Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
In England less emphasis is placed on Christmas Eve than in other countries, much more is made on Christmas Day. Carol singing Christmas songs , midnight church services and going out to the pub are some of the activities that many families enjoy.
After the English Revolution in 1647 the English parliament passed a law that made Christmas illegal. All festivities were banned by the Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell, who considered feasting on what was supposed to be a holy day to be immoral. The ban was lifted only when Cromwell lost power in 1660.
During Queen Victoria's reign Christmas became a time for gift giving and a special season for children.
December 26 is Boxing Day – the day of giving gifts.
Easter is a festival that takes place on the first Sunday after the full moon.
Guy Fawkes Day - November the 5th. Guy Fawkes’ Day is also known as 'Bonfire Night' or 'Fireworks Night'. In 1605 on the 5th of November Catholic Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators (60 in all) attempted to kill King James I and the Members of Parliament. This conspiracy arose as a reaction to the persecution of Catholics under the rule of King James, a Protestant. They hid 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament and were going to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But one of the plotters betrayed the conspiracy in a letter to his brother-in-law who told the government about the plotter’s plans. Fawkes was caught with a box of matches in his pocket. Some conspirators fled but many were killed or arrested. Nine members, including Fawkes, were hung and quartered in January 1606.
Parliament made the 5th November a day of Public celebrated with fireworks and bonfires. Today children still make stuffed figures with masks of Guy Fawkes. They call these figures guys and display them in the streets.
November the 5th is also called the Ringing Day because it is appointed for
the church bells to ring for the whole day.
One of the largest events in the UK is the Bridgewater Carnival. The procession is held each year on the Thursday nearest to November 5. It is an illuminated procession that takes about two hours to pass.
Bank Holidays - public holidays when banks, post offices, shops and some attractions are closed. Bank holidays always occur on Monday.
Midsummer Day - 24th June - ceremonies in honour of the Sun have been held from the earliest times. This day is preceded by Midsummer Night when supernatural beings are said to wander about.
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Some holidays of different parts of the UK became the public holidays celebrated all over the world.
St. George Day – the Saint of England. According to the legend George was a knight who saved the princess from a dragon. For this her father, the King gave George his daughter to marry and a gold cross to wear. Since that time King Richard 1 (the Lionheart) adopted a cross as a uniform for his soldiers. We can see a red cross on the UK national flag (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 
The flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a combination of more flags.
There is also the theory that the name Union Jack came from King James, whose name is Jacobus in Latin.
The parts of the flag:
1. St George's Cross (England), St.Andrew’s – the Saint id Scotland and St. Patrick the Saint of North Ireland at the time of the Roman Empire. 
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St.Patrick's Day - March 17th. is celebrated outside too (E.g. in Moscow).
St David's Day - March 1st St. David (520-588), or Dewi as he is called in Welsh, is the patron saint of Wales since the 12th century. He founded twelve monasteries across the country and now about 5 churches are dedicated to him. The flag of Saint David (a gold cross on a black field) is a very important part of the celebrations in Wales.
The Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of the games are so well known as to have become emblematic of Scotland, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the heavy events. Edinburgh Festival (began in 1947) in August and early September. The whole city turns into carnivals, international theaters, concerts and singing, and music.
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