There are many British traditions celebrated across the UK, however there are also many traditions specific to each nation within the UK, Here, we will look at some traditions specific to England.
Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night, also called Guy Fawkes, is celebrated in several countries with a British tradition, like Australia or New Zealand, but the celebrations in England are the biggest.
Guy Fawkes is the name of a Catholic man who lived about 400 years ago and is famous for trying to kill James 1st, King of England and Ireland, and Scotland. Guy Fawkes’ plan was to blow up the parliament building with gunpowder explosives when the king was inside. This plan was discovered, however, and Guy Fawkes was arrested then executed.
Nowadays, every year on November 5th, people in England have festivals in their towns and burn a doll of Guy Fawkes on a big fire – a bonfire – and also let off fireworks.
British Hills holds a small Bonfire Night celebration every year around November 5th too. Here is a video from British Hills' 2016 Bonfire Night!
Guy Fawkes is the name of a Catholic man who lived about 400 years ago and is famous for trying to kill James 1st, King of England and Ireland, and Scotland. Guy Fawkes’ plan was to blow up the parliament building with gunpowder explosives when the king was inside. This plan was discovered, however, and Guy Fawkes was arrested then executed.
Nowadays, every year on November 5th, people in England have festivals in their towns and burn a doll of Guy Fawkes on a big fire – a bonfire – and also let off fireworks.
British Hills holds a small Bonfire Night celebration every year around November 5th too. Here is a video from British Hills' 2016 Bonfire Night!
Morris Dancing
Morris dancing is a very old type of traditional English dancing. The dancers wear bells on their legs to create a jingling sound when they move. They also wear traditional hats, belts and other unique clothes.
Morris Dancing is practised across England for seasonal events, and there are about six main styles. The dancers usually dance to music played on a piano accordion or similar musical instrument.
Cheese rolling
Another strange British tradition is chasing a round of cheese down a steep hill. The Cotswold's cheese-rolling event held on Cooper’s Hill in Gloustershire attracts thousands of people every year. A big circle of cheese is rolled down the hill and everyone chases after it. The cheese bounces very high and rolls very fast – it can go up to a speed of 110kmh!
The first person to catch the cheese is the winner of the event. They have to take their shirt off and run back up to the top of the hill holding the cheese. Why?... No one knows.
The cheese chase looks fun, but many people are injured every year, getting knocked-out or broken bones, so please be careful if you ever decide to join this event!
The first person to catch the cheese is the winner of the event. They have to take their shirt off and run back up to the top of the hill holding the cheese. Why?... No one knows.
The cheese chase looks fun, but many people are injured every year, getting knocked-out or broken bones, so please be careful if you ever decide to join this event!
Worksheet
How much do remember of the information above? Test yourself below!
Download the worksheet by clicking the image above
