文档介绍：Unit 10
Sports, Holidays and Festivals in Britain
Football
the football season - comes during the agricultural “off season”
more people traditionally didn’t have to work in the fields due to poor weather, so they could watch football
early on, many people thought football was too rough, beastly, and violent
drinking and fighting were often associated with football fans
the Football Association sells over 20M tickets/year
Tennis
Wimbledon is one of the largest major events in the British sporting calendar
tennis was invented in Britain
its origins date back to the Church, where people played a game of bouncing a ball off the sides of their local church
Cricket
one of the first games to be played according to the same national rules
aristocrats loved to bet, and wanted to have fixed rules in order to risk money on a game
became popular to play in the British colonies
associated with a set of moral values and “fair play”
matches can last for days
Golf
invented by the Scottish
home of the world famous St Andrews golf course
Equestrianism
the true sport of royalty and aristocrats, often seen as snobbish and high moners enjoy betting on horse races
hunting wild game and foxes while riding horses became a very popular sport
hunting with horses is often seen as cruel and unnecessary, but is still allowed because some MPs enjoy the sport and vote to keep it
Holidays and Festivals
many celebrated holidays follow the religious calendar
still others are based on local traditions
reflect the religious, historical, social and cultural diversity of the country
whatever holiday, it is an opportunity for friends and families to get together and enjoy each other’pany
Religious Holidays
although a Christian nation, most Britons do not attend church regularly
many Christian festivals have been adapted to fit the modern, secular society
Christmas is the most popular holiday
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ
the Pantomime and the Queen’s Christmas address are