Partners
Sites We Like
Friends
Posted on Aug 12, 2010 by 
The Royal Coat of Arms of England has a specific function – it identifies the Head of State. The Head of State today is the Queen of England.
The English Lion supports the shield from the left hand side while the right is upheld by the Unicorn. In this case, the Unicorn is a symbol of Scotland.
Many people often ask why the Unicorn is shackled to the shield – is this to imply something about the relationship between England and Scotland
Alas, no, the Unicorn is chained because in the days when this coat was created, a unicorn unshackled was considered unlucky, as they were mythically very dangerous beasts!
The coat of arms features the motto of England, described below.
The Motto of England
Dieu et mon Droit is written on many things such as money and indeed, the coat of arms. It is French for ‘God and My Right’. This motto was first used by Richard I, King, in 1198. Henry VI adopted it as the motto of England later.
The Coat of Arms also includes another motto:
The Motto of the Order of the Garter:
Honi soit qui mal y pense means ‘Shamed be he who thinks ill of it’.
The shield amidst the coat of arms shows the royal emblems that refer to specific parts of the United Kingdom.
The Three lions of England, the Harp of Northern Island and the Unicorn of Scotland. The shield of England with the three lions is popular now thanks to English football.
Richard the Lionheart used the symbol originally on a scarlet backgroud. It was a symbol of power and the English Throne used extensively during the crusades.
‘England expects that every man will do his duty.’
These famous words were used by Admiral Nelson to inspire his battle squadron at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The battle was to be his last.
His death was a great loss to England. His leadership was renown for his compassion towards his men, and he was famous for the respect he gave those under him.
On the flip side, the Admiral was also known to be a glory-seeker,
sometimes being too keen to find personal honour.He was part of a large family, and joined the Royal Navy very young (at 13).By 20 years old he was already a Captain, serving all over the world. He married in 1787 and returned to England on half pay from the Navy to be with his new bride.
As a commander he was known for bold action and sometimes disregarding orders.
His occasional defiance garnered him several victories against the Spanish and also at the Battle of Copenhagen where he memorably ignored orders to cease battle by placing his telescope to his one blind eye and pretending he couldnt see the signal from the other ships.
Under his leaderhsip, the Navy proved time and again its supremacy over the French.
If you’ve ever celebrated Christmas in Britain, or with a British family, then you probably have had some experience with Christmas crackers. These are traditionally part of the Christmas dinner. These days, Christmas crackers comes in various designs but in the simplest form, a cracker is made of a cardboard tube with festive wrapping twisted in such a way that there are two ends. Two people have to pull at each end, and then it pops (cracks) to reveal the surprise inside. The pop is due to some chemically treated strip of paper inside the tube; the surprise usually a party hat or some other treat. The aim is to get the longer end of the cracker in order to “win” the treat.
Obviously, people would be wanting to get the longer end of the Christmas cracker all the time. This has led British researchers to come up with a formula that will ensure success at the table. AFP reports:
Diners are guaranteed success if they follow the formula O=11xC/L+5xQ which is based on the angle, grip and quality of the cracker. You must first multiply the circumference of the cracker in inches (C) by 11 before dividing that number by the length (L) of the barrel.
Take that total and add it to the figure you get when you multiply the quality (Q) — either 1, 2 or 3 depending on whether the cracker is cheap, standard or premium — by five, the Daily Mail said. The formula ought to produce a figure between 20 and 55 degrees, which is the optimum pulling angle (O). The cracker should also be pulled one inch from the end of the tail, newspapers said.
Too much trouble, don’t you think? Then again, if you want bragging rights, it wouldn’t hurt to practice and get it perfect for next year!
Every year, the British Royal Family spends Christmas Day walking – no, strolling – to church and back. This year, it was no different. The whole family went to St. Mary Magdalene, which is located in their estate in Norfolk. Naturally, a crowd gathered to see the nobles with their own eyes.
Tradition dictates that the entire family gather at this time of the year in Sandringham, Queen Elizabeth II’s private estate. As they walked to church, around a thousand onlookers extended their Christmas greetings to the Royal Family – either expressly or silently. Some, like Debbie Barlett, got an extra treat. Barlett is a 51-year-old carer who lives near the estate. She got a hug and a kiss from Prince William, who is third in line to the throne.
