BRITAIN IN BRIEF NATIONAL EMBLEMS

With an area of some 242,000 sq. km, Britain is just under The English language developed from Anglo-Saxon1 and is a
1,000 km from the south coast to the extreme north of Scotland Germanic language. However, all the invading peoples, particu-
and just under 800 km across in the widest part. larly the Norman French, influenced the English language and
The main areas of high land are in Scotland, Wales and Cum- you can find many words in 4 English which are French in origin.
bria. In the centre of England there is a range of hills called the Nowadays all Welsh, Scottish and Irish people speak English
Pennines, which are also known as the "backbone of England". (even if they speak their own language as well), but all the coun -
The highest mountains are in Scotland and Wales: Ben Nevis is tries have their own special accents and dialects, and their people
1,343 m and Snowdon is 1,085 m. The longest rivers are the are easily recognizable as soon as they speak. Occasionally, peo -
Severn (354 km) and the River Thames (346 km). ple from the four countries in the United Kingdom have difficulty
The climate is generally mild and temperate. Prevailing winds in understanding one another because of their different accents. A
are south-westerly and the weather from day to day is mainly southern English accent is generally accepted to be the most eas-
influenced by depressions moving westwards across the Atlantic. ily understood, and is the accent usually taught to foreigners.
The weather is object to frequent changes. In general, there are
few extremes of temperature, with the temperature rarely above
32 C or low -10 C.
The currency of the country is pound, consists of 100 pence.
The anthem is based on a 17th century song. The British na-
tional anthem was established as such in 1745, making it the
oldest in the world.
The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is
made up of three crosses. The upright red is the cross of St .
George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross THE ROSE
(with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St Andrew,
the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross The red rose was the emblem of the Lancastrians 2, the white
rose that of the Yorkists 3, the two contending Houses for the
of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St David is the patron English throne in the Wars of the Roses (14551485). All rivalry
saint of Wales. between the Roses ended by the marriage of Henry VII, the Lan-
Since 1837 the royal coat-of-arm has depicted a shield with castrian with Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV, the
the three English lions, the Scottish lions and the Irish harp, sur- Yorkist. The red rose has since become the national emblem of
rounded by the Ribbon of the Order of the Garter 1 with its motto England.
"Honi soit qui mal pense" (shame on him who thinks evil of it).
The shield is supported by an English lion and the Scottish uni-
corn, standing on a field with the emblems of England (the rose),
Scotland (the thistle) and Ireland (the shamrock); below this is
the royal motto "Dien et mon droit" (God and my right).
 1
Orclei of the Garter - , Anglo-Saxon , -
, , 56 . 710 .
.
" Lancastiians , ,

3
.
Yoikists
.
(. - ),
10 BRITAIN IN BRIEF MONARHY IN BRITAIN
 THE THISTLE
The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. This is how,
according to a curious legend, that homely plant came to be cho -
sen as a badge, in preference to any other.
In very ancient times the Norsemen 1 once landed somewhere
on the east coast of Scotland, with the intention of plundering
and settling in the country. The Scots assembled with their arms
and took their stations behind the river Tay, the largest in Scot -
land, at the only practicable ford. As they arrived late in the day,
weary and tired after a long march, they pitched their camp and
rested, not expecting the enemy before the next day.
The Norsemen, however, were near; noticing that no guards
or sentinels protected the camp, they crossed the river Tay, in-
tending to take the Scots by surprise and slaughter them in their
sleep. To this end, they took off their shoes so as to make the
least noise possible. But one of the Norsemen stepped on a this -
tle. The sudden and sharp pain he felt caused him to shriek. The
alarm was given in the Scots' camp. The Norsemen were put to
flight, and as an acknowledgement for the timely and unexpected
help from the thistle, the Scots took it as their national emblem.
THE LEEK
Welshmen all over the world celebrate St David's Day by
wearing either leeks or daffodils. The link between the leek and
St David is the belief that he is supposed to have lived for several
years on bread and wild leeks.
There is a conclusive evidence that Welshmen wore leeks on
St David's Day in Shakespeare's time. In "Henry V" 2 Fluellen tells
the King:
"If your Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good
service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their
Monmouth3 caps; which, your Majesty knows, to this hour is an
honourable pledge of the service; and I do believe your Majesty
takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day!"
The daffodil is also associated with St David's Day, due to the
belief that it flowers on that day. It became an alternative to the
Leek as a Welsh emblem in the present century, because some
thought the leek vulgar.
THE SHAMROCK
What the red rose is to Englishmen and the leek and daffodil
to the Welsh, the little shamrock is to the Irish, and no Irishman
worth his salt fails to wear this national emblem on St Patrick's
Day, March 17. It is worn in memory of Ireland's patron saint,
whose cross is embodied in the Union Jack by the thin red one
under the cross of St George.
A popular notion is that when preaching the doctrine of the
Trinity to the pagan Irish St Patrick used the shamrock, a small
white clover bearing three leaves on the stem as an illustration of
the mystery.
Shortly after the formation of the Irish Guards in 1902 the
custom of presenting the national emblem to the new regiment
on St Patrick's Day began. An equally tenacious observance on St
Patrick's Day is Wetting the Shamrock, the convival aspect of
Irish loyalty to their patron saint.
The monarchy is the oldest secular institution in the United
Kingdom, going back at least to the 9th century. The Queen can
trace her descent from King Egbert, who united all England under
his sovereignty in 829. The monarchy thus antedates the Parlia-
ment1 by some 4 centuries, and the law courts by some 3 centu -
ries.
 1
Norsemen , .
1
"Henry V" (1598). Parliament ,
Monmouth , , , . . -
, . 13 .
.
10 BRITAIN IN BRIEF MONARHY IN BRITAIN
 THE THISTLE
The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. This is how,
according to a curious legend, that homely plant came to be cho -
sen as a badge, in preference to any other.
In very ancient times the Norsemen 1 once landed somewhere
on the east coast of Scotland, with the intention of plundering
and settling in the country. The Scots assembled with their arms
and took their stations behind the river Tay, the largest in Scot -
land, at the only practicable ford. As they arrived late in the day,
weary and tired after a long march, they pitched their camp and
rested, not expecting the enemy before the next day.
The Norsemen, however, were near; noticing that no guards
or sentinels protected the camp, they crossed the river Tay, in-
tending to take the Scots by surprise and slaughter them in their
sleep. To this end, they took off their shoes so as to make the
least noise possible. But one of the Norsemen stepped on a this -
tle. The sudden and sharp pain he felt caused him to shriek. The
alarm was given in the Scots' camp. The Norsemen were put to
flight, and as an acknowledgement for the timely and unexpected
help from the thistle, the Scots took it as their national emblem.
THE LEEK
Welshmen all over the world celebrate St David's Day by
wearing either leeks or daffodils. The link between the leek and
St David is the belief that he is supposed to have lived for several
years on bread and wild leeks.
There is a conclusive evidence that Welshmen wore leeks on
St David's Day in Shakespeare's time. In "Henry V" 2 Fluellen tells
the King:
"If your Majesty is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good
service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their
Monmouth3 caps; which, your Majesty knows, to this hour is an
honourable pledge of the service; and I do believe your Majesty
takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day!"
The daffodil is also associated with St David's Day, due to the
belief that it flowers on that day. It became an alternative to the
Leek as a Welsh emblem in the present century, because some
thought the leek vulgar.
THE SHAMROCK
What the red rose is to Englishmen and the leek and daffodil
to the Welsh, the little shamrock is to the Irish, and no Irishman
worth his salt fails to wear this national emblem on St Patrick's
Day, March 17. It is worn in memory of Ireland's patron saint,
whose cross is embodied in the Union Jack by the thin red one
under the cross of St George.
A popular notion is that when preaching the doctrine of the
Trinity to the pagan Irish St Patrick used the shamrock, a small
white clover bearing three leaves on the stem as an illustration of
the mystery.
