XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

Аннотация: В данной статье рассматриваются традиции и обычаи Великобритании.  В ней упоминаются праздники, которые отмечается в Великобритании, а также история их возникновения. Более того, в ней рассказывается о пристрастиях и увлечениях жителей Великобритании, об их традиционной кухне. 

Abstract: This article discusses the traditions and customs of the UK.  It refers to the holidays celebrated in the UK as well as the history of their occurrence.  Moreover, it tells about the passions and hobbies of the inhabitants of the UK, about their traditional cuisine.

Ключевые слова: Великобритания, праздник, традиции, история, спорт, кухня. 

Keywords: Great Britain, holiday, traditions, history, sport, cuisine. 

       There is a saying that an Englishman without traditions is not a real Englishman. Great Britain is famous for its public, royal and national festivals and habits. 

       One cannot imagine Britain without monarchy. One of the most impressive Royal ceremonies is “Changing of the Guard". It takes place at Buckingham Palace every day, including Sunday, at 11.30. The uniform of the guards is extremely coloured - red tunics, blue trousers and bearskin caps. They always attract London sightseers.

       Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although its roots go back much earlier. Since 1748, Trooping the Colour has also marked the official birthday of the British sovereign. It is held in London annually on the second Saturday in June at Horse Guards Parade by St James's Park, and coincides with the publication of the Birthday Honours List. Among the audience are the Royal family, invited guests, ticket holders and the general public. The Queen travels down the Mall from Buckingham Palace in a royal procession with a sovereign's escort of Household Cavalry (mounted troops or horse guards). After receiving a royal salute, she inspects her troops of the Household Division – both foot guards and horse guards – and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. Music is provided by the massed bands of the foot guards and the mounted Band of the Household Cavalry, together with a Corps of Drums, and occasionally pipers, totalling approximately 400 musicians.Returning to Buckingham Palace, the Queen watches a further march-past from outside the gates. Following a 41-gun salute by the King's Troop in Green Park, she leads the Royal family on to the palace balcony for a Royal Air Force flypast. [1]

       Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is usually accompanied by music. Morris dancing is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two people, steps are near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid one across the other on the floor. They clap their sticks, swords, or handkerchiefs together to match with the dance.The earliest known and surviving English written mention of Morris dance is dated to 1448 and records the payment of seven shillings to Morris dancers by the Goldsmiths' Company in London. [2]

       For many people Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. It is a combination of the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, and the traditional winter holidays. On the Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung.[4] 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. On Christmas Day a roast turkey is traditionally cooked for dinner.[3]

       St. Valentine’s Day has been celebrated in Britain since the XVII century. The origins of Valentine’s Day are rooted in the history of the Roman Empire, when one of the rulers, Claudius II, forbade marriages, because it was believed that the best soldiers were single men. It was then that the Christian priest Valentine began to conduct the engagements of people secretly.Valentine was immediately arrested and sentenced to death, as soon as the ruler learned about what he did. Before the execution, on the night of February 14, his woman received the last note from the priest with the signature «Your Valentine».In England, flowers have been presented on the day of lovers since the XVII century. This tradition came from France from Louis XVI, who gave Marie Antoinette red roses. They are the symbol of Valentine’s Day and symbolize the blood of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Two drops of her blood fell on white roses, making them red.[5]

       Saint David's Day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD. The feast has been regularly celebrated since the canonisation of David in the 12th century, by Pope Callixtus II, though it is not a national holiday in the UK.Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, recognised symbols of Wales and Saint David respectively, eating traditional Welsh food including cawl and Welsh rarebit, and women wearing traditional Welsh dress. An increasing number of cities and towns across Wales including Cardiff, Swansea and Aberystwyth also put on parades throughout the day. [6]

