|
We know a little bit about English holidays, but hopefully our English readers will provide more details. England has many of the same holidays familiar to other countries such as New Years, Valentine Day, Easter, and Christmas. Christmas is probably the most important holliday and the obvious favorite of children. One aspect of Christmas that is unfamilar to Americans is Boxing Day. One important day is Memorial Day to honor the fallen in the two World Wars. It is celebrated on November 11, the day the World War I Armistace was signed. Perhaps the most important destinctively English holiday is Guy Fawkes Day and another favorite for children with the costumes, bond fires, and fire works. There of course is a ritual burning of a Guy (scarecrow). Guy Fawkes of course led a Catholic plot to blow up Parliament and overthrow King James I. The Queen's Birthday is celebrated, but now less important than in the past. There are also a range of other events celebrated locally. One of these is Darkie Day celebrated on Boxing Day and New Year's Day each year in the fishing port of Padstow in Cornwall. The origins go back to travelling 'mummers' in medieval times who used to blacken their faces and sing for the price of a meal - this was known as 'guising'. The whole thing became a formalised celebration in the 19th century when the minstrels musical movement arrived from America. The whole purpose of the ceremony today is to raise money for charity. Another important holiday is May which commonly included school celebrations.
Ths is not an English holiday, but Wales National Day.
This of course is Ireland's Special Day, but as in America it is celebrated in England because there are so many British subjects of Irish heritage. And of course St.Patrick as actually English.
Easter is tradidtionally very important in England, but as apart of the de-Christioization of Europe is no logr as important as it once was. Theactual date variesfrom year to year. There are several important days imprtant to the Easter season, incluing Shrove Tuesday, Lent, Mothering Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Friday itelf.
Pentacost is not as well known or celebrated as Christmas and Easter, but it is one of the most important dates of the Christian calendar. Pentacost commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples following the death of Jesus. The Bible describes how the apostles, who gathered to celebrate the Jewish harvest festival (Shavuot), began to talk in foreign tongues. The assembed onlookers thought were drunk. Saint Peter explained that they had been inspired by the Holy Spirit and preached the first Christian sermon. They then converted and baptised 3,000 people. Thus this first Pentecost marked the transformation of the Jewish Jesus movement into the new Christian church -- essentially the birth of Christianity. Pentecost comes from the Greek word ‘Pentekostos’, meaning '50’. The celebration takes place on the seventh Sunday after Easter, marking 50 days since the final Sabbath of Passover. Americans and others use the term ‘Pentecost’ which is also used in Britain. The traditionl term in Britain, however, is ‘Whitsun’ or ‘Whit Sunday’. The origins of the term are unknown, but it seems to be related to the fact that as Pentecost was a day for baptisms and those to be be baptised were dressed in white. Another possibility is that 'Whit' is relaled to the Anglo-Saxon word ‘wit’, meaning ‘understanding’. This may have represented the disciples being filled with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. And we also see references to Whit meaning white.
Whit Monday or the Second Whitsun in England and former British colonies is known as Pentecost Monday or Monday of the Holy Spirit in other countries. It is celebrated the day after Pentecost, a feast in the Christian calendar which varies from year to year. The actual date depnds on the date set for Easter. Whit Monday became used because of Whitsunday", the English name for Pentecost, one of the three baptismal seasons. The origin of the name 'Whit Sunday' is belived to have developed as a result of the white garments once worn by those baptized on the feast. While Whit Sunday is the English name, the holiday is celebrated in many European countries under a different name, mostly Pentacost Monday. It is no longer a bank holiday in increasingly secular Britain. England and the rest of the United Kindom dropped it (1967). Ireland dropped it (1973).
It was replaced by the fixed Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May (1971). It continues to be a public holiday in various former British colonies, especially in the Pacific.
Whit Friday celebrations still occur, but or not as common as Whitsun celebrations. For some reason they seem especially prevalent in northwestern England. There are many church and chapel parades which campe to be called whit walks. They normally, but not always occur on Whit Friday, the friday after Whitsun. The parades often include brass bands and choirs. The girls participate often dress in white. The boys traditionally dressed up, but did not normally wear white.
St. George's Day is England's National Day.
May Day involves two very different celebrations, a traditional event and a day honoring labor. There is a connection, but the celebrations are destinct. Traditinal May Day is aother important holiday is May which commonly included school celebrations. The traditional May Day rites and celebrations in England involve include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen, and children decorating May polls. Child dancers commonly circle with ribbons. The English traditions developed from various pagan roots. The Old English language name for the month of May meant 'Month of Three Milkings'. Earlier Celtic traditions were incorportdinto the Anglo-Saxon celebratins. May Day festivities have been delebrated through the centuries. May Day celebrations contnue to be most important in agricultural towns and villages celebrating the springtime fertility of the soil, livestock, and people. The traditional revelry with village fetes and community gatherings has been toned down a bit in recent years. Important farm tasks like seeding hadnormally been accomplishged in April. Thus May Day was a convenient to give farm workers a day off. This tradition was the basis for May Day as a day to honor labor. Another connection was St Joseph's Day. (Here the Catholic calendar has varied over time.) St. Joseph was a carpeter and became the patron saint of worker. Most workers at the time were farm workers, but in the 19th century with the Industrial Revolution. industrial workers became the dominant work force. Thus in the 20th century, May Day was chosen as International Workers' Day. In London and other cities, the labor celebration has largely replaced the more trditional May Day celebrations. London May Day Committee (South East Region Trades Councils) oganize a massive parade. They gather at Clerkenwell Green near the Karl Marx Memorial Library before marching to Trafalgar Square for a huge rally. Representatives of local, national and international trades unions and campaigning organisations deliver impassioned speeches. The labor May Day always takes place on May 1st regardless of what day it falls on meaning that workrs oftn do not get a day off.
