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ForewordWhy did I choose to talk about British traditions and superstitions? Because I believe that they are a good way of discovering people and they help you understand their beliefs, behaviour and habits. With their help you can enter the British world and become a part of it even though figuratively speaking. Every nation has its own traditions and superstitions. So, the British couldn’t have been an exception. The British are one of the people whose superstitions and traditions are known worldwide and have become quite famous. Who hasn’t heard about the tradition of drinking tea, about all the traditions regarding the royal family, about Robin Hood or the Loch Ness monster, about King Arthur and his knights, about Christmas customs, about Halloween or about St. Valentine’s Day? The British are traditional people. They actually have customs for almost each day of the year and put a lot of soul into their organization and treat each of them with respect and seriousness. But, the British people are at the same time people who believe in superstitions and in the effect that they have upon their lives. As a result, they don’t leave their homes without, firstly, making sure that the Universe is not against them and something bad may happen to them during the day. We can say that British superstitions and traditions are a way of living and they may apply to each of us. They are for everyone no matter their origins, living conditions, social status or culture. 1 1.Introduction Short history of Great Britain and the British The British (also known as Britons, informally Brits or archaically Britishers) are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, one of the Channel Islands, or of one of the British overseas territories, and their descendants In a historical context, the word is used to refer to the ancient Britons, the indigenous inhabitants of Great Britain south of the Forth British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, which are acquired through a variety of means including by birth in the UK and by descent from British nationals. Although early assertions of being British date from the Late Middle Ages, a developed British national identity emerged following the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The notion of Britishness—which was closely tied with Protestantism at the time of its inception—was forged during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and the First French Empire, and was developed further during the Victorian era. The complex history of the formation of the United Kingdom created a "particular sense of nationhood and belonging" in Britain; Britishness came to be "superimposed on to much older identities", and the English, Scottish and Welsh "remain in many ways distinct peoples in cultural terms", giving rise to resistance to British identity. Because of longstanding ethno-sectarian divisions British identity in Northern Ireland is controversial, but is held with strong conviction by Unionists. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled in Great Britain before the 11th century. Prehistoric, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in northern France. Conquest and union facilitated migration, cultural and linguistic exchange, and intermarriage between the people of England, Scotland and Wales during the Middle Ages, Early Modern period and beyond. Since the 19th century, and particularly since the mid-20th century there has been immigration to the United Kingdom by people from Ireland, the Commonwealth, other parts of Europe and elsewhere; they and their descendants are mostly British citizens with some assuming a British, dual or hyphenated identity. International perceptions of the British broadly revolve around their politeness and reserved nature. The British are a diverse, multicultural society, with "strong regional accents, expressions and identities". The social structure of Britain has changed radically since the 19th century, with the decline in religious observance, enlargement of the middle class, and increased ethnic diversity. The population of the United Kingdom stands at around 60,000,000. The British diaspora is concentrated in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States. The experience of military, political and economic power from the rise of the British Empire, led to a very specific drive in artistic technique, taste and sensibility in the United Kingdom. The UK is an ethnically diverse country with people from various stock. For most of the last millennium, the lands now constituting the United Kingdom were largely inhabited by indigenous peoples with small to medium-scale migration from Europe occurring between the 16th and 20th centuries. In 1066, the Normans successfully took control of England and, in subsequent years, there was some migration from France. In the 19th century, immigration by 2 people outside Europe began on a small scale as people arrived from the British colonies. This increased during the 20th century. Since World War II, however, substantial immigration from the New Commonwealth and European countries has considerably altered the demographic make-up of many cities in Britain. The majority of Britons are White (92%) with the remainder from various ethnic groups, mainly Asian, Black, and mixed-race. 1.2.The meaning of traditions and superstitions for British people Britain is full of culture and traditions which have been around for hundreds of years. British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. When people think of Britain they often think of people drinking tea, eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats, but there is more to Britain than just those things. We have English and British traditions of sport, music, food and many royal occasions. There are also songs, sayings and superstitions. Who was Guy Fawkes? Why does the Queen have two birthdays? You can find the answers here in our pages on life in Britain. Superstition is a part of British culture today. Although superstition was more alive a hundred years ago, there are still superstitious people around, both young and old. Some people though, clame not to be superstitious, but it is still a part of them. Superstition is a pretty slippery concept, and we need to examine what we mean by it. The simple statement that a superstition is an irrational belief is quite adequate for most purposes, as long as we don't enquire too closely into the meaning of the word 'irrational'. But not every irrational belief gets labelled as superstition, so we need to look a bit closer. One of the key characteristics of superstition is a belief in the existence of luck, as a real force in life, and that luck can be predicted by signs, and can be controlled or influenced by particular actions or words. Other key elements include a belief in fate, which again can be predicted and manipulated, and a belief in fate, which again can only be described as magic - the idea that people can be harmed or protected by spells, charms, amulets, curses, witchcraft, and so on. Superstitions are also unofficial knowledge, in that they run counter to the official teachings of religion, school, science, and government, and this is precisely why - even in the 21st century - many of us like to hold onto a few, to show that we are not totally ruled by science and hard fact. But why were people so superstitious? It is usually assumed that superstition is the result of fear and uncertainty - an attempt to control the parts of life that are in fact beyond our understanding or control. This is largely true, and there is some evidence that superstition is more prevalent in people involved in dangerous occupations, and increases in times of particular uncertainty, such as during a war. English folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in England over a number of centuries. Some stories can be traced back to their roots, while the origin of others is uncertain or disputed. England abounds with folklore, in all forms, from such obvious manifestations as the traditional Arthurian legends (which were originally strictly Britonic) and Robin Hood tales, to contemporary urban legends and facets of cryptozoology such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor. Morris dance and related practices such as the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance preserve old English folk traditions, as do Mummers Plays. Pub names may preserve folk traditions. 3 2.Traditions - All Year Round British Folklore and Customs 2.1. January New Year's Day New Year's Day is the first day of the year, in the Gregorian calendar. In modern times, it is January 1. It is a time for looking forward and wishing for a good year ahead. It is also a holiday. People welcome in the New Year on the night before. This is called New Year's Eve. In Scotland, people celebrate with a lively festival called Hogmanay. All over Britain there are parties, fireworks, singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the new. As the clock - Big Ben - strikes midnight, people link arms and sing a song called Auld Lang Syne. It reminds them of old and new friends. The Door Custom In the old days, the New Year started with a custom called 'first footing', which was suppose to bring good luck to people for the coming year. As soon as midnight had passed and January 1st had started, people used to wait behind their doors for a dark haired person to arrive. The visitor carried a piece of coal, some bread, some money and some greenery. These were all for good luck - the coal to make sure that the house would always be warm, the bread to make sure everyone in the house would have enough food to eat, money so that they would have enough money, and the greenery to make sure that they had a long life. The visitor would then take a pan of dust or ashes out of the house with him, thus signifying the departure of the old year. St Agnes's Eve 20 January This was the day on which girls and unmarried women who wished to dream of their future husbands would perform certain rituals before going to bed. These included transferring pins one by one from a pincushion to their sleeve whilst reciting the Lord's Prayer, or abstaining from food and drink all day, walking backwards up the stairs to bed, and eating a portion of dumb cake ( previously prepared with a group of friends in total silence and often containing an unpleasantly large portion of salt) before lying down to sleep. Customs of the Year's First New Moon It is said that if you look through a silk handkerchief at the new moon, which has never been washed, the number of moons you see will be the number of years which will pass until you're married. But it is unlucky to see the new moon through a window. 