearly everyone takes a holiday.

But besides public holidays, the British people observe certain traditions on such days as Pancake Day, Guy Fawkes' Night, St. Valentine's Day, April Fool's Day, Mother's Day, which unless they fall on a Sunday are ordinary working days.

In the USA constitution there is no provision for national holidays. Each state has the right to decide which holiday to observe. Many states have holidays of their own, but there are also major holidays observed in nearly all the USA.

The main holiday in the USA is Independence Day, celebrated on the fourth of July. On that day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted. It is a patriotic holiday celebrated with the firing of guns, and fireworks, parades and open-air meetings.

Another traditionally American holiday is Thanksgiving Day which falls on the fourth Thursday of November. It has been celebrated since the 17th century, when the English colonists decided to celebrate the end of their first year in America and to give thanks to God. It is a family holiday with a large traditional dinner including turkey and pumpkin pie.

There are other holidays in the USA besides Christmas, New Year and Easter, which are popular all round the world. 34 of the 50 states observe Columbus Day on October 12. It commemorates the discovery of America. Labour Day on the first Monday of September marks the end of the summer and of the vacations. Veterans" Day on the llth November is dedicated to the end of the First World War. There is also Memorial Day or Decoration Day observed on the 30th of May when Americans honour the servicemen who gave their lives in all the past wars and hold memorial services.

Questions:

1. What is the most important festival in Great Britain?

2. What is the most important festival in Russia?

3. What is the most important festival in the USA?

4. What is Easter?

5. Why is St. Valentine's Day associated with love and ro­mance?

6. What did people do on this day?

7. When do Americans celebrate Independence Day?

8. Do Americans work on this day?

9. When do Russians celebrate the Day of the Sovereignty of the Russian Federation?

10. What is your favorite holiday?

Vocabulary:

Christmas Рождество

Christian христианский

to celebrate праздновать

birth рождение

primitive примитивный, простой

customs обычаи, традиции

predominantly преимущественно

hollow полый, пустой

silver paper фольга

exact точный

mass месса

Christmas tree рождественская елка

wreath венок

ornament украшение

bell колокольчик

carol рождественский гимн

request просьба

employee служащий

to trim украшать

tinsel мишура

Christmas Eve сочельник

gift подарок

church service церковная служба

stuffed turkey фаршированная индейка

Thanksgiving День благодарения

thanksgiving воздаяние благодарности

harvest урожай

to settle поселиться

charitable благотворительный

Halloween Хэллоуин; канун Дня всех святых

fortunetelling гадание

ghost привидение

witch ведьма

to establish установить

All Saints Day День всех святых

mass месса

eve канун

treat угощение

hallowed-out pumpkins тыквы, пустые внутри

Judgment Day Судный день

independence независимость

gradual постепенный

painful болезненный

to impose taxes облагать налогами

grievance претензия

draft проект

Revolutionary War война за независимость

Continental Congress континентальный конгресс

to approve утвердить

Declaration of independence Декларация Независи­мости

firework фейерверк

to observe торжественно праздновать;

to conquer завоевывать, покорять

favour расположение, благосклонность

to appoint назначать, определять

Cupid римск. миф. Купидон

Amour римск. Амур, Купидон

to execute казнить

St. Valentine's Day День Святого Валентина

authorities власти

custom обычай

to spread распространяться

to care for любить

valentine открытка или подарок, посылаемые в день Валентина

anonymous анонимный

heart-shaped в форме сердца

Dialogue:

- I say, Maggie, could you tell us what are the main public holidays in the USA?

- January 1 should be mentioned. It is New Year’s Day. All banks, stores, factories and schools are closed. People see the old year out and the New Year in.

- I hear that Decoration Day is marked on the last Monday of May. What is it dedicated to?

- Decoration Day is sometimes called Memorial Day. It is dedicated to those who fell in the War of Independence, in World War 1 and World War 2.

- I see. The greatest holiday is July 4, isn’t it?

- Yes, it is. The Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Philodelphia on July 4, 1776 when the American colonies were fighting for independenceagainst England.

- What do the Americans mark on November 11?

- November 11 is Veteran’s Day. All Americans who died in the antifascist struggle are honored.

- It is so difficult for me to remember when Thanksgiving Day is celebrated.

- That is a great holiday. It is celebrated on the fourth Thuesday of November. It has been celebrated since the autumn of 1621, that was the first harvest festival in America.

- Thank you for the information.

Translate into English:

1. В каждой стране есть свои национальные праздники, но существуют также праздники, общие для многих стран.

2. В России есть и праздники, отмечающие некоторые важные события в нашей истории, например, День Победы, День Конституции, День Суверенитета Российской Федерации.

3. Недавно россияне снова начали справлять религиозные праздники - Рождество и Пасха.

4. Специфически английские Банковские праздники были введены парламентским актом в 1871 году.

5. Они отмечаются четыре раза в год: в Пасхальный понедельник, в Духов день, в первый понедельник августа и 26 декабря.

6. Кроме общественных праздников англичане соблюдают определенные традиции в такие дни, как День блинов (Жирный Вторник), Ночь Гая Фокса, День святого Валентина, День дурака, День матери.

7. В Конституции США не предусмотрены национальные праздники.

8. Во многих штатах есть собственные праздники, но существуют также главные праздники, которые отмечаются практически во всех США.

9. Главный праздник в США — это День Независимости, отмечаемый 4 июля.

10.День Благодарения - семейный праздник с большим традиционным обедом, включающим индейку и тыквенный пирог.