The seasons

There are other festivals celebrated in Britain which are linked to the seasons. One of the most colourful and popular days in the Hindu year is Holi. This festival takes place in February or March and is the first day of spring in the Hindu calendar.

The Jews celebrate their New Year, Rosh Hashana, in September or October by sending cards.

The most spectacular New Year festival is the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year celebrations are enjoyed by many people, whether Chinese or not. In London's Chinatown, crowds watch processions, singing and dancing, kung fu displays and the Lion Dance. The lion walks down the street. In front of the lion, people bang on drums and crash cymbals. The lion stops in front of each Chinese shop and lifts its head up to get a string of green vegetables and some lucky money in a red envelope. The string is an offering to make sure that the dark days of winter go away and the light of the New Year comes back.

Michael Vaughan-Rees, Geraldine Sweeney, Picot Cassidy: In Britain. 21st Century Edition, Cornelsen Verlag, 2000, page 29