4 Twelfth Night Evening before Epiphany. Twelfth Night marks the end of the medieval Christmas festivities and the end of Twelfthtide (the 12-day season after Christmas ending with Epiphany). Also called Twelfth Day Eve. Epiphany or Twelfth Day Also known as Old Christmas Day and Twelfthtide. On the twelfth day after Christmas, Christians celebrate the visit of the Magi or wise men to the baby Jesus. Plough Monday The day on which work started again after Twelfth Night was known to countryfolk as Plough Monday: the day on which labourers had to return to the fields. The day was also nicknamed St Distaff's Day: the day on which women had to return to work with the distaff (another name for a spindle) after the Christmas holiday. Wassailing People went from door to door, rather like carol singers at Christmas times, but at New Year they were called 'wassailers'. Burns Night The people of Scotland honour their greatest poet, Robert Burns. He was born on January 25th nearly 245 years ago (1759) and wrote his first song when he was sixteen. A traditional Scottish meal is neaps (swede), tatties (potato) and haggis washed down with whisky. 2.2.February Candlemas Day (the Christian festival of lights ) 2nd February is Candlemas Day. This ancient festival marks the midpoint of winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. In olden times, many people used to say that the Christmas season lasted for forty days - until the second day of February. How did this 2nd February come to be called Candlemas? It was the day of the year when all the candles, that were used in the church during the coming year, were brought into church and a blessing was said over them - so it was the Festival Day (or 'mass') of the Candles. Candles were important in those days not only because there was no electric lights. Some people thought they gave protection against plague and illness and famine. For Christians, they were (and still are) a reminder of something even more important. Before Jesus came to 5 earth, it was as if everyone was 'in the dark'. People often felt lost and lonely. Afraid. As if they were on their own, with no one to help them. Then came Jesus with his message that he is with his followers always ready to help and comfort them. As if he is a guiding light to them in the darkness. Christians often talk of Jesus as 'the light of the World' - and candles are lit during church services to remind Christians of this. Borrowed Days - 12 - 14 February 12 - 14 February were traditionally said to be 'borrowed' from January. If these days were stormy, the year would be favoured with good weather: but if fine, the year's weather would be foul. The last three days of March were said to be borrowed from April. Candlemas Candlemas is a traditional Christian festival that commemorates the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of her son Jesus. On this day, Christians remember the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple. Forty days after the birth of a Jewish boy, it was the custom to take him to the temple in Jerusalem to be presented to God by his thankful parents. In pre-Christian times, this day was known as the 'Feast of Lights' and celebrated the increase strength of the life-giving sun as winter gave way to spring. This feast is called Candlemas because that was the day on which the year's supply of candles for the church were blessed. St Valentine’s Day This was originally thought to be the day on which birds chose their mates. There are many traditions and tales associated with romance activities on Valentines day including: • the first man an unmarried woman saw on 14th February would be her future husband; • if the names of all a girl's suitors were written on paper and wrapped in clay and the clay put into water, the piece that rose to the surface first would contain the name of her husband-tobe. • if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a rich person. Each year in Britain, we spend around £503m on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for Valentine's Day. Traditionally these were sent anonymously, but now-a-days we often make it clear who is sending each 'Valentine'. Thinking Day This is the day when members of the Scout and Guide movements remember their founders Lord and Lady Robert Baden-Powell. 6 Kissing Friday (the Friday after Ash Wednesday) Friday of Shrove Week, English schoolboys were once entitled to kiss girls in without fear of punishment or rejection, a custom that lasted until at least the 1940s. 2.3. March Lent Lily One of the flowers most associated with March is the narcissus (Wild daffodil). Named after the boy in Greek mythology, who was changed into a flower. Narciccus is also known as Lent Lily because it blooms in early spring and the blooms usually dropping before Easter. It is the main daffodil species of Britain. The daffodil became a popular Welsh symbol in the 19th Century. Lloyd George used it to symbolise Wales at the 1911 Investiture and in official publications. Festivals and Traditions St David’s Day - Patron Saint of Wales St Piran’s Day Cornwall St Patrick’s Day - Patron Saint of Ireland Mothers Day / Mothering Sunday The fourth Sunday in Lent (3 weeks before Easter) when Simnel cakes are eaten. Lady Day Oranges and Lemons. In the days when the River Thames at London was wider than it is now, barges carrying oranges and lemons landed just below the churchyard of St. Clements Dane. On the last day of March, local primary school children gather at the church to attend a service. They recite the famous nursery ‚ rhyme and, on occasions, play the tune on hand bells. At the end of the service, the children are presented with an orange and a lemon from a table outside the church. 2.4. April April Fool’s Day April begins with a day of fun and jokes - April Fool’s Day. No one really knows when this custom began but it has been kept for hundreds of years. The First of April, some do say Is set apart for All Fool’s Day; But why the people call it so, Not I, nor they themselves do know. When did April Fool become popular in England? 7 April fooling became popular in England and Scotland during the 1700s. April Fool Jokes April Fool jokes usually involve persuading someone to do something silly, like looking for hen’s teeth, striped paint, a long weight, a left-handed screwdriver or some other non-existent thing. However, you can only play April Fool’s on people before midday –at midday the fun must stop or the trickster is told: ‚April Fool’s Day is past and gone, Your’re the fool and I am none.’ The Cuckoo The arrival of the cuckoo is the signal that spring has come. It arrives some time in mid April. The cuckoo sings from St. Tiburtius’ Day (14th April) to St John’s Day (24th June). However in Worcestershire there is a saying that the cuckoo is never heard before Tenbury fair (April 21st), or after Pershore fair (June 26th). The difference in dates is because traditionally the bird arrives in different parts of the country during April. Various April dates are called ‚Cuckoo Day ‚ and some places hold ‚Cuckoo Fairs’. 24 April - Marsden Cuckoo Day in West Yorkshire is an annual traditional festival that celebrates the arrival of spring. According to a local legend, Marsdeners used to try to prolong the cuckoo’s stay by building a wall around its nest. 25 April - Heathfield Cuckoo Fair in East Sussex is an annual tradition of releasing a cuckoo to mark the beginning of summer. A tale of Heathfield Fair depicts an Old Woman releasing the Cuckoo from her basket, whereupon he „flies up England carrying warmer days with him”. 2 May - Downton Cuckoo Fair is an annual traditional event held on the greens of the picturesque village of Downton, south of Salisbury, Wiltshire. The fair marks the „opening the gate” to let the cuckoo through. Easter usually comes in the month of April. It is what is called a ‚moveable feast’ because the date of it is fixed according to the moon. Easter Sunday has to be the first Sunday after the full moon which means that Easter can fall as early as 22 March or as late as 25 April . Primrose Day In the late 19 century, 19 April was celebrated as Primrose Day in memory of British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield), who died on this day in 1881. People were encouraged to pay tribute to the statesman by wearing primroses as they were supposedly his favourite flower. However, it seems there was a misunderstanding and that the flower was not his favourite after all. Queen Victoria sent a wreath of primroses to Disraeli’s funeral with a note stating that they were „his favourite flowers”; people assumed that the ‚his’ referred to Disraeli, but in fact it referred to Victoria’s late husband, Prince Albert. 8 St Georges Day - England’s National Day The 23rd April is St. George’s Day . St. George is the Patron Saint of England and also of Scotland. It is said that St. George once saved a village from great danger. The village were frightened of a fierce dragon who lived close by, so St George killed the dragon. 2.5.May May Day (Garland Day) In Britain, as in most parts of Western Europe, May day marked the end of the harsh winter months, welcomed the beginning of Summer, and optimistically looked forward to the bright and productive months. For our ancestors, largely in rural areas, it was a major annual festival and was celebrated through out the country, especially on the first of May with music, dancing and games. Traditional May Day celebrations included dancing around maypoles and the appearance of hobby horses’ and characters such as Robin Hood and Jack in Green. Oak Apple Day This is the day that traditionally people wear oak apples or oak leaves pinned to them to remember that on May 29th King Charles ll returned triumphantly to London after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The reason for the wearing of oak apples or oak leaves was to celebrate the King’s narrow escape from capture by Cromwell’s soldiers by hiding in an oak tree. Until well into the twentieth century, anyone caught not wearing an oak leaf or oak apple on May 29th could be pinched, kicked, or otherwise abused. Whipping with nettles was a favourite punishment, hence the name Nettle Day’ in some areas. Arbor Tree Day Arbor Day, on the last Sunday in May, is the Sunday nearest to Oakapple Day. In Aston-on-Clun in Shropshire, a large tree standing in the centre of the village is decorated with flags on the last Sunday in May. The flags stay on the tree until the following May. Aston-on-Clun is the only place in the UK that still marks this ancient tradition. People say that in 1786 the local landowner John Marston married on May 29th and, when passing through the village, saw the villagers celebrating Arbor Day. The bride thought that the tree looked so beautiful covered in flags, that she gave money to the village to allow the custom to continue. 