After church, the family had lunch, which is traditionally served at 1:00 pm. The traditional meal usually features a turkey (the huge kind, of course), which is raised in the estate. After lunch, everyone sits back and relaxes to watch Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day broadcast, which is aired at 3:00pm.
Opening of gifts do not happen on Christmas Day but Christmas Eve. This is another thing that the Royal Family does differently from the rest of the nation, which opens gifts on 25 December. Instead, the Royal Family follows in the footsteps of the Germans and open their gifts on Christmas Eve.
Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? I wonder if they have any secret parties that common folk like us do not hear about?
The red poppy was first used as a symbol to remember those who have died in war. Its use is attributed to Moina Bell Michael, an American teacher who raised funds for those who used to be in the military by selling silk poppies. The United States officially dubbed the silk poppy as the emblem for remembrance in 1920, and the UK followed suit a year after.
In about a week’s time, the nation will be celebrating Remembrance Day, and poppies will be all over the place yet again. Did you know that while red is the predominant colour that is used, poppies can also be worn in white and purple? White poppies trace their roots to 1933, thanks to the Women’s Cooperative Guild. The colour white stands for an end to all wars – peace. Purple poppies on the other hand are worn to commemorate animals which have fallen victim to wars.
Whichever colour of poppy you choose to wear, you should know that there is a time to wear the emblem. The norm is to wear poppies from 1 November until 11 November, which is Armistice Day. However, there are those who believe that poppies should only be worn until Remembrance Sunday.
Another thing you ought to take into consideration is where to wear your poppy – left or right? You will hear differing opinions, but the Royal British Legion maintains the stand that no place is right or wrong. What matters is that you wear that poppy with pride.
So, go ahead and get yourself a poppy and remind yourself – and everyone around you – what others have gone through and what you have to be thankful for.
Photo courtesy of The Daily Mail
Looks like I can’t seem to stop myself from writing about food…
Today, the 2009 British Food Fair opened in Taipei, Taiwan. The food fair is being overseen by the British Trade and Cultural Office, in cooperation with City’Super, a well known high end supermarket in the country. The features of the food fair are, according to BTCO Director David Campbell, “sweet and savoury products specially sourced from the United Kingdom to bring local customers the taste of traditional British culinary culture.”
Naturally, the British tradition of tea and biscuits is the focal point of the food fair. In fact, Clare Lear of the British Assistance and Services Section of BTCO gave a demonstration on how to whip up a British afternoon tea using some of the products on display in the food fair. Some of these products include tea, biscuits, sauces, and chocolate.
The food fair will run until 4 September and is being hosted by three branches of the supermarket in the city. People who visit the food fair will be in for a treat – not only because of the UK food products being presented but also because they have the chance to win a round trip ticket to the UK, a Brompton Baby Pink bicycle, and a Dyson vacuum cleaner. In addition to these, entrance tickets to the Pixar 20th anniversary exhibition are also up for grabs.
While majority of the British might not have had the chance to visit Taipei, it does give you a sense of pride to know that people on the other side of the world are interested in your culture, doesn’t it?
Today marks a special day in history. For many of the younger generation, it may not mean much more than a vague idea. Still, for many, November 11 is something that we cannot afford to forget for it marks the day that the First World War ended.
The red poppy has long been the symbol for death, life, and renewal. Three distinctly different things but all interrelated. This symbolism is attributed to Lt. Col. John McCrae who “was able to distill in a single vision the vitality of the red poppy symbol, his respect for the sacrifice made by his patients and dead comrades, and his intense feeling of obligation to them. McCrae would capture all of this in the most famous single poem of the First World War, In Flanders Fields.”
Today, the poppy remains the strongest symbolism of that war long ago. As the years pass, the memories and the implications may fade slowly for many people. Yet there are those who strive to keep the memory alive, if only to remind this generation and the coming generations of the stark horror that occurred. In this way, we hope that such a thing will never happen again.
