14.The British Government is the government of the United Kingdom.

Its official name is Her Majesty's

Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who chooses the other Ministers. The Prime Minister and
the other most powerful Ministers belong to a group known as the Cabinet, who are the most important
decision makers in the Government. These ministers are all members of Parliament (MPs). Laws are
made by MPs voting in Parliament, which is called 'legislative authority'. These laws make what is called
primary legislation.

The government is chosen by the people indirectly. The people of the United Kingdom vote in a general
election, appointing representatives to the Parliament, at least once every five years. The monarch must
select as Prime Minister the person who is likely to have the support of Parliament. By convention, that
is normally the leader of the party that has the most MPs in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister
leads the government and exercises executive power on behalf of the monarch, in accordance with the
laws set by Parliament, including appointing Ministers to the executive branches of government.

Under the British constitution, laws are made or unmade by Parliament, the power to "give assent" to
the laws belongs to the monarch. The policy and administration of the laws is done by the direction of
the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. This is called executive authority. The monarch is obliged to follow
the advice of the government and has not refused to do so since the 17th century. The Cabinet
members advise the monarch as part of a group called Privy Council. They also use their power directly
as leaders of the Government departments.

The British kind of government is sometimes called parliamentary government.

There are separate governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, each responsible to their own
local parliament. These parliaments have certain limits decided by the main parliament in Westminster.
There is no separate English Parliament.

The Prime Minister now is Boris Johnson, the present leader of the Conservative Party. Theresa May,
then the leader, had been Prime Minister from 2016 until her resignation in 2019.

15. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the queen of the United Kingdom and
the other Commonwealth realms.

Elizabeth was born in London as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth, and she was educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne on the
abdication of his brother King Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She
began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial
Service. In 1947, she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, a former prince of Greece and Denmark,
with whom she has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke
of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.
When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth became head of the Commonwealth and queen
regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon. She has reigned as a constitutional monarch through major
political changes. Between 1956 and 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained
independence, and as realms, including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (renamed Sri Lanka), became
republics. Her many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland and visits
to or from five popes. Significant events have included her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of
her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. In 2017, she became the
first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee. She is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British
monarch, as well as the world's longest-serving female head of state, oldest living monarch, longest-
reigning current monarch, and the oldest and longest-serving current head of state.

Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and press criticism of the royal family, in
particular after the breakdown of her children's marriages, her annus horribilis in 1992, and the death in
1997 of her former daughter-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales. However, in the United Kingdom, support
for the monarchy has been and remains consistently high, as does her personal popularity.

16. The British royal family comprises Queen Elizabeth II and her close relations. There is no strict legal
or formal definition of who is or is not a member of the British royal family.

Those who at the time are entitled to the style His or Her Royal Highness (HRH), and any styled His or
Her Majesty (HM), are normally considered members, including those so styled before the beginning of
the current monarch's reign. By this criterion, a list of the current royal family will usually include the
monarch, the children and male-line grandchildren of the monarch and previous monarchs, the children
of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales, and all of their current or widowed spouses.

Some members of the royal family have official residences named as the places from which
announcements are made in the Court Circular about official engagements they have carried out. The
state duties and staff of some members of the royal family are funded from a parliamentary annuity, the
amount of which is fully refunded by the Queen to the Treasury.

Since 1917, when King George V changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,
members of the royal family have belonged, either by birth or by marriage, to the House of Windsor.
Senior titled members of the royal family do not usually use a surname, although since 1960
Mountbatten-Windsor, incorporating Prince Philip's adopted surname of Mountbatten, has been
prescribed as a surname for Elizabeth II's direct descendants who do not have royal styles and titles, and
it has sometimes been used when required for those who do have such titles. The royal family are
regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the family among a group of
people that they most associated with UK culture

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19. The Educational System of Great Britain is extremely complex and bewildering. It is very difficult to
generalize particular types of schools as schools differ from one to the other. The department of
education and science is responsible for national educational policy, but it doesn't employ teacher or
prescribe curricula or text books.

