Traditions and Customs in Great Britain and in Belarus

Traditions and Customs in Great Britain and in Belarus

Round 1

“ A bank holiday” is …

• a) a day when people go to a bank to take their money
• b) a day which people spend on a river bank
• c) a day when most people don’t go to work and celebrate different traditions

When is Boxing Day?

• a) on the 24 th of December
• b) on the 25 th of December
• c) on the 26 th of December

Which vegetable do people leave by the fireplace on Christmas Eve for Santa’s reindeer?

• a) carrot
• b) beetroot
• c) onion

What type of pie do people traditionally eat at Christmas time?

• a) cherry pie
• b) apple pie
• c) mince pie

How many days are there between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (not counting Christmas Day or New Year’s Day)?

• a) five
• b) six
• c) four

How many mince pies should people eat at Christmas to have good luck in the future?

• a) seven
• b) ten
• c) twelve

What meat is traditionally eaten on Christmas Day?

• a) turkey
• b) gammon
• c) chicken

What do you pull on Christmas Day?

• a) balloon
• b) crackers
• c) muscles

What do people make on New Year’s Day?

• a) New Year’s Proclamations
• b) New Year’s Dedications
• c) New Year’s Resolutions

The First Foot is traditionally…

• a) a tall fair-haired man
• b) a tall dark-haired man
• c) a tall dark-haired woman

What doesn’t the First Foot bring?

• a) a coin
• b) some bread
• c) some coal
• d) some money
• e) a card
• f) some salt

How many reindeer Santa Claus have?

• a) seven
• b) eight
• c) nine
• d) ten

Which evergreen plant with white berries is dedicated to Goddess of Love, which explains the kissing that goes on under it?

• a) holly
• b) mistletoe
• c) ivy

The name of the special New Year’s Eve song is…

• a) “Auld Lang Syne”
• b) “A Christmas Carol”
• c) “Jingle, Bells”

What card comes unsigned?

• a) Christmas card
• b) Easter card
• c) Valentine card

People celebrate  the birth of Jesus Christ. What holiday is it?

• a) New Year
• b) Christmas
• c) Easter

“ Tossing the caber” is …

• a) pulling the rope
• b) burning effigies
• c) throwing heavy pine trunk

Which vegetable is traditionally used at Halloween?

• a) pepper
• b) pumpkin
• c) beetroot

You know the European tradition of carving scary faces into pumpkin. But which vegetable was originally used by the Irish instead of it?

• a) cabbage
• b) radish
• c) turnip

… and black are colors associated with Halloween.

• a) red
• b) green
• c) blue
• d) orange
• e) purple

What do women have to wear when they participate in pancake races?

• a) a skirt and a hat
• b) an apron and a skirt
• c) an apron and a hat

Where does the most famous street football game take place?

• a) Olney
• b) Ashbourne
• c) Nottingham

When do people celebrate Guy Fawkes Day?

• a) November 7
• b) November 6
• c) November 5
• d) November 4

“ Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot”. Which building did Guy Fawkes unsuccessfully try to destroy in 1605?

• a) Westminster Abbey
• b) St Paul’s Cathedral
• c) Houses of Parliament
• d) Buckingham Palace

The traditional cake eaten on Bonfire Night is …

• a) Tart
• b) Treacle
• c) Ginger
• d) Parkin

When is the British Queen’s Official birthday?

• a) in spring
• b) in summer
• c) in autumn

When is the Queen’s real birthday?

• a) April 1
• b) April 21
• c) March 1
• d) March 21

Round 2

• February 14
• Was started in the time of Roman Empire.
• Is dedicated to St. Valentine.
• People send a card to someone they love, like, fancy or admire.

• In March
• A rowing race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
• On the river Thames in London (7,2 km).

• In March
• The last day before Lent.
• Pancake race-running while holding a pancake in a frying pan. Competitors have to throw it in the air and catch it again in the pan.

• May 9
• Commemorates the Victory in the Great Patriotic War .
• People congratulate war veterans. There are usually a parade and fireworks on this day.

• In April.
• The celebration of the Resurrection of Christ
• Schools are closed for two weeks.
• People give each other chocolate eggs that are wrapped in silver paper.

• This custom goes back to the 18 th century when Anne, wife of the Duke of Bedford, decided that she suffered from a “sinking feeling” around 5 p.m. and needed tea and cakes to bring back her strength .

• In May
• Britain’s most important flower and garden show.
• Thousands of people come to see the prize flowers and specially built gardens.

• The last week of July and the first week of June.
• At Wimbledon in South-West London.
• One of the four great world tennis championships and the only one which is played on grass.

• The last weekend in August.
• Takes place in Notting Hill.
• People dress up in fabulous costumes.
• Steel bands play African and Caribbean music.

• Celebrated in the night from July 6 to July 7 .
• There are a lot of rituals: jumping over the fire, bathing in the river, looking for a blossoming “paparats-kvetka” .

• During the last week before Great Lent .
• A sun-festival, personified by the ancient god Volos .
• Celebration of the end of the winter .

• October 31
• A pagan festival celebrates the return of the souls that visit their former houses.
• People dress up as witches, ghosts etc.
• Houses are decorated with pumpkins.

• November 5
• The day marks the discovery of a plot to blow up Parliament in 1605.
• People make models of him and burn them on big bonfires.

• The second Saturday in June.
• Celebrates the Queen’s official birthday.
• Lots of marching, military music and the soldiers are dressed in colourful uniforms.

• December 25
• Religious ceremony commemorating the birth of Christ.
• Children wake up early to find presents in their stockings.
• Traditional Christmas tree and dinner.

• December 26
• It is usually spent in front of the TV, recovering from Christmas Day.
• Servants go from house to house with collecting boxes.

• December 31
• Traditionally Scottish celebration.
• At midnight everybody joins hands and sings Auld Lang Syne.

Round 3

Round 4

CONGRATULATIONS

Round 5

Choose the correct variant and circle it.

• 1. There (are / is) no information in the text.
• 2. My mother went to the shop and bought some (fruit / fruits).
• 3. What (- / an) interesting books you’ve got!
• 4. (A / The) man standing over there is my uncle.
• 5. My little brother doesn’t like vegetables. I don’t like them (too / either).
• 6. Why are your eyes so red? (Have / Had) you been crying?
• 7. The doctor said he (would / will) prescribe me some medicine.
• 8. Nick told his father he (has / had) already made a paper ship.
• 9. Danny smiled at his father (cheerful / cheerfully).
• 10. It was so (dangerously / dangerous) to climb the mountains.

Round 6

Put the lines in a logical order and read the poem.

• Shining in the candle light
• Every little girl, you understand
• Up above the party, dressed in white
• That she can fly when she’s asleep
• Every little boy has lots of fun
• There is little secret she must keep
• The fairy on the Christmas tree
• Is really the queen of the fairy land
• Every little girl would like to be
• With his trumpet and his gun

• Every little girl would like to be
• The fairy on the Christmas tree.
• Up above the party, dressed in white,
• Shining in the candle light.
• Every little boy has lots of fun
• With his trumpet and his gun.
• Every little girl, you understand,
• Is really the queen of the fairy land.
• There is little secret she must keep,
• That she can fly when she’s asleep.