England began building an empire (17th century), a century after the Spanish. And while it lost much of its original empire, the most English part, with the American Revolution, it proceeded to build one of the great empires in history. It was at the apogee of the Empire that it was there should be an annual celebration of the Empire--Empire Day. The idea was for a day to “remind children that they formed part of the British Empire, and that they might think with others in lands across the sea, what it meant to be sons and daughters of such a glorious Empire.”. And that “The strength of the Empire depended upon them, and they must never forget it.” The idea first surfaced (1897). At the time, the idea was honor the motherly Queen Victoria, Empress of India, as the paramount ruler and would be shared by an Empire spanning almost a quarter of the entire globe and about the same portion of the population. The Queen would, however, pass away before the first Empire Day was celebrated. It wa not a celevration of British military prowess in forming and holding the Empire. Rather it was a celebratiin of vthe many varied people making up a single political unit and the shared benefits. That of course was an idealized view of the empire. Many Victorians believed it ignoring the fact that many members of the Empire did not want to be part of it. It was clearly exploitive, but in our modern PC world the positive asprcys of the Empire are commonly excludes from the historical rcord, such as the campaign to end the slave trade and ultimtely slavery. Many Indians today are unaware that institutions like democracy, elections civil liberties, and the rule of law partnof the heritage of the British Raj. Here we see Empire Day being celebrated in Clitheroe in Lancashire during 1920 (figure 1). Despite the size and breath of the Britsh Empire, Empire Day was a rather short-lived holiday. Empire Day was not celerated until after Queen Victoria--the very symbol of the Empire-- passed away (1901). The first Empire Day took place on May 24, 1902--the Queen’s birthday. We suspect that seven decade of ceebrating the Queen;'s birthday on May 24 may have ben a factor in making Empire Day a iloidy. It was not officially recognised as an annual event until 1916, but many schools across the British Empire were celebrating it before then. Because of the independence of India (1947) and most of the Empire (1960s) and the increasing disrepute of colonalism, Empire Day ceased to be widely celebrated.
The Queen's Birthday is celebrated, but now less important than in the past.
Perhaps the most important destinctively English holiday is Guy Fawkes Day and another favorite for children with the costumes, bond fires, and fire works. There of course is a ritual burning of a Guy (scarecrow). Guy Fawkes of course led a Catholic plot to blow up Parliament and overthrow King James I.
One important day is Rememberance Day, known as Memorial Day in America. This holiday honors the fallen in the two World Wars. It is celebrated on November 11, the day the World War I Armistace was signed.
This is Scotland's National Day.
Christmas is probably the most important holliday and the obvious favorite of children. The custom of hanging stockings comes from England. Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn't landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts. Children write letters to Father Christmas listing their requests, but instead of dropping them in the mailbox, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draught carries the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas reads the smoke. On Christmas Eve children leave out mince pies, brandy or some similar warming beverage for Father Christmas, and a carrot for the reindeer. Christmas crackers are a party favourite in England. Conceived in 1850 by a London confectioner called Tom Smith whilst sitting in front of his log fire. Today's crackers are short cardboard tubes wrapped in colourful paper and traditionally there will be one cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. When the crackers are pulled, out falls a colourful party hat, a toy or gift and a festive joke. The party hats look like crowns and we assume these symbolise the crowns worn by the three kings. Gifts are opened Christmas morning. The younger children will awake very early in the morning to find a stocking at the end of their bed and some presents on the floor. Later, the family will gather together to open all the presents that have been left under the Christmas tree. The celebration of Boxing Day, which takes place on December 26 - the feast of St. Stephen, is a part of the holiday season unique to Great Britain. Traditionally, it is on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are distributed to the poor. Also, this is the day that servants traditionally got the day off to celebrate with their families. It became traditional for working people to break open their tip boxes on this day.
One aspect of Christmas that is unfamilar to Americans is Boxing Day. There are also a range of other events celebrated locally. One of these is Darkie Day celebrated on Boxing Day and New Year's Day each year in the fishing port of Padstow in Cornwall. The origins go back to travelling 'mummers' in medieval times who used to blacken their faces and sing for the price of a meal - this was known as 'guising'. The whole thing became a formalised celebration in the 19th century when the minstrels musical movement arrived from America. The whole purpose of the ceremony today is to raise money for charity.
There are two types of royal holidays: birthdays and corronation days. And both by definination vary with each different monarch. Long ruling monarchs like Victoria and Elizabeth II have so many birthdays that their birthday celebrations become virtually established national holidays. And they have the really long ruling coranation celebrations like diamond jubilees. We don't have many 19th cntury images of these celebrations until Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1897). The 20th century photographic record is much more extensive. And like Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II was a very long-living monarch, the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. But unkike Victoria, Elizabeth was purely ceremomial. Victoria reigned for 63 years. Elizabeth has already exceeded that phenomnal reign and is still going.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main English activity page]
[Return to the Main country activities page]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Essays]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossary]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Search]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
