Cultural note: Secular and religious days

For 2010:

TUE 16 FEB SHROVE TUESDAY AKA PANCAKE DAY*
WED 17ASH WEDNESDAY : LENT starts until EASTER
SUN MARCH 14TH : MOTHER’S DAY (UK**) .
SUN 28 PALM SUNDAY : HOLY WEEK starts
MON 29MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
TUE 30TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
WED 31WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
APRIL
THU 1 MAUNDY THURSDAY
FRI 2 GOOD FRIDAY
SAT 3 HOLY SATURDAY*** midnight EASTER**** offically starts
SUN 4 EASTER SUNDAY
MON 5 EASTER MONDAY ( a bank holiday)
TUE 6 EASTER TUESDAY
WED 7 EASTER WEDNESDAY
THU 8 EASTER THURSDAY
FRI 9 EASTER FRIDAY
SAT 10 EASTER SATURDAY

*Everyone makes pancakes.
Not everywhere has pancake races, but they're popular.
**MOTHER's day in the UK is midlent sunday. It has been on this date for hundreds of years.
On independance the USA abandoned many things. They now celebrate mother's day in May.
****Many modern people say" Easter Saturday"
**** because the shortest holiday runs from Good Friday afternoon and includes Easter Monday. This is "Easter". School holidays usually run another week or more.
Just as for Christmas and the New Year:
We say "AT Easter" in general, for more than one day.
But ON for a specific day: On Easter Monday

TIP:
Use "Easter" to talk about this part of the Year especially holidays:
Example :" We're going skiing in the Alps at Easter."
But use Holy Week to talk about Spain:
"English people only think of Holy Week in Seville."



You can see an expanded version of this blog posting at:
www.niproe.blogspot.com