Навчальний посібник для студентів ос «Бакалавр» галузі знань 03 «Гуманітарні науки»

and radio shows often feature fake stories on April 1. It’s customary to reveal 
the joke by saying ‘April fool!’ (the person who falls for the joke is the 
‘fool’), and to stop playing tricks at midday. 
23rd – St George’s Day (England). The legend is that St George was a 
Roman soldier who killed a dragon to rescue a princess. He is now the patron 
saint of England, and this is England’s national day. You might still see St 
George’s Cross (a red cross on a white background, England’s national flag) 
or events with morris dancing (an English folk dance), but it is not a bank 
holiday and most people don’t hold special celebrations. 
April 23 is also known as William Shakespeare’s birthday, when events 
take place to honour the playwright... and 2016 will be the 400th anniversary 
of his death. The British Council is hosting a year-long programme of events 
to mark this occasion with Shakespeare Lives. Check out our dedicated 
Shakespeare 
Lives 
section 
on 
Education 
UK, 
or 
visit 
www.shakespearelives.org to see how you can get involved. 
St George's Day at Wrest Park (Photo ©VisitBritain/Grant Pritchard) 
May 
1st – Beltane. Beltane (or Beltain) is the Celtic festival of fire, which 
celebrates fertility and marks the start of summer. With its roots in ancient 
Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, modern versions of the event are 
becoming more popular – some of the largest are in Edinburgh, Thornborough 
in Yorkshire and Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire, where the traditional 30-
foot Wicker Man is burned at sunset. 
2nd and 30th – Bank holidays. There are two Mondays in May when 
people have the day off work or school and (if we’re lucky!) spend some time 
outdoors enjoying the spring sunshine.
June 
13th – The Queen’s Official Birthday. Although the Queen’s real 
birthday is on the 21st of April, it has been a tradition since 1748 to celebrate 

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the king or queen’s birthday in June. A military parade known as Trooping 
the Colour is held in London, attended by the Royal Family. (Click here to 
see footage of the procession!) 
19th – Father’s Day. Father’s Day is a day to show appreciation to 
fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers and fathers-in-law. Many people in the UK 
give their father a card or gift, have a meal together or go out for drinks. 
21st – Summer solstice. The ancient monument of Stonehenge in 
Wiltshire has its true moment in the sun as people celebrate the longest day 
and shortest night of the year. Stand inside the monument facing northeast, 
toward a stone outside the circle called the Heel Stone, and you'll see the sun 
rise like a blazing fire – a sight that brings in pagans and sun-lovers of all 
beliefs!
27th–July 10th – Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Wimbledon, the 
world’s oldest tennis tournament, is a summer highlight for sports fans. Held 
at the All England Club in London since 1877, Wimbledon is known for the 
tennis players’ white dress code and the tradition for spectators to eat 
strawberries and cream. Find out more in Sport in the UK. 
July 
5th – Eid al-Fitr. Marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan, 
Eid al-Fitr is widely celebrated by Muslim communities in the UK. Each 
community usually organises its own events, but there are some large 
celebrations and feasts in city centres, such as in London and Birmingham. 
29th–6th August – Eisteddfod. The National Eisteddfod is Wales’ 
biggest artistic event and one of Europe's oldest cultural festivals. This is a 
chance to hear Welsh music and literature, see dance and theatre 
performances, shop for books and crafts, and much more. 
August 
5th–29th – Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The largest arts festival in the 

world, ‘the Fringe’ features over 40,000 performances and more than 2,500 
shows at 250 venues. Any type of performance may participate, across 
theatre, comedy, music and dance, and many students visit Edinburgh to put 
on their own shows. For more, read our Edinburgh Festivals guide. 
27-28th – Notting Hill Carnival. Held in west London over a bank 
holiday weekend, Notting Hill Carnival is Europe’s biggest street festival. 
Around 1 million people go to see colourful floats and dancers in flamboyant 
costumes, hear music from salsa to reggae, and taste Caribbean food from 
street stalls. Bring your party spirit, enough cash and a lot of patience – it can 
be very crowded. 
September 
16th–20th – London Fashion Week. London Fashion Week sets the 
global fashion agenda, alongside the other big shows in Paris, Milan and New 
York. These are for industry insiders, but you can get tickets to London 
Fashion Weekend for a taste of the fashion show experience. There are two 
each year – the first London Fashion Week is in February, with the Weekend 
on 19-23 February. Students get involved too, with events including student 
and graduate showcases and networking opportunities. Find out more in our 
London Fashion Week article. 
October 
31st – Halloween. The modern way of celebrating Halloween is based 
on the Christian feast of All Hallows’ Eve and the Celtic festival of Samhain. 
Children go trick-or-treating (knocking on neighbours’ doors to ask for 
sweets) or carve pumpkins, while older students go to parties and Halloween 
events at pubs, clubs or Students’ Unions. The important thing is to dress up 
as gruesomely as you dare!
If you want to get really spooky, check out our Haunted UK article to 
find out how to visit the scariest locations in the UK. 
November 