Each school has it's own board of governors consisting of teachers, parents, local politicians, members of
local community, businessmen and sometimes pupils. According to the law only one subject is
compulsory. It is religious instruction.

Schooling for children is compulsory from 5 to 16, though some provision is made for children under 5
and some pupils remain at school after 16 to prepare for higher education.

The state school system is usually divided into 2 stages (secondary and primary).The majority of primary
schools are mixed. They are subdivided into infant schools (ages 5 to 7),and junior schools (ages 7 to11).
In junior schools pupils were often placed in A,B,C or D-streams, according to their abilities. Under the
pressure of progressive parents and teachers the 11+ examination has now been abolished in most parts
of the country. There are several types of schools in G.B.Grammar schools provide an academical cause
for selected pupils from the age of 11 to 18. Only those children who have the best results are admitted
to these schools. They give pupils a high level of academic education which can lead to the university.
Technical Schools offer a general education with a technical bias and serve those pupils who are more
mechanically minded. The curriculum includes more lessons of science and mathematics. Secondary
modern schools were formed to provide a non-academic education for children of lesser attainment.
The curriculum includes more practical subjects. Comprehensive schools bring about a general
improvement in the system of secondary education.

20. Primary education in the UK In England and Wales, the law states that all children aged five to
sixteen must receive full-time education. In Northern Ireland, the compulsory age for starting school is
four. For children under age of five, publicly-funded nurseries and pre-schools are available for a limited
number of hours each week.

Children leave primary school at the age of eleven, moving on to secondary school. Parents can choose
to educate their children at state or private schools. All children in the UK between the ages of five and
sixteen are entitled to a free place at a state school, in contrast with the private education sector, where
taxes are quite expensive.

In the UK there are four main types of state schools. First is the community school, which is run by the
local authority and has strong links with the local community, sometimes offering use of their facilities
and providing services like childcare and adult learning classes.

There are also foundation and trust schools. Foundation schools are run by their own governing body,
which employs the staff and sets the admissions criteria; while a trust school is a type of foundation
school which forms a charitable trust with an outside partner. Voluntary-aided schools are mainly
religious or ‘faith’ schools, although anyone can apply for a place. As with foundation schools, the
governing body employs the staff and sets the admission criteria. Voluntary-controlled schools are
similar to voluntary-aided schools, but are run by the local authority.
21. Secondary education in the UK At the age of eleven, children start their secondary-school
education. From the age of eleven to fourteen, students in British state and private schools study a
broad range of 10-15 subjects. Among them are: English, Maths, Science, Design and Technology,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), History, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages, Art
and Design, Music, Citizenship, Physical Education. Careers education and guidance, Sex and
Relationship Education and Religious education may also be included in the education curriculum.

Secondary school graduation covers the period from age fourteen to fifteen. After this two-year period,
students take GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) state examinations. The GCSE is a
single-subject examination, set and marked by independent examination boards. Students usually take
up to ten (there is no upper or lower limit) GCSE examinations in different subjects, including
mathematics and English language. After this examination, students may choose to either leave school
or continue with their education. They may continue at vocational or technical colleges, or pursue
higher education in a university.
22. Public school, also called independent school, in the United Kingdom, one of a relatively small
group of institutions educating secondary-level students for a fee and independent of the state system
as regards both endowment and administration. The term public school emerged in the 18th century
when the reputation of certain grammar schools spread beyond their immediate environs. They began
taking students whose parents could afford residential fees and thus became known as public, in
contrast to local, schools. By the late 20th century the term independent school was increasingly
preferred by the institutions themselves.

The typical great public school—such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Westminster, Rugby, Shrewsbury, or
Charterhouse—evolved from an institution founded by a single benefactor during the late Middle Ages
or Renaissance. Such charitable foundations, almost invariably for males only, had usually been
intended to educate local boys from relatively humble backgrounds. From about the 17th century the
upper classes took increasing advantage of the tuition afforded by these foundations. As pupils paying
the market rate became more numerous, the schools were increasingly transformed into boarding
establishments. (Some, however, such as St. Paul’s or Merchant Taylors’ in London, remained day
schools; others took both day boys and boarders.) The public schools were seen as preparing students
for the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge (though not all students proceeded then or
proceed now to a university) and for public service—another origin of the appellation “public” school.