Shortly after the formation of the Irish Guards in 1902 the
custom of presenting the national emblem to the new regiment
on St Patrick's Day began. An equally tenacious observance on St
Patrick's Day is Wetting the Shamrock, the convival aspect of
Irish loyalty to their patron saint.
The monarchy is the oldest secular institution in the United
Kingdom, going back at least to the 9th century. The Queen can
trace her descent from King Egbert, who united all England under
his sovereignty in 829. The monarchy thus antedates the Parlia-
ment1 by some 4 centuries, and the law courts by some 3 centu -
ries.
 1
Norsemen , .
2
"Henry V" (1598). Parliament ,
Monmouth , , , . . -
, . 13 .
.
BRITAIN IN BRIEF MONARHY IN BRITAIN 13
 For several centuries the monarch personally exercised supreme
executive, legislative and judicial power, but with the growth of
Parliament and the courts the direct exercise of these functions
progressively decreased. The 17th-century struggle between Crown and
Parliament led, in the supplement of 1688-1689, to the establishment of
a limited constitutional monarchy. The monarch, however, remained the
centre of executive power throughout most of the 18th century, and
appointed and dismissed ministers. By the end of the 19th century
with the establishment of responsible government and of the modern
party system, the withdrawal of the monarch from active participation
in politics had become complete. Responsible government in the United
Kingdom has two main elements: ministers are. responsible to
Parliament in that they cannot govern without the support of a
majority in the House of Commons; and they are collectively
responsible for the advice they tender to the Sovereign and, therefore,
for any action he or she may take. Political decisions are taken by
responsible ministers, and the Sovereign is left free to perform the
functions of an impartial head of the state.
ROYAL STYLE AND TITLES
The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is "Elizabeth the
Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Terri -
tories. Queen, Head of the Commonwealth 1, Defender of the
Faith2, etc, etc, etc.
SUCCESSION
Rules of descent provide that the sons of the Sovereign are in
order of succession to the throne according to the seniority, or, if
there are no sons, the daughters in order of seniority.
1
Commonwealth , - , . .
, . , .
, , , " Archbishop of Canterbury .
. 900 . 4
2 Peers
Defender o( the Faith : , , ,
VIII ( VIII ). , .
ACCESSION
There is no interregnum between the death of one Sovereign
and the accession of another. (The automatic succession is often
summoned up in the phrase "The King is dead; long live the
King!") Immediately after the death of a monarch an Accession
Council issues the proclamation for the .new Sovereign. The dura-
tion of Parliament is not affected by the death of the monarch.
CORONATION
The Coronation of the Sovereign follows some months after
the accession. The 'ceremony has remained much the same in
substance for nearly a 1,000 years. It consists broadly of recogni -
tion and acceptance of the new monarch by the people; the taking
by the monarch of an oath of royal duties; the anointing and
crowning (after communion); and the rendering of homage by the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal1.
The coronation service, conducted by the Archbishop of Can-
terbury2, is customarily held at Westminster Abbey 3 in the pres-
ence of representatives of the peers\ the Commons 5 and all the
great publiQ interests in the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister
and leading citizens of the other Commonwealth countries, and
representatives of foreign states.
FUNCTIONS
OF THE MONARCH
The Queen reigns but does not rule. The United Kingdom is
governed by Her Majesty's Government in the name of the
1
Lords Spiritual , 26 -
. Lords Temporal , -
3
Westminster Abbey .
,
.
Commons .
BRITAIN IN BRIEF MONARHY IN BRITAIN 15
Queen. There are still many important acts of government which RELATIONS WITH THE
require the participation of the Queen. PRIME MINISTER AND
The Queen summons, prorogues and dissolves Parliament. GOVERNMENT
Normally she opens the new session with a speech from the
throne which outlines her Government's programme. When she is An important function of the Sovereign is the appointment of
unable to be present, the Queen's Speech is read by Lord Chan - a Prime Minister. Normally the appointment is automatic since it
cellor 1. Before a bill 2 which has passed all its stages in both is a convention of the constitution that the sovereign must invite
Houses of Parliament becomes a legal entachment it must receive the leader of the party commanding a majority in the House of
the Royal Assent 3, which is usually declared to both Houses by Commons to form a government. If no party has a majority, or if
the party having a majority has no recognized leader, the Queen
their Speakers4.
has the duty of selecting a Prime Minister. In such circumstances
The Queen is the "fountain of justice" and as such can, on she would be entitled to consult anyone she wished.
the advice of the Home Secretary 5 , pardon or show mercy to The Queen's closest official contacts are with the Prime
those convicted of crimes under English law. Minister (who has an audience of the Queen on average once
As the "fountain of honour" the Queen confers peerages, a week, when the Queen is in London) and, through him, with
knighthoods6 and other honours. She makes appointments to the Cabinet1. She also sees other ministers, generally in order to
many important state offices. She appoints or dismisses Government discuss the affairs of their departments, and sees all the Cabinet
ministers, judges, members of diplomatic corps. As Com-mander- papers, the Cabinet agenda in advance, and the minutes of the
in-Chief of the armed services (the Royal Navy, the Army and the meetings of the Cabinet and of its committees.
Royal Air Force) she appoints officers, and as temporal head of the The Queen is ultimately responsible for dissolving Parliament,
established Church of England she makes appointments to the and this is normally done at the request of the Prime Minister.
leading positions in the Church.
The Queen has the power to conclude treaties, to declare war
and to make peace, to recognize foreign states and governments, THE QUEENS PUBLIC
and to annex and cede territory. FUNCTIONS
The Queen, as inheritor of a continuous tradition going back
1
Lord Chancellor - ( ), 11 centuries, is the personal symbol of the State and of national
, , unity, and provides a natural focus for popular loyalty and aspira-
,
, tions. Royal marriage and funerals are still marked by ancient
. ceremonial although to a lesser degree than in former days; and
2
3
Bill , . the birthday of a Sovereign, formerly the occasion of many royal
Royal Assent , ,
,
and public functions, is today officially celebrated early in June by
. Trooping the Colour 2 , when the Queen personally reviews the
4
Speaker ,
,
, ,
, 1
Cabinet , , -
( ) 1877 .
5 -, 2023
Home-Secretary .
6 " Trooping the Colour ,
Knighthood ; knight , . -
,
, , , ,
; , .
16 BRITAIN IN BRIEF MONARHY IN BRITAIN
17
troops drawn up on the Horse Guards Parade 1. The Queen's
Birthday is also celebrated as Commonwealth Day.
Hundreds of royal visits to various parts of the country for
public [unctions keep the royal family in close touch with new
development. These often involve visits lasting more than one
day, and usually centre around an event of local importance or
some national event such as the Royal Agricultural Show or the
opening of a new bridge or dock. There are also royal film, variety
and concert performances in aid of charity and visits to schools,
universities, hospitals and factories. The Queen visits many im-
portant sports events.
In addition to being head of all 3 armed services, the Queen
4s Colonel-in-Chief of several regiments and corps in the United
Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries.
The Queen holds about 14 investitures a year at which she
bestows the awards conferred on civilians and members of the
armed forces. She presents annually some 2,200 orders, decora-
tions and medals.
One of the most important duties the Sovereign performs is
to act as a host to the heads of States of Commonwealth and
other countries when they visit the United Kingdom. When a
state visit is involved, guests stay at Buckingham Palace, Wind -
sor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodho.use'2, Their entertainment
includes banquets, receptions, often a special ballet or opera per-
formance and visits to places of particular interest throughout the
country. On the many other occasions when heads of state visit
the United Kingdom, either privately or for official purposes, they
are nearly always entertained or received by the Queen and often
by other members of the royal family as well. Receptions or
luncheons are frequently held for other distinguished visitors from
overseas.
It is customary at Christmas for the Queen to speak on radio
and television to all people of the Commonwealth as their head.
THE ROYAL YEAR
In compiling the Queen's diary of engagements for any one
year her Private Secretary will invariably first fill in a number of
fixed dates around which the year's programme will be arranged.
