May2012

Pages1. Land of traditions2. Unusual customs calendar anniversaries3. Interesting to know4. Famous people

Land of Traditions

Manners are ImportantDOs and DON'TS (Taboos) in England

In England...Do stand in line: In England we like to form orderly queues (standing in line) and wait patiently for our turn e.g.

boarding a bus. It is usual to queue when required, and expected that you will take your correct turn and not push in front. 'Queue jumping' is frowned upon.

Do take your hat off when you go indoors (men only) It is impolite for men to wear hats indoors especially in churches. Nowadays, it is becoming more common to see men wearing hats indoors. However, this is still seen as being impolite, especially to the older generations.

Do say "Excuse Me": If someone is blocking your way and you would like them to move, say excuse me and they will move out of your way.

Do Pay as you Go; Pay for drinks as you order them in pubs and other types of bars. Do say "Please" and "Thank you": It is very good manners to say "please" and "thank you". It is considered

rude if you don't. You will notice in England that we say 'thank you' a lot. Do cover your Mouth: When yawning or coughing always cover your mouth with your hand. Do Shake Hands: When you are first introduced to someone, shake their right hand with your own right hand. Do say sorry: If you accidentally bump into someone, say 'sorry'. They probably will too, even if it was your

fault! This is a habit and can be seen as very amusing by an 'outsider'. Do Smile: A smiling face is a welcoming face.Do Drive on the left side of the roadDo open doors for other people: Men and women both hold open the door for each other. It depends on who

goes through the door first.

In England...Do not greet people with a kiss: We only kiss people who are close friends and relatives. Avoid talking loudly in public It is impolite to stare at anyone in public. Privacy is highly regarded. Do not ask a lady her age It is considered impolite to ask a lady her ageDo not pick your nose in public: We are disgusted by this. If your nostrils need de-bugging, use a handkerchief. Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging This is only done among close friends.Do not spit. Spitting in the street is considered to be very bad mannered. Do not burp in public You may feel better by burping loudly after eating or drinking, but other people will not! If you

can not stop a burp from bursting out, then cover your mouth with your hand and say 'excuse me' afterwards. Do not pass wind in public Now how can we say this politely? Let's say that you want to pass wind. What do you do?

Go somewhere private and let it out. If you accidentally pass wind in company say 'pardon me'. "The expression 'pardon me' would be considered by the upper classes to be rather common. When I was growing up,

I was told by my mother, at school and by my aunt who was a nanny to an aristocratic family that the correct thing to do if this happens is to carry on as if nothing's happened and for the entire company to ignore it completely as if they've never noticed. ( even if it's very obvious). I think young people nowadays would probably be more inclined to laugh it off but certainly the older generation in 'polite company' would never, ever draw attention to the incident by apologizing. Basically the advice is say 'excuse me' for mouth burps, ignore bottom burps."

It is impolite speak with your mouth full of food Do not ask personal or intimate questions We like our privacy. Please do not ask questions such as "How much

money do you earn?" "How much do you weigh?" or "Why aren't you married?". Never eat off a knife when having a meal. In all countries in Britain …Women in Britain are entitled to equal respect and status as men (and indeed vice versa)

in all areas of life and tend to have more independence and responsibility than in some other cultures. Women are usually independent and accustomed to entering public places unaccompanied. It is usual for women to go out and about on their own as well as with friends. Men and women mix freely.

It is ok for women to eat alone in a restaurant. It is ok for women to wander around on their own. It is ok for women to drink beer.

Unusual customs calendar anniversaries

1st May -Labour Day 1st May - May Day. 5th May - 1930 Amy Johnson was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. 5th -7th May – Rochester Sweeps Festival 6th May 1840 - The world's first postage stamp, the 'Penny Black' stamp, became valid for use in the UK. 6th May - 1954 Roger Bannister ran a mile in less than four minutes. 7th May - Early May Bank Holiday 8th May - 1945 VE (Victory in Europe) Day.9th May - Captain Blood attempted to steal the crown jewels in 1671 10th May 1994 - Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa. 12th May- 1820 Florence Nightingale was born. 15th May - The Romans believed this was the birthday of Mercury, the messenger and son of Zeus who could travel with the speed of thought.17th May – Ascension Day 18th May 1955 - The first Wimpy Bar opened in London. Have a treat and visit your local Wimpy, or have a burger night. 18th May - 1991 Helen Sharman became the first British woman in space. 24th May – Empire Day 28th May - 1908 Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books, was born. 29th May - 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. 29th May - Oak Apple Day. 30th May 1431 - Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. 30th May - Death of King Arthur in 542

Facts about May

Gemstone: Emerald Flower: Lilly of the Valley

May is named after the Greek goddess, Maia. The month is a time of great celebrations in the northern hemisphere. It is the time when flowers emerge and crops begin to sprout.