The curriculum from the beginning placed heavy emphasis on the Greek and Roman classics and
continued to do so until well into the 20th century. Organized games, in contrast, were a late
development, and, before their introduction, disorderly conduct was intermittently considerable,
particularly in the early 19th century. When the demand for men to administer the British Empire led to
scores of new foundations during the 19th century, however, the schools tended to adopt the more
disciplined, duty-bound, and athletic model established at Rugby by Dr. Thomas Arnold in the 1830s.

From late in the 19th century a number of girls’ public schools were established, as were also
denominational or other special-purpose schools, though such Roman Catholic foundations as
Ampleforth, Downside, and Stonyhurst had existed for some time already. Institutions loosely termed
public schools also sprang up overseas, predominantly in countries under British cultural influence.

The impact of the public schools in Britain was historically immense. Perhaps in no other post-
Renaissance country did an ethos directly and concentratedly inculcated in so few citizens exercise such
influence nationally—and internationally, given the crucial role of the public school ethos in helping
Britain build its empire. The ethos in question was less an academic one than a class-conscious code of
behaviour, speech, and appearance. It set the standard for conduct in the life of officialdom in Britain
from the early 19th century to the mid-20th.

Since the end of World War II, the style and content of education at the public schools have changed as
the schools have become more consciously part of wider groupings of independent schools and have
developed multifarious links with schools in the state sector.

The following is a list of the nine best-known public schools, in the order of their founding.
  Winchester College, in Winchester, Hampshire, was chartered in 1382 by William of Wykeham,
bishop of Winchester, and opened by him in 1394.
 Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire, was founded by King Henry VI in 1440.
 St. Paul’s School, in Hammersmith, west London, was founded and endowed by John Colet in
1509.
 Shrewsbury School, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, was founded by King Edward VI in 1552.
 Westminster School, also called St. Peter’s College, in west London, was probably a cathedral
school and was reestablished by Queen Elizabeth I in 1560.
 Merchant Taylors’ School, in London, was founded, endowed, and controlled by the Merchant
Taylors’ Company of London in 1560; it moved to the Charterhouse buildings in 1875.
 Rugby School, in Rugby, Warwickshire, was founded by Lawrence Sheriff, a wealthy London
merchant, in 1567. It began rugby football (1823).
 Harrow School, at Harrow (or Harrow-on-the-Hill), northwest of London, was founded in 1571.
 Charterhouse School, in Godalming, Surrey, was founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611. In 1872
Charterhouse School was moved from London to Godalming.

23. Top 5 universities in the UK

1. University of Oxford

One of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, the University of Oxford attracts top
scholars and students to its 44 colleges and halls. Entry standards are high and admission is competitive;
on average, it receives five applications for each available place.

As is common in the UK, the university offers a number of joint honours programmes that combine two
subjects at undergraduate level. In total, there are 250 undergraduate degree combinations. The
combination of philosophy, politics and economics is a particularly prestigious degree course on offer,
although it is no longer unique to the University of Oxford.

Undergraduates and postgraduates belong to a college and often live in the college building or college-
owned accommodation. Social life and recreational activities – such as rowing, cultural events and
societies – also revolve around the college. Undergraduates are taught almost exclusively by tutors in
their college, while postgraduate students are primarily served academically by a centralised faculty.

There are more than 100 libraries at Oxford, the most famous of which is the Bodleian, built in 1602.
The city also boasts a number of museums, including the Oxford University Museum of Natural History,
which houses the remains of a dodo, and the Museum of the History of Science, which displays a
blackboard used by Albert Einstein.

More than 30 world leaders, 27 British prime ministers, 50 Nobel prizewinners and 120 Olympic
medallists were educated at Oxford. Stephen Hawking, Hugh Grant and Indira Gandhi are among the
most famous alumni.
Within six months of graduating from the university, 95 per cent of Oxford students are in employment
or further study.

