Where is the UK?

The UK is situated north-west of the European continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the North
Sea. From north to south it is about 1,000 kilometers long.

Great Britain is made up of:

• England - The capital is London.

• Scotland - The capital is Edinburgh .
• Wales - The capital is Cardiff.

What is the title of the heir to the British throne?

The heir to the throne is always called the Prince of Wales. The title was introduced by King Edward l in
1301, after the conquest of Wales.

If the eldest child of the monarch is female, will she

become heir to the throne?

Yes, if she does not have any brothers.

No, if she has a brother.

In Britain the crown normally passes from monarch to

eldest son. As King George VI had no son, it passed to
his elder daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II. If a
monarch has sons, they take precedence over
daughters: thus, although HR The Princess Royal is
older than her brothers HRH The Duke of York and
HRH The Earl of Wessex, they (and their children)
precede her in the order of succession.

B ritain is an is lan d coun try an d t h e

su rro u n d in g sea gives En glan d a varied climate. We never know what the weather will be like
from one day to the other. It can be sunny one day and rainy the next. As we have such a variable climate
changing from from day to day, it is difficult to predict the weather. In general we have warm summers and
cool winters. Our summers are cooler than those on the continent, but the winters are milder.

Contrary to popular belief, it DOES NOT rain every day in England or in the rest of the UK!
However, it is always advisable to bring some type of waterproof clothing and keep yourself
psychologically prepared

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 EMBLEMS OF BRITAIN
Each country in Britain has its own patron saint and floral emblem:

England - St. George and the Rose

The national flower of England is the rose. The flower has been
adopted as England’s emblem since the time of the Wars of the Roses -
civil wars (1455-1485) between the royal house of Lancaster (whose
emblem was a red rose) and the royal house of York (whose emblem was
a white rose).

Scotland - St. Andrew - the Thistle and Scottish Bluebell

The national flower of Scotland is the thistle, a prickly-leaved purple
flower which was first used in the 15th century as a symbol of defence.
The Scottish Bluebell is also seen as the flower of Scotland.

Wales - St. David and the Daffodil

The national flower of Wales is the daffodil, which is traditionally
worn on St. David’s Day. The vegetable called leek is also considered to
be a traditional emblem of Wales.

There are many explanations of how the leek came to be adopted as the national emblem of
Wales. One is that St David advised the Welsh, on the eve of battle with the Saxons, to wear
leeks in their caps to distinguish friend from foe. As Shakespeare records in Henry V, the Welsh
archers wore leeks at the battle of Agincourt in 1415.

Northern Ireland - St. Patrick and the Shamrock

The national flower of Northern Ireland is the shamrock, a three-
leaved plant similar to clover. An Irish tale tells of how Patrick used the
three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to
represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as
separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of
wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

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 National Days in the UK
National Days are not celebrated in Britain in the same way as they are in a number of other countries. Only
St Patrick's Day in Northern Ireland (and the republic of Ireland) and St Andrew's Day in Scotland (from
2007) are taken as an official holiday. All the other national days are normal working days.

W a les
1 March - The national day of Wales is St David's Day.

St David is Wales's patron saint.

St. David

No rt h ern I relan d
17 March - The national day of Northern Ireland is St Patrick's Day

St Patrick is Ireland's patron Saint

St Patrick

E n g la nd
23 April - The national day of England is St George's Day.

St George is England's patron saint.

St. George

S co t la n d

30 November - The national day of Scotland’s is St Andrew's Day

St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.

St Andrew

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 TRADITIONS AND BRITISH CUSTOMS 1
Britain is full of culture and traditions which have been around for hundreds of years. British customs and
traditions are famous all over the world. When people think of Britain they often think of people drinking tea,
eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats, but there is more to Britain than just those things. We have
English and British traditions of sport, music, food and many royal occasions. There are also songs, sayings
and superstitions. Who was Guy Fawkes? Why does the Queen have two birthdays? You can find the
answers here in our pages on life in Britain.

THE QUEEN’S birthday?