The New Year begins with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
in residence^at Sandringham, the Queen's private home in Nor -
folk, where the official work will be combined with time for riding
and reading.
The Easter break preceded by a "Maundy" Service 1 at one of
the country's cathedrals, is spent at Windsor Castle. The Queen,
whose actual birthday is # in April, celebrates her "official" birth-
day in June, with the splendour of Trooping the Colour which
draws many thousands of spectators to London. After this pa-
rade, nearly all the members of the royal family join the Queen
on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past by the
Royal Air Force, as great crowds gather in front of the Palace
and along the Mall2.
The celebrations, always held on a Saturday, are followed two
days later by another historic display of pageantry when, at
Windsor Castle, a service for the Knights of the Garter, is pre -
ceded by a splendid procession from the Castle itself to
St George's Chapel.
Then come three days of horse racing at the nearby race-
course at Ascot ~ Royal Ascot - before July brings an annual
period of residence in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
There, among other engagements, the Queen holds the first of
each summer's garden parties; there more are held in the gardens
of Buckingham Palace. In all some 40,000 people from all sections
of the community attend events each year.
A summer break at the Queen's private home in Scotland,
Balmoral Castle, is 'usually preceded by a cruise in the Royal
Yacht Britannia, and is followed by the regular autumn sched -
ule the State Opening of Parliament and the events marking
 1
Horse Guaids Parade -
1
(Household Cavalry). "Maundy" Service . " Mall
,
" Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Palace of Holyroodhouse - .
.
BRITAIN IN BRIEF MONARHY IN BRITAIN 19
Remembrance Weekend at the Royal Albert Hall 1 and the Ceno-
taph2 in Whitehall3.
A day in December is always set aside for the Queen to rec-
ord her radio and television Christmas broadcasts, the one occa-
sion each year when she speaks personally to the Commonwealth
as opposed to other, official occasions, when her speeches reflect
the views of her government.
Around these fixed dates go the official engagements in-
vestitures, meetings with Prime Ministers, Ambassadors and offi-
cials, visits around the United Kingdom, official State visits overseas
and tours of Commonwealth countries, and time devoted to
welcoming and entertaining visiting Heads of State. The Private
Secretary also has to allow timemany hours each week for the
Queen to deal with her regular and routine business, the many
and varied letters, papers and documents that land on her desk
with relentless regularity from literally around the world.
Each private secretary knows too that time will be needed for
the charitable activities which engage all the members of the royal
family. Whether as the patron of an organization or as a dedicated,
active president, as is the Princess Royal in the case of Save the
Children Fund, each "royal" takes his or her involvement in a charity
with the utmost seriousness. Direct financial support is a private
matter of course, but through charitable functions like film pre -
mieres or fundraising dinners and, in contrast, visits to the "front
line" among the homeless, the hungry, the sick and refugees for
example, royal involvement clearly raises public awareness. Each
member of the royal family insists on time for this work.
The Private Secretaries working for other members of the
royal family are similarly engaged, referring always to the
Queen's Private Office to check the State and family occasions
which may involve them, but otherwise ensuring that for every
adult member of the royal family each year, at home and abroad,
is one of the service and activity.
1
Royal Albert Hall 8
, . Life's expensive when one of your houses has 600 rooms and
1867-i 871 , , . the Queen owns five houses!
2
Cenotaph .
1920 . ( cenotaphum
, ).
3
Whitehall , British Museum , .
.
THE QUEENS PRESENTS
Everyone likes to receive presents, especially Christmas pres-
ents. It's great fun to open them, but sometimes the fun stops
when you discover what the present is. If the aunt or uncle is
there, in the same room, you have to say, "Thank you so much;
it's just what I've always wanted." After they've gone you can put
the present away in the drawer, give it to someone else or take it
to a jumble sale. Everyone has received at least one present
which he or she did not like.
For Queen Elizabeth, every day is Christmas day. Long ago,
Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen didn't accept gifts
from people whom she didn't know. Soon after this announce -
ment, an American 'hot-dog' firm sent her a box of hot-dogs (with
mustard, too!) because it was the anniversary of the day when
her father, King George,' had eaten his first hot-dog on a visit to
America.
Royal visits to foreign countries are a problem, too. When the
Queen returned from Canada on the Royal Yacht, she brought
home a mink coat, a large statue of a horse, a pair of snowshoes,
a motor-boat, a piece of iron a silver jug, some spears and a
painting of a power station. The Queen stopped for two hours in
Brazil on another tour and received a large vase, a painting, some
records, a wooden key, a model of Brasilia Cathedral, a book
about Brasilia and a photograph of the President and his wife in a
silver frame.
What does the Queen do with these presents? Where can she
put a talking drum from Canada or a model of a boat from Ostend
or a totem-pole from Canada? There are 600 rooms in Bucking-
ham Palace and the Queen tries to use all of her presents. She
lends many of her presents to museums, especially the British
Museum1.
Visitors and guests want to give ornamental clocks, gold
keys, etc, but this is what she really needs: one year's supply
of electric light bulbs, one year's supply of washing-up liquid, one
year's supply of floor polish, etc.
20 BRITAIN IN BRIEF BRITISH PARLIAMENT 21
 This is the legislative body in the country. Parliament con -
sists of two houses the House of Lords and the House of
Commons.
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
The members of the House of Commons are chosen by the
electors. They are elected either at a general election, after a Par-
liament has been dissolved and a new one summoned by the Sov-
ereign, or at a by-election, held when a particular seat falls due'to
the death of a member, his resignation, or a result of his elevation
to the House of Lords.
There must be a general election every five years, but the
Government can "go to the country 11, i. e.1 order a general election
at any time within that period if it so wishes.
Such session of the House of Commons lasts for about 160
170 days. Parliament has intervals during its work. By present
custom, a session is divided into 5 periods: from November (when
the session is opened) till Christmas, from January till Easter,
from Easter till Whitsun3, from Whitsun till the end of July, and
10 days in October.
Members of Parliament are paid for their parliament work
and have to attend the seatings.
The opening of Parliament is an occasion of very picturesque
ceremony. The Queen goes to the House of Lords (according to
an old tradition no King or Queen is allowed to enter the House
of Commons) and reads a speech which tells what laws the Gov-
ernment includes to make. The members of the House of Com-
mons listen to the Queen standing at the entrance to the House
of Lords.
i e. id. est. . .
2
Easter , ,
. . .
3
Whitsun , . 2
After the Queen's Speech MPs 1 go to the House of Com-
mons. There they carry on the work of government partly by
debates, in which all members take part, and partly by committee
meetings which fewer members attend.
The party that has won the general election makes up the
majority in the House of Commons, and forms the Government.
The party with the next largest number of members in the House,
or sometimes a combination of other parties, forms the official
Opposition2, and Leader of the Opposition is a recognized post in
the House of Commons.
The members sit on two sides of the hall, one side for the
governing party and the other for the opposition.
Important members in the House of Commons are the
Speaker and the so-called party whips 3.
The Speaker is the Chairman or presiding officer of the
House of Commons. He is elected at the beginning of each new
Parliament to preside over the House and enforce the rules of
order. He cannot debate or vote with other members unless the
voting is equal, in which case he votes with Government.
Party whips are party organizers who receive special salaries
for their duties. They arrange each day programme in Parliament
and tell members when they must attend debates.
The sittings usually begin at 10 a. m. People who visit the
Houses of Parliament may sit in the Strangers' Gallery 4 looking
down into the House of Commons and listen to the debates. The
central entrance hall is usually busy with people coming and go -
ing to see the buildings and others wanting to see their Members
of Parliament.
There are 651 members in the House of Commons (most of
them are professional politicians, lawyers, etc.) If the number
present in the House drops below 40, the House is "counted out",
and the debate suspended. During many of the debates, MPs
come and go because they are often wanted on business in other
Opposition .
3
Paity whip ,
,
Strangers' Gajlery ( -
).
