British customs and traditions.
Today we are going to tell you about British customs and traditions.
Some of them are very-very old. There are traditions of food, holidays, sports and everyday life.
- Let’s start with FOOD! I am very hungry.
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There is a tradition in Britain to drink tea at 5 o’clock every day.
Why do people do it?
A cup of hot tea makes you strong and energetic in cold rainy weather.
Besides, people like to meet and chat with a cup of wonderful strong tea in the hand.
DIALOGE
-What rainy weather!
— And it is very cold today.
-Would you like a cup of tea?
-That’d be great!
— Making tea became a special art in Great Britain.
— It is true, tea became a national drink.
— Do you know tea? The British drink 1650 cups of tea a year.
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Every year there is a day when all British families have pancakes on their tables.
It is Shrove Tuesday
In many cities, towns and villages there are pancake races on that day.
For example, the Olney pancakes race is famous all over the world.
It is open to housewives, who have an apron, a scarf, a hat and a frying pan with the pancake on it.
They should run fast with the frying pan to the church and toast the pancake three times.
The winner gets a new frying pan as a prize.
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- There are very many HOLIDAYS in Great Britain.
Many of them became a tradition in other countries too.
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In old times Halloween was celebrated by Druids in Scotland and Ireland.
They were ancient priests.
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Saint Valentine’s Day appeared in England.
A priest, called Valentine, was put to death by the Roman Empire.
Before his death he sent the letter of love to a blind girl. Nowadays it is a popular holiday of love and friendship all over the world.
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- The British are really crazy about SPORT.
Many sports were invented in Great Britain.
Football, cricket, and tennis are their favourite sports. They like different kinds of racing: horse racing, boat racing, dog racing and others.
One of the most popular races is a boat race of Cambridge and Oxford students on the river Thames.
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- People in Great Britain are real PETLOVERS.
They treat their pets as members of their families.
They are strongly against cruelty to animals.
If a man leaves his pet in the street without food, police may take him into prison.
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- Every British home has a FIREPLACE.
Nowadays fireplaces may be natural or electrical.
It is so pleasant to sit in front of the fire when it is cold and rainy outside.
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