The Queen's actual birthday is on 21 April, she was born on 21 April 1926.
It has long been customary to celebrate the Sovereign’s birthday publicly on a day during the summer, when
better weather is more likely.
Since 1805, the Sovereign’s 'official' summer birthday has been marked by the Trooping the Colour
ceremony, normally held on the second Saturday in June. It is also marked by the flying of the Union flag on
government buildings, a 42-gun salute and the publication of the birthday honours list.
No particular ceremony is held on The Queen's true birthday, although the Union Flag is flown on public
buildings.

TRADITIONS AND BRITISH CUSTOMS 2

TIME
British people place considerable value on punctuality. If you agree to meet friends at three o'clock, you can
bet that they'll be there just after three. Since Britains are so time conscious, the pace of life may seem very
rushed. In Britain, people make great effort to arrive on time. It is often considered impolite to arrive even a
few minutes late. If you are unable to keep an appointment, it is expected that you call the person you are
meeting. Some general tips follow.

You should arrive:

* At the exact time specified – for dinner, lunch, or appointments with professors, doctors, and other
professionals.
* Any time during the hours specified for teas, receptions, and cocktail parties.
* A few minutes early: for public meetings, plays, concerts, movies, sporting events, classes, church services,
and weddings.

If you are invited to someone's house for dinner at half past seven, they will not expect you to be there on the
dot. It is considered good manners to arrive ten to fifteen minutes "late". An invitation might state "7.30 for
8", in which case you should arrive no later than 7.50. However, if an invitation says "sharp", you must arrive
in plenty of time.

Introduction and Greeting

It is proper to shake hands with everyone to whom you are introduced, both men and women. An appropriate
response to an introduction is "I am happy to meet you". If you want to introduce yourself to someone,
extend you hand for a handshake and say "Hello, I am....". Hugging is only for friends.

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 TRADITIONS AND BRITISH CUSTOMS 3
Invitations
“Drop in anytime” and “come see me soon” are idioms often used in social settings but seldom meant to be
taken literally. It is wise to telephone before visiting someone at home. If you receive a written invitation to
an event that says “RSVP,” you should respond to let the person who sent the invitation know whether or not
you plan to attend.

Never accept an invitation unless you really plan to go. You may refuse by saying, “Thank you for inviting
me, but I will not be able to come.” If, after accepting, you are unable to attend, be sure to tell those
expecting you as far in advance as possible that you will not be there.

Although it is not necessarily expected that you give a gift to your host, it is considered polite to do so,
especially if you have been invited for a meal. Flowers, chocolate, or a small gift are all appropriate. A thank-
you note or telephone call after the visit is also considered polite and is an appropriate means to express your
appreciation for the invitation.

Dining
When you accept a dinner invitation, tell your host if you have any dietary restrictions. He or she will want to
plan a meal that you can enjoy. The evening meal is the main meal of the day in most parts of Britain.

Food may be served in one of several ways: "family style," by passing the serving plates from one to another
around the dining table; "buffet style," with guests serving themselves at the buffet; and "serving style,"
with the host filling each plate and passing it to each person. Guests usually wait until everyone at their table
has been served before they begin to eat. Food is eaten with a knife and fork and dessert with a spoon and
fork.

Dress
Everyday dress is appropriate for most visits to peoples' homes. You may want to dress more formally when
attending a holiday dinner or cultural event, such as a concert or theater performance.

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.

Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves, 'a four leaf clover'
A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horse shoe needs to be the right way up.
The luck runs out of the horse shoe if it is upside down.
On the first day of the month it is lucky to say "white rabbits"
Catch falling leaves in Autumn and you're have good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year.
Bad Luck
Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder

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Seven years bad luck to break a mirror.
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 unlucky.
Unlucky to put new shoes on the table.
Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs.

SPORTS 1
SPORTS play an important part in the life in Britain and is a popular leisure activity.

