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General Knowledge - Opšte znanje
Contents (Sadržaj):
1. Quiz (sa rješenjima ispod zadnjeg pitanja)
2. Did you know?
3. Culture flash
1. Quiz
Level 1
1. Big Ben is the nickname for __________________ , ________________ and ______________.
2. Thames is __________________________________________.
3. If you live in Wales you live in: a) Birmingham b) Dublin c)Cardiff d)Edinburgh. (choose only one option)
4. Which country is not part of the United Kingdom: a) Wales b) Scotland
c) (the Republic of) Ireland d) Northern Ireland
5. There are ___________ states in the United States (the U.S or the USA).
6. The Beatles were __________________ from ________________(city, country).
7. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is one of five co-founders of _______________________.
8. American city with the nickname "Windy City" is ______________________.
9. One of the most famous sites in the world, prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire is known by the name of ________________________.
10. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, but began his music career and later died in ___________________.
Level 2
11. English Channel is ________________________________________________________________________________.
12. Superman's alter ego is ___________________________.
13. Everton FC is ______________________ from _______________________ (city, country).
14. In May, 1886, Coca Cola was invented by Doctor John Pemberton (a pharmacist) in ___________________.
15. Muhammad Ali was born in ____________(country) as _______________(his birth name).
16. The official London residence and principal workplace of the British monarch (Queen) is ____________.
17. U2 is a rock band from _________________ (city, country).
18. The capital city of the U.S. state of California is __________________________.
19. Nickname for New York City is : a) The City of Night b) The Rock City c) The Motor Orange d) The Big Apple
20. __________________ was an English writer. He is generally regarded as the greatest novelist
of the Victorian period (Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901).
His notable (most famous) works are: Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations,
A Tale of Two Cities.
Level 3
21. __________________(name) started working on the portrait of Mona Lisa in __________________(city, country) in 1503.
22. William Shakespeare was born in _________________________________(town , country).
23. JFK are initials for ________________________________________ who was ____________________________.
24. Sir is the: a) distinctive title of aristocracy b) distinctive title of a knight
c) distinctive title of a gentleman d) distinctive title of a hero. (choose only one option)
- Who doesn't have “Sir“ title: a) Sir Alex Ferguson b) Sir Sean Connery c) Sir David Beckham
d) Sir Elton John. (which Sir should be omitted)
25. Neil Armstrong was _________________________________________________________________________.
26. __________________ (1929 - 1968) American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
He was killed in ___________ (city).
27. Bugs Bunny ________________(translate), Daffy Duck ______________(translate), Tweety Bird are known as:
a) Space Jams b) Looney Tunes c) Cartoon Networks d) The Players.
28. Find two music stars who were not members of the Beatles: a) Ringo Starr b) Paul McCartney c) Mick Jagger
d) George Harrison e) Eric Clapton
- Which member of the Beatles recorded the song "Say Say Say" with Michael Jackson?
29. The galaxy that contains the Earth is known by the name of ____________.
30. Which football match is not a local (city) derby in England:
a) Liverpool vs Everton b) Crystal Palace vs Fulham
c) Aston Villa vs Birmingham City d) Southampton vs Sunderland
The only professional football team from Wales to play in English Premiership (Premier League)
since 1992 (when Premier League was formed) is __________________.
Level 4
31. The most famous film star in the world of silent movie before the end of World War I was __________________________.
32. The war (conflict) between between the North (the Yankees) and the South (the Rebels)
(1861 – 1865) is known as ____________________________________.
The war was won by _____________________. Their victory meant the end of:
a) slavery b) racism c) work which was not paid.
33. Abraham Lincoln was American president who: a) ended Gulf War b) ended Vietnam War
c) ended hunger d) ended slavery.
34. _________________________ was a famous author, scientist and politician. He was one
of the Founding Fathers of the United States (political leaders and statesmen who participated
in the American Revolution by signing the United States Declaration of Independence).
Two of his inventions are : ________________ and _______________________.
35. James Naismith (Canadian) was a ___________________________ and he is famous because
he _____________________________________________.
36. Match famous singers with their nationalities:
1 Kylie Minogue 2. Bryan Adams 3. Tina Turner 4. Mick Jagger
a American b British c Australian d Canadian.