BRITAIN IN BRIEF BRITISH PARLIAMENT 23
parts of the building, but during important debates they remain in
the House, and the sittings may go on until late at night.
In the past few hundred years, so many laws have been made
by Parliament that it is impossible for anyone to know or even
read them all. New laws may be proposed in Parliament either by
the Government, or by private MPs, or by members of the House
of Lords. The proposed law is known as a "bill" when it is first
brought in and while it is being discussed. When it has beeft fi -
nally passed, the bill becomes an Act of Parliament 1.
The main stages of the bill's progress in each House are still
known as "readings", although the bill is no longer read aloud.
This is a reminder of the days when printed copies were not gen-
erally available, and the two Houses had to be informed of the
contents of a bill by actually hearing a clerk read it aloud.
Nowadays the first reading is a formality. Only the title of the
bill is mentioned, and it is then printed in full for members of the
House of Commons to read and think about before the second
reading. On the second reading, a dissension takes place. The
House may be unanimous in favour of the bill: on many occasions it
is clear from the debates what the wishes of the majority of
members are; but at other times some members may shout Yes
and others No, in which case a vote has to be taken. A bell is
rung so that all members may come and vote. The members leave
their benches and walk out into two lobbies. This they do by
passing through corridors behind the Speaker's chair, those who
are "for" on one side, those who are "against" on the other. As
they walk out, they are counted by four tellers two for each
side and it may take 10 or 15 minutes before the figures are
announced.
The largest number of votes "for" or "against" decides if the
bill is passed or not. If the bill is defeated at this stage, it can do
no further. But in the political climate of today it seems incon-
ceivable, that any Government bill should be defeated. In fact, if
there were enough opposition to the bill to endanger its passage,
the Government would know about that opposition. It would ei -
ther not bring the bill into the House for the second reading at
all, or it would make sure that the bill would pass.
1
Act of Parliament , , - - .
. III, .
After passing the second reading stage the bill must go to a
committee for a detailed examination in the course of which there
may be many proposals or amendments. The Committee is made
up for Government and Opposition members. The next stage is
called the report stage: the House has before it the new text of
the bill, incorporating the committee's amendments. Further
speeches and amendments are made.
The bill is now ready for its third reading. Again it is fully
discussed in the House of Commons, but only slight alterations to
wording may be made; apart from these the bill must be accepted
or rejected as it stands.
If the majority of MPs is still for the bill, it is sent to the
House of Lords for discussion. When the Lords agree, the bill is
taken to the Queen for the Royal Assent. The Queen signs, and
the Great, Seal 1 is fixed. The bill becomes an Act of Parliament
and part of the Law of Land.
Any bill requires the raising and spending of money is called
a Money bill. Money bills come only from the House of Com-
mons, and the Lords cannot delay them.
THE HOUSE OF LORDS
The House consists of hereditary and life peers and peeresses,
a certain number of Irish and Scottish peers, the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York 2 , and some bishops of the Established
Church of England. Full membership of the House of Lords is
over 1,000.
The House of Lords sits, on average, for about 140 days in
each session. The Lord Chancellor is chairman and sits on a spe -
cial sit called the Woolsack3.
A peer who attends a debate receives salary in addition to
travelling expenses. Of all the parliaments in the world, the low-
Great Seal ,
, -.
2
Archbishop of York .
3
Woolsack , ,
24 BRITAIN IN BRIEF GOVERNMENT
est quorum needed to adopt a decision is the British House of
Lords. A decision is held to be accepted if a quorum of three
Lords is present.
Government
After each general election the King or Queen invites the
leader of the majority party in the House of Commons to become
Prime Minister and form the Government. This minister has an
official London House while he (or she) is in office; it is at No 10,
Downing Street.
The Prime Minister selects the other Ministers whom he
wishes to take charge of the chief government departments or to
the other government work. Most of the Ministers are chosen
from the House of Commons, but a few must be in the House of
Lords, so that government plans can be explained there.
Most ministers are in charge of departments which keep
them busy. The Prime Minister himself often takes charge of one
of the departments. He is usually First Lord of the Treasury 1, the
department which deals with the money collected and spent by
the Government.
For all the Ministers the Prime Minister selects about 20 of
his leading party members in the House of Commons to take
the chief offices in the Government and sit with him in the
Cabinet.
The Cabinet is a kind of "inner government" within the Gov-
ernment. Over the years the membership of the Cabinet has var -
ied in size between 17 and 23 and includes the Lord President of
the Council2, the Lord Chancellor, the Secretary for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs, etc.
First Lord of the Treasury ,
, -. and once a month there is a full council meeting.
Loid Piesident of the Council - , -
; , -
.
The main feature of the British political system is "Cabinet
Government", that is, the leading role is played not by the Mon -
arch, who remains head of state, or Parliament, which is officially
the supreme lawmaking body, but the Cabinet.
The Cabinet directs the administration, controls the process
of lawmaking, and dominates the House of Commons. It decides
what subjects shall be debated in the House, drafts and proposes
all important legislation.
All ministers must agree on the policy of the Cabinet. If a
Minister finds he cannot agree, he resigns. The Prime Minister
himself may require a minister to resign, though in fact resigna -
tions of Ministers are usually arranged so as to'appear to be vol -
untary, with polite letters exchanged and published in the news-
papers,
THE CIVIL SERVICE
Over half a million men and women are employed in the huge
number of offices. The employees do not change with govern-
ments, but serve ministers from any political parties in power.
There are different grades in the Civil Service. The lowest grade
is composed of the clerks and typists who deal with letters, or
prepare the information required for their seniors or for members
of the public. In charge of them in the next, higher rank, are the
men and women in the Executive Grade. Their duty is to carry
out the details of legislation. The highest grade of all is the Ad-
ministrative Grade, composed of the chief officials who advise the
Minister in charge of a department and decide how laws are to be
implemented.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Local affairs are managed by councils that vary a great deal
in their size and the powers they have to get things done.
Most of the work of local government councils is done by the
committees, which are meetings of smaller number of Councillors
to deal with details. The most important of them is the Finance
Committee, which decides how money is to be collected and
spent for local needs. The committees meet during each month
26 BRITAIN IN BRIEF RELIGIONS IN BRITAIN
 POLITICAL PARTIES
The British political scene is dominated by a two-party sys -
tem: one party in power, the other in opposition. They are the
Conservative1 and the Labour Parties2.
Among the other parties one can mention the Liberal Party 3,
the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru (the Welsh Nationalist
Party), the National Front and Democratic Left.
ELECTIONS
The British people take part in the so-called general election
and local election.
GENERAL ELECTION
By law there must be no more than 5 years between general
elections, but the Prime Minister can advise the King or Queen to
dissolve Parliament for a new general election at any time earlier
than that.
The United Kingdom is divided into 650 areas called1 constitu-
encies4. Each constituency is guaranteed one representative in the
House of Commons. A person may represent a constituency even
if he does not live there.
MPs are elected by direct and secret ballot. Citizens of 18
and over have the right to vote. At a general election a person
votes for the Labour candidate or for the Conservative candidate,
or for the candidate for some other party because of his prefer -
ence for one party rather than the others.
About 1 / of the people support the Labour Party all the
time, another third the Conservatives.
Support for the Conservative Party is associated with a belief
in the traditional basis of society, strong respect for the Royal
Family which became established long ago.
Elections in Britain are decided on a simple majority in each
constituency the candidate with the most votes is elected.
THE COMPOSITION
OF THE CABINET
Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council, Lord Chancel-
lor, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,
Secretary of State for the Home Department, Chancellor of the
Exchequer (head of the Treasury 1) , Secretary of State for Trade
and Industry, Secretary of State for Defence, Lord Privy Seal 2,
Secretary of State for Social Service, Minister of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, Secretary of State for Environment, Secretary
of State for Employment, Secretary of State for Education and
Science, Secretary of State for Energy, Secretary of State for
Transport, Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster, Secretary of
State for Wales, Secretary of State for Scotland, Secretary of
State for Northern Ireland.
Religions in
Britain
There are numerous religious groups in Great Britain practis-
ing their faiths in the country today.

Treasury -
Conservative Party - , - -
1867 . . , -
.
" Labour Party - Lord Privy Seal - , -
1900 . . , , 1884 .
1906 .
3
Liberal Party ,
19 .
4
Constituency ,

28 BRITAIN IN BRIEF RELIGIONS IN BRITAIN
 THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
The Church of England or the Anglican Church is a Protes -
tant Church and the official state religion of England (although
membership is not, of course, compulsory). The Queen is the
Head of the Church of England and she, with the advice of the
Prime Minister and others, appoints the senior members of the
clergy the archbishops, bishops and deans.
The Church is divided into two provinces Canterbury and
York each with its own archbishop and the Archbishop of Can-
terbury is the most senior official in the Church of England. The
two provinces are divided into a number of dioceses 1, each with
its own bishop; and the dioceses are further split into parishes 2.
There are 13,250 parishes in England alone, and every parish has
its own church, all except for the very smallest with its own
priest or vicar3. The Church of England does not yet allow women
to become vicars.
THE CHURCH OF
SCOTLAND
The Church of Scotland is recognized as the official religion
of Scotland. It is a Protestant church and is a Presbyterian 4 or-
ganization. This means that there is no hierarchy of archbishops
and bishops.
The Church of Scotland is governed by its ministries 5 (parish
priests) and elders (elected representatives), all of whom are
considered to hold equal rank. Women are allowed to become
ministries in the Presbyterian church.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH
About 10% of the population of Britain are Roman Catholics
including more than one-third of the population of Northern Ire-
land. Recent years have seen attempts to create some form of
unity between the Catholic Church and the Church of England,
but there are many problems, not least of which is that whereas
the Church of England appears to be gradually accepting the idea
of admitting women to the priesthood, this is totally unacceptable
to the Roman Catholic Church.
THE FREE CHURCHES
There are several Protestant churches in Britain which, unlike
the churches of England and Scotland, are not officially recognized
as state religions. These are called the Free Churches, the most
important of which are the Methodists, Baptists, and the United
Reform Church1. These churches are particularly strong in the old
Celtic2 areas of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and south-west
England. Most of them allow women to become ministriers.
As well as these churches there are various other Christian
communities such as Orthodox and Armenian Christians, but the
picture is further complicated by many eastern religions.
NON-CHRISTIAN
RELIGIONS
There are large numbers of Commonwealth citizens in Britain
whose ancestors came from such countries as India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh. Many live in big cities such as London in the South,
 1
Diocese , ; , .
43 .
2
Parish ; .
3
Vicar .
4
Presbyterian Church ,
,
, . 16 .,
16 . .
5
Ministiy , .
.
 1
Methodist Church
18 . ,
Baptism , 17 .
, -
.
United Reform Church .
1972 . -

2
.
Celtic, the Celts ,
.
TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS 31
Coventry and Birmingham in the Midlands, Leeds and Bradford in
the North. Many of these people are Sikhs 1, Muslims, Hindus and
Buddhists2. There are 100 Muslim mosques and centres, 300 Sikh
and Hindus temples and 200 Buddhist groups. There are also
about 400,000 Jews living in Britain one of the largest Jewish
communities in Europe.
So can Britain really be called "Christian" society?
To sum up: a recent unofficial survey indicated that approxi-
mately two-thirds of the population profess a belief in God
(although not necessarily a Christian one). The statistics present
a rather different picture however: 17% of the adult population of
Britain are practising members of a Christian church. This can be
broken down as follows:
13% of the English, who include a wide mixture of all Chris -
tian faiths; 23% of the/Welsh who are mainly Free Church; 37%
of the Scottish, who are mainly Church of Scotland or Free
Church; and 80% of the Northern Irish, who are mainly Protes -
tant and Roman Catholic, actually belong to a church.
The average Sunday attendance at Church of England serv-
ices is only about 2% of the population. So it is clear that only a
minority of the British population regularly practise the state re-
ligion. "Unofficial" religions such as Catholicism and Free
Churches have more regular adherents; and in some areas it is
possible for non-Christian believers to out-number Christians.
Traditions
and Customs.
Holidays
There is no other nation that clings to the past with the te -
nacity of the British. The Briton has a sense of the continuity of
history. He loves to go through his ancient ceremonies as he has
1
Sikh , 15 .
2 Sheriff
Buddhism ( ,
). 5-6 . . . .
always performed them, with the consciousness that he is keeping
faith with his ancestors, that he is maintaining the community
they created. He does not often change his manner of carrying
out official acts, and if ever he does, the new method at once
becomes the tradition.
Queen Elizabeth the First provided one of these examples of
discarding the old and supplanting it with the new. She was knit -
ting when the list of nominees for sheriff 1 was brought to her.
Tradition decreed that she should take up her quill and make a
check in ink against the name of each person whom it was her
pleasure to appoint. There was no pen handy. So Elizabeth the
First, with one of her knitting needles, pricked a little hole in the
parchment beside each favoured name. That is the reason why
today Queen Elizabeth the Second appoints sheriffs of England by
pricking holes in the listing of their names.
Even the casual visitor to London can view without effort
many of the brilliant parades and spectacles in which the colour of
medieval times has been preserved for ours. And if you wish you
can also enter the visitors' gallery of the House of Commons as
long as it existed. If a speaker steps across the line on the floor
that marks the point at which he would be within sword's length
of his advertisers on the opposite side of the Chamber, the session
is automatically suspended. If a rebellious member should seize
the great mace, the symbol of authority that rests on the table
before the Speaker's chair, and make off with it (this happened at
least once), no legal business can be transacted until the mace
has been restored to its position. You can also go into the House
of Lords, where the glitter is more pronounced, the royal scarlet
more in evidence, and where your own back will begin to ache
sympathetically at the spectacle of the Lord Chancellor, so un-
comfortably seated on the edge of the enormous woolsack.
GARDENING
Much leisure time is spent in individualistic pursuits, of
which the most popular is gardening. Most English people love
gardens, their own above all, and this is probably one reason why
1
, -
32 BRITAIN IN BRIEF

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS

so many people prefer to live in houses rather than flats. Particu -
larly in suburbian areas it is possible to pass row after row of
ordinary small houses, each one with its neatly-kept patch of
grass surrounded by a great variety of flowers and shrubs. Many
people who have no gardens of their own have patches of land or
"allotments" in specially reserved areasthough a group of allot-
ment gardens, with its mixed-up collection of sheds for keeping
the tools and the dull arrangement of the rectangular sections of
land, is usually not a thing of beauty.
Although the task of keeping a garden is so essentially indi -
vidual, for many people gardening is the foundation of social and
competitive relationships. Flower-shows and vegetable-shows,
with prizes for the best exhibits, are immensely popular, and to
many gardeners the process of growing the plants seems more
important than the merely aesthetic pleasure of looking at the
flowers or the prospect of eating the vegetables. In many places a
competitive gardener's ambition is to grow the biggest cabbages
or leeks or carrots, and the plain fact that the merits of most
vegetables on the table are the inverse ratio to their size seems
often to be forgotten.
WEDDING SUPERSTITIONS
In England the wedding preparations, ceremony and feast
have all become loaded with ritual practices to ward off evil and
bless the marriage with fortune and fertility.
The choice of date is important. May is traditionally unlucky
for weddings and many modern couples marry between Easter
and late May, the practice much encouraged by tax rebates. The
tradition that the bride's parents should pay for the wedding dates
back from lw0 or three centuries ago, when wealthy families
would pay an eligible bachelor to take an unmarried daughter off
their hands in exchange for a large dowry. At most formal wed-
dings brides still get married in virginal white many other
colours are considered unlucky.
A bride will also ensure that her wedding outfit includes
"something old, something new; something borrowed, something
blue". "Old" maintains her link with the past; "new" symbolizes
the future; "borrowed" gives her a link with the present; and
"blue" symbolizes her purity.