Many of the world's famous sports began in Britain, including cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf and rugby

England's national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as our national sport.
Football is our most popular sport. Some of England's football teams are world famous, the most famous
being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool

C r ick et

Cricket is played on village greens and in towns/cities on Sundays from April to August

Ho w t o p la y C rick et

Teams are made up of 11 players each. They play with a ball slightly smaller than a baseball and a bat shaped
like a paddle. Two batters stand in front of wickets, set about 20 metres apart. Each wicket consists of three
wooden rods (stumps) pushed into the ground, with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top. A
member of the opposing team (the bowler) throws the ball towards one of the batters, who must hit the ball
so that it does not knock a bail off the wicket. If the ball travels far enough, the two batters run back and forth
between the wickets while the fielders on the opposing team try to catch the ball. The game is scored
according to the number of runs, which is the number of times the batters exchange places.

Echip ele su n t formate din 11 jucători fiecare. A ces tea joacă cu o minge de u ş o r mai
mici d ecât o minge de bas eball ş i un lilia c în formă ca un zbaturi. D ouă batter s s ta in
f ata p o r tite, s tabilit de aproximativ 20 de metri dis tanţă. F iecare ghiş eu es te f o r mată
d in tr ei tije d e lemn (buş teni) împins în pământ, cu două bucăţi mici de lemn ( BA I LS )
ech ilib r at, în partea de sus . Un membru al echipei advers e (B ow ler), aruncă min g ea
sp r e u n u l d in batters , care trebuie s ă lovi mingea, as tfel încât s ă nu s e bat o cau ţiu n e d e
p e g h iş eu . Î n cazul în care mingea calatori i s uficient de departe, cele două b atter s a
aler g a în ain te ş i înapoi între portiţă în timp ce fielders pe echipa advers ă în cear că
p en tr u a p r in de mingea. Jocul es te marcat în funcţie de numărul de ruleaza, car e es te
n u măr u l d e lo curi batters de s chimb .

SPORTS 2

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F o o tb all ( S o ccer)

Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in England, and has been played for hundreds of years.
In the English Football League there are 92 professional clubs. These are semi-professional, so most players
have other full-time jobs. Hundreds of thousands of people also play football in parks and playgrounds just
for fun.
The highlight of the English football year is the FA (Football Association) Cup Final each May.
Did you know?
The first set of laws of the game of football, or soccer as it is known in the
US, date from the formation of The Football Association in England in 1863.

Rugby

Rugby originated from Rugby school in Warwickshire. It is similar to football, but played with an oval
ball. Players can carry the ball and tackle each other. The best rugby teams compete in the Super League final
each September.

For many years Rugby was only played by the rich upper classes, but now it is popular all over the country.
There are two different types of rugby - Rugby League, played mainly in the north of England, and Rugby
Union, played in the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland,
together with France and Italy, play in an annual tournament called the Six Nations.

American Football derived from our game of Rugby also Baseball derived from the old English game of
Rounders.

SPORTS 3
Tenn is

The world's most famous tennis tournament is Wimbledon. It started at a small club in south London in
the nineteenth century. It begins on the nearest Monday to June 22, at a time when English often have the
finest weather. Millions of people watch the Championships on TV live.

It is traditional for visitors to eat strawberries and cream(smantana) while they watch the tennis.

Did you know?

Wimbledon is the oldest of all the major tennis tournaments beginning in
1877. The rewards of prize money began in 1968 when the total purse
allocated was £26,150 (about $40,000).

Table Ten n is (ping pong)

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Table tennis was invented in England in 1880. It began with Cambridge University students using cigar
boxes (trabucuri) and champagne corks-dop. Although the game originated in England, British players don't
have much luck in international championships.

N etb all

Netball is the largest female team sport in England. The sport is played almost exclusively by women and
girls, although male participation has increased in recent years.

B as k etb all

Over 3 million people participate in basketball in the UK.

Go lf

Scotland is traditionally regarded as the home of golf. There are over 400 golf courses in Scotland alone.
The most important golf club in Scotland is in the seaside town of St. Andrews, near Dundee.

