Culture, Leisure, Entertainment

Annual festivals of music and drama are very popular in Britain. Some of them are famous not only in Britain, but all over the world.

Burns’ night.January 25 is the birthday of Scotland’s greatest poet Robert Burns¹. There are hundreds of Burns clubs not only in Britain, but also throughout the world, and on the 25^th January they all hold Burns Night celebrations. In banquet halls of Edinburgh, in worker’s clubs of Glasgow, in cottages Scottish villages, thousands of people drink a toast to the immortal memory of Robert Burns. To the second of bagpipes there appear on the tables the traditional dishes of festival dinner: chicken broth, boiled salt herring, and haggis – a typical Scottish dish made from the heart and other organs of sheep. It is eaten with boiled turnip and potatoes. The dinner followed by dancing, pipe music, and reciting collections from Burns’ lyrics. The celebration concludes with sinning the poet’s famous Auld Lang Syne².

Shakespeare’s Birthday.Every year the anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare³ is celebrated in Stratford-upon-Avon⁴, where he was born on April 23, 1564. Flags are hung in the main street, people wear sprigs of rosemary⁵ (for remembrance) in their buttonholes.

A long precession goes along the streets to the church where everyone in the procession puts a wreath or a bouquet, or just one flower at the poet’s grave. In the evening there is the performance of the chosen Birthday Play in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre¹.

In London, The Aldwych Theatre² which has close ties with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stanford-upon-Avon, holds International Shakespeare Festivals, during which famous companies from abroad, including the Comédie Francaise³ from Paris, the Moscow Art Theatre, the Schiller Theatre of Berlin⁴, the Abby Theatre from Dublin, and others, perform Shakespeare’s plays.

The Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh International Festival⁵ is held annually during three weeks in late August an early September. The Festivalis quite international in its character, as it gives a varied representation of artistic production from many countries. Leading musicians of the world and world-famous theater companies always take part in it.

The idea of the Festival originated in the first post-war year. All over Europe rationing and restrictions were the order of the day, and hundreds of towns lay in ruins, and it seemed a good idea to shift people attention from everyday needs to eternal values.

The firs Festival was held in 1947. And since that time The Edinburgh International Festival has firmly established its reputation as one of the important evens of its kind in the world.

The weekends. People in Britain work five days a Monday morning they are usually free. Leaving work on Friday, people usually say each other, “Have a nice weekend”, and on Monday morning ask, “Did you have a nice weekend?”

Saturday morning is a very busy time for shopping, as this is the only day when people who are at work can shop without hurrying. On Saturday afternoon the most important sport events of the week take place: football, rugby (in summer – cricket and tennis), horse-racing, car and motor-cycle racing and other sports. A lot of people go and watch the sports events, others stay at home and watch sport programmes on TV. In the late afternoon the sport results are announced on TV.

Saturday evenings is the best time for parties, dances, going to the cinema or theatre.

Having gone to bed late the night before, many people don’t hurry to get up on Sunday morning, so they usually have a late breakfast in bed. While having breakfast, people start reading the Sunday papers. It is quit usual for a family to have two or three Sunday papers, and some families have more. These people have little time for anything else on Sunday morning.

Sunday dinner (some people call it Sunday lunch), which is at 1 o’clock or at 1,30, is traditionally the most important family meal of the week. Most people have a joint (a piece of meat roasted in the oven) which is served with roast or boiled potatoes, some other vegetables, and gravy. Then comes the pudding and finally tea or coffee. This heavy meal make most people feel sleepy and passive, and they sit talking, reading newspapers, watching television until tea time. In summer they sit in the garden. More energetic people go out for a walk or to see friends.

Tea-tome is 5 – 5,30. The 5 o’clock tea is another traditional meal, during which they don’t just drink tea, but also eat sandwiches, sometimes cold meet and salad, fruit and cream, bread and butter and jam, and cakes.

At to Sunday evening, some people spend it quietly at home. Others go to see friends, go to a concert or film, or go out for a drink.

QUESTIONS

1. What entertainment is very popular in Britain?

2. When is the birthday of Robert Burns? What celebrations do the Burns clubs hold on this day? How are the celebrations held? What is the traditional Scottish dish that is served at these celebrations?

3. How is Shakespeare’s birthday celebrated in Stratford-upon-Avon? How is his birthday marked by the Aldwych Theatre in London?

4. When is the Edinburgh International Festival held? When did the idea of the Festival originate? Who takes part in the Festival?

5. How do people usually spend Saturday? Why is Saturday evening the best time for going to the theatre or having parties?

6. How is Sunday morning usually spent in most families?

7. What is the most important family meal of the week? What does it consist of?

8. How do most people spent their Sunday evening?

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