Обычаи и традиции англо-говорящих стран

Введение

Объектом исследования моей работы являются обычаи и традиции англо-

говорящих стран. И я хочу сказать, что жизнь этих стран полна традиций и

обычаев. Некоторые из них очень красивые, красочные и живописные и,

кажется, весьма разумные; другие - любопытны, иногда забавны, иногда

существуют лишь для привлечения туристов. Многие традиции появились очень

давно и прошли многие столетия, другие – появились сравнительно недавно. Но

некоторые из них давно пережили себя и стали обременительными и остаются

лишь из-за известного английского консерватизма. Есть много традиций,

связанных с историческими событиями, Парламентом, судом, университетской

жизнью, а также традиции и обычаи, появляющиеся в каждодневной жизни.

Приблизительно одна треть населения земного шара разговаривают на

английском языке. Для некоторых он является родным, другим – в силу

исторически сложившихся обстоятельств стал вторым после родного. В странах,

куда английский язык был привнесен, он искажается и трансформируется с

учетом новых для него “условий жизни”, “приспосабливается” к местным

обычаям и традициям, принимая различные диалектные формы.

Похожее случилось и с исконно английскими традициями. В разных

местностях они приобретали собственное толкование и постепенно

видоизменялись и даже до такой степени, что при сравнении вряд ли возможно

найти схожие черты у старой английской традиции и у преобразовавшейся.

Цель моей работы – изучить обобщенный опыт жизни и традиций англо-

говорящих стран. Для людей, которые собираются путешествовать по миру

особенно важно знать язык, обычаи, традиции той страны, которую они

собираются посетить. Невозможно, например, приехать в Шотландию и смеяться

над их национальной одеждой - клетчатыми юбками; или, например, удивляться

тому, что Королева Великобритании начинает свой день с завтрака - овсяной

каши - и это уже давно сложившийся для нее обычай. Для того чтобы избежать

такой ситуации, перед тем как ехать в какую-либо страну необходимо

ознакомиться хотя бы с общепринятыми обычаями этой страны.

Одной из главных традиций большинства государств мира является

празднование своего национального праздника. Во Франции это День взятия

Бастилии, в США – День независимости, в Германии два национальных праздника

– День освобождения и День республики. В нашей стране – День суверенитета.

А как обстоят дела с национальными праздниками в Великобритании? Будучи

островным государством, Британия долгое время оказывала влияние на

политическое и социально-экономическое развитие других государств. Проводя

гибкую политику, Британия сумела принимать участие в большинстве

международных военных конфликтах, не допустив военных действий на своей

территории. Все это способствовало развитию высокому уровню жизни и

благосостоянию английского народа. Англичане не ощущали особой потребности

в национальном самоутверждении и в специальном дне для ликования по поводу

того, что они – британцы. Народ Соединенного Королевства не испытывал нужды

каждый год напоминать себе и другим, что, например, британский парламент,

возраст которого перевалил за семь столетий, становится еще на год старше

или что тред-юнионы - самые старые профсоюзы в мире. Правда, в последние

годы существования Британской империи был введен День империи, но отмечался

он недолго, а выходным был лишь для школьников и учителей. В 1958 году его

заменил День Содружества, который с 1966 года отмечается в июне как

официальный день рождения монарха. Англичане рассуждают примерно так: «Мы

уже достаточно веско заявили миру о себе, чтобы не повторяться теперь

ежегодно». Но национальный праздник все-таки необходим для официальных

целей – так, за границей послам полагается устраивать приемы в честь дня

своей страны, они выступают по телевидению той страны, где представляют

свою родину и т. д.

Национальным праздником Соединенного Королевства является день рождения

монарха, о котором уже было сказано. А сейчас я хочу остановиться на том

особенном, что характерно для некоторых англо-говорящих стран.

“Do you speak English?” with this phrase begins the conversation

between two people, that speak different languages and want to find a

common language.

It’s very good when you hear: “Yes I do”, and start talking. People of

different countries and nations have to get along well with the progress in

world trade and technology as well as with each other.

So it is very useful to learn foreign languages. Knowledge of foreign

languages helps us to develop friendship and understanding among people.