Tips for acing your University of Oxford interview

2. University of Cambridge

Like Oxford, the University of Cambridge is fundamentally collegiate and is also one of the oldest and
most prestigious universities in the world. The town is just an hour away from London.

The university is home to more than 18,000 students and 9,000 staff. There are 31 colleges, some of
which date back to the 13th century, and more than 100 academic departments.

Cambridge is particularly renowned for excellence in mathematics and has educated some of the most
famous British scientists. In total, 117 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the university and Cambridge-
affiliated mathematicians have won 11 Fields medals.

Getting an undergraduate place at the university is extremely competitive; the acceptance rate is less
than 25 per cent and more than half of rejected candidates have received A grades for all of their final
school exams.

Undergraduates are taught via lectures and supervisions – intimate tutorials with only a couple of other
students at most. The workload is heavy but terms are shorter than at many other universities in the UK.

Cambridge libraries are home to extensive collections of medieval manuscripts and the university
museums display collections of archaeological artefacts and zoological specimens.

Notable graduates include actors, politicians, royals, athletes and cultural figures, including biologist
Charles Darwin, environmental broadcaster David Attenborough, conservationist Jane Goodall and
actress Olivia Colman.

What life is like at the University of Cambridge

3. Imperial College London

Imperial College London is consistently ranked among the best universities in the world for science,
technology, engineering, medicine and business.
It was formed in 1907 from a merger of three colleges in London and now has 16,000 students and
8,000 staff. The student cohort is extremely international and is made up of more than 125 nationalities.

In addition to top scientists, Fields medallists and Nobel prizewinners, Imperial also produces influential
government advisers and policymakers. Many graduates go on to achieve breakthrough innovations in
industry and business, and are highly sought after by blue-chip companies and start-ups.

Imperial is based next to Kensington Palace in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, with other
campuses around the city.

The author H. G. Wells and Sir Liam Donaldson, head physician to the Queen, are among Imperial’s
famous alumni.

10 things every foreign student in London should know

4. UCL

UCL was the first university in England to admit students irrespective of class, race or religion, and the
first to admit women on equal terms with men, following the educational philosophy of Jeremy
Bentham – the university’s “spiritual founder”.

It is one of the most selective British universities and is thought to produce some of the most
employable graduates.

UCL’s main campus is in the central London area of Bloomsbury.

For undergraduate admission, candidates generally have all A grades at A level or a grade equivalent of
6, 6, 6 in subjects studied at higher level in the International Baccalaureate. The most competitive
degree is the BSc in philosophy, politics and economics, which receives 30 applicants for every place.

Close to half of all UCL students are from outside the UK, with significantly more from Asia than from
continental Europe. Famous alumni include Mahatma Gandhi, Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of
the telephone, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who met the other members of his band at the university.

How to find your community and settle in as a student in London

5. London School of Economics and Political Science

Of all UK universities, the London School of Economics and Political Science has the highest proportion
of international students, at 70 per cent.

The university has particular strengths in law, economics, history, philosophy and politics. Currently, 26
per cent of all Nobel prizes for economics were awarded to alumni or affiliates of the LSE. Famously,
economic theorists at the LSE have long disputed with theorists at Cambridge, particularly over solutions
to economic problems in society.

LSE’s campus is in the Clare Market area in London, close to important institutions such as the Royal
Courts of Justice, Lincoln’s Inn, the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Museum.

Like other top universities in the UK, LSE generally requires entry standards of A grades or higher.

Many of the postgraduate courses, such as in those in economics, management and law, have an
acceptance rate of less than 7 per cent.

Prominent cultural, political and academic figures, including Nelson Mandela and George Soros, have
given public lectures at the LSE as part of the university’s prestigious lecture series.

The main architect of the Indian constitution, B. R. Ambedkar, worked on a doctoral thesis at the LSE
while enrolled on the Bar course at Gray’s Inn in London.
25. British degrees Degrees offered at British universities can have different names than those in other
countries, so let us introduce the most common British degrees.

