Holidays in Britain

Dying to catch a glimpse of the Royal Queen? The Queen is holding a tea party. You might wanna get yourself invited!

Every year, 30,000 people attend the Royal Garden Party. This occasion is dedicated to recognizing public service and contributions to the society than no other than Her Majesty herself. Although it will be a chance of a lifetime to meet the Queen, it ain't easy getting into the crowd as guests. The Lord Chamberlain has the final say. He decides who will be attending the party. As a matter of fact, he smoothes out all preparation and arrangements. In modern times, we may normally call him the "events planner or organizer".

It's almost tight enough to get invited in this exclusive party but still you will have to take a very long queue even as an invited participant. Well, guests don't get the same treatment in other parties though. But be patient chum, as soon as you get in, you'll breathe out elegance, charm and prestige in the Royal Garden along with other men in their morning dress and women in their afternoon attire usually adorned with hats. The Royal Family soon looms out of the Palace. Then they will meet the guests and other gracious members of the crowd. Meanwhile, the Queen will then sip on her tea in the royal tent where she meets with distinguished visitors and will head back to the Palace.

Unfortunately, not everybody can speak to the Queen. Good luck on that one... Better make yourself worthy instead!

Come June 2, the United Kingdom will celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the crowning of the most respected woman in the country - Queen Elizabeth II. Almost five decades ago, the spectators at the roads to the Buckingham palace, the households, the hospitals, the radio and television stations witnessed this event. Anyone who has seen the ceremony will definitely say that it is, by far, the most elegant and grandiose event of the 1950's, and perhaps, of the century.

The most unforgettable scenario during those times was the unity of the British people. Ever since the coronation of the first Queen Elizabeth, Britain has underwent several chaotic situations, all of which it strove to survived. The procession proved to be the most solemn one. That was also the time when Prince Charles was still a kid, and the Queen had to sit right next to him. The boy, overly excited about this ceremony, waved to the people a couple of times more than his mother. Of course, we cannot set aside the beautiful gown that the Queen wore. She had the most precious cloak, wore the most elegant gown and jewels. The crown itself is a national treasure, and for a woman to wear it is definitely a privilege.

This astounding ceremony will once again be simulcast all around the world. I just hope that I will get to watch it in real time before newspapers feast on the occasion. Although the ceremony will never be re-enacted, still the grand rite will be featured in the documentaries. I expect this because so far, Queen Elizabeth is the most famous personage in the country.

When I was a kid, my parents would yearly send me to a camp during summer vacation days. I enjoy spending my vacation in summer camp because I get to meet new friends, do fun activities, and of course, one could not forget their bonfire experiences. I especially love the part when we roast s'mores and tell ghost stories. Ah, the good old days...

The British also have their own bonfire celebration. Every 5th day of November, the Bonfire Night is held to commemorate an important event in the English history in 1605. A crowd of plotters (among them was Guy Fawkes) led by Robert Catesby conspired to blast the Houses of Parliament in London and put an end to King James I's life and his kingpins. The attempt was discovered and Guy Fawkes, in flagrante delicto, had been arrested. The King then announced that a bonfire at night should be held every November 5th.

The tradition still lives up to the present time. The people gather in town squares to witness fireworks display and bonfires. The bonfire is used to burn Guy Fawkes' dummies or effigies. People also join the torch-lit processions and eat Parkin cakes and other foods.

If you are planning to travel to Britain, you should be aware that the place is keen on public holidays. Well, they claim to have a few, but I find these holidays long compared to the ones in the United States. Anyway, one of the public holidays to anticipate for are bank holidays.

No, "bank" does not merely refer to financial institutions being closed for the day. Bank holidays originate from the 1800s, during the time when banks ceased their operations and thus, no trade took place. An act, particularly the 1871 act, calls for bank holidays in the whole part of the United Kingdom, including Wales, Ireland, and England. For Wales and England, there are currently four bank holidays in a year.

So, when exactly do these holidays fall on? Apart from Good Friday and Christmas, bank holidays fall on Mondays when the weekend prior to that day is a regular holiday. This might sound confusing, but in essence, the holiday during the weekend is carried over to the following Monday. It is best to check your itinerary during these days because although some shops are open, many are closed to give way to workers who want to spend time with their families.

I had once the opportunity to spend a well-deserved Christmas holiday with a friend in England. Christmas in Britain is, well, Christmas. But it was actually the day following Christmas that intrigued me the most.