9 2.6. June Well Dressing At different times during June there are ceremonies called ‚well dressings’. Springs and wells of fresh water that come from the underground streams have always seem to be magical things, so some wells are honoured with decorations. The decorations consist of branches of greenery and amazingly beautiful pictures made of flower petals and moss. Trooping the Colours The official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II is marked each year by a military parade and march-past, known as Trooping the Colour (Carrying of the Flag) Trooping the Colour will take place on Saturday 13 June on Horse Guards Parade. Events begin at approximately 10am and the parade starts at 11 a.m. (lasts approximately one hour). The longest day of the year is 21 June or 22 June. It is the day when the sun is at its most northerly point and this is why it is „the longest day”. In Wiltshire, there is a circle of huge stones at a place called Stonehenge, and hundreds of people go there to watch the sun rise on 21 June. These stones have stood in Wiltshire for thousands of years and no one knows how they got there. They are not local stone and so whoever placed them there had to somehow transport them over several miles. Midsummers Day The middle of summer comes after the longest day and it is a time associated with witches, magic, fairies and dancing On the eve of Midsummer’s Day, many bonfires used to be burnt all over the country. This was in praise of the sun, for the days were getting shorter and the sun appeared to be getting weaker, so people would light fires to try and strengthen the sun. 2.7. July Henley Royal Regatta Takes place during the first week of July on a stretch of the River Thames at Henley-onThames in Oxfordshire. The Regatta began in 1839 with a single afternoon of rowing races and now lasts for five days. 10 Swan Upping The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames. Whitstable Oyster Festival The English Oyster season officially begins on St James’ Day. Whitstable Bay, on the north Kent coast, is famous for its oysters. It has been associated with oysters for hundreds of years. An old Kentish tradition says that Julius Caesar was drawn to Britain by the Whitstable oysters. On St. James’s Day the locals hold an annual oyster festival, an event dating back to at least the early 19th century when it was the custom for fishers and dredgers to celebrate with an annual ceremony of thanksgiving. 2..8.August Lammas Day 1st August is Lammas Day, and was Thanksgiving time (Harvest time) in Britain. The name comes from an Anglo-Saxon word Hlafmaesse which means Loaf Mass. The festival of Lammas marks the beginning of the harvest, when people go to church to give thanks for the first corn to be cut. This celebration predates our Christian harvest festival. On Lammas Day farmers made loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church. They were then used as the Communion bread during a special mass thanking God for the harvest. The custom ended when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, and nowadays we have harvest festivals at the end of the season. Michaelmas Day (September 29) is traditionally the last day of the harvest season. Lammas Day used to be a time for foretelling marriages and trying out partners. Two young people would agree to a „trial marriage” lasting the period of the fair (usually 11 days) to see whether they were really suited for wedlock. At the end of the fair, if they didn’t get on, the couple could part. Lammas was also the time for farmers to give their farm workers a present of a pair of gloves. In Exeter, a large white glove was put on the end of a long pole which was decorated with flowers and held on high to let people know that the merriment of Lammas Fair was beginning. Edinburgh Festival in Scotland Dating from 1947, the Edinburgh Festival is primarily a celebration of the performing arts, with live concerts, plays, ballets, operas and other shows. 11 Royal National Eisteddfod in Wales The Eisteddfod is an older tradition, revived in the 19th century. It originated as a medieval gathering of bards and minstrels, attended by people across Wales, who competed for the prized chair at the noble’s table. Held during the first week of August, it celebrates Welsh arts and culture. Notting Hill Carnival The carnival is held on the Summer Bank Holiday, the last Monday in August. It features a colourful procession, elaborate and extravagant costumes, and the music of many steel bands. The carnival originated in the mid 1960s as a way of celebrating and maintaining the cultural traditions of the Caribbean immigrants who live in and around the Notting Hill area. 2.9. September Harvest Festival Traditionally 24th September was the day on which harvesting began in medieval England. Calling the Mare As the last of the crops are gathered in, there used to be a lovely ceremony called ‚Calling the Mare’. The farmers all wanted to prove that they had the best reapers, so they tried to gather in the last of their crops before the neighbouring farmer did. The last sheaf of the harvest was used to make a rough mare shape and it was quickly sent round to any farmers who had not finished gathering his crops. It was a way of saying to the farmer that wild horses would be after his crops, if he didn’t gather them in quickly. The men would run round to the neighbouring farm, throw the mare over the hedge into the field where the other farmer was working, and they would shout ‚Mare, Mare’ and then run away. The farmer, who received the mare, would then have to work quickly to see if he could finish before another farm did, then he would throw the mare to them. The farmer who was last to finish had to keep the mare all year and have it on display so that everyone knew he had been the slowest farmer of that year. Corn Dolly Similar to the mare there is a custom of making corn dollies. A corn dolly was supposed to have been the spirit of the corn goddess and dates back hundreds of years. People believed that the corn goddess lived in the corn and would die when the corn was harvested unless some of it was saved. So to make sure the corn goddess stayed alive until next spring sowing, a corn dolly was made from the last sheaf of corn for the corn goddess to rest in until the next. 12 Traditional corn dollies named after counties or place names of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Barton Turf dolly, Norfolk Norfolk Lantern Cambridgeshire Handbell Essex Terret (This is the Essex Ring Terret - there is also the Essex Bell or Mordiford Bar Terret) Stafford Knot Suffolk Horseshoe Michaelmas Day Michaelmas Day is the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, celebrated on 29 September. St. Michael is the patron saint of the sea and maritime lands, of ships and boatmen, of horses and horsemen. He was the Angel who hurled Lucifer (the devil) down from Heaven for his treachery. Michaelmas Day is traditionally the last day of the harvest season. The harvest season used to begin on 1 August and was called Lammas, meaning ‚loaf Mass’. Farmers made loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and gave them to their local church. The custom ended when Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church, and nowadays we have harvest festivals at the end of the season near Michaelmas Day. Curfew Michaelmas used to be a popular day for the winter night curfew to begin - the first hint that winter was on the way. Curfew took the form of a tolling of the church bell, usually one strike for each of the days of the month that had passed in the current year and generally rung at 9pm. The word curfew may derive from the French word couvre feu, meaning ‚cover fire’. Curfew was the time when household fires were supposed to be doused. The bell was tolled every night, apart from Sunday, until Shrove Tuesday. Chertsey is one of the last places to still ring a Curfew bell at 8pm from Michaelmas Day to Lady Day (29th September to 25th March). Their oldest Curfew bell dates from 1380! Find out more 13 Goose Day Michaelmas Day is sometimes also called Goose Day. Goose Fairs are still held in some English towns, but geese are no longer sold. A famous Michaelmas fair is the Nottingham Goose Fair which is now held on or around 3 October. A Great custom in England was to dine on goose on Michaelmas. One reason for this was said to be that Queen Elizabeth I was eating goose when news of the defeat of the Armada was brought to her. In celebration she said that henceforth she would always eat goose on Michaelmas Day. Others then followed her lead. Quarter Day Another suggestion, why goose are eaten, is that, as Michaelmas Day was a Quarter Day, rents were due and bills had to be paid. Tenants seeking delay of payment traditionally bought a goose as a present for their landlord to help seek his indulgence. Geese were supposedly very tasty at this time of year. Labourers for hire On the day after Michaelmas, every year agricultural labourers presented themselves, along with their tools, at the nearest market town. There they offered themselves for hire for the coming year. A fair followed the hirings and this was called ‚Mop Fair’. Conkers - A traditional game for this time of year Conkers are the fruit of the horse-chestnut tree. Children have been playing with conkers for years. Horn Dance On the first Monday after September 4th, in a town called Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire, a very picturesque custom takes place. It is called the Horn Dance. Six men hold masks on sticks which have long reindeer horns attached to them. There are two teams of three men each. One team’s reindeer horns are painted white - the other’s are blue. Each team dances towards the other as if to fight, then they go back, then advance as if to lock horns, and then go back again. After a while they pass each other straight over the the other side and they start again. There are other people in attendance dancing as well - a hobby horse, someone dresses as Made Marion, a boy with a bow and arrow, a triangle player, a musician and a Fool. Gurning Competition The World Gurning Championships are held at the Egremont Crab Fair in the Lake District in a tradition dating back to 1267. To gurn has many meanings but one of them is to ‚distort the face’ and making faces is just what this competition is - to see who can make the most awful face. 14 Holy Rood Day Rood is another name for a cross and traditionally on 14 September children were freed from school or work so they could gather nuts. 2.10. October Lost Traveller Story In Hampshire, in the eighteenth century, a Mr William Davis was riding home when a heavy fog surrounded him, and in no time at all he found that he had lost his way. Suddenly, he heard the bells from his church start to ring, so he followed the sound and arrived safely home. Later on he worked out that he must have been only a few yards away from chalk pits, where the ground had been dug deeply. Had he gone any further, he would have been killed. When Mr Davis died in 1754, he left some money in his will. The money was to pay the bellringers to ring the church bells at 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on 7th October every year, to help travellers find their direction should they get lost on the same night he had been lost. Mop Fairs (Hiring Fairs) Michaelmas used to be the time for ‚Mop’ or Hiring Fairs. Servants and farm labourers would work from October to October and then go to the centre of the village or town to hire themselves out again for the next year. People looking for work would dress in their best clothes, and to let people know what work they wanted, they used to wear or carry some sign of their work. Maids, looking for work, would carry a small mop (that’s where we get the name Mop Fairs from), a shepherd had wool,a gardener had flowers and so on. The new masters and mistresses would walk around the fair and talk to the people. When they had come to an agreement, they gave the servant a small token - maybe something like 5p. The servant would then remove the sign of his job and replace it with a bunch of brightly coloured ribbons to let everyone else know that he had been hired. St Luke’s Day (18th) Traditionally a day when girls could have some insight into their future marriage prospects. Before going to bed they must put on their faces a mixture of spices, honey and vinegar, and once in bed they must say the following rhyme: St Luke, St Luke, be kind to me/ In dreams let me my true love see Punky Night Punky Night falls on the last Thursday in October and is a Somerset tradition. Some time in the Middle Ages, all the men of Hinto St George went off to a fair. When they failed to return that evening, the women went looking for them by the light of punkies. 