The specific part of maturita topics 17 (Culture, cultural events and entertainment) and 18 (Customs and traditions), at B2 level. The last section compares festive meals with Czech ones, which is the specific part of topic 16 (Food and drinks) – the Czech side is in Festivals and Holidays in the Czech Republic.
Public holidays
In Britain, public holidays are called bank holidays, because banks and many offices close. There are only eight of them in England and Wales, and many fall on a Monday, so people get a long weekend. In the USA there are eleven federal holidays; many of them are also on Mondays.
Holidays through the year
| Date | Holiday | Where | How it is celebrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec / 1 Jan | New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day | everywhere | parties, fireworks, singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight, making New Year’s resolutions; in Scotland it is called Hogmanay |
| 3rd Monday in January | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | USA | remembers the leader of the civil rights movement |
| 14 February | St Valentine’s Day | everywhere | cards (often anonymous), flowers and chocolates for the person you love |
| 3rd Monday in February | Presidents’ Day | USA | honours George Washington and other presidents |
| 17 March | St Patrick’s Day | Ireland, but also the USA, UK, Canada… | the patron saint of Ireland; people wear green, parades (the biggest in New York and Dublin), Irish music, beer |
| 1 April | April Fools’ Day | everywhere | practical jokes until noon; even newspapers and TV publish fake news |
| March / April | Easter | everywhere | Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday; chocolate eggs, Easter egg hunts for children, hot cross buns; the Easter Bunny brings sweets |
| 2nd Sunday in May (USA) / March (UK) | Mother’s Day | everywhere | cards, flowers and breakfast in bed for mums |
| last Monday in May | Memorial Day | USA | remembers soldiers who died in wars; the unofficial start of summer |
| 1 July | Canada Day | Canada | the founding of Canada in 1867 |
| 4 July | Independence Day | USA | the Declaration of Independence (1776); parades, barbecues, picnics and fireworks – the most important American holiday |
| 31 October | Halloween | mainly USA, UK, Ireland, Canada | children dress up as ghosts, witches or monsters and go trick-or-treating; people carve pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns |
| 5 November | Guy Fawkes Night / Bonfire Night | UK | remembers the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to blow up Parliament; bonfires and fireworks |
| 11 November | Remembrance Day / Veterans Day | UK, Commonwealth / USA | the end of the First World War (1918); two minutes’ silence at 11 a.m., people wear red poppies |
| 4th Thursday in November | Thanksgiving | USA (Canada in October) | remembers the harvest feast of the Pilgrims in 1621; a big family dinner; the next day is Black Friday, the start of Christmas shopping |
| 30 November | St Andrew’s Day | Scotland | the patron saint of Scotland |
| 25 December | Christmas Day | everywhere | see below |
| 26 December | Boxing Day | UK, Commonwealth | originally a day when servants received gifts in boxes; today sport and big sales |
Christmas in Britain and the USA
Preparations start in November with lights, decorations and Christmas shopping. People send Christmas cards and decorate their homes with a Christmas tree, holly and mistletoe – couples are supposed to kiss under it. On Christmas Eve children hang up stockings at the end of their beds or by the fireplace and leave a mince pie and a glass of milk or sherry for Father Christmas (Santa Claus), who comes down the chimney at night. Presents are opened on the morning of 25 December. In Britain the King’s Christmas message is broadcast on TV in the afternoon, and people pull Christmas crackers – paper tubes which bang when you pull them and contain a paper crown, a small toy and a joke.
Other cultural events
- The Edinburgh Festival and Fringe in August – theatre, comedy and music all over the city.
- The Notting Hill Carnival in London – a huge Caribbean street festival in August.
- Wimbledon, the Boat Race and the Last Night of the Proms in Britain; the Super Bowl, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Mardi Gras in New Orleans in the USA.
- Burns Night (25 January) – Scots celebrate their national poet Robert Burns with haggis and whisky.
Festive food compared with the Czech Republic
| Occasion | UK / USA | Czech Republic |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas | roast turkey with stuffing, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce; Christmas pudding with brandy butter and mince pies (UK) | fish soup, fried carp with potato salad on Christmas Eve, Christmas biscuits, vánočka |
| main day | 25 December – lunch or dinner | 24 December – dinner |
| Easter | chocolate eggs, hot cross buns, roast lamb | lamb-shaped cake (beránek), mazanec, painted eggs, nettle soup |
| Thanksgiving | turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie | – |
| Halloween | sweets, toffee apples, pumpkin soup | – |
| New Year | parties, champagne | lentil soup for money, pork (the pig brings luck), no poultry (“luck would fly away”) |
The biggest difference is that Christmas dinner in the Czech Republic is on Christmas Eve and is based on fish, while in English-speaking countries the main meal is on Christmas Day and is based on roast turkey.
Key vocabulary
| English | Česky |
|---|---|
| bank holiday (BrE) / federal holiday (AmE) | státní svátek |
| long weekend | prodloužený víkend |
| New Year’s resolution | novoroční předsevzetí |
| patron saint | patron |
| parade | průvod |
| practical joke | žert, šprým |
| Easter egg hunt | hledání velikonočních vajíček |
| to dress up as | převléknout se za |
| trick-or-treating | koledování o sladkosti (o Halloweenu) |
| to carve a pumpkin | vyřezat dýni |
| bonfire / fireworks | oheň / ohňostroj |
| the Gunpowder Plot | spiknutí střelného prachu |
| poppy | vlčí mák |
| harvest feast | dožínková hostina |
| the Pilgrims | otcové poutníci |
| mistletoe / holly | jmelí / cesmína |
| stocking | punčocha (na dárky) |
| chimney / fireplace | komín / krb |
| to broadcast | vysílat |
| cracker | vánoční „bonbon“ s překvapením |
| stuffing | nádivka |
| Brussels sprouts | růžičková kapusta |
| cranberry sauce | brusinková omáčka |
| mince pie | koláček s ovocnou náplní |
Useful phrases
- It is celebrated on… / It falls on…
- It commemorates… / It dates back to…
- It is customary to… / People traditionally…
- Unlike Czechs, the British open their presents on…
- The tradition I like most is…, because…
- I think Halloween has become popular here because…
Questions the examiner may ask
Try to answer each question in two or three sentences, then click on the hint to compare.
| Question | Hint |
|---|---|
| What are bank holidays? | British public holidays, often on Mondays – banks and offices close, long weekends |
| What do Americans celebrate on 4 July and on Thanksgiving? | Declaration of Independence 1776 – fireworks, barbecues; harvest feast of the Pilgrims 1621 – turkey, family dinner |
| Why do the British have bonfires on 5 November? | Guy Fawkes and the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 |
| What is Remembrance Day and why do people wear poppies? | 11 November, end of WWI; poppies grew on the battlefields of Flanders; two minutes’ silence |
| Describe Christmas in Britain. Compare it with Czech Christmas. | stockings, Father Christmas, presents on 25 Dec morning, turkey and Christmas pudding, crackers, the King’s speech vs. Czech Christmas Eve, carp, Ježíšek |
| Which holidays from English-speaking countries are celebrated in the Czech Republic? | Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Black Friday sales, sometimes St Patrick’s Day |
| Is it good that we take over foreign holidays? | own opinion – fun, globalisation vs. losing own traditions, commercialisation |
| Which festive meal would you most like to try and why? | own choice – e.g. Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas pudding |