English
Traditions
Every
nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain
traditions play a more important part in the life of the people than in other
countries.
Englishmen
are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. It has been the law
for about three hundred years that all the theatres are closed on Sundays. No
letters are delivered, only a few Sunday papers are published.
To this day
an English family prefers a house with a garden to a flat in a modern house
with central heating. English people like gardens.
Holidays
are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Ireland,
Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday, and in
Scotland it is not kept at all, except by clerks in banks; all the shops, mills
and factories are working. But six days later, on New Years Eve the Scotch
begin to enjoy themselves. All the shops, mills and factories are closed on New
Years Day.
People
invite their friends to their houses and "sit the Old Year out and the New
Year in".
When the
dock begins to strike twelve, the head of the family goes to the entrance door,
opens it wide and holds it until the last stroke. Then he shuts the door. He
has let the Old Year out and the New Year in.