Customs and traditions of Great Britain and Belarus

Holidays in Belarus (Olympiad. Form 8-9)

Like other countries B has its own holidays. They are of two kinds-traditional national holidays and religious holidays

The New Year Day is one of them. It is a popular holiday which is widely celebrated in every family. Long before the New Year Eve people begin to buy New Year cards, toys and presents. Most families see the New Year in at home. There is usually a fur tree decorated with toys and lights. A lot of delicious food is cooked for the night meal. A goose stuffed with apples is a traditional New Year dish

The 8^th of March is another national holiday when people show their love and respect for their mothers, grandmothers, sisters and girl-friends. It is a tradition to present them with flowers and gifts.

There are two national holidays in May. The 1^st of May is the holiday of labor and spring. It’s a merry holiday. There is a lot of music and dancing everywhere.

Then comes the Victory Day on the 9^th of May. The day marks the victory of the Soviet people over the German fascism in the Great Patriotic War. People congratulate war veterans and express their gratitude to them and also remember those who gave their lives for the independence of our Motherland. They put flowers to the monuments of war heroes.

In Belarus people widely celebrate such popular Christian holidays as Christmas and Easter On Christmas Eve traditional food is cooked. It should include fish, mushrooms pancakes and Belarussian pudding made of barley. Traditionally dinner table should be covered with hay and then with a table cloth and the food. Christmas week is great fun. Young people go from home to home dressed like animals or other fairy characters, sing Kolyady songs and dance.In return they are given food and sometimes money.

Kupalle is the most loved and celebrated pagan holidays in today’s Belarus. There is a whole complex of traditional rituals, beliefs, love and magic. It is celebrated in the night from 6 July to 7 July. The central part in Kupalle celebration is a fire. The oiled wooden wheel is set on the fire to symbolize sun. There are a lot of purification rituals such as jumping over the fire and bathing in the river. There is also a lot of dancing in karagods, competing in strength and fortune-telling. Young people usually wear wreaths made of corn flowers, ferns and camomiles on their heads. They jump over the fire and go to the forest to look for a blossoming fern flower-“paparats-kvetka”. According to the legend those who find this mysterious flower will live happily ever after.

My favorite holiday.

I suppose every holiday is wonderful in its own way. Moreover, each one has its own history, special meaning and sense. My favorite holiday is New Year’s Day

First of all, it’s the most suitable day of the year for thinking over all one’s deeds and making a summary of the year. It’s just the time to reconsider our whole life and continue it with new strength. New Year’s Day is the day which makes you change your life completely, or just something in it.

Secondly, New Year’s, to my mind is a magical holiday, when we dream about happiness. We all believe that the coming year will be better, happier and merrier.

Thirdly, on this day people as a rule try to make other people happy by giving presents, sending postcards or just smiling.

In the fourth place I would like to say that the saying “you spend the year the same you meet it” is really very wise. So that’s why all people try to be kind and good, they cook a lot of tasty food. We usually see the New Year in at home. My flat looks really great with a brilliantly decorated fir-tree. When the clock strikes 12 we stand round the table holding up glasses of champagne and wish each other happiness, good luck, peace and understanding. I love this holiday for its magic and merry atmosphere, for the happiness it gives to me, my relatives, friends and to all the people. This holiday is surely worth celebrating