The Anglo-Saxon name for May was Tri-Milchi, in recognition of the fact that with the lush new grass cows could be milked three times a day. It was first called May in about 1430. Before then it was called Maius, Mayes, or Mai.Superstition for MayThe month of may was considered an unlucky month particularly for getting married.

'Marry in May and you'll rue the day' Being born in May was thought to produce a sickly child.

Never buy a broom in May or wash blankets.Wash a blanket in May. Wash a dear one away.

Cats born this month will not be good rodent catchers and even worse, will bring snakes into the home.

Unlucky days are 3rd, 6th, 7th, 13th, 15th and 20th.

The first day of the month of May is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer

weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It is said to be a time of love and romance. It is when people celebrate the coming of summer with lots of different customs that are expressions of joy and hope after a long winter.

Traditional English May Day celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole. Maypole Dancing - a traditional dance at this time of year.

The beginning of Summer Although summer does not officially begin until June, May Day marks its beginning. May Day celebrations have been carried out in England for over 2000 years.

The Romans celebrated the festival of Flora, goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. It was held annually from April 28th to May 3rd.

May Day

Maypoles were once common all over England and were kept from one year to the next. Schools would practice skipping round the pole for weeks before the final show on the village greens. The end results would be either a beautiful plaited pattern of ribbons round the pole or a tangled cat's cradle, depending on how much rehearsing had been done. Maypoles are still a part of some village life and on May Day the villagers dance around it.

Interesting Fact The tallest maypole is said to have been erected in

London on the Strand in 1661; it stood over 143 feet high. It was felled in 1717, when it was used by Isaac Newton to support Huygen's new reflecting telescope.

This is the day that traditionally people wear oak apples or oak leaves pinned to them to remember that on May 29th King Charles ll returned triumphantly to London after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

The reason for the wearing of oak apples or oak leaves was to celebrate the King's narrow escape from capture by Cromwell's soldiers by hiding in an oak tree.

Until well into the twentieth century, anyone caught not wearing an oak leaf or oak apple on 29 May could be pinched, kicked, or otherwise abused. Whipping with nettles was a favourite punishment, hence the name 'Nettle Day' in some areas.

Oak Apple Day (Pinch-Bum Day)

Oak Apple Day was a time for dancing and parties.

Arbor Tree DayArbor Day, on the last Sunday in May, is the Sunday nearest to

Oak Apple Day.In Aston-on-Clun in Shropshire, a large tree standing in the

centre of the village is decorated with flags on the last Sunday in May. The flags stay on the tree until the following May. Aston-on-Clun is the only place in the UK that still marks this ancient tradition.

People say that in 1786 the local landowner John Marston married on May 29th and, when passing through the village, saw the villagers celebrating Arbor Day. The bride thought that the tree looked so beautiful covered in flags that she gave money to the village to allow the custom to continue.

Ian Lancaster Fleming was an English author, journalist and naval intelligence officer, best known for his James Bond series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his father was the Member of Parliament for Henley from 1910 until his death on the Western Front in 1917. Educated at Eton, Sandburs and the universities of Munich and Geneva, Fleming moved through a number of jobs before he started writing.

Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952. It was a success, with three print runs being commissioned to cope with the demand. Eleven Bond novels and two short-story collections followed between 1953 and 1966. The novels revolved around James Bond, an officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Bond was also known by his code number, 007, and was a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming fourteenth on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

He was married to Ann Charteris, who was divorced from the second Viscount Rothermere as a result of her affair with Fleming. Fleming and Charteris had a son, Caspar. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker who suffered from heart disease; he died in 1964, aged 56, from a heart attack. Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously, and a further five authors have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-five times, portrayed by seven actors

Ian Lancaster Fleming 28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964

Ian Fleming's grave and memorial