I particularly like Jonathan Jones’s column for today. In it, he wrote:
Yet, the November rite of Remembrance, instituted to appease survivors and smooth official consciences, served its original purpose long ago. Why does it endure? Because there is nothing, nothing at all, that redeems the first world war in memory and turns it into happy lies. It is a scar, a void, a horror. In remembering it we are doing a duty to those who died with no glamour, no heroic myth, no purpose – like cattle.
The second world war killed more people but it generated myths. The first world war left no illusions standing. No myth-maker has ever been able to redeem it. In this war we therefore see the true face of all wars – the unmasked skull, rotting in a muddy trench. That’s why we should never forget it. That’s why we never can.
More than being moved, we should strive to keep the memory of the First World War alive and create something good out of it, don’t you think?
Festivals are always fun and people come from far and near to join in the festivities. In Britain, though, one of the most popular kinds of festivals is the literary festival. This is the time when people from all walks of life can come together and steep themselves in books and ideas. Literary festivals have long been part of the academic culture of the British. In the past, these festivals tended to be small and scattered all over. Today, there are huge festivals that enjoy a wider audience.
One of these literary festivals is the Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, which is currently being held. It stared on the 10th of October and will end on the 19th. There are so many events that are part of this literary festival and even the “biggest” people in Britain took part – and are taking part – in them.
The Times Online reports today:
Last Friday, Gordon Brown and Ian Dawes both came to The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. The Prime Minister arrived in a bulletproof car with outriders; Mr Dawes, a middle-aged man from York, brought his caravan; Mr Brown stayed for one hour and attended one event; Mr Dawes plans to stay for a week and has tickets for 17 events. But otherwise their intentions were identical: to plunge into books and the ferment of ideas surrounding them.
You and I may be nobodies as compared to Gordon Brown and Ian Dawes but at a literary festival, we can all be equals as we seek to immerse ourselves in the wonderful world of literature. See you there!
Festivals and feast days are always important. More than having lots of food and getting together with family and friends, feast days usually have a deeper meaning, a reason for being special. Michaelmas Day is one feast day that takes root in religious tradition.
Currently celebrated on the 29th of September, Michaelmas Day is also known as the day of St. Michael and All Angels. It is actually also observed by the Roman Catholic Church. In Britain, it is observed by the Church of England. The Book of Days provides more in depth information regarding this day:
In England, it is one of the four quarterly terms, or quarter-days, on which rents are paid, and in that and other divisions of the United Kingdom, as well as perhaps in other countries, it is the day on which burgal magistracies and councils are re-elected. The only other remarkable thing connected with the day is a widely prevalent custom of marking it with a goose at dinner.
In the old times, however, Michaelmas Day was celebrated on another date. This is what is recorded in Wikipedia:
Old Michaelmas Day falls on October 11 (October 10 according to some sources). According to an old legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date. This is because, so folklore goes, Satan was banished from Heaven on this day, fell into a blackberry bush and cursed the brambles as he fell into them. According to Morrell (1977), this old legend is well-known in all parts of the United Kingdom, even been known as far north as the Orkney Islands.
Today, it is still widely celebrated and the goose is still the centerpiece of the feast.
Take a step back in time and imagine children and other people having to clean chimneys – they were called sweeps back then. As you can imagine, it was a hard and dirty job. Yet those people found time to enjoy themselves as each year, they would have a festival to enjoy themselves. This tradition has roots from 300 years ago. Back then, they would celebrate on the first of May with processions on the streets. The main focus of the procession would be the Jack-in-the-Green, a seven foot mascot which represented the coming of spring. He was also called the Green Man.
Today, one of the most famous sweeps festivals is held every year in Rochester. Each year, countless dance troupes gather at the above mentioned location to hold a modern version of the sweeps festival. The modern festival has three main parts.
The initial part of the festival begins at the Bluebell Hill, where the Green Man is awakened. This happens on May 1st, at dawn. Dancing and other fun activities then ensue, with many people heading on to the pubs. The various dance groups show off their skill and other musical groups perform as well. This goes on throughout the whole weekend.
There are other two highlights of the festival, namely the Sweeps Ball held at the Corn Exchange and the Final Procession, which is held on the following Monday (considered a Bank Holiday). The focus of the parade are the sweeps – which are children dressed as chimney sweeps. If you want to have good luck, then try getting a sweep to kiss you!