15 Punky is another name for a pumpkin which has been hollowed out and has a candle standing inside it. Traditionally on this night, children in the South of England would carve their ‘Punkies’, (pumpkins) into Jack O’Lanterns. Once carved the children would go out in groups and march through the streets, singing traditional ‘punky’ songs, calling in at friendly houses and competing for best lantern with rival groups they meet. The streets would be lit with the light of the Punkies. Nowadays, on Punky Night in Hinton St George, Somerset, local children join a procession through the village streets, swinging their homemade lanterns and going house to house, singing traditional ‘punky’ songs and sometimes getting a few pennies at the front door. Halloween October 31st (Eve of All Hallows) On October 31st, we celebrate Halloween, thought to be the one night of the year when ghosts, witches, and fairies are especially active. 2.11. November All Saints’ Day - 1 November In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church made 1st November a church holiday to honour all the saints. This feast day is called All Saints’ Day. All Hallows All Saints’ Day used to be known as All Hallows (Hallow being an old word meaning Saint or Holy Person). The feast day actually started the previous evening, the Eve of All Hallows or Hallowe’en. Christians remember all the saints On Saints’ Day, Christians remember all ‚men of good will’ (saints), great ones and forgotten ones, who have died through the ages. Saints are men and women from all ages and all walks of life, who were outstanding Christians. Some - the martyrs - died for their faith. All of them are honoured by the church. Hallowtide All Saints’ Day, together with All Souls’ Day are know collectively as Hallowtide. All Souls’ Day - 2 November On All Souls’ Day the Roman Catholic Church remembers all those who have died - not just the great and the good, but ordinary man-in-the-street. Families visit graves with bunches of flowers and in church the names of the dead may be read out on request. In some parts of the country, All Souls’ Day ends with a play or some songs. 16 All Souls Day Tradition According to tradition, a pilgrim returning from the Holy Land took refuge on a rocky island during a storm. There he met a hermit, who told him that among the cliffs was an opening to the infernal regions through which flames ascended, and where the groans of the tormented were distinctly audible. The pilgrim told Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, who appointed the following day (2 November 998) to be set apart for ‚all the dead who have existed from the beginning of the world to the end of time’. The day purposely follows All Saints’ Day in order to shift the focus from those in heaven to those in purgatory. Mischief Night The 4th November is called Mischief Night in some parts of the country. This was the night when all sorts of naughty things were done - the main idea being to put things in the wrong place. Martinmas Day (11th) The Feast of St Martin, Martinmas was a time for celebrations with great feasts and hiring fairs, at which farm labourers would seek new posts. It was also the time when autumn wheat seedling was usually completed in many places, including the south of Derbyshire. Here it was the farmer’s custom to provide a cakes-and-ale feast for workers. These special cakes were made with seeds and whole grains, and called Hopper Cakes. Tradition food eaten on Martinmas Beef was the day’s traditional meat dish. Martinmas today Since 1918 the 11th has been commemorated as Armistice Day, and all remnants of the old Martinmas celebrations have disappeared. Guy Fawkes Day ( Bonfire Night) - 5th November In November 1605, the infamous Gunpowder Plot took place in which some Catholics plotted to blow up the English Parliament and King James l, on the day set for the king to open Parliament. The men were angry because the king had treated them badly and they didn’t like it. The story is remembered each 5th November when ‚Guys’ are burned in a celebration known as „Bonfire Night” The Lord Mayor’s Show The Lord Mayor’s Show takes place in London on the second Saturday in November, to mark the start of the new Lord Mayor of London’s year in office. The first Lord Mayor’s Show was held in 1215 and since its conception only major events such as the Black Death - and in 1852, the funeral of the Duke of Wellington - have stopped the show. 17 St Cecilia’s Day - 22nd November St Cecilia is thought to have been a Roman maiden who was martyred in the second or third century. Her story is told in the ‚Second Nun’s Tale’ in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. She is usually portrayed with an organ, and is the patron saint of musicians. Concerts and recitals are often given on St Cecilia’s Day. St Andrews Day - 30th November On 30 November, Scottish people celebrate St Andrew’s Day. St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. 2.12. December St Nichola’s Day 6 December This is the feast day of St Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (now Turkey) in the 4th century AD. He is the patron saint of children. In the Netherlands and neighbouring countries of Europe, St Nicholas is said to bring sweets and presents to well behaved children on 6 December. This tradition was imported to the USA by Dutch settlers, and St Nicholas evolved into Santa Claus, those gift-giving rounds are preformed later in the month. In this new incarnation he subsequently returned across the Atlantic to merge with the British Father Christmas. Boy Bishops It was formerly customary on St Nicholas Day to elect a boy bishop who would perform a juvenile version of the normal duties and ceremonies of this office, excluding the celebration of Mass, until Holy Innocents Day (28 December) Holy Innocents Day - Childermass Holy Innocents Day, also known as Childermas, falls on 28 December. It commemorates King Herod’s massacre of all male infants in and around Bethlehem under the age of two in attempt to kill the young Christ. In the days when Christmas was less child-centred, Childermas was a time for indulging children with treats and parties. New Year’s Eve 31st December is the last day of the year. It is New Year’s Eve. Many people see the old year out with a party, welcoming in the New Year with toasts of champagne, and exchanging good wishes for a ‚Happy New Year’. This celebration is particularly dear to the Scots. They call it Hogmanay. 18 All over Britain there are parties, fireworks, singing and dancing, to ring out the old year and ring in the new. As the clock - Big Ben - strikes midnight, people link arms and sing a song called ‚Auld Lang Syne’. It reminds them of old and new friends. 2.13.Christmas in the UK Christmas From old English Cristes maesse (Christ's Mass), older still, Yule, from the Germanic root geol. In some languages: English: Christmas, Yule, Noel German: Weihnachten Finnish: Joulu Swedish: Jul Italian: Il Natale Spanish: La Natividad French: Noel The traditional Christmas is not a single day but a prolonged period, normally from 24th December to 6th January. This included the New Year, thus increasing the festival value of Christmas. A Christmas history The Christmas customs and rituals that we follow Christian, Celtic or Roman? Actually, they are a mixture of all three. We still look at the Christmas season as a time of "goodwill to all men". This custom goes as far back as Rome. Lucian (a third century poet) describes the Roman festival of Saturnalia (Dec. 17 - 24) as "a time when all men shall be equal and all resentment and threats are contrary to law". The dates of this Roman festival actually coincided with the old Celtic celebration of Yule so St. Augustine (realizing that it was much smarter to change the "focus" of Britain's popular Celtic festival than to ban it) and the other Christians of the time declared that Dec. 25 was the date of Christ's birth. By establishing that date, they blended all of the Celtic, Christian and Roman beliefs together into one celebration, let everyone do their own thing and everyone was happy. By the time we get to 1066, Britain was very Christian although many of the old Celtic and Roman customs survived, especially at Christmas. One of the most important of these was the use of lights in home and church. This was a left over from the old Celtic belief of "sympathetic magic". The intent being that the lights would encourage the return of the sun after the dark days of winter. To this day, we still use many candles in church and our religious observances. 