37. Which state, town, township, city or region is not in the United States of America (choose only one):
a) Hamburg Township b) Livingston c) Wellington d) New England e) Oregon ?
____________________________________ is not in the U.S.
It's _________________________________________(explain in detail).
38. The Santa Maria is :
a) sit-com (situation comedy) b) a ship c) TV soap opera d) a woman e) town?
It's ___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________(explain).
39. Who's not a fictional (TV) charater:
a) Derek Trotter b) Ross Geller c) Alexander Bell d) Charlie Harper?
________________________ is not a fictional character. He is _____________
____________________________________________. (explain)
40. Match the authors with their works.
1 Jane Austen 2. William Shakespeare 3. George Orwel 4. Ernest Hemingway
a Animal Farm b The Old Man and the Sea c Pride and Prejudice d The Merchant of Venice.
Level 5
41. The national flag of the United Kingdom is
1 the Union Royal 2. the Union Jack 3. the Union Queen 4. the Union Sam
42. 1 Uncle Sam... 2. Uncle Jack... 3. Uncle John... 4. Uncle Tom...
... is a common national personification of the U.S. federal government or the country in general that, according
to legend, came into use during the War of 1812 The actual origin is by a legend. Since the early 19th century,
it has been a popular symbol of the US government in American culture and a manifestation of patriotic emotion.
43. 1 California ... 2. Georgia ... 3. Columbia ... 4. Gonzaga ...
.. is the personification of the United States. It was also a historical name used to describe the Americas and the
New World. It has given rise to the names of many persons, places, objects, institutions and companies.
45. Popular British television sitcom "Only Fools and Horses" was written by.....
1 David Jason 2. John Sullivan 3. Rodney Trotter 4. Charles Dickens
46. The dialect used in "Only Fools and Horses" is the dialect used mostly by working class
of East London. It is called........
1. East English 2.Cockney 3. Eastside English 4. Dodgy
48. The Old Firm is the name for the rivalry between:
1. Manchester City vs Manchester United 2. Chelsea vs Newcastle
3. Celtic vs Glasgow Rangers 4. Aberdeen vs Dundee United
49. Which football match is not a London derby:
1. West Ham vs Milwall 2. Fulham vs West Ham
3. Tottenham vs Arsenal 4. Chelsea vs West Ham
5. Nottingham vs Tottenham 6. Arsenal vs Tottenham
50. England's Most Traditional Food : Fish and _______________
Keys for the quiz: Keys - quiz.docx (26516)
Napomena - istestirat se prvo samostalno prije nego provjerite "ključeve".
2. Did you know?
Topic: Cartoons
* The list of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters:
Napomena: Pronađi na internetu prevod za likove označene crvenom bojom.
Babbit and Catstello
Barnyard Dawg
Beaky Buzzard
Beans
Bosko
Buddy
Bugs Bunny /Duško Dugouško, Zekoslav Mrkva/
Cool Cat
Claude Cat
Clyde Bunny
Cecil Turtle
Charlie Dog
Colonel Shuffle
Conrad the Cat
Daffy Duck /Patak Dača/
Egghead Jr.
Elmer Fudd /Lovac Elmer/
Foghorn Leghorn
Foxy
Frisky Puppy
Gabby Goat
Goofy Gophers
Goopy Geer
Gossamer
Granny /Bakica/
Hector the Bulldog
Henery Hawk
Hippety Hopper
Honey Bunny
Hubie and Bertie
Hugo the Abominable Snowman
Inki
K-9
Lola Bunny /Lola Zečica/
Marc Antony and Pussyfoot
Marvin the Martian
Merlin the Magic Mouse
Michigan J. Frog
Miss Prissy
Nasty Canasta
Playboy Penguin
Penelope Pussycat
Pepé Le Pew /Pepe Le Tvor/
Pete Puma
Petunia Pig
Piggy
Porky Pig
Quick Brown Fox and Rapid Rabbit
Ralph Wolf
Road Runner /Ptica Trkačica/
Sam Sheepdog
Slowpoke Rodriguez
Sniffles
Speedy Gonzales /Brzi Gonzales/
Sylvester /Silvester Mačak/
Sylvester Jr.
Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier
Tasmanian Devil /Tasmanijski Đavo/
The Three Bears
Tweety /Tviti ptičica/
Wile E. Coyote /Kojot/
Willoughby the Dog
Witch Hazel
Yosemite Sam /Riđobradi/
Topic: Culture and tradition
* Interesting facts about British afternoon tea:
When is it?
Traditionally, the upper class had afternoon tea at 4 pm, just before everyone took their daily walk in Hyde
Park. It was also called “low” tea because it was served on low tables (like a coffee table).
The middle and lower classes had their version at 5 or 6 pm. The food served was much more substantial,
as it generally took the place of dinner. It was called “high” tea because it was served at the dinner table.
Afternoon tea isn’t as common nowadays. Lives are too busy for it to be a regular practice. It’s usually
reserved as a special treat or a break from a busy day.
Afternoon Tea Menu
A menu typically consists of
- Small “finger” sized sandwiches with the crusts removed
- Scones with clotted cream and jam
- Cake
- Pastries
- A range of teas
Sandwich fillings usually include:
- Ham and mustard
- Egg mayonnaise and watercress
- Cucumber and cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese and chutney
- Smoked salmon and butter
- Chicken salad
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese
* Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer
and social critic. He created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters and
is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. His notable works
are: Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities......
* Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) known by his pen name
Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was
lauded as the "greatest humorist this country has produced", and William Faulkner called him
"the father of American literature". His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) is often called "The Great American Novel".
* Agatha Christie - Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 –
12 January 1976) was an English crime novelist, short story writer, and playwright. She also wrote six
romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best known for the 66 detective novels and 14
short story collections she wrote under her own name, most of which revolve around the investigations
of such characters as Hercule Poirot, Miss Jane Marple, Mr Satterthwaite, and Tommy and Tuppence.
Topic: Life and Politics
* George Washington - was the first President of the United States (1789–1797),
the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one
of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the convention that drafted the
United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation and remains the
supreme law of the land.
* Neil Armstrong - Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut
and the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also an aerospace engineer, naval aviator, test pilot, and
university professor. Before becoming an astronaut, Armstrong was an officer in the U.S. Navy and served in
the Korean War.
Topic: Sports
* The hand of God
is the name given to the goal scored by Argentine footballer Diego Armando
Maradona in the quarter-final match between Argentina and England at the 1986 World Cup on
22 June 1986 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The game ended with a 2–1 win for the Argentinians,
thanks to the so-called "Goal of the Century", also scored by Maradona.
After the match, Diego Maradona stated that the goal was scored "a little with his head and a little with
the hand of God", and from then on the world press baptized the goal.
* William Shakespeare added over 1,000 words to the English language.
Almost everyone in the world has heard of the great William Shakespeare, the famous English
poet and playwright of the 16th century. From love sonnets to plays like “Romeo and Juliet”
and “Hamlet,” Shakespeare has greatly influenced English literature.
But did you know that the English language itself wouldn’t be the same without Shakespeare?
Shakespeare invented over 1,000 words, which he incorporated into his writing. Today,
native English speakers still use these words in everyday speech.
Just some of the fantastic words and phrases invented by this famous poet include:
Addiction — Being psychologically or physically dependent on something, usually a drug.
Bedazzled — Blinded by something incredibly wonderful.
Cold-blooded — Either an animal with cold blood (like a reptile) or a way to describe someone
who’s cruel and indifferent to emotion.
Swagger — To walk in a way that shows you’re boasting or disrespectful.
Break the ice — To relieve the tension or silence in a conversation by talking.
* A pangram sentence is one that contains every letter in the language.
* An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other.
It's often referred to as a contradiction in terms. ... A common oxymoron is the phrase
"the same difference." This phrase qualifies as an oxymoron because the words
"same" and "difference" have opposite meanings.
* Did You Know There’s a Word for That?
English is a language rich in vocabulary, but some words may surprise you—and may be
just what you were looking for!
Cute Aggression
“Cute aggression” is the term for wanting to hug something cute very hard—almost violently.
Ever want to just squeeze your kitten because she’s so darn adorable?!
Your puppy is so adorable that I have cute aggression!
Genderlect
Genderlect is a style or type of speech used by a specific gender.
