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Don’ts: taboos; what you are strongly recommended not to do in Britain

Do not greet people with a kiss:

The English only kiss people who are close friends and relatives.

Avoid talking loudly in public.
It is impolite to stare at anyone in public. Privacy in England is highly regarded.
Do not ask a lady her age.
Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging. This is only done among close friends.
It is impolite to speak with your mouth full of food.
Do not ask personal or intimate questions. The English like privacy. Please do not ask questions such as "How much money do you earn?" "How much do you weigh?" or "Why aren't you married?"

TIME TO SPEAK

1. Which British DOs and DON’Ts are similar to those in Russia?

2. Which are different?

3. Do you know rules of behavior and taboos in any other countries?

4. Why not make a similar list for visitors to our country?

Unit XI. SUPERSTITIONS IN BRITAIN

QUESTION TIME

Think about any superstitions you know that are common in Russia.

Which of them do you personally believe in?

Read about popular superstitions in Britain and be ready to discuss them.

Superstition can be defined as, "a belief that things such as magic or luck have the power to affect your life" (Macmillan English Dictionary).

TIME FOR READING

General Superstitions

Good Luck

Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England.
Lucky to touch wood. We touch; knock on wood, to make something come true.
Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.
White heather is lucky.
A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horseshoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horseshoe if it is upside down.
On the first day of the month it is lucky to say "white rabbits, white rabbits white rabbits," before uttering your first word of the day.
Catch falling leaves in autumn and you're having good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year.
Cut your hair when the moon is waxing and you're having good luck.
Putting money in the pocket of new clothes brings good luck.

Bad Luck

Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder.
Unlucky to see one magpie, lucky to see two, etc.
Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck.
Unlucky to open an umbrella in doors.
The number thirteen is unlucky. Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day. Friday is considered to be an unlucky day because Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

Table Superstitions

If you drop a table knife expect a male visitor, if you drop a fork a female visitor.

Cross cutlery on your plate and expect a quarrel.

Animal Superstitions

Animals feature a lot in British superstitions as they do in superstitions around the world.

One ancient British superstition holds that if a child rides on a bear's back it will be protected from whooping-cough.

In some parts of the UK meeting two or three Ravens together is considered really bad. One very English superstition concerns the tame Ravens at the Tower of London. It is believed if they leave then the crown of England will be lost.

It is said to be bad luck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. In the middle ages it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats.

In some areas black Rabbits are thought to host the souls of human beings. White Rabbits are said to be really witches and some believe that saying 'White Rabbit' on the first day of each month brings luck. A common lucky charm is a Rabbit's foot, but not for the Rabbit.

It is thought very unlucky to have the feathers of a Peacock within the home or handle anything made with them. This is possibly because of the eye shape present upon these feathers i.e. the Evil-Eye associated with wickedness.

DID YOU GET IT?

Say which of the situations happened to Jane refer to good luck and which to bad luck.

Jane usually spends summer in the countryside and she often takes a walk to the meadow where once she found a clover plant with four leaves.
Once Jane noticed that a horseshoe hanging over the door in her house is upside down.
In September walking in the park Jane caught some falling leaves.
Once Jane looked out of the window and saw a flock of magpies on the tree.
Once at the exam in Economics Jane got an examination card number thirteen.
Yesterday coming back from University Jane was a bit frightened by a big black cat crossing her road.
Jane has a charm on her bag. It is a Rabbit's foot.

TIME FOR DISCUSSION

1. Which British superstitions are similar to those in your country?

2. Which are different?

3. Do you know anything about the origins of some of the superstitions in your country?

4. Can you give the definition of "superstition"?

5. Do you believe that superstitions can influence our lives? Why, or why not?

Unit XII. ROYAL TRADITIONS AND CEREMONIES

QUESTION TIME

You know that the UK is a constitutional monarchy. The monarch and royal family are an integral part of British way of living, they play an important role in British social life and in some way are symbols of the nation for foreigners. What do you know about British monarch and royal traditions? Discuss the question with your group mates and check the answers after reading the text.

TIME FOR READING

Read the text about royal traditions. Why do they attract Londoners and tourists?

London is a royal city and has preserved its ceremonies and traditions over hundreds of years. Some are every day and some are every year. The most traditional ceremonies and most popular attractions are described below.

Trooping of the Colour

The Queen is the only person in Britain having two birthdays. Her real birthday is on April 21^st, but the Queen has also an official birthday on the second Saturday in June which is celebrated each year with a military parade and march-past, known as Trooping the Colour (Carrying of the Flag). Each June, the Queen and other members of the Royal Family attend the Trooping the Colour ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall* in London. The Queen attends the ceremony to take the salute from thousands of guardsmen who parade the Colour (their regiment's flag). The Queen's birthday parade is the biggest royal event of the year. Thousands of Londoners and visitors watch in Horse Guards’ Parade* and millions of people at home watch it on television.

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*Whitehall - Уайтхолл (улица в Лондоне, на которой расположены правительственные учреждения)

*Horse Guards [´hƆsֽgɑ:dz] - королевская конная гвардия

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