Strange British Customs
Shrove Tuesday. Once a year it is the custom for women to cook flat cakes in a frying pan, and run down the street, throwing the pancakes into the air, and catching them in the pans.
Morris dancing. Sometimes men tie bells onto their legs and dance in the streets, waving their handkerchiefs in the air.
Maypole. It is an old custom to tie ribbons to a tall post, and dance around it until all the ribbons are wound round it.
Halloween Traditions. It is the custom on one day in the year to put apples into a bowl full of water, and try to pick them with your teeth.
Midsummer fairs. Sometimes two young men sit over a river on a long pole, which has been covered in grease, and try to knock each other off it by hitting each other with pillows.
Nettle-eating. There's a nettle-eating contest in Britain every year. The contestants try to eat as many nettles as they can.
Swan Upping. Here's a very different royal tradition. On the River Thames there are hundreds of swans. A lot of these beautiful white birds belong, traditionally, to the King or Queen. In July the young swans on the Thames are about two months old. Then the Queen's swan keeper goes, in a boat, from London Bridge to Henley.' He looks at all the young swans and marks the royal ones.
The State Opening of Parliament. Parliament controls modern Britain. But traditionally the Queen opens Parliament every autumn. She travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold carriage — the Irish State Coach. At the Houses of Parliament the Queen sits on a throne in the House of Lords. Then she reads the Queen's Speech. At the State Opening of Parliament the Queen wears a crown and crown jewels.
Up-Helly-Aa The Shetlands are islands near Scotland. In the ninth century the Vikings from Norway came to the Shetlands. They came to Britain in ships and took away gold, animals and sometimes people. Now, 1000 years later, people in the Shetlands remember the Vikings with the festival, which they call "Up-Helly-Aa". Every winter people of Zerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands, make a model of a Viking longship with the head of a dragon at the front. Then, on Up-Helly-Aa night in January, the Shetlanders dress in Viking clothes and carry the ship through the town to the sea and burn it there. The festival is a party for the people of the Shetland Islands.
Cheese rolling. Of all Britain s famous customs and traditions, cheese rolling is probably the strangest — and certainly the most spectacular Every year, large crowds of people gather at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire to watch the Cheese Rolling Championship. A group of brave (and crazy) people roll a large cheese down the hill, and then run down after it. In theory, competitors must catch the cheese, but as it can reach speeds up to 70 miles an hour, this rarely happens. Cheese Rolling is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain. It's been going on for hundreds of years and nobody knows when it first started. The master of the ceremonies must wear a white coat, ribbons and a top hat. He starts the event with the traditional signal: 'One to be ready, two to be steady, three to prepare -and FOUR to be off. 'In the past the cheese-rolling day also included a fair that took place at the top of the hill. Four races are held on the day: three for men and one for women. There are also uphill races for children and the really fit. Cheese Rolling is a dangerous sport. There is usually an ambulance at the event - to treat people with sprained ankles, black eyes and sometimes more serious injuries. Oh, and what's the prize for winning in this 'extreme' sport? You get to keep the cheese!
Balloon Fiesta. If you love stories by Jules Verne and have always dreamt of going for a ride in a hot air balloon, England is the country for you. Every August England celebrates the biggest hot air balloon festival in Europe. The festival takes place in Bristol, a world centre for ballooning and is called the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. The festival was founded 25 years ago and has an amazing history. It began in 1978 when Don Cameron, owner of the world's largest balloon manufacturer, Cameron Balloons, decided to create an event that would help balloonists from all over the world to get together. Of course, the main condition for the festival to be successful is not good management but the weather, which, as you all know, is England's worst enemy. Nobody in the whole world knows how many wonderful hopes and events have been ruined by its Majesty the Rain.
Highland game. In the 11th century, Scottish King Malcolm III organised contests in a Scottish village called Braemar to find the strongest and fastest men in his kingdom. Those who were the strongest became the king's bodyguards and those who were the fastest became his messengers. The Highland Games were very spectacular and many people came to Braemar when the contest was held. Some wanted to take part, others just came as visitors.
The caber toss is considered the most impressive at the Highland games.
The stone put is another important event.
In the hammer throw, athletes throw a Scottish hammer.