Inglisekeelne ülevaade Inglismaa kultuurist (0)

Main Sights
England is known for its many world- famous sightseeings and people all around the world come to see them . Some of them are even like symbols of England. The most famous ones are:
Stonehenge is one of the greatest national icons of Britain . That prehistoric monument is located in the plain of Salisbury, in the county of Wiltshire in the south - west of England. It is built of 150 enormous stones which are set in a purposive circular pattern. Stonehenge was probably built to mark the longest and shortest day of the year because it lies on the line of the midsummer sunrise and the midsummer sunset. That would have enabled people to keep a record of changing of seasons. Although it is still unclear who built it.
Hadrian’s Wall is an ancient wall which was built in 2nd century by Hadrian, the emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138, and it marked the northern border of the Roman Empire in Britain. The wall was 80 Roman miles (117 kilometres) long and it is situated in northern Great Britain and stretched from Solway Firth in the west to the Tyne River near Newcastle in the east . It was built to keep the Caledonians of Scotland out of England.
Windsor Castle , which is one of the official residents of British monarch , is located in the English country of Berkshire. It is the largest in habited castle in the world and the oldest in continuous occupation , since it dates back to the time of William the Conqueror. The castle’s area is approximately 484,000 square feet (44, 955 square metres). The castle has been garrison fortress, home, official palace and sometimes prison for most of the Kings and Queens of England/Great Britain. During the war, the castle has been heavily fortified but when country has been in peace , it has been expanded with large and grand apartments and this pattern has continued nowadays .
The White Cliffs of Dover is one of England’s most famous natural landmarks . The cliffs were formed over 80 million years ago. They are a part of British coastline facing France and the Strait of Dover. The cliffs owe its impressive façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint and they spread east and west from the town of Dover in the county of Kent. There are miles of hidden tunnels behind the cliff face which were created during the Middle Ages and had an important role in the defence of Britain during the Napoleonic wars.
London, the capital of England, has a lot of famous sightseeings itself. One of the greatest is surely Buckingham Palace, which is the official London residence of British monarch, built in 1703 as a large townhouse for Duke of Buckingham. Also, Big Ben, the 150-years-old great bell of the clock at the north -eastern end of Palace of Westminster and is also the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world, and the Tower of London, a historic fortress and scheduled monument in Central London on the north bank of the River Thames, are great tourist attractions as well as St. Paul’s Cathedral, The British Airway’s London Eye, Westminster Abby and Piccadilly Circus. Tourists also love to visit Greenwich , which is best known for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time.
Foods and drinks
English cuisine is formed by country’s history, its temperate climate and geography . The food of England has historically been characterised by its simplicity of approach and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce.
The traditional English breakfast is a hot cooked meal of bacon , eggs , sausages, fried bread , mushrooms and baked beans. Now-a- days a typical English breakfast is more likely a bowl of cereals, a slice of toast , orange juice and a cup of coffee .
They have Afternoon Tea (the traditional 4 o’clock tea). This is a small meal, not a drink . Traditionally it consists of tea (or coffee) served with either of the following :
freshly baked scones served with cream and jam (known as a cream tea), afternoon tea sandwiches - thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and assorted pastries. However it’s not common nowadays because most of the people have to work at that time.
There is also High Tea (the traditional 6 o’clock tea). This is the meal that British working population had instead of Afternoon Tea. High tea combined delicious sweet foods, such as scones, cakes, buns or tea breads, with tempting savouries, such as cheese on toast, toasted crumpets, cold meats and pickles or poached eggs on toast.
Take-aways became very popular in 80s. The traditional take- away is fish and chips eaten with salt and vinegar and served in an old newspaper .
The traditional drink of England is tea. Other main drinks are coffee, bitter and wine .
Education
Education in England is divided into primary , secondary, further and higher education. Full -time education is compulsory for all the children aged between 5 and 16 and the compulsory education lasts for 11 years. Children are required to start attending school at the start of the term after their fifth birthday either on 31 August, 31 December or 31 March . The school year usually starts on the 1st of September.
There are different types of school in England. The main categories are:

• Local authority maintained schools (State schools) – free to all children from age 5 to 16, schools provide their pupils with books and equipment for their studies.
  
• Independent schools (Private/public schools) – parents pay for their children’s education, these are often boarding schools and in some occasions single -sex, include religious schools and schools for ethnic minorities.
  