Whether or not men and women speak different genderlects is a subject of recent debate.
Heuristic
Heuristic is used to describe something that’s taught or learned from experience.
The professor applied a heuristic teaching method so that her students would learn by
trial and error.
Bardolatry
Here’s Shakespeare again! Bardolatry refers to someone who’s obsessed with Shakespeare.
(Shakespeare is sometimes referred to as “The Bard.”)
Shakespeare is still celebrated so much today that Bardolatry is alive and well.
Boffola
Boffola is a joke that’s met with extremely loud laughter.
That was the comedian’s best boffola all night!
Mouse Potato
Ever heard the term couch potato (someone who watches a lot of TV)? Well, mouse
potato refers to someone who works on the computer a lot.
Ever since Susan started her online company, she’s been such a mouse potato.
Snollygoster
Snollygoster refers to a person without principles.
The politician is a snollygoster who lies and steals to get what he wants.
Petrichor
Petrichor is a word to describe the way it smells after it rains.
I love the petrichor of a summer thunderstorm.
* Surprising Stats
There are approximately 1.5 billion English speakers in the world.
That’s 20 percent of the world’s population!
About 600 to 700 million of those are non-native speakers.
English has more words than most languages.
There are currently about an estimated one million words in the English language.
But don’t let this scare you, because…
The average English speaker only knows between 20,000 and 30,000 words.
While this statistic from Twinword still seems daunting, it should be a comfort to learners
that you’re not going to have to memorize all of the million English words out there.
You’ll still be understood!
The most commonly used letter in English is “E.”
According to Oxford Dictionaries, “E” is the most commonly used English letter,
and “Q” is the letter used the least.To put it in perspective, “E” is 56 times more common than “Q.”
Some of the oldest words in the English language are still very common today.
They include I, love, black, mother, fire, hand and hear.
Many of these words date back from before the year 900.
The most commonly used adjective is good.
Of course, different sources come up with different answers for this, but “good” is usually
listed among the most common adjectives.
The most commonly used noun is time.
The Oxford English Dictionary has identified time as the most frequently used noun.
Person received second place, followed by year in the third spot.
* Amusing Alphabet Tricks and Their Names
Two English words can combine into one.
A portmanteau is a word that blends the sounds of two English words to make a new word that combines their meanings.
For example, hangry means hungry and angry.
You can fit every letter of the alphabet into a single sentence.
A pangram is a sentence that contains every letter from the alphabet.
A very famous English pangram is: “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.”
Some English words look the same backward or forward.
A palindrome is a word or phrase that’s spelled the same whether you read left-to-right (like normal) or right-to-left.
An example word is madam.
Some English words look the same upside down.
An ambigram is a word that looks the same upside down as right-side up.
A great example is the word “SWIMS” with all capitalized letters.
There’s a name for words and phrases where each letter is used the same number of times.
An isogram is a word or phrase in which each letter appears the same number of times.
For example, the word dialogue uses each letter once.
Some English words repeat to make a new word.
A tautonym in linguistics is a word that consists of the same word twice. You might also hear this referred to as reduplication.
The common English word so-so is the perfect example of a tautonym. It means “just okay; fine.”
3. Culture flash - Holidays,
Celebrations, Events
Culture flash part 1- USA Celebrations & Holidays
1. The first day of the year (January 1st) is known as New Year's Day.
2.Martin Luther King Day is observed on the 3rd Monday in January
in commemoration of the birthday of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.
3. Presidents' Day is observed on the 3rd Monday in February as a legal holiday.
4.Presidents' Day is celebrated in honor of George Washington, the first
president of the US, and Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, whose
birthdays fall in February.
5. Valentine's Day (February 14th) is the day on which sweethearts exchange
gifts or go out to dinner.
6. April Fools' Day (April 1st) is recognized as a day marked by the playing of
practical jokes.
7. All mothers are honored on Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the 2nd
Sunday in May.
8.Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) honors the US soldiers who
died in war.
9. Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th.
10. On the 3rd Sunday in June homage is paid to all fathers.
11. Independence Day (July 4th) celebrates the signing of the Declaration
of Independence.
12. Labor Day is celebrated on the 1st Monday in September in honor of
the working class.