English is very popular now. It’s the language of computers, science,

business, sport and politics. It is official language of United Kingdom,

Ireland, the United States of America, Canada, Australia. There are more

than 1 billion speakers of English of the World.

Speaking a foreign language you are read papers, magazines, and

original books by great writers, watch satellite TV Programs. If you like

traveling you can go anywhere without being afraid that other people will

not understand you. English is very important to find a good job.

USA

Independence Day

On July 4 the Americans celebrate their national holiday-independence

Day. The United States gained independence as a result of gradual and

painful process. By the mid 1700’s it became difficult for thirteen British

colonies in the New World to be ruled by a kind 3000 miles across the

ocean. The British Empire imposed high taxes upon the colonies.

In 1774, the First Continental Congress drew up a list of grievances

against the British crown. This document was the first draft of the

document that would formally separate colonies from England. In 1755, the

Revolutionary War began. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress

presented a second draft of the list of grievances. On July 4 the

Continental Congress approved the declaration of Independence. But the War

of independence lasted until 1783. After the war Independence Day became an

official holiday.

On July 4, Americans have holiday from work. People have day-long

picnic with favorite foods like hot dog, hamburgers, potato salad, baked

beans. Lively music is heard everywhere. People play baseball or compete

three-legged races or pie-eating or water-melon-eating contests. Some

cities have parades with people dressed as the original founding fathers

who march to the music of high school bands. In the evening people gather

to watch firework displays. Wherever Americans are around the globe they

will get together to celebrate Independence Day.

Sport

Americans’ interest in sport seems excessive to many foreign visitors.

Television networks spend millions of dollars arranging to telecast sport

events. Publications about sports sell widely. In the US professional

athletes can became national heroes.

Sports are associated with educational institutions in a way is unique.

High schools have coaches as faculty members, and school teams compete with

each other.

Nowhere else in the world are sports associated with colleges and

universities in the way they are in the States. College sports, especially

football, are conducted in an atmosphere of intense excitement and

pageantry. Games between teams attract nationwide television audiences

The sport that is most popular in most of the world-soccer-is not well

known in the US. The most popular sports are football and baseball, games

that are not played in large number of countries.

Spots play such an important role in American life that the sociology

of sport, sport medicine, and sport psychology have become respectable

specializations.

Many Americans jog every day, or play tennis or bridge two or three

times a week. They go on ski trips and hunting expeditions that require

weeks of planning and organizing. In Americans’ view, all these activities

are worth the discomfort they may cause because they contribute to health

and physical fitness. That is probably why Americans are known as a healthy

nation.

Americans are very fond of sport. The most popular sports in USA are

football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.

American football derives from the English game of rugby. It started at

Harvard University in the1870’s. It is a game for two teams of eleven men

on field. The object of the game is to have control of the ball and to

score points by carrying it across the goal-line.

Baseball is a team game derived from the English game of cricket. It is

played with a bat and ball by two teams of nine players each, on a field

with four bases. Baseball is the national game in the USA and it is very

popular in Canada too.

Basketball is a game which nowadays is popular all over the world. It

was invented in 1891. During the ‘20s the first US league championship was

organized. In the ‘70s the American Championship was divided into two

leagues: the ABA (American Basketball Association), which does not exist

any longer and which played with a blue, red and white ball and NBA

(National Basketball Association).

The NBA is a professional league which still plays.

There are more activities which Americans take part in such as golf,

swimming, tennis, aerobics, wrestling, etc.

Halloween

Halloween is a festival that takes place on October 31. In the us

children wear costumes and masks and go trick-or-treating. Many of them

carve jack-o’-lantens out of pumpkins. Fortunetelling and storytelling

about ghosts and witches are popular activities.

Halloween developed from new year festivals and festivals of the dead.

Christian church established a festival on November 1 called All Saints’

Day so that people could continue to celebrate their festivals. The Mass

said on All Saints’ Day was called Allhallowmass. The day before All Saints

Day was known all hallows Eve or Halloween.

The main Halloween activity for children is trick-or-treating. Children

dress in costumes and masks and go from door to door saying “trick or

treat”. The neighbors give children such treats as candy, fruit and pennies

so that children do not play tricks on them.

