Традиции и обычаи

Every country and every nation has its own traditions and customs. It's very important to know traditions and customs of different people. It'll help you to know more about the history and life of different nations and countries. One cannot speak about England without speaking about its traditions and customs. They are very important in the life of English people. Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.

Now we are going to tell you more about English holidays. As you remember all English people celebrate Christmas or X-mas on the 25th of December. It's the greatest holiday of all in England. They give each other presents and send Christmas cards. Children find X-mas presents in their stockings. The traditional English dinner on Christmas is turkey and pudding. On that day in Trafalgar Square there is a Christmas tree, which is over fifty feet high. It is a present from the people of Oslo. They send it to Londoners every year.

Not all English people celebrate the New Year. Some have a New Year party. The party usually begins at about eight o'clock in the evening. At twelve o'clock they have a toast to the New Year. Then the party goes on till early morning. A lot of people go to Trafalgar Square to see the Christmas tree. Another way of celebrating the New Year is to go to a New Years dance. Some people stay at home and watch the celebration of the New Year on television. There is another interesting New Year tradition in the North of England and Scotland. It's an old custom of First-Footing. In Great Britain the first visitor who comes into a house on New Year's morning is called the First Foot. The English people believe that the First Foot brings luck to the family for the following twelve months. In England the First Foot must be a man (or a boy) not a woman.

As you see different people have different customs and traditions