Undergraduate.An undergraduate degree normally takes three years to complete but can take longer if
it includes an industrial placement, an additional subject or a year abroad. Many degrees specialise in
certain subjects from Year 1. Types of undergraduate degree include:

 BSc (Bachelor of Science) - a science degree

 BA (Bachelor of Arts) - an arts degree
 BEng (Bachelor of Engineering) - an engineering degree
 Undergraduate master’s degree (eg MEng) - an enhanced four-year undergraduate degree
including extra subjects studied at a deeper level

Postgraduate. Students who receive good grades in their undergraduate degrees may choose to take a
master’s degree, which takes a minimum of one year to complete. Types of master’s degree include:

 MSc (Master of Science)

 MA (Master of Arts)
 MEd (Master of Education)
 LLM (Master of Law)
 MBA (Master of Business Administration)
 MRes (Master of Research)
 Taught master’s degrees Taught masters usually involve six months of intensive tuition followed
by six months of project work which ends with a dissertation.
 Master’s degrees by research (MPhil, MSc by Research, MEnt) Research degrees involve at least
one year, sometimes more, of full-time research resulting in an examined thesis.

PhD If you would like to continue to study for a PhD, you will have to conduct a minimum of two years’
research after the award of your MSc.

In some subject areas a student may transfer from BSc/BA/BEng to PhD so that they follow a three-year
research programme for PhD without first obtaining a master’s degree.
47. The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries. There are
state public schools, private elementary schools and private secondary schools. Public schools are free
and private schools are fee-paying. Each state has its own system of public schools. Elementary
education begins at the age of six or seven, when a child goes to the first grade (form). At the age of
sixteen schoolchildren leave the elementary school and may continue their education at one of the
secondary schools or high schools, as they call them. The programme of studies in the elementary
school includes English, Arithmetic, Geography, History of the USA, Natural Sciences and, besides,
Physical Training, Singing, Drawing, Wood or Metal Work, etc. Sometimes they learn a foreign language
and general history. Besides giving general education some high schools teach subjects useful to those
who hope to find jobs in industry and agriculture or who want to enter colleges or universities. After
graduating from secondary schools a growing number of Americans go on to higher education. The
students do not take the same courses. During the first two years they follow a basic programme. It
means that every student must select at least one course from each of the basic fields of study: English,
Natural Sciences, Modern Languages, History or Physical Training. After the first two years every student
can select subjects according to his professional interest. The National Government gives no direct
financial aid to the institutions of higher education. Students must pay a tuition fee. This creates a
financial hardship for some people. Many students have to work to pay their expenses. The Americans
place a high value on education. That's why Kennedy said, "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter
than our progress in education."

48. The first five or six years of compulsory schooling are called elementary school. Secondary education
is for students aged 12 to 18 and is often divided into three years of middle school and four years of high
school.

Elementary education starts at the age of five or six, depending on the particular state and whether a
kindergarten (K) year is offered. Even when provided, attendance at kindergarten isn’t always
compulsory. To qualify for kindergarten, a child must be five years old on or before a ‘cut-off’ date, e.g.
1st September or October, to attend that year. Usually a child must be enrolled in kindergarten or first
grade in the calendar year in which he turns six. Elementary school is usually attended from the age of 5
or 6 until 11 (grades K to 5), when students go on to a middle or junior high school. In some districts,
students attend elementary school until the age of 13 (up to grade 8) before attending a senior high
school.

The elementary school curriculum varies with the organization and educational aims of individual
schools and local communities. Promotion from one grade to the next is based on a student’s
achievement of specified skills, although a child is required to repeat a year in exceptional circumstances
only. Some school districts are returning to testing as a means of determining when a child is ready to
move to the next grade, in an effort to reduce reliance on social promotion (promoting a student with
poor academic results just so they can be with their classmates) and this is becoming yet another
contentious issue.

