Guy who what? Strangers to British culture might very well have that reaction – I know a couple who said exactly that. Well, Guy Fawkes Night is a night of celebration traditional to the United Kingdom. It is also called Bonfire Night, Cracker Night, and Fireworks Night – more common terms used for the same event, actually.
Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated annually on the night of November 5 and is done so because of an even that occurred on the same day in 1605. On this evening, Guy Fawkes and a group of Roman Catholic conspirators carried out an attempt to bomb the House of Parliament in London. The attempt was dubbed the Gunpowder Plot and was subsequently quelled.
Though Guy Fawkes Night is primarily celebrated in the UK, previous colonies also hold their own versions of the celebration. These countries include Canada, New Zealand, British Caribbean, and Australia.
In the UK, people across the country hold celebrations both as public and private occasions. The highlight of the celebrations is to set off fireworks and build bon fires wherein “guys” are burnt. The guys are supposed to be effigies of Guy Fawkes and his group of men.
There are also certain dishes that are served on this night. These include bon fire toffee, parkin, toffee apples, baked potatoes, and black peas with vinegar.
Different areas have their own different versions of celebrating Guy Fawkes Night but the common theme is to have a night of revelry across the country.
Stonehenge is probably one of the most recognised sites in the world. Once people see a picture of Stonehenge, the image probably rings a bell even if they might not know exactly what it is. As a matter of fact, Stonehenge is a monument that dates back to prehistoric times. It can be found on Wiltshire in England.
Based on Wikipedia’s description, Stonehenge is:
one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. Archaeologists believe that the standing stones were erected around 2200 BC and the surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury henge monument, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.
The current structure than can be found on the site has actually been renovated several times already. It was first examined in 1666 but the first major restoration was carried out only in 1901. This was done by William Gowland. About 2 decades later, in 1920, William Hawley carried out another restoration. In 1958, another restoration was done and the last one was in 1963. Since then, no more restorations were tried but many excavations have been carried out.
To date, Stonehenge remains one of the most popular tourist sites in the area.
Music lovers are sure to find the Glastonbury Festival something to look forward to. The UK has long been known to be home to some of the world’s best musical acts. Whether they are groups (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Oasis) or individuals (Sir Elton John, Amy Winehouse), the British is no doubt quite excellent in the musical arena.
This June, music enthusiasts should head on over to the Worthy Farm at Somerset outside of Glastonbury. Every year for the last 30 years, the Glastonbury Festival has been held in this area, making it into a modern day Woodstock of sorts.
Ferne Arfin describes the Glastobury Festival:
This 30-year old festival is a bit like an English Woodstock with cherries on top. There’s a famous Pyramid Stage, smaller venues, camping, food, a kids Glastonbury and every kind of music imaginable. There are at least seven main stages, circus tent and theatre and loads of Greenfield activities. The weather usually turns it into a huge mud bath. And if you don’t have the stamina for three solid days of partying, don’t come.
Indeed, this event is not for the faint of heart or timid of spirit. If you are looking to attending the festival, you ought to be prepared to be expending a whole lot of energy for the whole duration of your stay.
This year’s festival is set for June 27 till June 29. Registration is required so I suggest you visit the official web site for the last chance to grab tickets.
I honestly would not have known what people were talking about if I heard them say “swan upping.” Quite logically, it must have something to do with swans. But what about swans?
Well, in the UK, swan upping is somewhat of an important event. It is actually an activity that has a dual purpose – both ceremonial and practical. Every year, the mute swans in the River Thames are rounded up and then marked and then released back to the “wild.” Swan upping is normally held around the third week of July.
Tradition has it that there are three groups of people involved in the activity. There are the Queen’s Swan Uppers, the Vintners’ Swan Uppers, and the Dyers’ Swan Uppers. These three groups come from a 15th Century Charter wherein two Livery companies in London had the right to share the ownership of the swans with the royalty. As such, these three groups would comb the River Thames in an effort to mark which swans would belong to which group.