       St. Patrick’s Day. St Patrick is one of Ireland's patron saints. He is believed to have died on March 17 in or around the year 493. He grew up in mainland Britain, but spent time in Ireland as a young man and later as a missionary. According to a popular legend, he was buried under Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, and banished all snakes from Ireland. However, it is thought that there have been no snakes in Ireland since the last ice age. The “snakes” that St Patrick banished from Ireland, may refer to pagan worshipers of snake gods.The date of St Patrick's Day is fixed as March 17. It is occasionally moved by the authorities of the Catholic Church. It happened in 1940, so that the celebrations would not fall on Palm Sunday, and in 2008 to avoid Holy Monday, the last Monday before Easter Sunday. These changes do not often affect non-church celebrations. In particular, the bank holiday in Northern Ireland is still held on March 17 or the Monday afterwards if March 17 falls on a Saturday or Sunday.St Patrick's Day was originally a religious occasion to mark the life and work of St Patrick. In 1903 it became a public holiday in the whole of Ireland. Pubs were not allowed to open on March 17 until the 1970s. It is only recently that St Patrick's Day has become a secular holiday.[7]

       Halloween has its origins in pagan festivals held around the end of October in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. People believed that, at this time of the year, the spirits of dead people could come 'alive' and walk among the living. They thought that it was important to dress up in costumes when venturing outside, to avoid being harmed by the spirits. It may be the origin of the Halloween costumes seen today. Halloween is also known as Nut-crack Night, Thump-the-door Night or Apple and Candle Night.Some aspects of the modern Halloween celebrations, such as carving lanterns out of vegetables originated long ago. Others were introduced more recently, often as a form of commercial promotion. [8]

       In the UK people love sports. That is why, there are so many sports games.  A lot of different sports games were invented there.  Schools and universities are equipped with many sports grounds, students are happy to play sports on them. One of the most popular British games is cricket. [9] It is often played in schools, colleges, universities and by club teams all over the country. Summer isn't a summer without cricket. When they consider anything unfair, they sometimes say "That isn't cricket". Football, the most popular game in the world, is of 2 kinds in Britain: association football (soccer) and rugby. Golf originated in Scotland. Wimbledon is known world-wide as the centre of lawn tennis. It is the oldest and the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Some Wimbledon traditions haven't changed since the 19" century.

       The British adore animals. They try not only to provide a comfortable and safe life for pets, but also to make it as close as possible to human life. In Britain they have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for dogs. There are dog hair-dressing saloons and dog cemetries. In Britain pets can send Christmas cards to their friends, birthday cards. Owners can buy jewelled nylon collars for their pets, lambwool coats, lace-trimmed panties, nightgowns, pyjamas for a dog and so on. There are special animal hotels at the airports. The English people believe that they are the only nation on the earth that is really kind to its animals.[10]

       UK cuisine is very diverse and tasty. The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea (5 o'clock) and dinner. Breakfast can be a full "English breakfast" of cornflakes with milk and sugar, or bacon and eggs, a toast with marmalade, tea or coffee. Some people, however, have just a cup of tea or coffee with a toast. This is usually called a "continental breakfast". The English like what they call "good plain food'. They like steak, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips. Tea is a part of the prose of British life. They drink it with or without sugar, but usually with milk. They can drink tea with some sandwiches, freshly baked scones and usually cakes and pastries.[11]

       The love for gardens is deep-rooted in the British people.  Sometimes the garden in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted green in imitation of grass and a box of flowers. Their love of flowers is huge.[10]

       Thus, we can conclude that the culture of Great Britain is significantly different from the culture of Russia. In the UK there are many holidays that are actively celebrated only in this country. The British have a special attitude towards animals, garden arrangement. Their taste preferences are also different from ours. Everyone who wants to visit this country should know and respect their traditions and customs.

       Список используемой литературы: 

Trooping the Colour [Электронный ресурс], - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trooping_the_Colour

Morris Dance [Электронный ресурс], - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_dance

Holidays in Great Britain [Электронный ресурс], - http://engmaster.ru/topic/3080

Christmas in Great Britain [Электронныйресурс], - http://english-lessons-online.ru/topiki/na-temy-christmas-great-britain-rozhdestvo-v-velikobritanii

How British people celebrate Valentine’s day [Электронныйресурс], - https://tv-english.club/articles-en/entertainment/how-british-people-celebrate-valentines-day/