Elementary schools provide instruction in the fundamental skills of reading, writing and maths, as well
as history and geography, crafts, music, science, art and physical education or gym. Foreign languages,
which used to be taught at high schools, have been introduced in around 25% of elementary schools.
Elementary students are usually given regular homework, although some schools are moving away from
this.

49.Secondary school In most districts, students attend a combined junior/senior high school or attend a
middle school until 13 (grade 8) before transferring to a four-year senior high school. Like elementary
education, secondary education is coeducational. American high schools are often much larger than
secondary schools in other countries, and regional high schools with over 2,000 students are common in
some rural areas and city suburbs.

Secondary school students must take certain ‘core’ curriculum courses for a prescribed number of years
or terms, as determined by each state. These generally include English, maths, general science, health,
physical education and social studies or social sciences (which may include American history and
government, geography, world history and social problems). Students are streamed (tracked) in some
high schools for academic subjects, where the brightest students are put on a ‘fast track’.

In addition to mandatory subjects, students choose ‘electives’ (optional subjects), which supplement
their future education and career plans. Electives usually comprise around half of a student’s work in
grades 9 to 12. Students usually take five basic core courses each year, and many choose to take a
foreign language.

Subjects and graduation

High schools offer a wide range of subjects from which students can choose a program leading to
college/university entrance or a career in business or industry. The courses offered vary from school to
school and are listed in school curriculum guides. Around the ninth grade, students receive counselling
as they begin to plan their careers and select subjects that are useful for exploration. Counselling
continues throughout their senior year of high school and into college, particularly in junior college or
the first two years of a four-year college program.
Upon satisfactory completion of 12th grade, a student graduates and receives a high school diploma. (In
the US, students graduate from high school, junior high school, elementary school and even nursery
school.) At high schools (as at colleges and universities) there are ceremonies to celebrate graduation
complete with caps, gowns, diplomas, and speeches by staff and students.

Graduation ceremonies are called ‘commencement’, because they mark the start of a new stage in a
student’s life. Americans are enthusiastic about ‘life cycle events’ (milestones) and graduations are a
time of great celebration and feting of students. It’s a particular honour for a student (usually the top
student) to be chosen as the ‘valedictorian’, who gives the valedictorian oration or farewell speech at
the graduation ceremony.

50.

In the United States a student who has finished high school may want to continue in higher education.
There are several ways to do it: universities, colleges, community colleges, and technical or vocational
schools.

A university in the United States usually has several different colleges in it. Each has a special subject
area. There may be a college of liberal arts where humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and
mathematics are taught. There may be a college of education and a college of business. A program for
undergraduates usually takes four years. University students get an undergraduate degree in the arts or
sciences. If they complete a course of study they get Bachelor of Arts or Science degree. Students may
leave the university at this time. They may also go on for a graduate or professional degree. The
university always has programs for graduate and professional study in many subjects.

The university may get money from several different sources. A publicly funded university gets some
money from the state government. A privately funded university gets money only from private sources.
Or the university may be funded by a religious group.

College students usually spend four years at school, too. A college does not have graduate or
professional programs. If a college student completes a course of study in arts or science, he or she gets
Bachelor of Arts or Science degree. If college students want to continue for a graduate or professional
degree, they must go to University. The college is usually funded in one of the three ways already
described.

The program of study in the community college usually lasts two years. Not all of the subjects taught
there are the usual school subjects. The community college may give courses in the regular academic
subjects or subjects like dental technology, sewing and other non-academic subjects. Not all students of
the community college have a high school diploma. They may then go to a college for two more years to
get the bachelor's degree. Community colleges are nearly always publicly funded.

The technical or vocational school has only job training, it has no academic program. Students may have
a high school diploma, or not. Programs may take from six months to two years and more. The technical
or vocational school gives training for work in areas such as electronics, carpentry and others.
51.

The Christmas Holiday season begins in November

In the USA, the Christmas season traditionally begins just after the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth
Thursday in November. The Saturday immediately following Thanksgiving is the occasion for a
spectacular parade in New York City with the arrival of Santa Claus signaling the beginning of the
Christmas shopping season.