So how are the swans marked? The swans caught by the Queen’s Swan Uppers would not be marked. The swans caught by the Vintners’ Swan Uppers would be ringed on both legs. The swans caught by the Dyers’ Swan Uppers would be ringed on one leg.
It used to be that the swans were caught and marked for practical purposes – to be eaten eventually. Today, however, the swans are rarely eaten, except perhaps during State Banquets.
There are countless different types of beers in the UK – it would take hours and hours of reading and writing to detail each and every one of them. So, I took the easy way out and looked for a broader classification of the beers to be found in the UK. One good way to find out more about this beverage is to look at the different regions and see what they have to offer in terms of beer.
The Black Country
This area is known for being industrial in nature and includes Wolverhampton and the West Midlands. The Black Country is best known for its Mild Ales, which was the traditional drink for industrial workers after a hard day’s work. The area is still known for the Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries which currently produce mild ales as well as strong pale ales.
Kent and Surrey
Hops is the key word for Kent, which produces ales with the undeniable flavor of hop. Surrey, on the other hand, is quite famous for TEA. No, it’s not the traditional English breakfast drink but TEA as in Traditional English Ale.
London
Care to have a Porter? Not the guy who lugs your stuff around, but the well known type of beer that London is most known for. Porter was first brewed in the 1700s in the East End of the city and is still popular these days.
Scotland
Scotland in itself offers a wide variety of beers. The Caledonian Brewery is known to have made the strongest impact on the image of Scottish beer and anything from this brewery is nothing but excellent.
Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. It may not be as festive as Christmas, but its meaning never ceases to make me pause for a while and reassess my beliefs once again. In the UK, Easter does not mean differently from how other culture perceives it. The tradition of Easter lies basically in the same ideology – the crucifixion of Christ.
In the UK, Easter can be celebrated during different periods of the year. It ranges from the end of March to the end of April. The Friday before and the Monday after Easter are both considered bank holidays, giving an additional bonus for people who wish to have an extended break. The Friday before Easter is called Good Friday. This is the day when Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. Services are held in churches all over the country and it is considered a day of mourning as well.
The day before Good Friday is called Maundy Thursday and focuses more on the Last Supper of Christ. There is a special ceremony in the UK, called the Ceremony of the Royal Maundy, wherein the Queen participates in distributing Maundy Money to senior citizens who are considered of exceptional worth to their community.
Though Easter has its roots in religious activities, there are many people today who celebrate it for less spiritual reasons. It is also considered a time to take a break from daily living and time to spend with family and friends.
Hot Cross Buns and Easter
Comments (2) 
Posted on Mar 13, 2008 by Jodie in English Cuisine, English Culture, English Traditions
Shame on me – I never really associated this delectable baked goodie with Easter until I read Julie’s post about it in her blog, A Mingling of Tastes. She shares:
Even though I was Catholic growing up, I probably never would have eaten a hot cross bun if it weren’t for that cute little song , which I probably learned in pre-school or someplace like that. With such a catchy tune running through my head, I naturally wanted to eat a hot cross bun. Luckily, a bakery near our house made them during lent, and I remember liking the sweet little yeast rolls studded with bits of fruit and spices.
What we know as a hot cross bun became popular in Tudor England in the 1500s, but the pagan inhabitants of the British Isles probably made similar bread marked with a cross to honor Eostre, their goddess of light for whom Easter was named, according to the Oxford Companion to Food. This tradition of offering bread to the gods goes back to the Greeks and Romans and even further to the Egyptians who took a great leap toward modern civilization when they traded blood sacrifices for far less messy offerings of bread.
Today, hot cross buns aren’t really an offering, but a traditional holiday food eaten on Good Friday (also known as “the day of the cross”) and throughout Lent to remind us of Jesus’ cross.
Like her, I probably first heard of the buns from that nursery rhyme that every little kid knows. What I didn’t know was their pagan origins. Oh well, the buns are good. Why not try serving them come Good Friday? Julie shares a recipe in her blog as well.
