n green throughout the year. were worshiped in Northern Europe as symbols of eternal life. Mistletoe, hung up as a Christmas decoration is a symbol of love and reconciliation.
Holly, a well-known Christmas decoration today, has Christian associations. In Norwegian, Swedish and Danish, holly is known as "Christs thorns", the legend being that Christ wore a crown of holly thorns before his death. Some people have seen associations between the word "holly" and "holy".
Giving presents goes back to Roman Saturnalia when good luck gifts of fruit, pastry or gold were given to friends on New Years Day. In Britain the traditional day to give presents until relatively recently was December 26th and not as it is today, Christmas Day. December 26th is now known as Boxing Day, for it was then that the priests of the Middle Ages opened alms boxes to give to the poor.
Not all Christian customs and traditions are of ancient origin. Although various people have claimed to have designed the first Christmas card. William Egley, an English artist, seems to have the best claim. In 1842 he designed his own card and sent it to one hundred of his friends. Today three billion are sent annually in the United States alone.
3. New Year (Slide 4-5).
New Year in United Kingdom is celebrated on January 1. This day was officially declared as New Years Day in 1752.
New Year is the most long-awaited holiday. Many people associate it with magic and gifts. People of all ages truly believe that in New Year their aims and wishes will come true.
New Year is an international holiday, but in every country it is celebrated in many different ways and each family has their own traditions.
It is commonly believed that New Y
Страницы: << < 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 > >>