Festivity Worksheet UK www.ef.com
Throughout the year British people celebrate or mark a number of different days. Some of these are happy occasions such as St. Valentine’s Day on 14th February. Others are more serious days for remembering the past, such as Remembrance Day on 11th November. Many important days are religious in origin, such as Christmas and Easter, although these are celebrated by non-religious people, too. Bank holidays are very popular days in the UK. These are designated holidays-usually on a Monday, and they allow British people to take a long weekend away from work. Be careful if you travel on a bank holiday, as the trains and roads can be packed with British people heading to the countryside! What other important days do you know of? Are any of these also important outside the UK? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________
A-B onfire Night. Read the text below to find out what people do on Bonfire Night.
C-R emembrance Day is a sombre event that is taken very seriously across the country. Read the text and find words that match the definitions below. The Great War began in 1914 and ended in 1918. After four years of fighting, an armistice was officially declared at 11AM, on the 11th day of the 11th month, November. The governments of Europe hoped that this special time, 11.11.11 , would help people to remember how bad the war had been and to make sure peace lasted forever.
Guy Fawkes was born in York in 1570. He was a Catholic and unhappy with James I, King of England, and his government. When he was a young man, he served in armies in Europe and became an expert in explosives. When he returned to England, he joined a gang with twelve friends. They decided to kill the King and destroy the Government. They hid 36 huge barrels of gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes was about to set off an explosion when he was caught by the King’s guards. He was executed in 1606. Every year on the 5th of November, the night Guy Fawkes was caught, British people celebrate the safety of the King (or Queen) by lighting enormous bonfires and burning a pretend Guy Fawkes. There are huge firework displays, often with thousands of people watching. Children eat apples covered with toffee or chocolate and adults cook baked potatoes on the embers of the fire.
Every year at this time, there is a two-minute silence in Britain. People remember loved ones who have died and think about how terrible war is. The Royal British Legion sells red paper poppies that people wear on their coats. The money from the poppies helps war veterans lead a better life.
B-T rue or False. Circle the right answer.
4 a red flower that grew on the battlefields of France and Belgium
T / F Twelve men tried to destroy the King and his government. T / F The gunpowder didn’t explode. T / F Guy Fawkes escaped from the guards.
1 another name for the First World War_____________________ 2 an agreement to stop fighting between armies _____________ 3 a period of time when there is no talking and radio and TV stations become quiet ______________________________________
________________________________________________ 5 an old soldier ______________________________________
T / F Fireworks are illegal on Bonfire Night.
5 an organisation that looks after war veterans
T / F Both adults and children enjoy Bonfire Night.
_________________________________________________
International Language Campuses 18AM_FestivitySheet_USA_A4.indd 1
07.08.17 17:15