Ever heard of this? If you’re not British then the chances are that you have not. Simnel cake is traditionally considered to be especially associated with Easter in Britain. Though not everyone has a Simnel cake for Easter anymore, they can still be seen in shops during this particular season.
Simnel cake is actually a rich fruity cake which has its roots in the old days when common people worked as servants for the rich and powerful. In those days, around the 17th century, maid servants usually lived in the house of their masters and were allowed Sundays off. On the 4th Sunday of the Lent, they were allowed to make a rich fruity cake (the Simnel cake) and take it to their mothers. The highlight of this cake was 11 marzipan balls which were represented the 11 apostles of Christ – note that one is missing, representing Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Want to know how make simnel cake? Try this recipe from Eat The Blog:
½ cup butter
1-cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup brandy
1 ½ cups applesauce
1-pound raisins
1 cup diced glace cherries
1 cup diced candied peel
1 cup diced citron
2 cups chopped dates
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a large springform pan (2 ½-3 quart)
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients. Reserve three tablespoons for later. Mix the fruits well in another bowl. Stir the flour into the eggs/butter mixture alternating with brandy. Toss the fruit with the reserved flour and stir into mixture. Spoon into pan and just to be safe, place pan on a baking sheet. Bake about 1-½ hours, though mine took nearly two hours. Cool, remove from pan and cool completely on rack.
Make recipe for buttercream. Make the twelve balls first (with a few extra for mistakes) and set in freezer to be dipped. Roll out remaining buttercream and top cake. Finish dipping buttercream balls in white chocolate and set atop cake using eleven balls to represent the true Apostles (leave Judas off) and wrap in a bow if you like (hopefully you make nicer bows than I ).
Are you? Then I suggest going out of your comfort zone (I am assuming the cities) and foray out into the countryside. There is no doubt that you can find a lot of good food in the cities – many of which may come from other cultures due to the large number of immigrants. However, if you want a real taste of British cooking, you may want to try going outside of the city.
If you think about it, the same thing applies to many other countries. The cities become melting pots of a large number of different cultures. As a result, the cuisine is also affected. However, when you go out into the countryside, the traditions are kept more solidly and you get a true taste of that country’s cooking.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises – pleasant at that – that you will stumble upon is the English breakfast. If you think that nothing can be heavier than your breakfast at home, then visit and English bed and breakfast and order their fare. You will be served hefty dishes of fried bread, fried eggs, fried bacon, and even fried tomatoes! It may not sound healthy but it sure does taste great! Of course, the traditional English breakfast tea will be part of the deal. You can always opt for coffee but I suggest that you do it as the English do – with a hot cup of tea mixed with milk and sugar. Oh, before I forget, be ready to ingest potatoes in one form or another – they’re part of the whole package.
Every year, many families in Britain make it a point to go out of town for the holidays – much like people in other countries, as a matter of fact. For this year, today marks the beginning of a mass exodus out of the major cities into the countryside, spilling over to the bordering countries.
Despite the price of petrol, which has skyrocketed to astronomical amounts in the past year, it seems that a large number of motorists are still going to be on the road. According to a survey conducted by RAC, the estimated number of cars that will be on the road during this season total to about 18 million!
On the other hand, the survey also found out that majority of the motorists is planning to cut their road trips over the next several days. This is mainly due to the high prices of petrol.
Another factor that might make road trips a bit complicated today and in the next several days is the fact that the rail network is due for repairs. This of course means that more people will be forced to travel by car and traverse the roads.
So where are the Britons going during the Christmas season? Though a large number still stick to the traditional celebrations – that is, visiting family members and friends – a considerable number are also opting to go down south where the sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. Who can blame them? Rather than stressing over visits to in-laws, who wouldn’t choose a tropical Christmas instead?
- English Cuisine
- English Culture
- English Education
- English Language
- English Life
- English News
- English Pets
- English Places
- English Sports
- English Traditions
- General
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- car donations
- Lower My Payment
- Ford Direct
- flights to london
Categories
Archives
Sponsors
Feeds
Metrics
Powered by WordPress | Custom theme by Randa Clay | Copyright © English Blog | Top