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All month – Movember. If you’re seeing more moustaches than usual, 
you’re not imagining it – throughout November, the charity campaign of 
Movember invites men to grow a moustache and raise awareness of men’s 
health issues. 
5th – Bonfire night. Historically, this marks the anniversary of Guy 
Fawkes’ plot to blow up the House of Lords and assassinate King James I in 
1605 – the failed 'gunpowder plot' is remembered in the children’s rhyme 
‘Remember, remember the 5th of November; gunpowder, treason and plot’. 
Today, it is commemorated with spectacular displays of fireworks. 
There will be firework displays in most cities, but one of the best places 
to be is in the medieval town of Lewes, East Sussex – here, the fireworks are 
accompanied by colourful parades, music, costumes and the traditional ‘guy’, 
an effigy made of straw or paper to burn on the bonfire. 
Find out more in An international student's guide to Bonfire Night. 
11th – Remembrance Day. Each year in the UK, November 11 is a 
memorial day to honour members of the armed forces. The aim is to 
remember those who lost their lives in battle, so many peace campaigners also 
support the event. The Royal British Legion charity sells paper poppy flowers 
to raise funds for veterans and their families (the poppy is a symbol of 
Remembrance Day), and it is customary to observe a two-minute silence at 
11am. 
30th – St Andrew’s Day (Scotland). Honouring its patron saint, St 
Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s national day. There are many events across 
Scotland, including traditional meals, poetry readings, bagpipe music and 
country dancing. This is a great opportunity to go to a ceilidh – a party with 
Gaelic folk music and dancing. Fortunately, there is usually a ‘dance caller’ to 
teach the steps! 
30th – Diwali. Diwali (or Deepavali) is the Festival of Lights for 

Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities. Cities including Leicester (which hosts 
one of the biggest Diwali celebrations outside India), London and Nottingham 
have extravagant street parties with traditional food, music, crafts and dancing 
– and of course, displays of lights, lanterns, candles and fireworks. Read 
Celebrating Diwali in the UK to find out more. 
December 
London's Trafalgar Square in December (Photo ©VisitBritain/Britain 
on View) 
Throughout December, there are countless winter markets and festive 
visitor attractions across the UK. Look out for events advertised in local 
magazines and at your school, college or university, or check out our 
December Diary countdown! Some of our favourites are: 
Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park. In addition to a traditional 
Christmas market, this huge site features carnival rides, two circuses, an ice 
skating rink, fake snow and an exhibition of ice sculptures… and enough hot 
chocolate and mulled wine to keep you warm. 
Hogwarts in the snow, a wintry version of the Harry Potter tour at 
Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden (near London). Watch snow fall over the 
original model of Hogwarts castle, and see the Great Hall set for Christmas 
dinner. 
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market, the largest German market 
outside Germany and Austria, complete with glühwein (mulled wine), wursts 
(sausages), pretzels and sweet treats. You can also shop for unique gifts from 
local artists at the Craft Fair. 
The winter festival at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Usually an 
educational ecology park, in December the Eden Project is transformed with 
Christmas trees, a choir, real reindeer and an ice rink, with ice skating classes 
for all ages. 
Belfast’s Christmas Market. If you’re studying in Northern Ireland, 

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visit the multicultural market outside Belfast’s City Hall for festive food and 
drink from around the world, crafts, gifts and Christmas decorations. 
Pantomimes. The traditional Christmas ‘panto’ is a mix of slapstick 
comedy and musical theatre, with silly costumes and audience participation. 
Pantomimes are usually for children, but it’s worth seeing one for a uniquely 
British experience. 
24th–1st Jan – Hanukkah. Jewish communities across the UK will be 
celebrating Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Festival of Lights, from December 6 to 
14 in 2015. In London, the Menorah in Trafalgar Square is the largest in 
Europe. It’s usually lit by the Mayor of London on the first day of Hanukkah, 
at an event with free doughnuts and live music. 
25th – Christmas. Most people in the UK celebrate Christmas, even if 
they are not religious. There will be Christmas trees, presents, carol singing, 
mulled wine (warm, spiced red wine), mince pies (small pies with a sweet 
fruit filling) and if it snows, snowmen and snowball fights! The traditional 
Christmas dinner is a whole roast turkey with roast potatoes, vegetables, 
gravy and Christmas pudding for dessert (a steamed sponge pudding with 
dried fruit) – but each family has its own variations. Read our students' guide 
to a UK Christmas. 
26th – Boxing Day. The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day, and 
is a bank holiday in the UK. It’s believed to have been named after the 
‘Christmas box’ of money or gifts which employers used to give to servants 
and tradesmen. Nowadays, there are no particular Boxing Day customs, but 
most people spend the day with their families, going for a walk, watching 
sports or eating the Christmas leftovers. 
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