FESTIVALS

GAMES

FRIENDS

HALLOWEEN It’s a very old festival. It is more than two thousand years old. It’s used to be called the “Festival of the Dead” Halloween celebrated death and the end of the year. It was a special night for witches. Today Halloween is a festival of fun. Children dress up as witches and ghosts. They have parties and play tricks on people.		Trick One of the favourite tricks is to ring a doorbell and hide! Games Bob Apple is a traditional Halloween game. You need a large bowl and some apples. Fill the bowl with water and put the apples inside. Players put their hands behind their backs and try to pick an apple with their teeth . Snap apple. Hang apples on pieces of string. Players try to catch an apple with their teeth.
BONFIRE NIGHT On the fifth of November 1606 Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.There is a festivity dedicated to Guy Fawkes and it is called Bonfire Night or Guy Fawke's. Bonfire night is a popular British festival. People build bonfires and there are fireworks displays. Children make a man called a guy (named after Guy Fawkes). They use old clothes. They put the man on the top of the bonfire.
It’s the biggest festival in Britain. The most important days are 24th-26th December 24th is called Christmas Eve. December 25th, Christmas Day and December 26th, Boxing day. On Christmas Day families have a special meal consist of turkey, Christmas pudding and mince pies. In most of the houses there is a Christmas tree. There are many symbols of Christmas: angels, holly, snow, stockings, candles, bells, crackers and lanterns.		Father Christmas has a long white beard and wears a red suit. He rides on a sleigh. Reindeer pull the sleigh and he brings present to all the children. At Christmas parties everybody has a Christmas cracker. Two people pull the cracker. Inside there is a small present, a paper hat and a joke.
VALENTINE February 14th is Valentine’s Day, on this day people send a card to someone they love or like. Boys send cards to girls and girls send cards to boys. Don’t put your name in the card – it’s a secret!
EASTER It’s a very old festival. It used to celebrate the start of Spring and “new life”. Easter is always between March 22nd and April 25th. The first Sunday after the full moon is Easter Sunday. Eggs and chicks are symbols of Easter. They are symbols of birth. Easter eggs are made of chocolate. People give Easter eggs and cards to their friends.		GAMES Egg rolling; find a large hill and roll painted eggs down the hill, the last egg to break is the winner. Hide and Seek; hide the painted eggs and tell your friends to look for them.
	APRIL FOOL’S DAY April 1st is April Fool’s Day. On this day people play tricks on their friends. Most children love April Fool’s Day. All tricks must finish at 12 o’clock midday.
MAY DAY May 1st is May Day. It’s a very old festival. In the past, May Day celebrated the start of summer. Today is a national holiday in Britain. In some towns people dance around a maypole on May Day
	MOTHER’S AND FATHER’S DAY They are on a different day each year. Mother’s day is always on Sunday, and it is three weeks before Easter Sunday. Father’s day is in the third Sunday of June. People give cards to their mothers and fathers. Sometimes they give presents too.