Seemingly All Saints' Day was begun to honour all the saints, known and unknown (which is quite a feat). It acts as an antidote to Halloween, and kind of gives Christians the chance to catch up on any missed celebrations of saints' feasts during the year, so no one need feel left out.
All Souls' Day is a day in which prayers are offered for all the pious dead. It is not widely celebrated in the UK, however In Cheshire and Shropshire, many people still go out souling on All Souls Day (although nowadays they are unlikely to be given the specially made soul cakes which were once distributed on this day). In the 1950's, children still referred to the apples, biscuits and coins they received as soul cakes.
If you thought terrorism was a newly created phenomenon, think again. Bonfire night is a celebration of the failed "Gunpowder plot" to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. Nowadays it's just an excuse for lots of fireworks and bonfire parties. It brings lots of government warnings on the dangers of fireworks, and of course bonfires too. Learn More
Each year a new mayor is elected and by tradition he or she must travel from the City to Westminster to promise to serve the king or queen (on the second Saturday in November). The parade is viewed by over 500,000 people who line the route.
A famous saying coined by this event is "After the Lord Mayor's show comes the muck and cart." Which means that someone has to sweep up the mess after the parade. Learn More
If the weather is very cold today, then according to legend
the winter will be a mild one. An old saying goes - "If Martlemas ice
will bear a duck Then look for a winter of mire and muck.". In other
words if a nearby pond is frozen enough so that a duck can walk on it then the
winter will be mild.
It is actually the feast day of St. Martin of Tours: St Martin reputedly
met Satan on a trip to Rome. He changed the Devil into a
donkey and rode him into Rome. The donkey said: Signa te signa. Temere me
tangis et angis./ Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor. (Cross thyself, you
plague and vex me without need; for by my efforts you are about to reach
Rome, the object of your travel.) Each of the Latin sentences is a palindrome,
that means they read the same forwards or backwards.
Another English superstition says that if you stand at the back of the parish church,
one can see an aura around the heads of those who will die before the next
Martinmas! (Hmm - I thought they wanted to get people into church!
(see also Remembrance Sunday)
A two minute silence is observed at 11am on 11th day of the 11th month. The significance of this time and day is it is when the peace agreement was signed at the end of the First World War. Nowadays the two-minute silence is to remember all people who have died in any war, this includes the Second World War, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo.
Two minutes doesn't seem long, does it? But it is amazing what thoughts you can have in two minutesof silent thought over the futility of violence. Photos of Remembrance Day
A two-minute silence is held every year to commemorate all those who have fallen in battle. This two minute silence is usually observed at war memorials, cenotaphs and religious services and shopping centres throughout the country. Learn More
Happy Birthday Charles. You can send him your birthday greetings too. Learn More
All over the world fantastic feats will be attempted and you can be a part of it by setting yourself a record to attempt, but don't forget to register on their website. Learn More
Christmas pudding should be made well in advance and it's good luck to help stir one. This festive tradition of stirring the mixture and making a wish is called Stir up Sunday. Learn More
Ludlow Castle, Ludlow, Shropshire gets everyone into the swing of Christmas with a good old fashioned fayre. Starting with a floodlit evening parade on Saturday. The fayre features stallholders in medieval costume selling handcrafted goods, historical items and delicious food and drink. The Castle will be festooned with seasonal greenery and bustling with life as jesters, musicians, dancers and puppeteers mingle with visitors to recreate the atmosphere of medieval times. Learn More
St. Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland and his feast day is on November 30th, giving Scotsmen (and women) the world over another excuse to celebrate. Learn More
Google Plus, Skype and Immersive English in Virtual World events run by your teachers on the Learn English Network. (If you would like to run an LEN event, get in touch on the Learn English Forum.)
Check out this month's English Magazine. English stories, articles, news, and much more, all with listening practice. (If you would like to write a story or article for publication on the magazine, get in touch on the Learn English Forum.)
A series of free lessons on-line, and most importantly, the chance to practise your English with a tame English teacher. (If you would like to help out with content, or correcting visitors posts on the lessons, get in touch on the Learn English Forum.)
E4F = English for friendship. No matter why you are learning English, making friends from around the world is a bonus.