Typically British holidays

There are many holidays which are typically British and not observed in other countries. One of them is Guy Fawkes' Day on November 5th. It commemorates a historic event when Guy Fawkes, one of the Roman Catholic conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Now every year people in Britain let off fireworks, burn dummies of Fawks on big bonfires and hold barbecues in the back gardens of their houses. Many public firework displays are also organized.

Another festival, which is exclusively British, or rather Scottish, is Burn's Night. It marks the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland's great national poet. As a tribute to his memory, traditional suppers are held annualy at which Scottish dishes are eaten including 'haggis'-a dish made of minced offal. Scottish pipers wearing traditional Highland dress play bagpipes, some popular poems by Burns are recited and the evening may end with dancing and singing of Auld Lang Syne ( "good times long ago").