SIX TERRIBLY BRITISH JOBS

The English are a strange mixture of modernity and tradition.

Their traditions are very important to the British; they are deeply attached to them.

At the Tower of London, it is easy to recognize the BEEFEATERS, who guard the Tower of London. One of them has a special responsibility : the Raven Master. He looks after the ravens (=corbeaux) who live in the Tower..... and a legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower, England will fall !

Ready for Court ! In England, JUDGES and LAWYERS still wear wigs (= perruques) in court. The company that makes them dates back to 1726! There are 3 types of legal wigs. They are made of bleached white horsehair, and every one takes four weeks to make.

GUARDS. The guards that you see in ceremonies spend hours preparing their uniforms. Their boots are so high that it is difficult for them to walk normally!

MILKMEN. In Britain, milkmen bring fresh milk to your door every morning. They also bring bread, butter, eggs.....this helps old people.

NANNIES. British nannies are employed by families all over the world. They are a typical British ‘export product’. At a special school, nannies learn how to teach children to be good, what to do when they are ill, how to amuse them and to cook for them,too.

BIG BEN and the CLOCK TOWER. Specialists come to work on the Clock Tower at the Houses of Parliament every day. At diffferent times, the clock has stopped because workmen have left things in the mechanism; because of snow; and because some birds sat on the hands (= les aiguilles)!!

From “I love English” Sept/Oct.1996.(n°41)

CELEBRATIONS AND FESTIVALS

GUY FAWKES ‘S DAY AND NIGHT

WHEN ? On the fifth of November

WHERE ? In Great Britain

November 5^th is Guy Fawkes ‘s Day in Britain. All over the country, people build wood fires or ‘bonfires’ in their gardens. On top of each bonfire is a guy. That’s a figure of Guy Fawkes. People make guys with straw, old clothes and newspapers.

But how did this tradition start ? Who was Guy Fawkes and why do the British remember him on November 5^th ?

In 1605, Guy Fawkes, who was a Catholic, decided to kill the King, James I, who was a Protestant. He and his friends planned to blow up the Parliament buildings when the King was there to open the Parliament on November the fifth. The plotters hoped that in the confusion after the explosion and the murder of the king, English Catholics would be able to take over the country. But the king’s soldiers arrested them in a cellar with 36 barrels of gunpowder and executed them.

How do British children celebrate Guy Fawkes ‘s night, today ?

British children make an effigy of the “Guy” with old clothes. They walk round the streets with the effigy, and ask the people for money :

‘A penny for the Guy, please !’

With the money they buy fireworks. Then, they collect wood and paper and make a big fire : it is called a bonfire. They put the Guy on top of the bonfire and light it.

When the fire is burning the children stand or sit near it; they cook jacket potatoes and sausages in the fire. Then, they eat the hot food and their parents light the fireworks.

It’s a great night !

Game / Give the right words and find out the mystery word !

1. It’s an animal (its meat is used for sausages)-plural form : - - - -

2. This is the eleventh month of the year : - - - - - - - -

3. Cook these on the bonfire : - - - - - - - -

4. Guy’s last name : - - - - - -

The mystery word is : - - - -

HALLOWE ‘EN

Jack O’ Lantern, un Irlandais qui voulait pactiser avec le diable, se vit condamner à errer pour l’éternité, éclairé par un feu follet emprisonné dans une citrouille (a pumpkin). Voilà l’une des curieuses légendes celtes que l’on évoque pour Hallowe’en, cette grande fête qui se célèbre dans les pays anglo-saxons, le 31 octobre.

 Hallowe’en is a very old festival celebrated in lots of countries all around the world but what do you know about Hallowe’en ?

WHEN ?

WHERE ?

WHAT ?

HOW ?

 On the 31^st of October, the night before All Saints’ Day, Americans, Scots and Irish people celebrate Hallowe’en : they dress up as witches and ghosts, sometimes skeletons, have parties, tell ghost stories and play games (usually scary games).

Americans spend a lot of money for sweets, cards, costumes and decorations. They decorate the houses, make jack’o-lanterns (they cut faces in pumpkins or turnips and put candles inside), scarecrows.

 After school, kids run home to put on their costumes : witches, ghosts and monsters and others. Then, they go from house to house saying : ‘Trick or Treat?’. People give them sweets, chocolate, toffees ; if they don’t, the children play tricks on them !!

A tongue twister ? (the “h” sound) Henry, Hippopotamus and Hilary Horse hide a haunted house at Hallowe’en !

WORK AND PLAY ON HALLOWE’EN DAY

 Read this letter and fill in the blanks; the missing words are connected to the celebration of Hallowe’en.

Hi !

Yesterday was O-------- , the – and we celebrated --------------. It was fun! Here at home, my parents organized a big ---------------- and invited a lot of friends. They all wore scary----------------! We decoreted the house with ------lanterns and played games. I went ------------------or--------------- with some schoolmates. We got lots of --------------------! My dentist says they are bad for my teeth, but it’s so delicious!

I was -------------------------as a skeleton and nobody could recognize me. Mum had a ------------------costume but of course she didn’t ride on a broomstick! Dad put on a white cloth to look like a --------------. The neighbour took terrific photos!!

Some little children were --------------------when they saw us and cried, but for us it was good to act -------------------.

WORD GAME / Find the mystery word : (to help you, go and see the verses Hallowe’en Night)

1. On October 31^st - - - - - - - - -

2. It’s very good - - - -

3. A black animal - - -

4. After September - - - - - - -

5. Between two and four - - - - -

The mystery word is J--- - -------

A RECIPE for surprise sweets ?

Ingredients : 100g cream cheese, 500g icing sugar, peppermint essence, Tabasco sauce, blue food colouring, red food colouring.

1. Mix the cream cheese and 400g of the icing sugar in a bowl. Add a few drops of blue and red food colouring to get a nice violet colour.

2. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls.

3. Take bowl 1 and add a teaspoonful of Tabasco sauce. Mix well and slowly add more icing sugar until you get a biscuit cinsistency.

4. Take bowl 2 and add a few drops of peppermint essence. Slowly add more icing sugar until you get a biscuit consistency.

5. Roll out the mixture from bowl 1 into a thin layer. Cut into individual sweets using small biscuit cutters. Place on a piece of greaseproof paper to dry.

6. Repeat step 5 for bowl 2.

7. When the surface of the sweets is totally dry, serve them together on the same plate, and have fun watching your friends’ faces !!

SCARY VERSES AND SONGS FOR HALLOWE’EN

 HALLOWE’EN NIGHT

It’s Hallowe’en night

And the witches are out,

Ghosts and spiders and big black cats,

Jack-O’Lanterns and scary bats,

It’s creepy, it’s creepy!

When it’s Hallowe’en night

And the witches are out,

Go in your houses and shout, shout, shout....

It’s creepy. It’s CREEPY !

It’s Hallowe’en Night and it’s creepy !...

 SPIDER ......

 I’m a spider on your head,

I’m a skeleton in your bed

(Chorus) Hello, hello

Good-bye, good-bye

Happy Hallowe’en.

I’m a cat on your head,

I’m a ghost in your bed.

I’m a witch on your head,

I’m a pumpkin in your bed.

THRILLS

I know a house,

It’s a nice old house

It’s a nice old house

In a square.

It’s a nice old house

And in that house,

You can SEE lots of things,

You can FEEL lots of things,

You can HEAR lots of things

Which aren’t there.

And in that house, that old old house,

There’s a witch and a pumpkin,

A ghost and a black cat, a vampire,

A monster, a skeleton wearing a hat,

And in that old house,

There’s a funny old ghost

And he is just

BEHIND YOUR CHAIR !!!

 

1. Put the flour in a bowl; make a hole in the center, and put the butter, the salt and sugar there.
2. Mix with your fingers, then add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing them in well. Put the dough, covered, in the refrigerator for one hour.
3. Roll out the dough, cut out stars, bells, Christmas trees, etc...with a knife, and place them on a buttered baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180° (thermostat 5-6). 
5. Powder the hot cookies with the icing sugar that you have colored with a green or red food-coloring, and press the sugar in with your fingers.

                 SAINT PATRICK’ S DAY.

Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary who converted Ireland from paganism.

Saint Patrick’s Day in on the 17^th of March. It is the National Day in Ireland. On that day, there are parades in the streets and people wear green : green clothes, green hats and shamrocks.

The flag of the Republic of Ireland has 3 colours :

• green represents the Irish Catholics

• orange represents the Irish Protestants

• white represents the hope for peace between them.

A Song for Saint Patrick’s Day

I’m looking for a leprechaun,

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

I’m looking for a leprechaun,

Do you know where he has gone ?

He wears a suit that’s made of green,

Made of green, made of green,

He wears a suit that’s made of green,

Do you know where he ‘s gone ?

If you see a leprechaun,

Leprechaun, leprechaun,

If you see a leprechaun,

Please tell me where he has gone !

WHO ARE THE LEPRECHAUNS ?

The Leprechaun is Ireland’s national fairy. Leprechauns are represented as shoemakers and are often drunk. They are guardians of ancient treasures left by the Danes and keep gold coins in pots that they hide at the end of a rainbow. If you catch a leprechaun, he will promise you pots of gold if you let him go !...

A Recipe : make Irish cookies for St Patrick’s Day

For 20 cookies, you need : 200g flour, 200g butter, 200g sugar,

50g ground chestnuts, 75g icing sugar, 2 teaspoonfuls of mint syrup.

1.Mix the flour and the butter. Add the sugar and the chestnut.

2.Roll out and put in the fridge.

3.Cut into shamrock shapes.

4.Bake in the oven (175°) for 15 minutes.

5.Mix 75g of icing sugar with 3 teaspoonfuls of water. Add 2 teaspoonfuls of mint syrup and mix.

6.Put the green icing on the cookies when they are cold.

GOOD BRITISH FOOD

Eggs and bacon for breakfast,

With some toast and tea,

For lunch I want some fish and chips

With salt and vinegar.

My sister says it’s not very good

To eat fried food,

But it’s the food I love to eat.

It’s good British food !

Good British food indeed !

At four o’clock I have some scones,

With lots of jam and cream,

And then for tea I have roast beef

With mash and nice green peas.

My brother says it’s not very good

To just eat British food,

But he knows that I love to eat

My good British food!

Good British food indeed!

Eggs and bacon, fish and chips,

Scones with jam and cream,

Roast beef and mashed potatoes,

With nice green peas!

From EASY STREET n°1, 2004

Find the mystery word :

1. For breakfast I have it with eggs : -----

2. This is nice with chips : ----

3. This is ------- food!

4. They are green : ----

5. I have it with eggs, bacon and tea :-----

The mystery word is _________________ .