Customs and traditions of an English-speaking country
- Now let’s talk about customs and traditions. What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Britain?
In Britain customs and traditions play a more important part in the life of people than in other countries. A custom is the usual way of behaving or acting. A tradition is a custom, opinion or belief handed down from one generation to another, often orally or by practice. The British are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up.
My favourite holiday is Halloween. Halloween is a day on which many children dress up in costumes and go from door to door where they knock on the door or ring the doorbell, and yell “trick or treat!” The idea being that the owners of the house give the children a treat (sweet or money) or the children will play a trick on them.
Some ceremonies are traditional, such as Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Trooping the Colour, the State Opening of Parliament.
I hope one day I’ll be able to go there to see it with my own eyes.
- Are you proud of our national holidays and traditions?
Personally, I enjoy celebrating holidays. I think that holidays are an important way to keep our traditions. Besides, it’s a good chance to bring the family together and to meet all your friends and relatives.
The holiday that makes me especially proud is Victory Day. It commemorates the victory of our country in World War II. On this day we usually put flowers at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and honour the memory of the people who died in this war. I’m especially impressed by the ceremony when people all over the country keep silence for a minute in honour of those who died to defend our Motherland. I think it’s one of the most important traditions in our country and we must keep it up to remind our children of the terrible consequences of wars.
- What questions can you ask a British teenager about good manners in their country?
- What is necessary to remember not to have problems in the street? (How should I cross the street?)
- Can I lie on the grass in the centre of the country?
- What rules should I obey near Buckingham Palace?
- What national souvenirs will you recommend a British tourist to buy?
Each country has its souvenirs for foreigners which reflect its beauty, history, wild life and the main crafts. I would advise them to buy elements of our national Belarusian clothes, the paintings of our magnetic nature, Belarusian toys, linen and ceramic products.
- Nowadays more and more people are getting interested in customs and traditions of different countries. What do you think about it?
To know customs and traditions means to understand the people and their culture better.
By comparing the customs and cultures of people from other countries, we can learn how others view the world and why they think the way they do. By understanding others, we can only form deeper friendships with others but can also learn more about ourselves and our own culture.