19 Decorating the church and home with evergreen foliage (holly, ivy and mistletoe) was another custom left over from the old beliefs. Ivy, once the badge of the Roman wine God, Bacchus, was thought to prevent hangovers and bring good luck. As mistletoe was the ancient symbol of fertility, it's use was frowned on by the church. However, Holly was welcomed as the blood of Christ and the crown of thorns. The nativity play was an invention of St. Francis of Assisi and was a continental custom. It made its appearance in Britain in the 12th century and was performed in churches and public places. In medieval times, the celebration was called the Twelve Days of Christmas and the party ran for all 12 days. The celebration began on December 25 and ended on January 5. It was a time for continuous feasting and merry making, which climaxed on Twelfth Night. At his time of year it was cold outside and there was little agricultural work to do except caring for the animals so work could be suspended. Sometimes the festivities continued until Candelmass on Feb. 2. The highlight of this celebration was the feast, the lavishness of which depended on your place in the social ladder. Many feudal lords were expected to give a great meal for their tenants. They really did it up big time! During Christmas 1213, the royal family's guests consumed 200 pigs, 1000 hens, 15,000 herring, 10,000 eels, 100 pounds of almonds and 27 hogsheads of wine. On Christmas Eve, the wassail bowl was passed. The rich would fill the bowl with spiced wine in which roasted apples were floated. The bowl was then passed from person to person to drink to each other's health. The poor substituted wine with ale mixed with nutmeg, ginger and honey. This custom can be traced to Anglo-Saxon times, the Saxon phrase "was haile" meaning a toast to another's health. At these dinners, the centerpiece of the feast, a boar's head, would be carried into the hall with great ceremony, preceded by the master of ceremonies and followed by minstrels singing carols. This was another ancient custom from a time when the boar was a sacrificial animal revered by the Nordic people. To end the feast, frumenty was served. (the predecessor to Christmas pudding) This was a wheaten porridge sweetened with fruit nuts and spices. Christmas pies of the time were meatbased. The centerpiece of the Twelfth Night party was the Twelfth Night cake. The eating of this caked involved the crowning of the King of the bean and the Queen of the pea. Whoever found these items buried in their cake were crowned monarch for the night and their orders had to be obeyed. These people were party animals that had been drinking for days so one can only imagine what went on. This idea was carried into schools, colleges and churches by appointing a boy bishop who was given temporary power to direct the merry-making. In the villages, mummers would wear masks or blacken their faces, put on animal skins and perform traditional dances, which originated from old Celtic festivals. From the 1400's on, there would be a Lord of Misrule. This was generally a person of low rank who was permitted to reign over the Feast of Fools. This feast included a lot of music, dancing, men dressed up in women's clothes, drinking and undoubtedly, a lot of debauchery. There were many other traditions and customs during the celebration. I have highlighted just a few. 20 All of this merry-making had very little to do with children which is a big difference from today. The children joined in but gifts were a matter for adults only and were exchanged at New Year between king and courtiers, landlord and tenants. Father Christmas did not exist at that time. The medieval child knew Christmas as an adult event. It was a time when grownups could set aside the strict, oppressive rules of their society and act like children. Decorated Christmas trees, as we know them, were introduced during the Victorian era. However, the ancient Celtic people worshiped trees and decorated them throughout the winter. The idea being to protect them until the sun returned. Based on stories of the 4th century Dutch St. Nicholas, Santa Claus was introduced in North America by the Dutch colonists Christmas nowadays Christmas Day, 25 December, is celebrated by Christians as the day on which Jesus Christ was born. In Great Britain, carol services take place in Churches throughout December and nativity plays are performed They are stories of Christ's birth acted out by school children. Some families have models of nativity scene in their houses. Another popular form of Christmas performances are pantomimes which are dramatised versions of well-known fairy tales. They involve singing, dancing and encouraging the audience to participate. Before Christmas, people send Christmas cards to their friends and family. The first ever Christmas card was sent in Britain in the 19th century. Traditional Christmas symbols are Santa Claus, angels, holly or snowmen. Traditional Christmas decorations which include holly and ivy originate in the Middle Ages. The custom of kissing beneath a spring of mistletoe comes, probably, from pagan tradition. A few days before Christmas families decorate their Christmas tree with baubles, coloured lights, tinsel and bows. Some people hang a holly wrath on their front door. It has been a tradition since 1947 that Oslo presents London with a large Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square in commemoration of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation during the Second World War. Every year, there is a program of Christmas carols on Trafalgar Square. Another famous British Christmas tree is the one presented by the British Christmas Tree Growers Association. It stands outside the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street One of the longest preserved British Christmas customs which has changed over hundreds of years is the kissing bough. In the early middle ages, it was customary in Europe to hang up a small treetop, upside down as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. This was not only Christmas tradition but was also used as a Christian symbol of blessing upon the household. The custom of the Holy Bough transformed into a Kiss under the Mistletoe (which, being evergreen, was always used in the making of the Holy Bough). The most popular and international symbol of Christmas is Santa Claus, who in Britain is also called Father Christmas. He originates from the Viking lore, which was brought by the Vikings when they invaded Britain in the 8th century. The Anglo-Saxons, who at that time inhabited Britain, The Saxons welcomed King Frost, or Father Time, or King Winter. They believed that by welcoming the Winter as a personage, or elemental deity, that element would be less harsh to them. The Vikings brought their god Odin, the father of the gods. Disguised in a long blue hooded cloak, and carrying a satchel of bread and a staff, Odin was supposed to 21 join groups of people around their fire, sitting in the background and listening in to hear if they were content or not. He would occasionally leave a gift of bread at a poor homestead. These were first customs associated today with Father Christmas-he hooded figure, the secret visits, the leaving of a gift. With the Normans came St. Nicholas. Viking and Saxon deities mingled with a Christian element to create a saintly Parish Visitor - a sort of medieval social worker, a "prototype" of modern Santa Claus. A famous story by Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol", made many people all over the world associate Christmas with Victorian England. On Christmas Day's morning, British families open their presents together. The presents are believed to be left by Santa Claus who, at night, puts them into a stocking that each person hangs near the chimney. Then many British families attend Christmas services at churches. On that day, people in Britain have traditional Christmas dinner which consists of roast turkey, goose or chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes. Next, they eat minced pies and Christmas pudding-a rich dried-fruit pudding with brandy butter, it may contain coins or lucky charms for children. The pudding is usually prepared weeks beforehand and is a tradition that each member of the family stirs the pudding and makes a wish. Some people also serve Christmas cake which is a rich baked fruit cake with marzipan, icing and sugar frosting. After dinner, everyone pulls Christmas crackers which were invented by a London baker in the 19th century. It is a brightly coloured paper tube, twisted at both ends. The cracker is pulled by two people, it gives out a crack and its contents which are a party hat, a riddle or a joke and a small toy, are dispersed. Another British Christmas tradition is the Queen's Christmas Message to the nation which is broadcast on the radio and TV. The day after Christmas in Britain is called Boxing Day. The name comes from a former tradition of giving Christmas box a gift of money or food inside a box - to the deliverymen and trades people who called regularly during the year. It used to be also known as the Feast of St Stephen when church alms-boxes were opened and the contents given to the poor. Today, on Boxing Day many sports events take place in Britain Christmas decorations are traditionally taken down in any time between New Year and 6 January, the festival of Epiphany. Magi From old Persian language, a priest of Zarathustra (Zoroaster). The Bible gives us the direction, East and the legend states that the wise men were from Persia (Iran) - Balthasar, Melchior, Caspar - thus being priests of Zarathustra religion, the mages. Obviously the pilgrimage had some religious significance for these men, otherwise they would not have taken the trouble and risk of travelling so far. But what was it? An astrological phenomenon, the Star? This is just about all we know about it. Christmas card The practice of sending Christmas greeting cards to friends was initiated by Sir Henry Cole in England. The year was 1843 and the first card was designed by J.C.Horsley. It was commercial - 1000 copies were sold in London. An English artist, William Egley, produced a 22 popular card in 1849. From the beginning the themes have been as varied as the Christmas customs worldwide. Star The astrological/astronomical phenomenon which triggered the travel of the Magi to give presents to child Jesus. Variously described as a supernova or a conjunction of planets it supposedly happened around the year 7 BC - the most probable true birth year of Christ. Star is often put to the top of the Christmas tree. Christmas Day The traditional date for the appearance of Santa Claus, obviously from the birthdate of Jesus (the word Christmas is from old English, meaning Christ's mass). This date is near the shortest day of the year, from old times an important agricultural and solar feasting period in Europe. The actual birthday of Jesus is not known and thus the early Church Fathers in the 4th century fixed the day as was most convenient. The best fit seemed to be around the old Roman Saturnalia festival (17 - 21 December), a traditional pagan festivity with tumultuous and unruly celebrations. Moreover, in 273 Emperor Aurelianus had invented a new pagan religion, the cult of Sol Invictus (invincible sun, the same as the Iranian god Mithra), the birthday of this god being 25th December (natalis sol invicti). The Christian priests obviously saw this choice as doubly meritorious: using the old customary and popular feasting date but changing the rough pagan ways into a more civilized commemoration. The first mention of the birthday of Jesus is from the year 354. Gradually all Christian churches, except Armenians (celebrating 6th January which date is for others the baptismal day of Jesus and the day of