Revision Notes: Customs and Traditions in the UK

The Main Christian Festivals

Christmas Day (25 December): Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Public holiday marked by gift-giving, special meals, and decorations 🔗.
Boxing Day (26 December): The day after Christmas; a public holiday in the UK 🔗.
Easter: Marks the death of Jesus on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Public holidays on Good Friday and Easter Monday 🔗.
Lent: A 40-day period of reflection before Easter, often marked by fasting or giving up something 🔗.

Diwali: Hindu and Sikh festival celebrated in October or November, known as the Festival of Lights, celebrating the victory of good over evil 🔗.
Hannukah: Jewish festival in November or December, lasting eight days, commemorating religious freedom. A candle is lit each night of the festival 🔗.
Eid al-Fitr: Celebrates the end of Ramadan for Muslims, thanking Allah for the strength to fast for a month 🔗.
Eid ul-Adha: Commemorates the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, marked by the sacrifice of an animal 🔗.
Vaisakhi (14 April): Sikh festival celebrating the founding of the Khalsa with parades, dancing, and singing 🔗.

New Year (1 January): Public holiday with celebrations on New Year's Eve, called Hogmanay in Scotland 🔗.
Valentine’s Day (14 February): Day for lovers to exchange gifts and cards, sometimes anonymously 🔗.
April Fool’s Day (1 April): A day for jokes and pranks, often with hoaxes in media 🔗.
Mothering Sunday: Celebrated three weeks before Easter, when children give cards and gifts to their mothers 🔗.
Father’s Day: Celebrated on the third Sunday of June to honor fathers with gifts 🔗.
Halloween (31 October): An ancient festival where people dress in costumes, carve pumpkins, and celebrate with ‘trick or treat’ 🔗.
Bonfire Night (5 November): Commemorates the failed plot by Guy Fawkes to kill the king in 1605, celebrated with fireworks 🔗.
Remembrance Day (11 November): Honors those who died in war, especially during WWI, with a two-minute silence and poppies 🔗.

Bank Holidays: Public holidays when banks and many businesses close. They occur in early May, late May or early June, August, and some special days in Northern Ireland 🔗.

What is celebrated on 25 December?
a) Boxing Day
b) Easter
c) Christmas Day
d) Diwali
When does Lent begin?
a) Shrove Tuesday
b) Ash Wednesday
c) Easter Monday
d) Christmas Eve
What is the significance of Bonfire Night?
a) Celebrating the New Year
b) Honoring war heroes
c) Guy Fawkes' failed plot to kill the king
d) Marking the start of winter
What does Eid al-Fitr celebrate?
a) The end of Ramadan
b) The birth of Jesus Christ
c) The founding of the Khalsa
d) The Jewish struggle for freedom
Which festival is known as the Festival of Lights?
a) Christmas
b) Diwali
c) Halloween
d) Hannukah

Answers: