Great Britain is famous
for its old traditions. Some of them existed in ancient times and
survived through centuries. Some of them appeared when Christianity came
to British Isles. Speaking about religious holidays one can’t but
mention Easter, Pancake Day and Mother’s Day. The dates of these
holidays aren’t strict, they depend on the date of Easter, that varies
every year... Pancake day is a popular name for the Shrove Tuesday,
the day before the first day of Lent. In the middle ages people on that
day made merry and ate pancakes. The ingredients of pancakes are all
forbidden by Church during Lent, that is why they have to be used the
day before. The most common form of celebrating this day in the old
times was the all town ball game or tug-of-war, in which everyone was
tearing here and there, trying to get the ball or rope into their part
of the city. Today the only custom, that is observed throughout Britain
is pancake eating. For the English the best-known name for the
fourth Sunday during Lent is Mothering Sunday or Mother’s Day. For 3
centuries this day has been a day of small family gatherings when absent
sons and daughters return to their homes. Gifts are made to mothers by
children of all ages. Flowers and cakes are still traditional gifts.
Violets and primroses are most popular flowers. Sometimes the whole
family goes to church and then there is a special dinner at which roast
lamb, rice-pudding and home-made wines and served. Easter is one of
the most important holidays in Christianity. In England it’s time for
giving and receiving presents, mostly Easter eggs. We can say that the
egg is the most popular emblem of Easter, but spring-time flowers are
also used to stress the nature’s awakening. Nowadays there are a lot of
chocolate Easter eggs, having some small gifts inside. But a real
hard-boiled egg, decorated and painted in bright colours, still appears
on breakfast tables on Ester Day, or it’s hidden in the house or garden
for children to find. An egg that is boiled really hard will last for
years. Egg-rolling is a traditional Easter pastime. You roll the eggs
down a clope until they are cracked and broken, after they are eaten up.