Christmas is a religious and secular holiday

Christmas was originally a strictly religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25.
It has become a very commercial and secular celebration throughout the US. Department stores,
shopping malls and small shops elaborately decorate their establishments and entice shoppers to spend
lavishly on Christmas gifts. Nevertheless, Christmas retains serious religious significance for many
people. It is the occasion for an annual family reunion and it creates a pervasive atmosphere of
generosity and good cheer known as the "Christmas Spirit" throughout the country.

Christmas Lights

Families decorate their homes for the holiday season by draping the outsides of their houses and their
shrubbery with colored lights.

The Holiday season is more than just Christmas

The Jewish holiday of Hanukah is celebrated in mid December, and the Afro-American holiday of Kwanza
falls in the same period. Together with Christmas, they make a joyful December Holiday season
throughout the USA.

Santa Claus is America's Saint Nicholas

Santa Claus was originally based on Saint Nicholas, a European Christian bishop renown for his
generosity in giving gifts to poor neighbors during the harsh winters. In the USA, Santa Claus is usually
portrayed as a jolly, fat man with flowing white beard dressed in a red suit. He drives a magic sled pulled
by eight reindeer and flies around the world on the night before Christmas delivering gifts of toys and
sweets to all the children.

Christmas Trees are a tradition

Many families in the US place a small evergreen tree in their home and decorate it with colored lights
and bright ornaments. On Christmas morning, the children awake to find gaily-wrapped gifts under their
Christmas tree. Children often hang empty stockings over their fireplace on Christmas Eve and awaken
the next morning to find them filled with sweets and small toys.

Suburban neighborhoods in the northern states can become indescribably beautiful after a fresh
snowfall with millions of colored lights glowing on the houses and trees.

Christmas lights create wonderful holiday scenes

Families decorate their homes for the holiday season by draping the outsides of their houses and their
shrubbery with colored lights. Neighborhoods take on a gay, festive holiday appearance every evening.
Some extravagant homeowners festoon their home with tens of thousands of colored lights and even
place life-sized, illuminated Santas, reindeers and snowmen on their lawns and roofs. Many churches
and private homes display illuminated manger scenes commemorating the humble birth of Jesus.
Suburban neighborhoods in the northern states can become indescribably beautiful after a fresh
snowfall with millions of colored lights glowing on the houses and trees.

Many Americans send Christmas Cards

Many people exchange Christmas Cards or Holiday cards during this season. Holiday greeting cards are
mailed to friends, neighbors, relatives and business associates in December. If you receive a card, it is
not necessary to reciprocate, as some people send no cards. If you wish to send a Christmas card and
are unsure of the religious affiliation of the recipient, always choose a holiday card without any religious
theme to avoid offending.

Christmas Day is usually an intimate family celebration

Typical activities in the month of December are shopping for Christmas or Hanukah gifts and attending
holiday parties. The parties usually include plenty of food, drink and holiday cheer. Christmas Eve and
Christmas day are usually reserved for religious observance and family celebration. Family members
from near and far usually unite on Christmas Day for an annual Holiday feast. When invited to a family
Christmas celebration, a small gift for the entire family would be appropriate. If there are young children
in the family, small gifts of sweets or toys are always well appreciated.

Some extravagant homeowners festoon their home with tens of thousands of colored lights and even
place life-sized, illuminated Santas, reindeers and snowmen on their lawns and roofs.

New Years Eve is party time

During the week after Christmas, stores fill with shoppers exchanging Christmas gifts and taking
advantage of the after-Christmas clearance sales. On New Years Eve, parties abound in restaurants, bars
and clubs throughout the US. They tend to be noisy affairs with drinking, dancing and wild celebration.
Some cities hold great outdoor parties that end with fireworks displays at midnight. The most famous
outdoor New Years Eve party is held at Times Square in New York City. The first day of the new year
marks the end of the holiday season and is usually spent at home recuperating and watching football on
the television. Some families host a New Year dinner party for friends and neighbors.