Celebrations

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1. Christian Holidays 

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In Great Britain we call holidays when all the shops and schools close “bank holidays” (because the banks also close). Many people in Great Britain are Christians and many bank holidays are Christian religious holidays. You probably also know them from Germany.

British people celebrate Christmas on three days, Christmas Eve (the evening of December 24th) Christmas Day on December 25th and Boxing Day on December 26th.

The next big holiday is Easter. There are also three bank holidays for Easter: The Friday before Easter is called Good Friday. Then there are Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Many people in Great Britain also celebrate Thanksgiving, but it is not a bank holiday. This is different in the USA. Here, Thanksgiving is the most important holiday of the year for many families.

2. Religious Holidays (Other Religions) 

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Of course, there are also many other religions in Great Britain. Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the end of the month of Ramadan. Another important Muslim holiday is Eid al-Adha. Because many people from India and Pakistan live in Great Britain, the Hindu festivals Diwali and Holi are also important. Jewish people celebrate Chanukka and Yom Kippur. But at the moment only the Christian holidays are bank holidays in Great Britain.

3. Non-Religious Holidays 

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There are also some important holidays that are not religious, for example New Year’s Eve on December 31st and New Year on January 1st. In the USA, Halloween is also an important holiday on the 31st of October, and people in Great Britain and Germany also celebrate this day more and more.