Customs and traditions

Britain has a rich calendar of customs, festivals, and traditions — some rooted in centuries of history, others reflecting the diversity of communities that make up modern British life.

Each of the four nations of the UK has its own national day, named after its patron saint:

St Patrick's Day and St Andrew's Day are bank holidays in Northern Ireland and Scotland respectively. St George's Day and St David's Day are not bank holidays, though they are widely celebrated.

Christmas is celebrated on 25 December and is one of the most widely observed occasions in the UK. Traditions include decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, attending church services, and sharing a Christmas meal — typically roast turkey — with family.

Boxing Day (26 December) is a public holiday. Traditionally, it was a day when gifts were given to those in need; today it is associated with shopping sales and sporting events.

New Year's Eve (31 December) and New Year's Day (1 January) are widely celebrated. Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year celebration and is particularly significant in Scotland, with large public gatherings and traditional customs including first-footing (the first person to enter a home after midnight brings good luck).

Easter is a Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It falls on a Sunday in March or April (the date varies each year). Associated customs include exchanging Easter eggs (originally hard-boiled eggs, now usually chocolate) and, in some areas, egg-rolling competitions.

Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Good Friday is a bank holiday in Scotland; Easter Monday is not.

Halloween is celebrated on 31 October. Originally linked to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, it is now associated with costumes, carved pumpkins, and children going from door to door asking for sweets — known as trick or treat. Halloween is widely celebrated across the UK.

Bonfire Night (also known as Guy Fawkes Night) is celebrated on 5 November each year with bonfires and fireworks. It commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Traditionally, an effigy of Guy Fawkes is burned on the bonfire.

Britain's diverse communities celebrate a wide range of festivals throughout the year:

• Diwali — the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain Festival of Lights, celebrated in October or November; marked with lights, fireworks, and sweets
• Eid ul-Fitr — the Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting); celebrated with prayers, feasting, and gifts
• Eid ul-Adha — a Muslim festival of sacrifice, marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage
• Hanukkah — the Jewish Festival of Lights, celebrated for eight nights in November or December
• Vaisakhi — the Sikh New Year festival, celebrated in April; marks the founding of the Khalsa in 1699

These festivals are an important part of British life and are widely recognised and respected across the country.

Several other occasions are widely observed in the UK:

• Mothering Sunday (Mother's Day) — the fourth Sunday of Lent, typically in March; children give cards and gifts to their mothers
• Valentine's Day — 14 February; cards and gifts are exchanged between romantic partners
• Remembrance Day — 11 November; the nation pays tribute to those who died in the two World Wars and other conflicts; a two-minute silence is observed at 11:00 am
• Remembrance Sunday — the second Sunday of November; the main national ceremony of remembrance takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London

Up next: Sport — from football to cricket, tennis to rugby, discover the sports that are central to British culture and identity.