St.Valentine's DayАвтор: Кушнир МарияХМАО-ЮГРА, Тюменская область, город Ханты-МансийскМБОУ «Средняя общеобразовательная школа» №3 , 8 класс «А»Наставник: Леготина Галина Юрьевна«Детский международный конкурс презентаций «Holiday Parade. Парад праздников»

The Great Britain is the country where people make the thrifty use of the past. Honor traditions of ancestors exist even in the century of Speed and Computer.

The holiday of all lovers in Great Britain has been celebrated for four centuries. Therefore, there are some certain ceremonies. I wanted very much to know how modern England celebrates St. Valentine's Day and what has remained from ancient traditions of the holiday of all lovers. Even the first Valentine's Day cards, which are exchangeв by lovers on February 14, were created in England.

A little from history

St. Valentine's Day which has and had a reputation of great martyrs. There are some versions of origin of this holiday.

○ One legend says that at the time of the Roman emperor Claudius II, who forbade to marry, the priest by the name of Valentine secretly gave the nuptial benediction to loving couples. When Claudius II knew about it, he ordered to arrest Valentine. At night before execution the priest reported a note for the beloved, having subscribed "From your Valentine".

Role of English classics

The first literary note on St. Valentine's Day as a romantic event appeared in 1382 thanks to the English poet Jeffrey Chaucer. In the poem "Parlement of Foules" in honor of the anniversary of the engagement of the king Richard II and Anna Bogemskoy, he wrote:

For this was on seynt Volantynys day

Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

William Shakespeare also mentioned St. Valentine's Day in Ophelia's lips: Tomorrow is Saint Valentine’s day, All in the morning betime,  And I a maid at your window,  To be your Valentine.

Traditions It appears, girls of Great Britain are so sentimental that most

strongly believe in fortune-telling on St. Valentine's Day.

Girls, who have not married yet, wake up on this day before sunrise. They believe that the first man, whom they will meet on a way, will take them as a wife within a year.

In Derbshira (in the central part of England) unmarried girls repeat certain verses at midnight. After this simple procedure the true love surely comes.

Unmarried girls also write names of all, who are pleasant to them, on a paper and throw it into water. The paper rising on a surface will show a name of a future husband.

In the English county of Norfolk there are long traditions of celebration of St. Valentine's Day. They have the eve of St. Valentine's Day .

There is a mythical character – Jack Valentine. Inhabitants of the county look forward to his coming. Jack Valentine's arrival is associated with gifts which lovers exchange secretly. Jack Valentine silently approaches to a back door of a house, leaves a gift on a ladder, knocks at a door and disappears quickly.

In the County of Sussex St. Valentine's Day is called the day of bird's weddings. People bake rolls with raisin and plums, strew them with caraway seeds. This part of a holiday became a tradition thanks to the poem of Jeffrey Chaucer "Bird's parliament".

In the County of Wales there is one more St. Valentine's Day - the Day of St. Duynven celebrated on January 25. The holiday is similar to St. Valentine's Day. St.Duynven was the inhabitant of Wales in the fifth century. She was the most charming of all daughters of the governor of the kingdom. She fell in love with a beautiful young man Maylon. Father Duynven opposed to the marriage of the daughter. The girl swore that she would never marry the other one. God gave an assignment to make her the patroness of all lovers.

Gifts

It is interesting that on St. Valentine's Day the British congratulate not only the beloved. There it is accepted to give gifts and to favourite domestic pets.

Each English young lady is obliged to bake a sweet pi e- heart to darling on this day.

The Walsh present carved wooden spoons to each other. Hearts and naturals locks were the most popular drawings which have been cut out on spoons.

Conclusion

The travel across England came to an end. In this work we have known the history of a holiday of all lovers – St. Valentine's Day, traditions of celebration and learned how the British celebrate this holiday, glorify it and what they give to the darlings!

This project can be used at an English lesson in the 8th Form, ( the topic «Traditions. Manners»).

Information sources:

http://dikmi.ru/valentins_day/den_svyatogo_valentina_v_velikobritanii.html

http://www.anglomania.org/2011/02/blog-post_13.html http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%E5%ED%FC_%F1%E2%FF

%F2%EE%E3%EE_%C2%E0%EB%E5%ED%F2%E8%ED%E0 http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/page_238.html http://www.2uk.ru/holidays/holid28 Student’s Book «English 8» Kuzovlev V.P., Moscow, 2003