British Festivals and Celebrations

Celebrations in the United Kingdom

GUY FAWKES DAY Remember, remember the fifth of November the gun powder treason and plot I know of no reason for gunpowder treason plot should ever be forgotten…

About Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes was born in Yorkshire on the 13 of April , 1570 and died on the 30 of January, 1606. He was the only son of Edward Fawkes. As a Child Guy Fawkes was Baptised at the St. Michael le Belfrey and attended St. peters school in Yorkshire. Guy Fawkes father died in 1579 and his widow remarried in 1582.

A group of men lead by Robert Catesby, plotted to kill King James and blow up the houses of parliament, the place where the laws that governed England were made. Guy was in the group and they chose him because of his experience with explosives in the military. The plot was simple -the next time Parliament was opened by King James 1st, they would blow up every one who was inside.

How he did it

Why he did it When Queen Elizabeth 1 st took the throne of England, she made some laws against Roman Catholics. Guy Fawkes was one of a small group of Catholics who felt that the government was treating Roman Catholics unfairly. They hoped that King James 1 st would change the laws, but he didn’t.

St Patrick's Day

About St Patrick Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ. Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland .

Until the age of sixteen St Patrick did not believe in Jesus but now St Patrick is The Patron saint of Ireland. He is one of Christianity’s widely known figures. For all his celebrity, his life remains a mystery. He was quite successful at winning converts. St Patrick’s wishes were to return to Ireland and preach about Jesus. He sailed around on a boat and taught people about Jesus. He was very successful in setting up schools and churches. What he did

What is St Patrick’s Day The first St Patrick’s Day took place in the United States. St Patrick’s Day is a time for parties. Its also a time for fun celebrations. People often dress up in green on St Patrick’s Day. St Patrick’s day is celebrated on the 17 th of March and the symbol for St Patrick's day is gold or leprechauns.

Halloween

What is Halloween The Druids believed that on the night before November (October 31), Sambaing called together wicked souls or spirits which had been condemned to live in the bodies of animals during the year which had just transpired. Since they were afraid of these spirits, they chose October 31 as a day of sacrifice to their gods, hoping they would protect them. They really believed that on this day they were surrounded by strange spirits, ghosts, witches, fairies, and elves, who came out to hurt them. In addition to this, they also believed that cats were holy animals, as they considered them to represent people who lived formerly, and as punishment for evil deeds were reincarnated as a cat. All this explains why witches, ghosts, and cats are part of Halloween today.

The many customs we have today in relation to Halloween have their origin in the religious practices of the Romans and the Druids, therefore dating back many centuries. The Romans worshipped various gods, and on October 31, a special feast was held in honour of Pomona, goddess of the fruit trees. Later the Druids, an ancient order of Celtic priests in Britain, made this feast an even more extensive celebration by also honouring Sambaing, lord of the dead. This was normally done on November 1 and it was therefore decided to conveniently honour both Pomona and Sambaing on October 31 and November 1. About The Costume and Feasts

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May Pole Dancing A traditional May day dance is known as May pole dancing. On May day, people used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer. People danced around them in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the fine weather that would allow planting to begin.

May Day is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It is said to be a time of love and romance. It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter. What it Represents

The Tallest May Pole The tallest maypole is said to have been erected in London on the Strand in 1661; it stood over 143 feet high. It was felled in 1717, when it was used by Isaac Newton to support Huygen's new reflecting telescope.

Guard Mounting Swan Upping Maundy Money Knighthood Royal Celebrations

On the River Thames there are hundred’s of swans and a lot of these beautiful white birds belong, traditionally, to the king of queen. In July, the Queen’s swan keeper sails up the River Thames, from London Bridge to Henley. He looks at all the young swans and marks the royal ones. Swan Upping

Guard Mounting Guard mounting takes place in front of the Buckingham place at 11:30 daily between May until the end of July and on alternate days for the rest of the year. It takes 45 minutes for the ceremony to end and attracts thousands of people to watch.

Knighthood A knight has "Sir" before his name. A new knight kneels in front of the Queen. She touches first his right shoulder, then his left shoulder with a sword. Then she says "Arise, Sir...and his first name, and the knight stands. People that excel in his or her field are chosen to become knighted by the Queen.

Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday. On that day the Queen gives Maundy money to a group of old people. This tradition is over 1,000 years old. At one time the King or Queen washed the feet of poor old people on Maundy Thursday, but that stopped in 1754. Maundy Money

Done by… Jackson Harris