13. Columbus Day (the 2nd Monday in October) celebrates the discovery
in 1492 of the New World by Christopher Columbus.
14. Election Day (the 1st Tuesday in November) is a day set by law for the
election of public officials.
15. Veterans Day (November 11th) is observed in honor of the US veterans
of the armed services.
16. Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday in November) is observed in the US as
the day to thank God for all one owns.
17. Christmas (December 25th) is a Christian holiday that commemorates
the birth of Jesus Christ.
Culture flash part 2
Festivals, holidays and events in the UK
There are eight holidays a year in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland.
Additional days have been allocated for special events, such as royal weddings and jubilees.
The eight main bank holidays are: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the early May bank holiday,
the Spring bank holiday, the Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
In Scotland, Easter Monday is not a bank holiday, but 2nd January and St Andrew's Day are.
In Northern Ireland, St Patrick's Day and Orangemen's Day are also bank holidays.
Bank holidays are days on which most businesses and non-essential services are
closed, although an increasing number of retail businesses (especially the larger ones)
do open on some of the public holidays. There are restrictions on trading on Sundays
and Christmas Day in England and Wales and on New Year's Day and Christmas Day
in Scotland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, but banks close
and the majority of the working population is granted time off work or extra pay for
working on these days, depending on their contract. Now let's says something about
festivals, holidays and events....
25th January – Burns’ Night (Scotland)
Burn’s night is a celebration of Robbie Burns, a celebrated Scottish poet. In Scotland
people have a special dinner on Burns’ Night. Men wear kilts and people listen to
traditional bagpipe music, they dance, read Burn’s poetry and share a meal of
haggis (a traditional Scottish dish of sheep heart, liver and lungs) with neeps and
tatties (turnips and potatoes).
14th February – Valentine’s Day
Saint Valentine’s Day (also known as Valentine’s Day) is celebrated in many countriesFebruary – Shrove Tuesday or ‘Pancake Day’
Shrove Tuesday, more commonly known as Pancake Day, falls the day before Lent
begins. Lent is the traditional Christian period of fasting which begins 40 days
before Easter and ends on Easter Sunday. Nowadays, not many Christians fast,
instead preferring to give something up for Lent such as chocolate. Because fasting
meant that lots of food would spoil during this period, traditionally people would
use up their eggs, milk and sugar by making pancakes. Nowadays, even if people
are not fasting, many people still make and eat pancakes on this day. Some people
enjoy sweet topping such as sugar and lemon or Nutella. Other people prefer
savoury pancakes.
February – Chinese New Year
Many cities in the UK with a large Asian population celebrate Chinese New
Year. In London there is a parade through Chinatown in the West End with
fireworks, music, dance and acrobatics which is the biggest in the world outside Asia.
March – Mother’s Day (Mothering Sunday)
Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate your mums and grandmas and everything that
they do for you. People give their mother’s gifts and cards and treat them to
meals out or do all of the housework for the day. Mothers usually receive
breakfast in bed!
17th March – St Patrick’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious holiday
celebrated annually on 17th March, the day that the patron saint of Ireland, Saint
Patrick, died. According to legend, Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to
explain the Holy Trinity to Irish pagans.
1st April – April Fools’ Day
On April Fools’ Day it is acceptable – even encouraged! – to play tricks and practical
jokes on people. Even newspapers, TV and radio shows often feature fake stories
to try and trick people. You can read more about some of the most famous April
Fools hoaxes here. Any practical jokes must be played before midday and if you
catch someone out, you must shout ‘April Fools’! After noon, ‘the joke is on you’.
March to April – Easter
Easter is celebrated in Christian countries to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus
Christ (where he is believed to have come back from the dead). We celebrate by
going to Church, giving Easter eggs and going on Easter egg hunts. Eggs symbolize
new life which is related to Jesus coming back from the dead. There are a few
different days which are celebrated by Christian’s throughout the Easter period.
These include Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Good Friday
Good Friday is a bank holiday in the UK, and even for those who are not religious, a
chocolate Easter egg is usually a traditional gift to give friends and family.
21st June – Father’s Day
Father’s Day is a day to celebrate your dads and grandads and everything that
they do for you. People give their father’s gifts and cards, and treat them to meals
out or day trips.