Even a modern bride will observe the taboos about wearing
her dress before the ceremony. The groom mustn't see her in it
until she enters the church. The veil should be put on for the first
time as she leaves for the church. It's a lucky omen if the bride
should see a chimney sweep on her way to church. Sometimes a
sweep is paid to attend the ceremony and kiss the bride a relic
of the old idea that soot and ashes are symbols of fertility.
After the ceremony, the couple are showered with the con -
fetti to bless the marriage with fertility.
One old custom was for the bride and sometimes the groom
to negotiate some obstacle as they left the church guests
would impede them with ropes of flowers, for example, or with
sticks that had to be jumped over.
After that the bride is faced with the feast. The most impor-
tant item is the wedding cake, whose richness symbolizes fertil -
ity, just as it has done since Roman times. Today, the first slice is
cut by the bride to ensure a fruitful marriage.
FIREPLACES
In English homes, the fireplace has always been, until recent
times, the natural centre of interest in avroom. People may like to
sit at a window on a summer day, but for many months of the
year they prefer to sit round the fire and watch the dancing
flames.
In the Middle Ages the fireplaces in the halls of large castles
were very wide. Only wood was burnt, and large logs were carted
in from the forests, and supported as they burnt, on metal bars.
Such wide fireplaces may still be seen in old inns, and in some of
them there are even seats inside the fireplace.
Elizabethan fireplaces often had carved stone or woodwork
over the fireplace, reaching to the ceiling. There were some -
times columns on each side of the fireplace. In the 18th century,
space was often provided over the fireplace for a painting or
mirror.
When coal fires became common, fireplaces became much
smaller. Grates were used to hold the coal. Above the fireplace
there was usually a shelf on which there was often a clock, and
perhaps framed photographs.
2
34 BRITAIN IN BRIEF TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS
 DANCING
Dancing is popular, and the numerous large and opulent-
looking public dance-halls are an important element in the folklore
and courtship procedures of all but the upper and middle classes.
They manage to survive against the competition of the more
modern, smaller, noisier discotheques. They are strictly places for
dancing, with good floors and good bands, but often no tables for
people to sit at when they are not actually dancing, only rows of
chairs round the walls. They are visited mainly by young unmar-
ried people. Girls tend to go in groups of two or three, friends
from the same street or the same office, relying much on each
other's support as they go in; the young men sometimes go in
groups too, but often alone. All the girls tend to congregate to -
gether between dances, and the young men similarly. At the be-
ginning of each dance a man chooses a girl from the mass, and
will ask the same girl to dance with him again if he finds her
company agreeable, but the girl may refuse. Most of the dancers
go home as they come but not quite at all. If a couple like one
another the young man may offer an invitation to go to a cinema
on some future night, and this invitation may be succeeded by
others. After several pre-arranged meetings a couple may regard
themselves as "going steady" together though for a long time
they will meet only in public places, and an invitation home im-
plies great admiration. Young people are thoroughly emancipated,
and find it easy enough to meet each other.
HENRY WOOD
PROMENADE CONCERTS
"Ladies and gentlemen the Proms!11
Amongst music-lovers in Britain and, indeed, in very
many other countries the period between July and September
21 is a time of excitement, of anticipation, of great enthusiasm.
We are in the middle of the Henry Wood Promenade Con -
certs the Proms.
London music-lovers are particularly fortunate, for those who
are able to obtain tickets can attend the concerts in person. Every
night at 7 o'clock (Sunday excepted) a vast audience assembled
at the Royal Albert Hall rises for the playing and singing of the
National Anthem. A few minutes later, when seats have been
resumed, the first work of the evening begins.
But even if seats are not to be obtained, the important parts
of the concerts can be heard and are heard by a very great
number of people, because the BBC 1 broadcasts certain principal
works every night throughout the season. The audience reached
by this means is estimated to total several millions in Britain
alone, and that total is probably equalled by the number of listen-
ers abroad.
The reason why such a great audience is attracted is that the
Proms present every year a large repertoire of classical works
under the best conductors and with the best artists. A season
provides an anthology of masterpieces.
The Proms started in 1895 when Sir Henry Wood formed the
Queen's Hall Orchestra. The purpose of the venture was to pro-
vide classical music to as many people who cared to come at a
price all could afford to pay, those of lesser means being charged
comparatively little one shilling to enter the Promenade,
where standing was the rule.
The coming of the last war ended two Proms 1 traditions. The
first was that in 1939 it was no longer possible to perform to
London audiences the whole organization was evacuated to
Bristol. The second was that the Proms couldn't return to the
Queen's Hall after the war was over the Queen's Hall had
become a casualty of the air-raids (in 1941), and was gutted.
THE DERBY
The annual race for the "Derby" at Epsom racecourse in Sur-
rey is perhaps the most famous single event in the whole world.
The day is almost a public holiday. It is Derby Day (it takes place
1
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)
, - .
.
 36 BRITAIN IN BRIEF
in the first week in June) and, attended by an army of bookmak -
ers to record their bets, of gipsies ready to tell their fortunes, and
side-show proprietors to provide amusement during the hours of
waiting, thousands flock to the course, many of them apparently
not at all worried about whether or not they see the race that is
the excuse for all the excitement. Of those who stay away, the
majority, even of those who do not gamble habitually, will do so
in a small way on Derby Day. Every office, club, shop and factory
will run its Derby sweepstake which you enter in the hope that
you will draw the name of the winning horse out of a hat and
thus win all the money contributed by the various competitors.
THE FISH AND CHIP SHOP
A special British institution is the fish and chip shop, where it
is possible to buy over the counter a piece of fried fish and pota -
toes. You can eat fish and chips in the street as you walk along, or
take it home, if you live near by, and eat it on the plate. Most fish
and chip shops close before II p.m., staying open late enough to
serve people as they come out of cinemas, which usually finish
around 10.15 p.m. Snack bars and espresso coffee bars have great
success among young people below the1 age for going to pubs.
WHAT IS A PUB?
There are visitors who come to England and leave thinking
that they have never been inside a pub. They don't realize that
the words pub or "public house" are rarely included in the title of
the place. So how do you know whether a building is a pub and
what does a pub offer the visitor?
The first thing to look is a large sign either hanging over the
street or placed on a pole outside the building. This sign may
have a name like "The Kings Arms", "The Black Rabbit" or "The
Duke of Kendal" or an appropriate picture. Many pubs have
names linked to royalty, popular heroes, sports or great occasions.
There is a pub called "The Concorde" 1 after the new airliner.
1 "Mayflower"
Concorde - .
.
TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS
____
37
On the doors of a pub you may see the words Saloon Bar or
Public Bar. The Saloon Bar is more comfortably furnished. Occa-
sionally the words Free House can be seen beside the name of the
pub. This doesn't mean they serve free food and drink; it refers to
the fact that the pub doesn't buy its drinks from one particular
brewery only. It isn't a "Tied House" tied to a brewery.
The services a pub offers vary around the country. The basic
service is the sale of alcoholic drinks at certain times of the day.
Opening times, as these periods are often called, are usually from
10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays. On
Sundays the opening times are 12 noon until 2 p.m. and 710.30
p.m. although these times can vary slightly according to the re -
gion. Pubs can also offer food and accommodation. To help visi-
tors, an experimental system of symbols is being tried out in
Southern England and East Anglia. These symbols indicate just
what is available from a particular pub.
The colloquial expression "cock and bull story", used to de-
scribe information that is highly exaggerated or untrue, is said by
some people to have its origins in pub names. A ceotury ago a
London pub called "The Cock" caught fire. The panic-stricken
guests were given shelter at a nearby inn called "The Bull". The
guests' exaggerated stories of their escape became known as
cock-and-bull stories. The term is used for any long, rambling and
unlikely story. There are several other versions of the derivation of
this phrase.
