Traditions and holidays in the UK, USA and CR

Omlouvám se, ale neměla jsem nervy vypisovat, jak se co slaví. Stejně to většinou všichni známe a když ne, tak se to okecává jako: It's an opportunity for families to gather at one table, they are feasting and drinking... u dost svátků jsou "bonfires and fireworks"... všichni jsou hrozně šťastný a nikdo není sám! Tečka, odmaturováno za jedna, i když ze sebe nevysoukám ani jedno datum, možná tak Vánoce a vznik Čr a Čsr :D.
PS: 2x referát na anglickou knihu se přejmenoval na 3x.

The British are said to be conservative, they are proud of their isles and they preserves their customs and traditions, for example they drive on the left side, they use their own system of weights and measures and they consider the monarchy as an inseparable part of their government. They are famous for their dry humour and fondness for tea. Britain is the oldest democracy in the world and has a very rich history, which gives a base for plenty of holidays and feastdays.

The Americans are far from being conservative. They rather value progress, success and prosperity than history and traditions. Everything has to move fast, because “Time is money”, so no tea party, but more likely a quick stop at McDonalds. They have a weakness for grandiosity that’s why you can see so many skyscrapers in the USA.

I can’t think about any cliché about the Czechs. We like beer and ice hockey. We are used to being unknown in the world; we aren’t as snobbish as the British neither as money-hungry as the Americans. I’d say we desire comfort and as little problems as possible. Anyway, our small country has been through many events from which we created our own holidays and traditions. We celebrate civil holidays as well as religious, although we are mainly atheistic society. 

Great Britain:

·         March 17^th - St. Patrick’s Day

·         April 1^st - All Fools’ Day

·         April - Easter (after the first full moon in spring, Good Friday, Easter Sunday)

·         June (Saturday) - The Queen’s official Birthday

·         October 31^st - Halloween (only in the North of England and in Scotland)

·         November 5^th - Guy Fawkes Day

·         December 24^th - Christmas Eve

·         December 25^th - Christmas Day

·         December 26^th - Boxing Day

·         December 31^st - New Year’s Eve

United States:

·         3^rd Monday in January - Martin Luther King’s Day

·         February 14^th - St. Valentine’s Day

·         April - Easter (egg hunt, Easter Egg Roll in front of the White House)

·         July 4^th - Independence Day

·         October 31^st - Halloween

·         4^th Thursday in November - Thanksgiving Day (Canada in October)

·         Christmas as in Britain

The Czech Republic:

·         January 1^st - The establishment of the Czech Republic (in 1993) + New Year’s Day

·         April - Easter (Easter Monday)

·         May 8^th - The end of the Second World War in Europe

·         July 5^th - Cyril and Metoděj came to Velká Morava

·         July 6^th - Jan Hus was burnt to death

·         September 28^th - St. Wenceslas Day

·         October 28^th -  The establishment of Czechoslovakia (in 1918)

·         November 17^th - The Velvet revolution, the Student’s Day

·         December 24^th - Christmas Eve

·         December 25^th and 26^th - the first and the second Christmas Day

Vocabulary:

Adventní věnec = Advent wreath

Britskej “muffin” = mince-pie

Krocan nadívanej kaštanama = roast turkey with chestnut stuffing (and roast potatoes)

Obarvená vejce = dyed eggs

Pomláska = braided reed (šlehat = whip, koledovat = recite a rhyme)

Přípitek = toast

Sklizeň = harvest

Větvička jmelí = spring of mistletoe

Vydlabaná dýně / spešl svítilna = scraped out pumpkin / jack-o’-lantern from pumpkin