Jack-o’-lanterns are hallowed-out pumpkins with face carved into one

side. Most jack-o-lanterns contain a cantle inside. An Irish legend says

that jack-o’-lanterns are named after the man called jack. He could not

enter heaven because he was a miser, and he could not enter hell because he

had played jokes on devil. As a result, Jack has to walk on the earth with

his lantern until Judgment Day.

Fortunetelling an important part of Halloween. For example, a coin, a

ring, and thimble were baked into a cake. It was believed that the person

who found the ring would marry soon. And the person who found the thimble

would never get married. Today people practice cardreading or palmistry.

People once believed that there were many ghosts and witches on the

Earth and that they met on October 31 to worship the devil. Today, people

do not believe in ghosts and witches but they like to tell stories about

them on Halloween.

Thanksgiving

Almost in every culture in the world there is a celebration of thanks

for rich harvest. The American Thanksgiving began as a feast of

thanksgiving almost four hundred years ago.

In 1620, a religious community sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to

settle in the New World. They settled in what is now known as the state of

Massachusettes. Their first winter in America was difficult. They arrived

too late to grow a rich harvest. Moreover, half the colony died from

disease. The following spring the Iroquois Indians taught them how to grow

corn. Indians showed them also how to grow other crops and how to hunt and

fish.

In the autumn of 1621 they got a beautiful harvest of corn, barley,

beans and pumpkins. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so they

planned a feast. Local Indian chief and ninety Indians were present. The

colonists learned from Indians how to cook cranberries and dishes of corn

and pumpkins.

In following years many of the colonists celebrated the harvest with a

feast of thanks. After the United States gained independence, Congress

recommended one yearly day of thanksgiving for the whole country. Later

George Washington suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving Day. Than,

after the civil war, Abraham Lincoln suggested the last Thursday in

November to be the day of thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving Day, family members gather at the house of an older

relative, even if they far away. All give thanks for everything good they

have. Charitable organizations offer traditional meal to homeless.

Foods, eaten at the first thanksgiving, have become traditional. The

traditional thanksgiving meal consists of roast turkey stuffed with herb-

flavored bread, cranberry jelly, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie. Other dishes

may vary as to region: ham, sweet potatoes, creamed corn.

Christmas

Christmas is Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus

Christ. For millions of Christmas throughout the world it is the happiest

and the busiest time of the year. No one knows the exact date of Christ’s

birth but most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25. The world

Christmas comes from Christes maesse, an early English phrase that means

Mass of Christ.

People of different countries celebrate Christmas in various ways.

People in the United States and Canada decorate their homes with Christmas

trees, wreaths and ornaments. City streets are filled with colored lights;

the sound of bells and Christmas carols can be heard everywhere.

Children write letters to Santa Claus and tell him what presents they

would like to get. Many department stores hire people to a Santa Claus

costume and listen to children’s requests. People send Christmas cards to

relatives and friends. Many companies give presents to their employees.

A Christmas tree is one of the main symbols of Christmas in most homes.

Relatives and friends may join in trimming the tree with lights, tinsel,

and colorful ornaments. Presents are placed under the tree. On Christmas

Eve or Christmas morning, families open their presents. Many children

believe that Santa Claus arrives on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by

reindeer and brings present. Some children hang up stockings so Santa Claus

can fill them with candy, fruits and other small gifts.

In many parts of the United States and Canada groups of people walk

from house to house and sing Christmas carols. Some people give singers

money or small gifts or invite them for a warm drink. Many people attend

church services on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. They listen to

readings from Bible and singing Christmas carols.

A traditional Christmas dinner consist of stuffed turkey, mashed

potatoes, cranberry sauce a variety of other dishes. Some families have ham

or roast goose instead of turkey. Pumpkin pie, plum pudding, and fruitcake

are favorite desserts.

Valentine’s Day

There are several legends about St. Valentine’s Day. One of the legends

says that Valentine was Christian pries who lived in the 3 century A.D. he

was put into prison by roman authorities for his teachings and was beheaded

Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9