THE GAME OF DARTS
In the bar of every English pub there is a dart-board, and on
most evenings you will find the game of darts being played. This
is a traditional English game, and it presumably developed from
archery, which was much encouraged for military reasons during
the Middle Ages. The first record of something like the modern
game appears in a sixteenth-century description of a tournament
where people threw missiles at a target by hand, instead of using
a bow. The Pilgrim Fathers 1, who sailed in the "Mayflower" 2 to
1
2
Pilgrim Fathers
-, , 1620 .
.
, 1620 .
38 BRITAIN IN BRIEF TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS 39
America in 1620 in search of greater freedom, played darts during
their voyage.
The dart-board has numbered sections, and the score depends
on the section in which the dart lands. The darts are small, about
five inches long, and have a steel point, a metal body, and three
feathers. A set of three darts is used and each player throws them
in turn. Expert players usually have their own private set of darts,
but pubs always provide a set for occasional performers. Style is a
matter for the individual; but you must have a good eye and a
steady hand not always easy in a pub!
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
England and Wales. Most public holidays in the United
Kingdom are also known as "Bank Holidays" but on many of
these shops stay open.
These holidays are: New Year's Day (January 1st), Good Fri-
day1, Easter Monday, May Day (first Monday in May), Spring
Bank Holiday (last Monday in May), August Bank Holiday (last
Monday in August), Christmas Day (December 25th), Boxing
Day2 (December 26th).
Scotland. The Scots do not usually celebrate Good Friday or
Boxing Day. In the winter they concentrate instead on Hog -
manay, their version of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day,
which is even more of a festive occasion than Christmas. Their
bank holidays can also be more variable than south of the border,
with Spring and Autumn Holidays replacing some of the fixed
date bank holidays in England. Scotland has also a number of its
own festivals, celebrating the birthday of their national poet with
Burns suppers on January 25th, and their national saint on St
Andrew's Day, November 30th.
Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has several additional
festivals of its own, namely, St Patrick's Day in Catholic com-
munities (March 17th) and Orange Day, in Protestant communi -
ties, celebrating the Battle of the Boyne 1 (July 12th).
EASTER
At Easter the British celebrate the idea of the new birth by
giving each other chocolate Easter eggs, which are opened and
eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross
buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday is
a holiday and many people travel to the seaside for the day or go
and watch one of the many sporting events as football or horse-
racing.
Egg-rolling is a traditional Easter pastime which still flour -
ishes in Northern England, Scotland, Ulster, the Isle of Man, and
Switzerland. It take$ place on Easter Sunday or Monday, and
consists of rolling coloured, hard-boiled eggs down a slope until
they are cracked and broken after which they are eaten by their
owners. In some districts, this is a competitive game, the winner
being a player whose egg remains longest undamaged, but more
usually, the fun consists simply of the rolling and eating. This is
evidently the older form of the custom, since egg-rolling does not
appear to have been originally a game to be lost or won.
AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY
On Bank Holiday the towns folk usually flock into the coun-
try and to the coast. If the weather is fine many families take a
picnic-lunch or tea with them and enjoy their meal in the open.
Seaside towns near London, such as Southend, are invaded by
thousands of trippers who come in cars and coaches, trains, mo-
tor cycles and bicycles. Great amusement parks like Southend
Kursaal2 do a roaring trade with their scenic railways, shooting
galleries, water-shoots, Crazy Houses, Hunted Houses and so on.
 Good Friday , ,
. Battle of the Boyne (1690), -
. II ,
( ,

Boxing Day , ,
26 , . , ). ^
, " Kursaal
40 BRITAIN IN BRIEF
TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS
Trippers will wear comic paper hats with slogans such as: "Kiss
Me Quick" and they will eat and drink the weirdest mixture of CHRISTMAS
stuff you can imagine, sea food like cockles, mussels, whelks, If you try to catch a train on the 24th of December you may have
shrimps and fried fish and chips, candy floss, beer, tea, soft difficulty in finding a seat. This is the day when many peo ple are
drinks, everything you can imagine. travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day,
Bank Holiday is also an occasion for big sports meetings at December 25th. For most British families, this is the most important
places like the White City Stadium 1, mainly all kinds of athletics. festival of the year, it combines the Christian celebration of the
There are also horse race meetings all over the country, and most birth of Christ, with the traditional festivities of winter. On the
traditional of all, there are large fairs with swings, roundabouts, Sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service1 where
coconut shies2, a Punch and Judy Show3, hoop-la4 stalls and every special hymns are sung. Sometimes carol-singers can be heard on
kind of side-show including in recent years bingo. These fairs are the streets as they collect money for chanty. Most families
pitched on open spaces of common land, and the most famous of decorate their houses with brightly-coloured paper or holly 2, and
them is the huge one on Hampstead Heath 5 near London. It is at
they usually'have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room,
Harnpstead Heath you will see the Pearly Kings and Queens 6,
glittering with coloured lights and decorations.
those Cockney 7 costers (street traders), who wear suits or frocks
There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but
with thousands of tiny pearl buttons stitched all over them, also
perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents. Family
over their caps and hats.
members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the
They hold horse and cart parades in which prizes are given
Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave a
for the smartest turn out. Many Londoners will visit Whipsnade
Zoo8. There is also much boating activity on the Thames, regattas long sock or stocking at the end of their bed on Christmas Eve,
at Henley9 and on other rivers and the English climate being what December 24th, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the
it is, it invariably rains. chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruits
and nuts. They are usually not disappointed. At some time on
Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner
followed by Christmas pudding. They will probably pull a cracker
with another member of the family. It will make a loud crack and a
1
coloured hat, small toy and joke will fall out! Later in the after-
White City Stadium
. noon they may watch the Queen on television as she delivers her
2
Coconut shies , . traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the
,
. , Commonwealth. If they have room for even more food they may
. enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pie.
Punch and Judy Show ,

4
.
-1 , ,
, . BOXING DAY
Hampsted Heath ,
. This is the day when one visits friends, goes for a long walk or just
Pearly Kings and Queens ,
-
.
sits around recovering from too much food everything to eat is
7
Cockney , , -. cold. In the country there are usually. Boxing Day Meets (fox-
Whipsnade Zoo . 9 Henley Regatta
. Carol service ,
2,1 .
2
.
Holly .
.
42 BRITAIN IN BRIEF TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS 43
hunting). In the big cities and towns tradition on that day demands Another Scottish custom is to burn juniper in the house on
a visit to the pantomime, where once again one is entertained by New Year's Day in order to protect the inmates from harm.
the story of Cinderella, Puss in Boots or whoever it may be the Besides public holidays there are other festivals, anniversa-
story being protracted and elaborated into as many spectacular ries, celebrations and simply days on which certain traditions are
scenes as the producer thinks.one can take at a sitting. observed, but unless they fall on a Sunday, they are ordinary
working days.
HOGMANAY
FEBRUARY 14TH
At midnight on December 31st throughout Great Britain
people celebrate the coming of the New Year, by holding hands in When all fun of Christmas and New Year is over, there's a
1
a large circle and singing "For Auld Lang Syne" . This line means feeling of anti-climax. The rest of January is dreary and cold. But
before long the empty shops seem to come to life once again with
"in memory of past times" and the words were written by Scot- displays of attractive and brightly coloured "I love you" Valentine
land's most famous poet Robert Burns. He wrote much of his cards.
poetry in the Scots dialect of English. New Year's Eve is a more St Valentine was a p/iest who lived in Rome and died for his
important festival in Scotland, than it is in England, and it even faith in AD 170. His feast happens to fall on February 14th the
has a special name. It is not clear where the word "hogmanay" traditional day for lovers. But this is mere coincidence. He was
comes from, but it is connected with the provision of food and not noted for helping lovers in distress and was not therefore the
drink for all visitors to your home on December 31st. In addition, true patron saint of lovers.
many people believe that you will have good luck for coming year There was in early times a strong belief that on this day birds
if the first person to enter your house after midnight is a "tall choose their mates. To some extent this might explain why love -
dark stranger". It is also thought lucky if the person brings a birds seem to be such popular motifs on Valentine's cards. A 14th
piece of coal and some white bread! Most Scots take part in a century poet wrote: "On Valentine's Day all the birds of the air in
ceilidh (Gaelic2 for "dance") on New Year's Eve and there is much couples do join" And Shakespeare carried on the tradition when
dancing and singing until the early hours of the morning. Theseus says in "A Midsummer Night's Dream":
Most of the old New Year customs take place in Scotland,
beginning with "first-footing" in which the first person to enter St Valentine is
the house in the New Year must be entertained with food and past: Begin these
drink. But he, on his part, must take food, drink and fuel into the wood-birds but to
house, to ensure that there shall never be lack of them during the couple now?
coming year.
