Holidays in Great Britain

There are fewer public holidays in Great Britain than in other European countries. They are: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holidays and Summer Bank Holidays.

The most popular holiday is Christmas. Every year the people of Norway give the city of London a present. It's a big Christmas tree and it stands in Trafalgar Square. Central streets are beautifully decorated. Before Christmas, groups of singers go from house to house. They collecet money for charity and sing carols, traditional Christmas songs. The fun starts the night before, on the 24th of December. Children hang stockings at the end o their beds, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and fill them with toys and sweets. Christmas is family holiday. Relatives usually meet for the big Christmas dinner of turkey and Christmas pudding. And everyone gives and receives presents.

The 26th of December, Boxing Day, is an extra holiday after Christmas Day. New Year's is less popular in Britain than Christmas. But in Scotland, Hogmanday is the biggest festival of the year. Besides public holidays there are some special festivals in Great Britain.