SPORTS 4
Ho rs e r acin g

Horseracing, the sport of Kings is a very popular sport with meetings being held every day throughout
the year. The Derby originated here, as did The Grand National which is the hardest horse race in the world.

People can place bets-pariuri on the races at legal off-track betting shops. Some of the best-known horse
races are held at Ascot, Newmarket, Goodwood and Epsom.

Ascot, a small town in the south of England, becomes the centre of horse-racing world for one week in June.
It's called Royal Ascot because the Queen always goes to Ascot. She has a lot of racehorses and likes to
watch racing.

P o lo

Another equestrian-acvatic sport is polo, brought to Britain from India in the 19th Century by army officers.
It is the fastest ball sport in the world.

Polo is played with four men on horses to a team. A ball is hit with a stick towards the goal, one at each end
of a 300 yard long by 160 yard wide field...

B ad min to n

Badminton takes its name from the Duke of Beaufort’s country home, Badminton House, where the sport
was first played in the 19th century.

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 SPORTS 5
F is h in g ( A n g ling)

Angling is one of the most popular sports in the UK, with an estimated 3.3 million people participating in
the sport on a regular basis. Fishermen can be see sitting beside rivers and lakes.

B o x in g

Boxing in its modern form is based on the rules established by the Marquess-marchizul of Queensberry in
1865. In the UK boxing is both amateur and professional, and strict medical regulations are applied in both.

Sw immin g

Swimming is also a popular pastime and enjoyed by people of all ages.

M ar tial ar ts

Various martial arts, mainly derived from the Far East, are practised in the UK, such as judo and karate.

Darts

Darts is a very popular pub game. The game of darts, as it is today, was invented in the north
of England in a town called Grimsby. However, the origins of the game date back to at least the
Middle Ages- Evul Mediu

SPORTS 6
Un iv er s ity B o at R ace

In the nineteenth century, students at Oxford and Cambridge, Britain's two oldest universities were huge fans
of rowing-canotaj In 1829, the two schools agreed to hold a race against each other for the first time on the
Thames River. The Oxford boat won and a tradition was born. Today, the University Boat Race is held every
spring in either late March or early April.

B o x in g D ay H unts

Traditionally Boxing Day is a day for fox hunting. The huntsmen and
huntswomen ride horses. They use dogs too. The dogs (fox hounds) follow the
smell of the fox. Then the huntsmen and huntswomen follow the hounds.

Before a Boxing Day hunt, the huntsmen and huntswomen drink hot wine. But
the tradition of the December 26th is changing. Now, some people want to stop
Boxing Day hunts (and other hunts too) They don't like fox hunting. For them it
is not a sport - it is cruel.

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 T h e Greates t B riton s of all T ime
ch os en b y th e p eop le of B ritain .

In November 2002, the British public voted to find the Greatest Briton of all time. Over a million people
voted!

1 Sir Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill was a politician, a soldier, an artist, and the 20th century's most famous and
celebrated Prime Minister.
2 Diana, Princess of Wales
From the time of her marriage to the Prince of Wales in 1981 until her death in a car accident in Paris
in 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales was one of the world's most high-profile, most photographed, and
most iconic celebrities.
3 Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was a British naturalist of the nineteenth century. He and others developed the theory
of evolution. This theory forms the basis for the modern life sciences. Darwin's most famous books
are 'The Origin of Species' and 'The Descent of Man'.
4 William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was a playwright and poet whose body of works is considered the
greatest in English literature. He wrote dozens of plays which continue to dominate world
theater 400 years later.
5 John Lennon
John Lennon was a musician and composer who was a member of the Beatles, the biggest rock band
of the 1960s.
6 Sir Paul McCartney
McCartney was a singer, songwriter and guitarist for The Beatles, the biggest rock band of the 1960s.
7 David Bowie
David Bowie, is a British rock and roll musician, actor, and artist who has had a profound influence
on rock and roll from the 1960s to the present.
8 David Beckham
Beckham is a leading English footballer and a former star of the legendary team Manchester United.

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