When I first heard of Boxing Day (also called St. Stephen's Day), my thought instantaneously went to one of the boxing champions of time, Erik Morales. Of course, it had not occurred to me that Boxing Day just might not have anything to do with the fist sport at all. Celebrated every 26th day of December, Boxing Day can be traced back to some eight hundred years ago to the medieval times when merchants would present their servant people with foods and gifts inside a box (hence, the term boxing) a day following Christmas. The holiday was also named after the tradition of opening of the alms boxes at the church on this day.

Traditionally, Boxing Day is a fox hunting day. It involves huntmen and huntwomen on horses trying to chase out foxes to the countryside. But the hunting sport is now slowly dying because of the increasing advocacy for the fox. So, instead of the December 26 hunt, people line up outside malls and shops for the year-end clearance sale.

Whenever I break into Europe through a European holiday tour package, I never fail to miss England. It is such a beautiful nation that ceaselessly amazes me and other tourists. One of England's greatest attractions is the boating holiday. It is absolutely a unique and entertaining experience like no other in the world.

On one of my trips, I took part in the boating holiday via Napton Narrowboats boatings services. I had a wonderful holiday vacation exploring England's countryside through Napton Narrowboats. You get to see the best that this country has to offer with an entirely different outlook that is truly relaxing.

The choice of boat totally depends on you and your budget. Napton has a wide variety of boats to choose from. You may choose to sail on the Explorer, the classy Riviera, or the Edwardian. I boarded the splendid Riviera and I had a great cool experience indeed. Napton Narrowboats is dubbed as one of the best fleet of boats that are modern and superb. Napton will surely give your that most sought after canal boating encounter when you set foot to England.

I was once invited by a long time friend to join the boating festival in Thames. I thought he was kidding when he mentioned Thames. I told him that the river is too noble to be treated as venue for boat festival. But, I was wrong; Thames has been annually prepared for the holiday.

With its rich history, the river Thames is just perfect for boating holidays. Sailing along this mystic river allows one to see the some of the famous castles of England. Although sometimes, when high tide occurs, Thames could be very dangerous to sailors. Anyhow, if there is really no chance at all to sail, then one can stay to the many restaurants along the river side.

Going back to the boat holiday, I agreed to sail only to be given a British history lesson. I was introduced to the Hampton palace where, according to the boat captain, King Henry used to live. Next stop was the Windsor palace. Finally, we came to Oxford. The whole of the holiday trip is a peaceful one. It was like cruising in equally beautiful French rivers. I have never sailed before, but this one experience impressed me a lot.

Holidays are holy days. I believe that they are meant to be celebrations of the death, birth, or beatification saints. Many countries consider such days as time to rest, unwind, and pray. On the other hand, holidays mean food and entertainment. In fact, European countries, like Britain share the same notion with other nations as it celebrate its National Day.

The main cause for the holiday is St. George. Yeah, I also thought of him as the one who killed a dragon. But, really he was not the one. The real St. George, if my memory serves me right, is a knight. There was a time when crusades walk the earth. In actuality, St. George is a soldier of the Roman Empire. Ah, now I remember. He rebelled against the torturing of the empire of Christian believers. As with all other saints that lived during the third century, he died a martyr. Since, he is not a native of England, it safe to say that his heroic deed affected the British people that they hailed him as patron saint.

Anyway, the holiday is commemorated every 23rd of April. The same date is also associated with rose. But, as far as I know, British people do not celebrate their National Day like how American people do. I am sure you are familiar with the rose festival. St. George Day is not as grand as that. In fact, it is merely celebrated by people. There are no grandiose street parades or festive holiday activities unlike with the birthday of the Queen or with British harvest festival. There is but quiet commemoration of the martyrdom St. George did. I knew his heroic deed to be rare during his times, so I think Britain should give him all the credit for that.

A bright seaside holiday is a traditional British Holiday. During the Victorian times, people would be spending all day by the seaside while children watch a Punch and Judy show or take a ride on donkeys along the sea shore. The food traditionally enjoyed during seaside holidays are candy floss and a sweet treat known as rock.

Of course since they are spending all day near the sea, it's only natural that you'll see people frolicking in the water. Kids and adults alike spend their free time swimming in the sea. Some others are building sand castles.

In 1871, Bank Holidays were inaugurated which permitted the working people to enjoy a day by the coast. In 1938 a law was then introduced which gave everyone a paid holiday. Before, people were satisfied with staying on the seaside of their homeland, but now a vacation meant a trip to some other countries. Back then, towns near the sea were popular hot spots during the holidays. Many people visited Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bognor Regis, Scarborough, Skegness, and Southend during the holidays and these towns offers a variety of activities.