English-speaking countries celebrate various festivals throughout the year. January marks the new year with parties and resolutions in many places. February has Valentine's Day focused on love. In March, Christians celebrate Easter commemorating Jesus' resurrection. Other celebrations include Burns Night in Scotland and St. Patrick's Day in Ireland honoring their national figures. Festivals continue with Mother's Day, Father's Day and Independence Day in the summer months before Halloween and Christmas bring the year to a close.

1. FESTIVITIES
in
English Speaking
Countries

2. JANUARY

3. NEW YEAR
"Happy New Year!“: – The Romans continued to
Greeting said and heard for observe the New Year in
late March, but their
at least the first couple of calendar was continually
weeks as a new year gets tampered with by various
under way. emperors.
– ANCIENT NEW YEARS – Finally, Julius Caesar
In 2000 BC, the Babylonian established what has come
New Year began with the to be known as the Julian
first New Moon marked by Calendar, which again
the first day of spring. established January 1 as
– It lasted for eleven days the new year.
and each day had its own
particular mode of – TRADITIONS: New year’s
celebration. resolutions

4. CHINESE NEW YEAR
• 'Happy New Year' in Chinese TRADITIONS:
(cantonese): Sun nien fai lok • Doors are decorated with
• The Chinese do not celebrate vertical scrolls of characters on
the New Year on the same day red paper whose texts seek
good luck and praise nature.
as we do
• In many homes and temples
– Chinese New Year starts incense is burned, and also in
with the second New Moon the temples
after the winter solstice and
ends on the full moon 15 • A large family dinner is served.
days later.
• In China, the public holiday
– Like all Chinese festivals it lasts for three days but the
is determined by the festival traditionally lasts for 15
days
lunar/solar calendar, so the
actual date varies from late
January to mid-February.

5. BURN’S NIGHT
• People from Scotland celebrate Burns' Night on 25
January, the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns,
Scotland's great 'national' poet and songwriter.
TRADITIONS:
• A large formal dinner, ritual started by close friends of
the poet a few years after his death as a tribute to his
memory.
– First, Haggis are served: haggis are the traditional Scottish dish
served that night (it is made from a sheep's stomach stuffed with
minced heart, liver, suet (animal fat) and oatmeal (a cereal).
– Next comes the reciting of a prayer, Selkirk Grace (written by
Burns).

6. FEBRUARY

7. VALENTINE’S DAY
• Valentine was a priest who • He was thrown in jail but he was
lived in Rome when the city visited by many love supporters,
was ruled by emperor especially, the daughter of the
Claudius. prison guard, who helped him keep
his spirits up.
• Claudius wanted a big army
and to battle in wars, but most • Valentine died on the 14th
people didn’t agree with that. February, but he left a note for the
girl, thanking her for her friendship
• and loyalty.
Claudius thought that if men
weren’t married, they wouldn’t • The card said:
mind to go in wars, so he  Love from your Valentine 
forbid marriages.
This is why from that day on,
• Valentine ignored the law and people usually send love
continued performing secret messages on Valentie’s day
marriage ceremonies until he
was caught.

8. MARCH

9. EASTER
• Easter is a Christian Festival • SYMBOLS:
that celebrates the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ. – Easter eggs were painted
with bright colours to
• On the third day after Good represent the sunlight of
Friday, the day of his spring
crucifixion, now called Easter
Sunday, he rose from the – Easter Bunny and Easter
dead. Mourners went to His Hunt
tomb to collect His body.
However, He was not there
and they were greeted by an
angel who said :
"He is Risen".

10. ST. PATRICK’S DAY
•Far from being a Saint,
until he was 16, he was • He travelled throughout
considered himself a Ireland, establishing
pagan. monasteries across the
•At that age, he was country. He also set up
sold into slavery, which schools and churches
His mission in Ireland
helped him become lasted for thirty years.
closer to God.
• After six year, he
• After that, he was
escaped from slavery
considered a Saint.
and studed in a
monastery to convert
the pagans to
Christianity.