But this is a custom that must never be carried out by a But antiquarians maintain that St Valentine's Day Celebra-
woman, because it is believed that if a woman first sets foot in tions are a continuation of a Roman festival of Pan 1 and Juno2.
the house, bad luck will follow throughout a year! The same cus - There used to be a custom in England (and probably in other
tom is carried out in part of the North of England. countries) on St Valentine's Day, mentioned by Chaucer, Shake-
speare and Pepys: the names of young unmarried men and girls
were mixed up and drawn out by chance. The person of the op-
1
"For Auld Lang Syne" ,
"Scots Musical Pan , , . Juno
Magazin" (1787-1803). .
2
Gaelic ,
.
44 BRITAIN IN BRIEF TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS. HOLIDAYS 45
posite sex whose name came put after yours was your chosen
"Valentine" for the year.
Just over a century ago it became fashionable to send pretty
lace-edged cards. Earlier, ludicrous and sometimes vulgar cartoons
were sent to friends and strangers on this day.
In our own time, too, the Valentine tradition has undergone a
sort of revival in Britain. There seems to be no limit to the vari-
ety of cards on sale for this celebration. They are happy or sad,
romantic or humorous, serious or ridiculous. The card manufac-
turers, realising they're on to a good thing, cater for all tastes
including the vulgar. You can pay anything from to 10
pounds, depending on the depth of your love and the depth of
your pocket! If you really want to get rid of some money you can
always use the St Valentine's Day Greetings Telegram a serv-
ice put on specially for February 14th by the Post Office, for
really love-sick.
Of all the Valentine cards on the market the humorous vari -
ety seem to be the most popular, but some of them are so cruel
you would have to be quite heartless to send them, even to your
worst enemy. Anonymity is, of course, part of the thrill of send-
ing Valentine cards you must not say who you are. The person
receiving it must be left to wonder. You can send cards to anyone
you like, or, for that matter, even people you don't like. There are
cards specially printed tp My Wife, My Husband, Mother, Father,
Sweetheart, and, would you believe it, Grandmother and Grandfa-
ther. At least it is good to know that in this troubled world love is
still living and spreading a little happiness, especially in dreary
February.
PANCAKE DAY
Ash Wednesday1 is the day in February when the Christian
period of Lent begins. This refers to the time when Christ went
into the desert and fasted for 40 days. Although not many people
actually give up eating during this period, on Pancake Tuesday 2,
Ash Wednesday , ,
. , representatives and political leaders come forward to lay wreaths
2
Pancake Tuesday , - morial of ex-servicemen and women, followed by an endless line
, .
the day before Ash Wednesday, they eat lots of pancakes. These
are made from flour, milk and eggs, and fried in a hot pan.
ST DAVIDS DAY
On the 1st of March each year one can see people walking
around London with leeks pinned to their coats. A leek is the
national emblem of Wales. The many Welsh people who live in
London or in other cities outside Wales like to show their
solidarity on their national day.
The day is actually called Saint David's Day, after a sixth
century abbot who became patron saint of Wales. David is the
nearest English-equivalent to the saint's name, Dawi.
The saint was known traditionally as "the Waterman", which
perhaps means that he and his monks were teetotallers. A teeto-
taller is someone who drinks no kind of alcohol, but it does not
mean that he drinks only tea, as many people seem to think.
In spite of the leeks mentioned earlier, Saint David's emblem
is not that, but a dove. No one, not even the Welsh, can explain
why they took leek to symbolize their country, but perhaps it was
just as well. After all, they can't pin a dove to their coat!
REMEMBRANCE DAY
(POPPY DAY)
Remembrance Day is observed throughout Britain in com-
memoration of the million or more British soldiers, sailors and
airmen who lost their lives during the two World Wars. On that
day special services are held in the churches and wreaths are laid
at war memorials throughout the country and at London's Ceno-
taph, where great number of people gather to observe the two-
minute silence and to perform the annual Remembrance Day
ceremony. The silence begins at the first strike of Big Ben
booming 11 o'clock, and is broken only by the crash of distant
artillery and perhaps by the murmur of a passing jet. When the two-
minute silence is over, members of the Royal Family or their
at the foot of the Cenotaph. Then comes the march past the me -
46 BRITAIN IN BRIEF BRITAIN TODAY 47
of ordinary citizens who have come here with their personal
wreaths and their sad memories.
On that day artificial poppies, a symbol of mourning, are tra-
ditionally sold in the streets everywhere, and people wear them in
their buttonholes. The money collected in this way is later used to
help the men who had been crippled during the war and their
dependants.
This dummy is called a "guy" (like Guy Fawkes) and children
can often be seen in the pavements before 5th of November say-
ing "Penny for the guy". If they collect enough money they can
buy some fireworks.
Britain Today
 HALLOWEEN
Hallowe'en means "holy evening" and takes place on October
31st. Although it is a much more important festival in the USA
than in Britain, it is celebrated by many people in the United
Kingdom. It is particularly connected with witches and ghosts.
At parties people dress up in strange costumes and pretend
they are witches. They cut horrible faces in potatoes and other
vegetables and put a candle inside, which shines through their
eyes. People play different games such as trying to eat an apple
from a bucket of water without using their hands.
In recent years children dressed in white sheets knock on
doors at Hallowe'en and ask if you would like a "trick" or "treat".
If you give them something nice, a "treat", they go away. How -
ever, if you don't, they play a "trick" on you, such as making a
lot of noise or spilling flour on your front doorstep.
GUY FAWKES NIGHT
In 1605 King James I was on the throne. As a Protestant, he
was very unpopular with Roman Catholics. Some of them planned
to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the 5th November of that
year, when the King was going to open Parliament. Under the
House of Lords they had stored 36 barrels of gun powder, which
were to be exploded by a man called Guy Fawkes. However, one
of the plotters spoke about these plans and Fawkes was discov -
ered, arrested and later hanged. Since that day the British tradi -
tionally celebrate 5th of November by burning a dummy, made of
straw and old clothes, on a bonfire, whilst at the same time let-
ting off fireworks.
ECONOMY
From 1981 to 1989 the British economy experienced eight
years of sustained growth at an annual average rate over 3%.
However, subsequently Britain and other major industrialized
nations were severely affected by recession. In Britain growth
slowed to 0.6% in 1990, and in 1991 gross domestic product
(GDP) fell by 2.3%. GDP fell in 1992[as a whole by 0.4%, but it
rose slightly in the second half^of the year. The recovery
strengthened during the first part of 1993; with GDP in the sec -
ond quarter being 2% higher than a year earlier; the European
Commission expected Britain to be the fastest growing of all ma-
jor European economies in 1993 and 1994.
Recent indications that the recovery is under may include:
an increase in manufacturing output;
a steady upward trend in retail sales;
increases in new car registrations;
record levels of exports;
increased business and consumer confidence; and
signs of greater activity in the housing market. The
Government's policy is to ensure sustainable economic growth
through low inflation and sound public finances. The Government's
economic policy is set in the context of a medium-term financial
strategy, which is revived each year. Within this strategy,
monetary and fiscal policies are designed to defeat inflation. Short-
term interest rates remain the essential instrument of monetary
policy.