WORLD BOOK DAY

Let us explain. World Book Day was started by UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and is celebrated on Apr. 23 — a date chosen, according to UNESCO, to mark the day in 1616 that saw the deaths of Cervantes, Shakespeare, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The event is meant to honor authors and encourage literacy. And it’s not just World Book Day. It’s also UNESCO’s Copyright Day, meant to urge implementation of copyright-protection conventions around the world.

The U.K. and Ireland version of World Book Day is observed earlier, partly due to working around school holidays, and involves a literacy-promoting charity — as well as something the rest of the world is missing: costumes.

As the BBC recounts, the day is often marked by children dressing up as their favorite literary characters—even when those characters are only slightly book-related. In this particular complaint, the character in question is a Lego ninja—and the day ends up not so much about books after all:

There was a time when reading a book meant just that. In your head, out loud, to yourself or to a crowd. Whichever way, it was reading.

But not any more. It’s about dressing up. Or at least it’s about dressing up if you happen to be of school age and your teachers have been sucked into the literary-industrial complex of World Book Day.

EASTER IN THE UK

Here are some ideas about Easter customs and traditions in UK: -

• As a part of Easter tradition, there is a trend among British people to eat yummy hams, in order to commemorate the Easter Sunday.
• In England, special springtime dance troupes are called upon, to give exclusive Morris dance performances. This trend of holding dances is not new, rather it is a century old tradition.

• Morris Dance is the biggest attraction of Easter jubilation in England. This dance is always staged by professional male troupes who observe old spring dances to frighten away the evil spirits of winter. The attire of the dancers is extremely traditional wherein they wear white shorts, red sashes, black trousers and straw hats. Red and green ribbons along with flowers and streamers are also added to their attire to make their look all the more colorful.
• Churches are beautifully decorated with different color flowers. White lilies are placed on the altar and these gorgeous flowers are also displayed on the graveyard.

• For offering prayers in the church, men and women dress up in their special outfits and as a part of their wardrobe, colorful Easter bonnets embellished with flowers is like a must.
• Special Easter parades are held in Britain and the parade conducted at Battersea Park in London is a very popular one.
• The Easter celebrations commences with great zeal and vigor before the Palm Sunday.

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• According to the legends, on this particular day Jesus Christ had arrived in Jerusalem and had been welcomed by the city by laying a carpet of Palm leaves and waving Palm branches. This custom is still observed in UK even and on the day of Easter, the entire city parades on the city streets with people carrying palm branches.
• Special Easter parades are held in Britain and the parade conducted at Battersea Park in London is a very popular one
• Easter eggs are a very old tradition going to a time before Christianity. Eggs after all are a symbol of spring and new life.
• Nowadays people give each other Easter eggs made of chocolate, usually hollow and filled with sweets. On TV you will see adverts for Cadbury's Creme Eggs, a very sweet confectionery. The catchphrase for the adverts is "How do you eat yours?" And Britainchildren hunt for (chocolate) Easter eggs hidden about the home or garden by the Easter bunny.
• Hot cross buns, now eaten throughout the Easter season, were first baked in England to be served on Good Friday. These small, lightly sweet yeast buns contain raisins or currants and sometimes chopped candied fruit. Before baking, a cross is slashed in the top of the bun. After baking, a confectioners' sugar icing is used to fill the cross.