ENGLISH CALENDAR

A calendar of events to mark if you're English. If you're not - never mind. We can't all be lucky. Events marked with an asterisk (*) occur at different dates each year.

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January

1 - New Years Day

1 - First-footing - visiting neighbours'/friends' houses carrying a gift of coal.

6 - Twelfth Night (some say January 5th, depending on whether you count Dec. 25/26 as the first day of Christmas).

6 - Epiphany starts - honours the arrival of the Magi (three wise men) and the first public presentation of the Baby Jesus.

12* - Plough Monday (first Monday after Epiphany) - a pagan festival 'borrowed' by the Christians, in which the village plough was blessed.

February

2 - Candlemas Day (Christian festival) - Purification of the Virgin Mary. Candles carried in procession.

6 - Accession of Queen Elizabeth II (1952).

14 - St. Valentine's Day - celebration of (possibly mythical) saint, whose festival coincided with the Roman end-of-year festival of Lupercalia and eventually supplanted it.

15* - Quadragesima Sunday - 50 days before the end of Lent, and the beginning of preparations for it.

23* - Blue Monday (unofficial) - a sort of forerunner to Shrove Tuesday, as people strive to empty their houses of all temptations for Lent (and thus turn blue with overeating).

24* - Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) - Christian carnival day on the eve of Ash Wednesday, which begins Lent, a time of fasting and devotions. Pancakes are often served. The day concludes the season of Epiphany.

25* - Ash Wednesday - the start of the 40-day season of Lent. Ashes are marked

on worshippers as a sign of penitence.

March

5 - St Piran's Day, Cornwall.

21 - First Day of Spring.

25 - Annunciation Day - the angel Gabriel visits Mary.

April

1 - April Fool's Day

4* - Palm Sunday - Celebration of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The day begins Holy Week. It is observed by worship celebrations and parades using palm branches.

8* - Maundy Thursday - Christian observance of the first Lord's Supper during Holy Week. The monarch attends a ceremony and gives out bags of Maundy Money to as many men and as many women as the monarch's age. Maundy coins are all legal tender, but are worth far more than their face value.

9* - Good Friday -Christian remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus.

11* - Easter Sunday - The most holy of Christian sacred days. The day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from his death by crucifixion. Observances include worship services beginning at sunrise, special music, feasting, and parades.

12* - Easter Monday

21 - Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday (actual date)

23 - St. George's Day (Patron Saint of England). Now celebrated quite a bit.

23 - Shakespeare's birthday (probably) 1564. And date of death (possibly) 1616.

May

1 - May Day

8 - V.E. Day

20 - Ascension Day - Christian recognition of the departure of Jesus from earth after the resurrection.

29 - Oak Apple Day - Charles II's 1651 escape from an oak-tree at Boscobel in Staffordshire.

30*- Pentecost (Whitsun, seventh Sunday after Easter) - Christian observation of the day when the God the Holy Spirit came to the disciples in the forms of tongues of fire and rushing wind. A traditional day for baptism and confirmation of new Christians, usually wearing whit (white) robes.

31* - Whit (White) Monday - festival of Pentecost starts.

June

2 - Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953)

6 - D-Day - British and Allied liberation of western Europe starts.

12* - The Queen's Official birthday (varies each year in June, in the hope of better weather. Some hope!). Trooping the Colour in London.

18 - Battle of Waterloo. British victory over the French dictator Napoleon.

21 - Birth of Prince William (1982).

30 - Sts. Peter's and Paul's Day.

July

15 - St. Swithun's Day - Saint Swithin was the West Saxon Bishop of Winchester. Allegedly it rained for forty days after he was buried on July 15, 862. Hence the legend that 40 days of bad weather will follow if it rains on this day.

August

13 - Blenheim Day - Victory of Anglo-Savoyard-Prussian forces over the Franco-Bavarians, and the major turning-point in the War of the Spanish Succession.

15 - Assumption Day (the Virgin Mary enters Heaven).

24 - St Bartholomew's Day. One of the twelve apostles, his day became famous for a rowdy London fair held in summer, not abolished until Victorian times.

September

2 - V.J. Day - the final end of World War Two, with victory over Japan.

15 - Birth of Prince Henry (Harry)

15 - Battle of Britain Day - end of the WW2 air battle in which Great Britain defeated Hitler's Germany for the first time.

Late September - Harvest Festival

October

21 - Trafalgar Day - Victory of the British fleet under Nelson (who was shot) over the French and Spanish.

31 - Hallowe'en/All Hallow's Eve

November

1 - All Saints/Hallow's Day - Christian day for honouring saints, known and unknown.

2 - All Souls Day - Christian day of prayers of intercession for the dead.

5 - Guy Fawkes' Night (Bonfire Night) - Celebration of the discovery of the (alleged) Catholic plot to blow up King James I and his parliament in 1605.

11- Armistice Day - Formal end of World War One. 2 minutes silence at 11 a.m.

14* - Remembrance Sunday (Sunday on/after Armistice Day). The Queen, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries lay wreaths and observe a minute's silence (at 11am) at the Cenotaph to commemorate those who killed in both world wars.

14 - Birth of Prince Charles (1948).

17 - Queen's Day: Accession of Elizabeth I (1558).

28* - Advent Sunday - Start of Advent. Christian time of preparation for observing the birth of Jesus Christ.

December

25 - Christmas Day - Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Observed by prayers, exchanging of gifts, and family parties.

26 - Boxing Day/St. Stephen's Day - Named for the placing of donations for the poor in church alms boxes.

31 - New Years Eve.

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