the three Magi), accepted the day. In American/English tradition the Christmas Day itself is the day for Santa, in German/Scandinavian tradition the Christmas Eve is reserved for presents. Christmas symbolics Candles,fires: Summer, warmth, paradise, end of darkness, Jewish Hanukkah Tree: Eternal life, Paradise tree, pagan symbol Apples: Apple of Paradise Reindeer: A prop Santa Claus: St Nicholas, pagan deity Gifts: Customary (Romans, pagans everywhere), Magi Mistletoe: Peace, kisses Holly: Christ's crown of thorns Gnomes: Pagan entirely Straw: Stable & crib, pagan, handy material for deco Sock: A prop (as chimney etc) 23 Christmas Crib Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. In Catholic countries this fact is brought to mind with miniature replicas of the nativity scene. The manger, animals, miniatures of Jesus, Joseph, Maria, the shepherds and the Three Magi are part of this very popular symbol. It was started (says the legend) by St Franciscus of Assisi. The Pope has his own in Rome but nowadays the custom is followed in Protestant countries, too. Mistletoe Sacred to ancient druids and a symbol of eternal life the same way as Christmas tree. The Romans valued it as a symbol of peace and this lead eventually its acceptance among Christmas props. Kissing under mistletoe was a Roman custom, too. Decorations Anything goes nowadays. In old times they were simple, wood, paper, straw and often very intricate. Themes follow the general taste of each time but national traditions can be discerned even now. Christmas gifts There are many roots of this custom. There is St.Nicholas the anonymous benefactor, there is the tradition of Magi giving precious gifts to Jesus, there is the Roman custom of giving gifts of good luck to children during Saturnalia. The day of gift giving varies greatly in different Christian cultures and times: 6th December - in memory of St. Nicholas 24th December - Christmas Eve 25th December - Birthday of Jesus 1st of January - the New year 6th of January - The Epiphany, day of the Three Wise men, the Magi The giver of the presents are many: Jesus himself, Old Father Christmas, Santa Claus, a Goat, Befana (the female Santa in Italy), the three Magi, Christmas gnomes, various Saints, the Kolyada (in Russia), the Joulupukki (in Finland). The oldest Finnish tradition did not necessarily involve a giver of the presents at all: an unseen person threw the gifts in from the door and quickly disappeared. Christmas carols The Catholic Church valued music greatly and it is no wonder that the early Christmas songs date from 4th century (the earliest known is Jesus refulsit omnium by St.Hilary of Poitiers). The Mediaeval Christmas music followed the Gregorian tradition. In Renaissance Italy there emerged a lighter and more joyous kind of Christmas songs, more like the true carols (from the French word caroler, meaning to dance in a ring). These songs continued to be religious and in Latin, though. In Protestant countries the tradition, as everything Christmas-related, intensified. 24 Christmas plays Religious plays were part of the Medieval Christian tradition and many of them were connected with Christmas. The plays were often communal with pageants and general participation. A popular theme was the coming of the Magi (the Three Kings), because the plot allowed lots of pomp and decorative props to please the audience. These plays live on in many places, for instance in Finland in the form of the traditional Star Boys drama. Food Christmas means eating in most parts of the Christian world. In old societies hunger was the supreme king and eating was the highest contrast, the supreme way to nirvana. Meat of some kind was the most important dish (was this connected with the words of Jesus, "this is my flesh"?), often pork, ham,goose, (later turkey), fish (carp, salmon). An innumerable variety of cakes and pastries, often very intricate and only baked for Christmas were and are known throughout the world. Cakes could be hung from the Christmas tree, too. 3. Superstitions 3.1.What do superstitions mean to the British? Superstition is a part of British culture today. Although superstition was more alive a hundred years ago, there are still superstitious people around, both young and old. Some people though, clame not to be superstitious, but it is still a part of them. All superstition has grown from something, there is no smoke withoout fire. Who was the first one to decide that opening an umbrella in a house is bad luck? Who was the first to walk under a ladder and suffer the consequenses? Who hung a horseshoe the wrong way up, smashed a mirror and spilled the salt? Who first branded Friday 13th as a day on which luck would run out? Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth century life was hazardous, and the central feature of day-to-day existence was a preoccupation with finding explanations for fortune and misfortune. Religion, diseases and fire might have been the most essential elements in the background of the beliefs of superstition. Even though we are not searching for the same answers today superstition is still with us as a tradition. The word 'Superstition' comes from the Latin 'super' which meansabove, and 'stare' which means to stand. Those who survived in a battle were called 'superstitians', since they had outlived their fellow warriors and therefore stood above them. Every generation since the dawn of time has written off superstition as being nonsensical and about to 'kick the bucket'. Yet taboos keep springing back to life. Why do 25 primitive omens survive in the Age of Science? Superstitions are many-sided: silly and serious, illogical and practical, Pagan and Christian. The ancient omens once touched every aspect of daily life: in the home; at birth, marriage & death; animals; and women in particular were the centre of many home-spun rituals. Join Alec in a fun debate as we 'touch wood' and avoid ladders during an exploration of how primitive rituals are passed on to the next generation. They are the 'oldest beliefs in the world' and may well outlive the major religions of today. 3.2. A strong superstition Of all birds it is probably the magpie that is most associated with superstitions. However, most superstitions regarding magpies are based around just one bird. Throughout Britain it is thought to be unlucky to see a lone magpie and there are a number of beliefs about what you should do to prevent bad luck. In most parts of the UK it is believed that you should salute the single magpie and say “Good morning Mr Magpie. How is your lady wife today?” By acknowledging the magpie in this way you are showing him proper respect in the hope that it will not pass mad fortune on to you. In Yorkshire magpies are associated with witchcraft and you should make a sign of the cross to ward off evil. And in Scotland a single magpie seen near the window of a house is a sign of impending death, possibly because magpies are believed to carry a drop of the devil’s blood on his tongue or in another legend because he was the only bird that didn’t sing or comfort Jesus when he was crucified. Other things you can do to prevent the bad luck a lone magpie may bring include doffing your hat, spitting three times over your shoulder or even flapping your arms like wings and cawing to imitate the magpie's missing mate. As the well known rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret never to be told." shows it is only seeing a lone magpie that brings bad luck and groups of magpies are said to predict the future. There are many different versions of this rhyme with some counting as high as 20 birds. Like many other birds magpies mate for life and this may be the inspiration for this rhyme. And in some parts of the world magpies are not associated with bad luck at all. In Korea a popular magpie superstition has people believing that that the magpie can foretell when they will have visitors in the future. In China it is believed that the magpie’s song will bring happiness and good luck and in some parts of China the magpie is considered a sacred bird. Although it is not known why magpies have become associated with bad luck magpies are members of the crow family and like all crows have a reputation for liking shiny objects and have the reputation of stealing jewellery. Rossini wrote a tragicomic opera entitled La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) about a French girl accused of theft who is tried, convicted and executed. Later the true culprit is revealed to be a magpie and in remorse the town organises an annual 'Mass Of The Magpies' to pray for the girl's soul. 26 Another reason for humans disliking magpies is that during breeding season they will sometimes supplement their diet of grubs, berries and carrion with eggs and baby birds. They have also been known to kill small pets such as guinea pigs. Studies have shown that magpies raiding nests have no effect on the populations of songbirds of game birds. Ensure that the breeding birds in your garden aren't disturbed by magpies by choosing a bird box that keeps predators out. 3.3. Good luck or bad luck? Good Luck Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England. Lucky to touch wood . Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves. A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horse shoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horse shoe if it is upside down. On the first day of the month it is lucky to say "white rabbits, white rabbits white rabbits," before uttering your first word of the day. Catch falling leaves in Autumn and you're have good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year. Bad Luck Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder Seven years bad luck to break a mirror. Unlucky to see one magpie, lucky to see two, etc.. Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck. Unlucky to open an umbrella in doors. The number thirteen is unlucky. Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day. Friday is considered to be an unlucky day because Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Unlucky to put new shoes on the table. Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs. 3.4.Superstitions for everyone There are many British superstitions and even those who think they are nonsense often follow them “just in case”. A good example of this is it is bad luck to walk under a ladder, one could say this makes practical sense. Another common belief is that it is bad luck to break a mirror, particularly a rectangular one. Equally it is bad luck to spill salt, to undo this you throw a pinch over your left shoulder. A horseshoe over the front door brings good luck, but it has to be the right way up. We touch; knock on wood, to make something come true. Black cats that cross your path are lucky. To see one magpie is unlucky but to see two is lucky. It is very unlucky to kill a robin. As long as there are ravens living at the 27 tower of London the royal family will survive. If you drop a table knife expect a male visitor, if you drop a fork a female visitor. Crossed cutlery on your plate and expect a quarrel. Leave a white tablecloth on a table overnight and expect a death. Bride and groom must not meet on the day of the wedding except at the alter. The bride should never wear her complete outfit before the day, her outfit should consist of “something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new”. The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold of their home. It is good luck to show a silver coin to the new moon and to give a baby silver for its christening. Children believe it is bad luck to step on the cracks in the pavement and to spit can avert bad luck. Two people will spit in their hands and then shake hands to seal a bargain. It is unlucky to open an umbrella indoors or to pass someone in the opposite direction on a staircase. Never sit 13 people at one table, in fact avoid the number 13, particularly Friday the 13th. 3 and 7 are often thought to be lucky numbers. Festivals have many superstitions, Christmas trees, Yule logs, Christmas presents, decorations and twelfth night. New Year’s Eve has “first footing” and spring cleaning. Easter has Easter eggs, maypole dancing, May queens, etc. Many people still wear good luck charms, a St Christopher medallion or a rabbit’s foot are the most popular. Certain classes of people, soldiers, sailors, airmen, actors and athletes have superstitions unique to them. Actors will not mention Macbeth off stage and wish each other ‘break a leg” before a performance. Wishing wells still collect people’s coins and most people at sometime have searched for a 4-leaf clover, or bought a bunch of “lucky” lavender from a gipsy. There are many ideas about insects, particularly in the home. Black beetles are unlucky, bees and ladybirds are lucky and must not be killed. A very small red spider is called a “money spider” if you can get it to run across your palm you will receive money. Food Superstitions When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out In Yorkshire, housewives used to believe that bread would not rise if there was a corpse (dead body) in the vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf would make the Devil fly over the house! Animal Superstitions Animals feature a lot in our superstitions as they do in superstitions around the world. One ancient British superstition holds that if a child rides on a bear's back it will be protected from whooping-cough. (Bears used to roam Britain but now they are not seen on our shores) 28 In some parts of the UK meeting two or three Ravens together is considered really bad. One very English superstition concerns the tame Ravens at the Tower of London. It is believed if they leave then the crown of England will be lost. It is said to be bad luck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. In the middle ages it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats. If a sparrow enters a house it is an omen of death to one who lives there. In some areas it is believed that to avoid ill luck any sparrow caught must be immediately killed otherwise the person who caught it will die. In some areas black rabbits are thought to host the souls of human beings. White rabbits are said to be really witches and some believe that saying 'White Rabbit' on the first day of each month brings luck. A common lucky charm is a Rabbit's foot, but not for the rabbit. It is thought very unlucky to have the feathers of a peacock within the home or handle anything made with them. This is possibly because of the eye shape present upon these feathers i.e. the Evil-Eye associated with wickedness. 3.5. True or false superstitions? My grandmother must have had a rhyme or saying for every occasion - one I heard regularly during my formative years was "A whistling girl and a crowing hen Make the devil dance in his den" or her other popular variation on the theme - "When a woman whistles, the devil dances," echoing an age-old disapproval of an "unfeminine" habit. She also greeted every event, change in the weather etc., with an appropriate rhyme, so I have tried to recall as many as I can and write them down. Most of these rhymes are very commonly known and many have a logical interpretation, so I have listed them as "yes" basically true - "no" - decidedly untrue - and "maybe" - either partly true, or who can tell? WEATHER LORE Red sky at night, sailors' delight Red sky in the morning - sailors take warning. YES - basically true. The red of the sunset and sunrise is caused by moisture particles in the atmosphere : British weather tends come in from the west on the prevailing winds, so the moisture in a sunset sky is already well on its way and will pass over in the night, to the relief of sailors (or shepherds, depending on how far from the sea you are!) Conversely, a red morning sky is caused by moist air already well past and, given the frequency of change in the British weather, a fine morning will give way to a wet and windy afternoon! Rain before seven Stopped by eleven 29 YES - similar to the red sky - given the size of the British Isles and the average wind speed, weather systems usually take around four hours to pass through. So, if it's raining before seven, the low pressure system causing the rain will have passed over in the next four hours. St. Swithun's Day, if thou be fair For forty days 'twill rain na mair; St. Swithun's Day, if thou dost rain For forty days it will remain. MAYBE - only partly true: St. Swithun was a ninth-century English monk and Bishop of Winchester who died around 862 AD. According to legend, his last wish was that he could be buried under the churchyard path, where everyone going to and from the church would walk over his grave. The clergy did not think it was appropriate and soon removed his body and reburied him within the church, whereupon it began to pour with rain, day and night, until there was serious danger of flooding. The rain did not stop until Swithun was buried outside once more, according to his wishes. St. Swithun's Day is on July 15th, which is usually in a period of reasonably settled weather, and if it is wet on St. Swithun's Day the chances are that we are in for a long wet spell, and likewise a dry spell in the middle of July is likely to last - but forty days of unbroken sunshine? In England? Never! (St. Swithun is the Patron Saint of drought relief!) When the swallows fly high The weather will be dry. YES - swallows live on a diet of insects, which they catch on the wing. In fine weather these insects will be swept upwards by thermal currents, making the swallows fly higher in order to catch them. Oak before the Ash, then we'll only have a splash Ash before the Oak, then we're sure to have a soak. YES - don't ask me why, but this one does seem to be substantially true: I expect it's tied in to rainfall and temperatures in spring being a predictor of summer weather. The Oak and the Ash are two distictive trees of lowland Britain, and the rhyme refers to the order in which they come into leaf. On the whole, we hope that the oak leaves will appear first! A frond of seaweed hung outside will predict the weather. YES - of course it will. If it's wet, it's raining, if it's dry, it isn't raining. In reality, a fresh frond of seaweed is hygroscopic - it absorbs moisture out of the atmosphere. So, if the air is moist, as before rain, the seaweed will feel damp and supple. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. MAYBE - but have you, or anyone you know, ever managed to get to the end of a rainbow? Rainbows are caused by the refraction of sunlight by raindrops and occur when you stand with your back to the sun, between the sun and the rain. As you move towards the rainbow, it will always recede and you can never get to it - and when viewed from a plane, you will see that a rainbow is in fact a perfect circle with no beginning and no end. 30 WILDLIFE LORE The cuckoo sings in April, The cuckoo sings in May, The cuckoo sings in part of June and then she flies away. NO - "she" doesn't sing at all. The familiar "cuckoo" call is made by the male bird, who, typical of the male of the species, makes all the noise and fuss whilst his mate gets on quietly with the business of laying her eggs in other birds' nests. Her call is a quiet gurgling noise, much less commonly heard or recognised. Cuckoos are migratory birds which very sensibly spend our winter in the South African summer, returning each spring to breed. The "first cuckoo of spring" is a traditional subject for letters to the Editor of local and national newspapers; usually, cuckoos are first heard in March and they cease to sing by June although in fact they often stay around until August, stocking up on insects and grubs before beginning their long flight south again. In April, come she will; In May she will stay; In June she'll change her tune; In July she will fly In August, fly she must. YES - apart from the proviso concerning him/her and the cuckoo's song mentioned above. The last of the cuckoos will have arrived by April and in May their egg-laying exploits will be in full swing. By June, the male cuckoo has ceased to look for a mate and stops calling, allowing the different call of the female to be heard. A few cuckoos start their migratory flight southwards at the end of July, especially if the weather is not too good, and they will all have left by the end of August. Simon and Garfunkel adapted this old rhyme and set it to music, but I don't think they were referring to a cuckoo in their version. A swarm of bees in May Is worth a load of hay; A swarm of bees in June Is worth a silver spoon; A swarm of bees in July Is not worth a fly. YES - honey bees swarm when a new queen hatches and takes half of the hive's worker bees off with her to found a new colony. This new beehive will need all of the summer to establish itself and to build up sufficient food supplies to see it through the winter months. Thus, a swarm which leaves the hive early in the year is likely to succeed and so is prized by beekeepers. You must always tell the bees if there has been a death in the family, or else they will leave the hive and fly away. NO - the bees cannot hear you. If you neglect your bees due to bereavement or some other family upset, they may well take exception and leave and won't necessarily stay just because you warned them in advance! "Bicarbonate for Bees, Vinegar for Vasps." 31 YES and NO - a useful mnemonic when it comes to treating stings, the theory behind it being that bee stings are acidic and wasps stings alkaline: this is an over-simplification as both have complex venom. A paste of bicarbonate of soda will help cool the site of a sting, from either species Two swallows do not a summer make YES - the swallow is a migratory bird which arrives in large numbers once the threat of really cold weather has passed. They do not, however, all arrive at once, and occasionally a few stragglers will arrive early or leave late. If you kiss a toad it will turn into a handsome prince NO - unforunately not, which is a pity because I don't mind toads. There is, however a great deal of truth in the saying that you have to kiss an awful lot of toads before you find your handsome prince. 