A national holiday?
The idea of a national holiday (which Britain does not have at the moment – see chapter 4) is in the air these days. If Britain were to get an extra holiday, what day would it be? In 2006, the BBC conducted a poll of 5,000 people to see which day they would prefer. Perhaps surprisingly, the day which got the most votes was not a military victory like the Battle of Trafalgar (which came fifth) or Waterloo (seventh) or even VE Day, the end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945(second). By a clear margin, the winner was 15 June, the day on which the Magna Carta was signed by King John in 1215(see chapter 2).
Historians and social commentators were not only astonished by this result – they had assumed that the Magna Carta had been lost to popular memory in the mists of time. They were also delighted that the winner was not an event celebrating military prowess but rather one which celebrates political freedoms and constitutionalism.
Typically, beach huts measure less than four square meters and have no electricity or water supply. All that they provide, therefore, is a degree of privacy on the beach and a place on it which you can call ‘your own’. But that is enough to make then highly prized, so highly prized, in fact, that one retired couple were happy to see in the New year of 2006 sitting in sub-zero temperatures in their car. For four days and nights they queued there (taking turns to go and warm up in a nearby shop), just to make sure they had first choice of two newly-available huts on Avon Beach in Dorset. For ￡700, they bought exclusive use of this desirable property between the hours of sunrise and sunset from Easter to late September of the coming year.
Humorous postcards like the one below can still be seen at seaside resorts in Britain. They often involve sexual innuendo. The traditional seaside holiday represented a relaxing of Victorian restrictions on overt reference to sex. These days, of course, no such restrictions exist anywhere, so these postcards are mainly enjoyed in a spirit of nostalgia.
There is one kind of sweet associated with holiday resorts. It is called ‘rock’, a hard thick stick of sugar. Each resort has the letters of its name appearing throughout the stick, so that one hears of ‘Brighton Rock’, ‘Blackpool Rock’, and so on.
In thousands of companies throughout Britain, the last working afternoon before Christmas is the time of the annual office party. A lot of alcohol is often consumed on these occasions and feelings hidden throughout the year come into the open. This is a problem for company bosses. By law, an employer is responsible for any sexual harassment that occurs at his or her workplace and may have to pay as much as ￡10,000 in compensation. The peak time for complaints of sexual harassment is in January – just after the annual office party. Many employers now insure themselves against claims for compensation at this time.
Many people send cards depicting some aspect of the birth of Christ. Most people, however, do not. Christmas is an opportunity for the British to indulge their dreams about a vanished rural past. You can see this on the typical Christmas cards. They usually show scenes from either the nineteenth or eighteenth centuries or are set in the countryside, very frequently with snow. (In fact, snow at Christmas is rare in most parts of Britain.)
The Christmas and New Year holiday seasons bring with them a popular theatrical tradition. This is pantomime (often abbreviated to ‘panto’), staged in hundreds of theatres and specifically designed to appeal to young children. It usually involves the acting out of a well-known folk tale with plenty of opportunity for audience participation.
There are certain established conventions of panto. For example, the cast includes a ‘principle boy’ (the young hero) who is always played by a woman, and a ‘dame’ (an older female character), who is always played by a man.
The continuing popularity of panto is assisted by the fact that these leading roles are frequently taken by well-known personalities from the worlds of television or sport.
The traditional menu consists of stuffed roast turkey with roast potatoes and other vegetables (including Brussels sprouts). But not everybody likes turkey. A popular alternative is goose. Other foods associated with Christmas are Christmas pudding, an extremely heavy sweet dish made of dried fruits – over which it is traditional to pour brandy then set it alight – and Christmas cake, an equally heavy fruit cake, covered with a layer of marzipan and then a layer of hard white icing.
Calendar of special occasions
New Year’s Day* (1 January)
In Scotland, 2 January is als
o a public holiday.
St. Valentine’s Day (14 February)
Shrove Tuesday (47 days before Easter)
St. Patrick’s Day (17 March)
This is a public holiday in Northern Ireland.
Mother’s Day (the fourth Sunday in Lent)
Millions of bouquets of flowers are bought for this day. Cards are also sent.
April Fool’s Day (1 April)
On this day, it is traditional for people to play tricks on each other. Children are the most enthusiastic about this custom, but even the BBC and serious newspapers sometimes have ‘joke’ (i.e. not genuine) features on this day.
Good Friday*
The strange name in English for the day commemorating Christ’s crucifixion.
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday* The day after Easter Sunday.
May Day* (the first Monday in May)
In Britain, this day is associated more with ancient folklore than with the workers. In some villages, the custom of dancing round a maypole is acted out.
Spring Bank Holiday* (the last Monday in May)
There used to be a holiday on ‘Whit Monday’ celebrating the Christian feast of Pentecost. Because this is seven weeks after Easter, the date varied. This fixed holiday has replaced it.
The Queen’s Official Birthday (the second or third Saturday in June)
This is not her real birthday (which is on 21 April). Her official birthday is when she celebrates her birthday in public and certain public ceremonies are performed.
Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June)
The father’s equivalent of Mother’s Day above.
Orangemen’s Day (12 July)
This is a public holiday in Northern Ireland. It is associated with the Protestant part of the community and balances with St. Patrick’s Day, which is associated with the Catholics.
Summer Bank Holiday* (the last Monday in August)
Halloween (31 October)
Guy Fawkes Night (5 November)
Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday in November)
This day originated from Armistice Day (11 November) which marked the end of the First World War. It is used to commemorate the dead of both world Wars and of more recent conflicts. On and before this day, money is collected in the street on behalf of charities for ex-servicemen. The people who donate money are given paper poppies to pin to their clothes. No politician would be seen on this day without a poppy!
St. Andrew’s Day (30 November)
This is a public holiday in Scotland.
Christmas Eve (24 December)
Christmas Day* (25 December)
Boxing Day* (26 December)
Explanations for the origin of this name vary. One is that it was the day on which landowners and householders would present their tenants and servants with gifts (in boxes). Another is that it was the day in which the collecting boxes in churches were opened and contents distributed to the poor.
New Year’s Eve (31 December)
(* = public holiday)
This day is also known as Pancake Day. In past centuries, lent was a time of fasting. Both meat and eggs were forbidden throughout the six weeks. The tradition was to eat up all your meat on the Monday before it started, and all your eggs on the Tuesday – in pancakes. Nowadays, the fasting has gone and only the eating remains.
Two events are associated with Shrove Tuesday. One of them is the pancake tossing contest (to see how many pancakes you can throw into the air, rotate and catch within a certain time). The other is the pancake race. These are still held in many places all over Britain. You have to run while continuously tossing a pancake – if you drop it when it comes down, you’re out.
St. Valentine’s Day and Gretna Green
Despite the unromantic reputation of the British, on or just before this day every year millions of pounds worth of flowers are delivered, tens of millions of chocolates are sold and greetings-card manufactures get very rich.
Every St. Valentine’s Day, thousands of people travel to a tiny village on Scotland’s border with England. Many of them go to get married, and many more couples go through mock wedding ceremonies. The village is Gretna Green. Its romantic reputation began in 1754. In England in that year, marriage for people under the age of 21 without permission from parents was banned. In Scotland, however, this permission was not required, and Gretna Green was the first stop across the border. The laws that brought fame to Gretna Green no longer apply. But its reputation is secure. In this small place, more than ten people get married, on average, every day of the year. On St. Valentine’s Day, the number is around 40.