11. APRIL

12. APRIL FOOL’S DAY
• The custom of this day is to play jokes or send
friends on fools' errands.
• This custom was brought to America by the British.
• -When do we celebrate 'April Fool's Day' in Spain?
- What is the Spanish translation for this festival?
- Do you play jokes on your friends? If so, what kind
of jokes do you usually play?

13. MAY

14. MOTHER’S DAY
• Do you usually celebrate 'Mother's Day'?
When is it celebrated in Spain?
• Do you give your mother a special gift on this
day?
• The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be
traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient
Greece in honour of Rhea, the Mother of the
Gods.
• Cards and poems are a typical gift for this day

15. JUNE
JUNE

16. FATHER’S DAY
• • Do you celebrate • But how did it begin ?
'Father's Day?
• When is it celebrated in -Sonora Dodd, from
Spain? Washington, first had the
• Do you buy a special gift idea of a "father's day."
for your dad? She thought of the idea
• What's the most for Father's Day while
common present on listening to a Mother's
Father's Day? Day sermon in 1909.
• This day is used to
honour all fathers all over
the world!

17. JULY

18. 4TH JULY
• Independence Day is • TRADITIONS:
the national holiday of - Parades , picnics
the United States of and fireworks were
America established as the
commemorating the way to celebrate
signing of the America's birthday.
Declaration of
Independence on
July 4, 1776, in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

19. AUGUST

20. THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL
• The Edinburgh • By invitation from the
International General Director, the
Festival is a festival International Festival
of performing arts that brings top class
takes place in the city performers of opera,
of Edinburgh, theatre, music
Scotland, over three (especially classical
weeks from around music) and dance
the middle of August. from around the world
to perform.

21. SEPTEMBER

22. HARVEST FESTIVAL
• In England, thanks • Harvest Festival
have been given for reminds Christians of
successful harvests all the good things
since ancient times. God gives them. This
This day is celebrated makes them want to
by singing, praying share with others who
and decorating the are not so fortunate.
churches with baskets
of fruit and food.

24. HALLOWEEN
• When is Halloween celebrated?
• Do you usually celebrate Halloween?
• If so, what do you usually do on that night?
• What is the Catalan festival celebrated on the same day?
• Do you celebrate it?
• What do you do/eat/drink … on that night?
• On that day they wore scary costumes because they believed that then
the evil spirits wouldn't recognize them as humans and wouldn't mess
with them.
• The earliest origin is from the Celts, who lived in Scotland. On October
31, they celebrated the end of the harvest season and the beginning of
the cold, dark winters. The Celts believed that on Oct 31, the Lord of
Death released souls back to Earth
• TRADITIONS:
• - Costumes
• - Masks
• - Pumpking carving
• - Trick-or-treat
• - Jack-o- Lantern story

26. • Thanksgivint is to celebrate the time
when the first European settlers in the
US were helped and taught how to grow
crops by the Native Americans.
• People celebrate it with a special meal.

27. GUY FAWK’S NIGHT
• On 5 November every year, children in Britain
get excited because it is Bonfire Night (Guy
Fawkes' Night). They lit bonfires and enjoy
firework displays.
• It’s the date when, in the 17th century, Guy
Fawkes tried to blow up the British
Parliament, bur failed.
• People celebrate it with a bonfire and fireworks.

28. DECEMBER

29. CHRISTMAS
– There is preparation going on of – CRACKERS
foods, the sending of Christmas
cards, the decorating of houses
and churches, and the readying
of gifts. – KISSING UNDER THE
MISTLETOE
– On Christmas Eve youngsters
hang up their stockings on the
ends of the beds or by the – STOCKING
chimney.
– On Christmas morning the family
traditionally opens their presents – REINDEER & RUDOLPH
and prepares for a big feast which
is typically served just after
midday.
– THE COIN PUDDING
– At every place on the table there
–
is a cracker. The meal begins with POINSETTIA
a toast, followed by the popping
of the crackers. – FATHER CHRISTMAS
– In the afternoon they exchange – The evergreen HOLLY
visits with neighbours and other symbolises eternal life.
family members.