CANDLES AND WEATHER (FEBRUARY, 2)

POET OF SCOTLAND (JANUARY, 25)

ADDITIONAL READING

VIII. Prepare short reports.

VI. Find synonyms to these words.

To explode, cheerful, an adult, a fire, to throw, happiness, to take with you.

VII. Answer the questions:

1. Who was Guy Fawkes?

2. Why did he want to kill James I?

3. What people do with straw dummies of Guy Fawkes?

4. Why is Bonfire Night the most important event in Lewes?

5. Who are 'Enemies of Bonfire'?

1. Why there were problems with Protestants in the middle of the 16th century, during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary?

2. What was the reign of King James I?

Here are some more British traditions. Read and translate them. Try to classify them into 1) unique customs, distinctive for Britain; 2) traditions, analogous to those of our country. Substantiate your choice. What is precisely in common? What are the differences?

How would you like to eat a pudding that has been cooked in a sheep's stomach? You'll certainly have a chance if you ever go to a party to celebrate the birthday of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland.

Every January 25, many people in Scotland and elsewhere celebrate this event in a very fitting way. Among Burns's poems is one called "To a Haggis," in which he describes this dish as that "Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!" So, of course, haggis must be served at the party.

Haggis tastes somewhat like hash. It is made from the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep. These are chopped up and mixed with oatmeal, onions, and seasonings. Then everything is boiled in a bag made from the stomach of a sheep.

When the haggis is served, a man marches into the dining room playing a bagpipe. Behind him comes another man, proudly carrying the haggis on a tray. The arrival of the famous pudding is greeted with a cheer.

Сandlemas Day is a special day when church candles are blessed. At one time, the people then carried lighted candles around the church. This custom goes back to the Romans, when people paraded with lighted candles at this me of year.

The Roman custom comes from a story in both Greek and Roman mythology. In the story told by the Greeks, Demeter, the goddess of farming, had a beautiful daughter named Persephone. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone and carried her off. With lighted candle, Demeter roamed the world in search of her daughter.

Whilе Persephone was with Hades, all the world turned cold and barren. Nothing would grow. Finally, Zeus, the king of the gods, arranged for Persephone to return to her mother for part of the year. Persephone's return was a sign of spring. The Greeks and Romans used this myth to explain the seasons.

People in many countries have long thought of Candlemas Day in terms of the coming of spring. An old British rhyme tells of this hope for a change in the weather:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Winter will have another flight;

But if it is dark with clouds and rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.