June – The Queen’s Official Birthday
The Queen’s real birthday is on the 21st of April however it has been a tradition
since 1748 for the state to celebrate the king or queen’s birthday in June. This is
because in June there is more likely to be nicer weather, so the Queen can
celebrate her birthday with civilians in a more comfortable climate. A military parade
known as Trooping the Colour is held in London and is attended by the Royal Family.
Apple Day
is an annual celebration of apples and orchards, held in October. It is celebrated mainly
in the United Kingdom. It traditionally falls on 21 October, the date of the first such
event in 1990, but events are held throughout the month. It is commonly a weekend
event, usually taking place on the Saturday and Sunday closest to 30 October.
Apple Day events can be large or small, from apple games in a garden to large village
fairs with cookery demonstrations, games, apple identification, juice and cider, gardening
advice, and the sale of many hundreds of apple varieties
31st October – Halloween
Halloween, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a yearly celebration
observed in a number of countries on 31st October, the eve of the Western Christian
feast of All Hallows’ Day. It initiates the triduum of Hallowtide, the time in the liturgical
year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and
all the faithful departed.
Unlike in the USA, it is a relatively calm event. Children will dress up in costumes and
go ‘trick or treating’ around the neighbourhood. Trick or Treating involves knocking on
a neighbours door, and saying ‘Trick or Treat’. The neighbour then either plays a trick on
the child, or gives them a treat (usually sweets). It is very rare for neighbours to play
tricks on the children, so the children enjoy the festival because they go home with a
bag of sweets!
November – Movember
Throughout November you may notice that lots of men are growing moustaches. This is because
throughout November, the charity campaign of Movember encourages men to grow a moustache
to raise funds in support of men’s health. November is affectionately renamed ‘Movember’
which is a combination of the words ‘November’ and ‘moustache’.
5th November – Bonfire Night
In Britain, Bonfire Night is associated with the tradition of celebrating Guy Fawkes’ failed attempt
to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November 1605. It is an annual event dedicated
to bonfires, fireworks and celebrations. Different traditions celebrate Bonfire Night on different
days. Some of the most popular instances include Great Britain’s Guy Fawkes Night, which
is also celebrated in some Commonwealth countries. Throughout the UK there are various bonfires
and firework displays.
11th November – Remembrance Day
Every year in the UK on 11th November we honour members of the armed forces who lost their
lives in battle. In the weeks leading up to 11th November , The Royal British Legion charity sell
paper poppy flowers to raise funds for veterans and their families (the poppy is a symbol of
Remembrance Day). It is customary to observe a two-minute silence at 11am.
November /December – Hanukkah
Jewish communities across the UK celebrate Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Festival of Lights.
In London a giant menorah is lit up with candles for the Menorah lighting ceremony in
Trafalgar Square. It is the largest event of its kind in Europe.
25th December – Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed
cultural holiday, celebrated generally on 25th December by nearly a billion people
around the world. Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday
in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly
non-Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced
the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong), while in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural
influences have led whole populations to observe the holiday. Christmas markets have
made their way to the UK from European countries such as Belgium and Germany and are
now held in many UK cities. There are a popular place to visit with friends and family
in the run up to Christmas.
26th December – Boxing Day
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas day. It is a bank holiday in the UK. There are a few
theories as to why it’s called ‘Boxing Day’ but no one is completely sure. Arguments include:
- In Britain ‘Christmas Box’ is a name for a Christmas present. Boxing Day was a day off
- for servants and when they received a ‘Christmas Box’ from the master. ‘Boxing day’
- could have been named after the ‘Christmas box’ of money or gifts which employers
- used to give to servants and tradesmen.
- A box to collect money for the poor was placed in Churches on Christmas day. The
- money would be distributed the day after. ‘Boxing day’ could have been named after
- this custom.
Today there are no traditional Boxing Day customs. Most people spend the day eating the
Christmas leftovers and maybe going for a walk or to visit friends and family.
31st December – New Years
Like many countries around the world the UK celebrates the New Year, we do this by hosting
parties with friends and families to await the countdown to the New Year. In Scotland they
call it Hogmanay. We celebrate by having a party with friends and setting fireworks off!
In many cities there are free celebrations.
Culture flash part 3
Cities - Nicknames
