Customs and Traditionsм, Детальна інформація

The B.B.C. (the British Broadcasting Corporation) sends the Queen's speech to every Commonwealth countrv. In her speech the Queen talks about the past year. Traditionallv in speeches, kings or queens say “we” not “I” Queen Elizabeth II doesn't do this. She says “My husband and I” or just 'I''.

The Queen doesn't make her speech on Christrnas Day. She films it a few weeks before. Then she spends Christmas with her familY at Windsor. Does she watch the speech on TV? Nobody knows.

Songs, sayings and superstitions

There are thousands of traditional songs and sayings in English. Many of them tell stones about British historv. For example, here's one about the Great Plague.

Ring-a-ring-a roses

A pocket full of posies

A-tishoo, a-tishoo

We all fall down.

The Great Plague was an illness and it killed millions of people in Europe in the seventeenth century. One of the signs of the illness was j circle of red marks. Thev looked like roses, and that explains the first line of the song. In the second line, "posies" are small bunches of flowers. People carried flowers because of the smell of the Plague. "A-tishoo" is the sound of a sneeze. That was another sign of the Plague. Then, after a few days, people "fell down" or died.

How many of these traditional songs do you know?

Happy Birthday To You - You sing this song at birthday parties. People all over the world sing it.

Auld Lang Syne - This is a song from Scotland. Most people only sing it once a year, on New Year's Eve. "Auld Lang Syne" means "a long time ago". The song says, "we must never forget old friends".

God Save The Queen - This is Britain's national song or "anthem."

SUPERSTITIONS

Do vou believe in good luck and bad luck? Most people in the world have some superstitions. These are a few British superstitions with long traditions.

Good Luck

-Black cats are lucky 

-Clover is a small plant. Usually it has three leaves, but a few have four. A clover with four leaves brings good luck.

-A horseshoe over the door of a new home brings good luck. But the horseshoe must be the right way up. l~he luck runs out of a horseshoe if it's upside down.

-On the first day of the month it's lucky to say 'White rabbits".

-It's good luck to see two magpies (large black and white birds).

-Catch falling leaves in autumn and you'll have good luck. Everv leaf means a lucky month in the next year.

Bad Luck

-Never open an umbrella in the house. That's very bad luck. Never break a mirror - that means seven years' bad luck. It's bad luck to see just one magpie.

-Don't walk under a ladder.

-Don't walk past soinchody on the stairs.

-The number thirteen i~ very unlucky (and Friday the 13th is a "cry unlucky date).

SAYINGS  

Here are ten British “proverbs” or sayings.

1. Nothing ventured nothing gained.