3.6.The story of the broken mirror, the black cat and lots of good luck. Nikos was an ordinary man. Nothing particularly good ever happened to him, nothing particularly bad ever happened to him. He went through life accepting the mixture of good things and bad things that happen to everyone. He never looked for any explanation or reason about why things happened just the way they did. One thing, however, that Nikos absolutely did not believe in was superstition. He had no time for superstition, no time at all. Nikos thought himself to be a very rational man, a man who did not believe that his good luck or bad luck was in any way changed by black cats, walking under ladders, spilling salt or opening umbrellas inside the house. Nikos spent much of his time in the small taverna near where he lived. In the taverna he sat drinking coffee and talking to his friends. Sometimes his friends played dice or cards. Sometimes they played for money. Some of them made bets on horse races or football matches. But Nikos never did. He didn’t know much about sport, so he didn’t think he could predict the winners. And he absolutely didn’t believe in chance or luck or superstition, like a lot of his friends did. One morning Nikos woke up and walked into the bathroom. He started to shave, as he did every morning, but as he was shaving he noticed that the mirror on the bathroom wall wasn’t quite straight. He tried to move it to one side, to make it straighter, but as soon as he touched it, the mirror fell off the wall and hit the floor with a huge crash. It broke into a thousand pieces. Nikos knew that some people thought this was unlucky. “Seven years bad luck” they said, when a mirror broke. But Nikos wasn’t superstitious. Nikos wasn’t superstitious at all. He didn’t care. He thought superstition was nonsense. He picked up the pieces of the mirror, put them in the bin, and finished shaving without a mirror. After that he went into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich to take to work for his lunch. He cut two pieces of bread and put some cheese on them. Then he thought he needed some salt. When he picked up the salt jar, it fell from his hand and broke on the floor. Salt was everywhere. Some people, he knew, thought that this was also supposed to bring bad luck. But Nikos didn’t care. He didn’t believe in superstitions. 32 He left the house and went to work. On his way to work he saw a black cat running away from him. He didn’t care. He wasn’t superstitious. Some builders were working on a house on his street. There was a ladder across the pavement. Nikos thought about walking around the ladder, but he didn’t care, he wasn’t superstitious and didn’t believe in superstitions, so he walked right underneath the ladder. Even though Nikos wasn’t superstitious, he thought that something bad was certain to happen to him today. He had broken a mirror, spilled some salt, walked under a ladder and seen a black cat running away from him. He told everybody at worked what had happened. “Something bad will happen to you today!” they all said. But nothing bad happened to him. That evening, as usual, he went to the taverna. He told all his friends in the taverna that he had broken a mirror, spilled the salt, seen a black cat running away from him and then walked under a ladder. All his friends in the taverna moved away from him. “Something bad will happen to him”, they all said, “and we don’t want to be near him when it happens!”. But nothing bad happened to Nikos all evening. He sat there, as normal, and everything was normal. Nikos was waiting for something bad to happen to him. But it didn’t. “Nikos, come and play cards with us!” joked one of his friends. “I’m sure to win!” Nikos didn’t usually play cards, but tonight he decided to. His friend put a large amount of money on the table. His friend thought Nikos was going to lose. Nikos thought he was going to lose. But it didn’t happen like that. Nikos won. Then he played another game, and he won that one too. Then somebody asked him to play a game of dice, and Nikos won that as well. He won quite a lot of money. “Go on then Nikos” his friends shouted, “Use all the money you have won to buy some lottery tickets!” Nikos spent all the money he had won on lottery tickets. The draw for the lottery was the next day. The next day after work Nikos went to the tavern again. Everybody was watching the draw for the lottery on TV. The first number came out, for the third prize. It was Nikos’ number. Then the second number, for the second prize. It was another of Nikos’ tickets. Then the first prize. It was Nikos’ number as well. He won all three of the big lottery prizes. It was incredible. It seemed that all the things that people thought caused bad luck actually brought him good luck. The next day Nikos bought a book about superstitions from all over the world. When he had read the book he decided to do everything that would bring him bad luck. He left empty bottles on the table. He asked his wife to cut his hair for him. He accepted a box of knives as a gift. He slept with his feet pointing towards the door. He sat on the corners of tables. He put a candle in front of the mirror. He always left his hat on the bed. He always left his wallet on the bed. He bought things in numbers of six, or thirteen. He crossed people on the stairs. He got on a boat and whistled. And with everything he did, he got luckier and luckier. He won the lottery again. He won the games of dice in the taverna every evening. The things got crazier and crazier. He bought a black cat as a pet. He broke a few more mirrors, on purpose. He didn’t look people in the eye when they raised their glasses to him. He put loaves of bread upside down on the table. He spilled salt. He spilled olive oil. He spilled wine. The more superstitious things he did, the luckier he became. He went in to the taverna and started to tell all his friends what he thought. “You see!” he told them. “I was right all along! Superstition is nonsense! The more things I do to break ridiculous superstitions, the more lucky I am!” “But Nikos” replied one of his friends, “Don’t you see that you are actually as superstitious as we are? You are so careful to break superstitions, and this brings you luck. But you are only lucky when you do these things. Your disbelief is actually a kind of belief!” 33 Nikos thought hard about what his friend said. He had to admit that it was true. He was so careful to break all the superstitions he could, that in some way he was actually observing those superstitions. The next day, he stopped spilling salt, chasing away black cats, walking under ladders, putting up umbrellas in the house and breaking mirrors. He also stopped winning money on the lottery. He started to lose at games of cards or dice. He was a normal man again. Sometimes he was lucky, sometimes he wasn’t. He didn’t not believe in superstitions any more, but he didn’t believe in them either. “Nikos”, said his friend to him, “It was your belief in yourself that made you lucky. It was your self-confidence that helped you, not superstitions.” Nikos listened to his friend and thought that he was right. But, however rational he still believed himself to be, he always wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t broken that mirror... THE END 4.CONCLUSION The British (also known as Britons, informally Brits or archaically Britishers) are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, one of the Channel Islands, or of one of the British overseas territories, and their descendants In a historical context, the word is used to refer to the ancient Britons, the indigenous inhabitants of Great Britain south of the Forth British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, which are acquired through a variety of means including by birth in the UK and by descent from British nationals. Britain is full of culture and traditions which have been around for hundreds of years. British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. When people think of Britain they often think of people drinking tea, eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats, but there is more to Britain than just those things. We have English and British traditions of sport, music, food and many royal occasions. There are also songs, sayings and superstitions. Who was Guy Fawkes? Why does the Queen have two birthdays? You can find the answers here in our pages on life in Britain. Superstition is a part of British culture today. Although superstition was more alive a hundred years ago, there are still superstitious people around, both young and old. Some people though, clame not to be superstitious, but it is still a part of them. English folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in England over a number of centuries. Some stories can be traced back to their roots, while the origin of others is uncertain or disputed. England abounds with folklore, in all forms, from such obvious manifestations as the traditional Arthurian legends (which were originally strictly Britonic) and Robin Hood tales, to contemporary urban legends and facets of cryptozoology such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor. Morris dance and related practices such as the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance preserve old English folk traditions, as do Mummers Plays. Pub names may preserve folk traditions. Most folklore traditions are no longer widely believed. Whereas some traditions were once believed across the whole of England, most belong to specific regions. 34 Christmas Day, 25 December, is celebrated by Christians as the day on which Jesus Christ was born. In Great Britain, carol services take place in Churches throughout December and nativity plays are performed They are stories of Christ’s birth acted out by school children. Some families have models of nativity scene in their houses. Another popular form of Christmas performances are pantomimes which are dramatised versions of well-known fairy tales. They involve singing, dancing and encouraging the audience to participate. Before Christmas, people send Christmas cards to their friends and family. The first ever Christmas card was sent in Britain in the 19th century. Traditional Christmas symbols are Santa Claus, angels, holly or snowmen. 35 5. Bibliography • LONGMAN Dictionary of Contemporary English • Roud, Steve, The Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Great Britain and Ireland, 2004 Simpson, Jacqueline, and Steve Roud, A Dictionary of English Folklore, 2000 Vickery, Roy, A Dictionary of Plant Lore, 1995 Westwood, Jennifer, and Jacqueline Simpson, The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's legends, 2005 • • • • www.wikipedia.org 36