The school years in England are split into Key stages:

• Key Stage 1
  

Year 1 – Year 2, age 5 to 7

• Key Stage 2
  

Year 3 – Year 6, age 7 to 11

• Key Stage 3
  

Year 7 – Year 9, age 11 to 14

• Key Stage 4/GCSE
  

Year 10 – Year 11, age 14 to 16

• Sixth Grade/A Level
  

Year 12 – Year 13, age 16 to 18
In Year 6 all the students are required to take National Curriculum tests in reading, writing, mathematics and science . They are also called SATs (Standard Assessment Tests).
Most pupils transfer from primary school to secondary school at the age of 11.
At 16 pupils take a national exam called GSCE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and then they can leave the school if they want to. That marks the end of compulsory education. Some continue their studies in the sixth form or Sixth Form College. It prepares pupils for a national exam called ‘A’ level ( Advanced level) at 18. It’s necessary for entering a university .
16-year-olds can also go to a college of further education to study for vocational diplomas relating to the world of work, like hairdressing or mechanics.
After taking ‘A’ levels students can go to the universities and colleges of higher education. There they study for a degree which on takes average three years of full-time study.
Famous people
There are a lot of famous people who are from England. For example William Shakespeare , who is arguably the most famous writer in the world, Winston Churchill was British prime minister and Noble prize winner for literature , inventor and scientist Isaac Newton who discovered gravity, filmmaker Charlie Chaplin who is known for his many black and white silent films , musician and singer John Lennon , who is known as a member of legendary band The Beatles . English sportsmen are also known all over the world. Right now, it could be said that one of the most famous ones is footballer David Beckham, who plays for L.A. Galaxy in USA but is currently on loan in AC Milan , in Italy and is the most-capped player in England’s national football team .
Traditions and holidays
There are a lot of holidays in England and some of them are centuries old. They all have their own traditions.

• Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night is celebrated on 5 November. In 1606 Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators attempted to blow up the House of Parliament but they didn’t succeed. The celebrations involve firework displays and building bonfires on which stuffed figures of Guy Fawkes are burnt. Several foods are traditionally consumed, such as toffee apples, baked potatoes, black peas with vinegar, bonfire toffee and parkin.
  
• Pancake Day is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday which is the day before Lent. In England the most well known activity is the Pancake Day race at Olney in Buckinghamshire. Only women are allowed to participate in this race. Only women are allowed to participate in this race. They must run a certain path with a frying pan and end up at the church . They must have a hot pancake in the frying pan which they must flip at least three times before they finish the race.
  

There are many Bank holidays:

• New Year's Day - 1 January . Tradition has it that the first person over the threshold on New Year’s Day will dictate the luck brought to the household in the coming year. That person usually brings a piece of coal, a loaf and a bottle of whiskey. On entering he must place the fuel on the fire , a loaf and a bottle on the table and pour a glass for the head of the house without speaking. He can speak when he has wished everyone ‘A Happy New Year’.
  
• Good Friday – Friday before Easter Day. It is traditional to eat warm 'hot cross buns' on Good Friday. Hot Cross Buns with their combination of spicy, sweet and fruity flavours have long been an Easter tradition.
  
• Easter Monday – the day after Easter Day.
  
• May Day – first Monday of May each year. Over the May Bank holiday there are many celebrations with Morris Dancing, Maypole dancing and the crowning of the May Queen .
  
• Spring Bank Holiday – the last Monday of May each year. There is at least 200 years old Spring Bank Holiday celebration still taking place. It is the cheese rolling event at Coopers Hill in Gloucestershire where contestants chase cheese down the hill.
  
• Summer Bank Holiday – last Monday of August each year. It represents the end of summer. In London the Notting Hill Carnival takes place.
  
• Christmas Day - 25 December. Houses are decorated with evergreen, ivy and fir. Mistletoes hang above the doorways and the couples passing underneath must exchange kisses. Traditional foods are roast turkey, sweet mince pies, the Christmas pudding, a rich Christmas cake .
  
• Boxing Day - 26 December. In the shops there are Boxing Day sales and it is also known as a popular day for football matches and other sporting fixtures.
  

English also celebrate other holidays like all the others in the world, such as Easter and Mother ’s Day which is called Mothering Sunday in England.
(Lent is a Christian holiday that was established in the 4th century as 40 days and is generally a period of fasting or other forms of self-denial. People generally eat a lot and have fun the day before Lent begins .)