Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
Things to do in the UK in March 2013
|
|
Study, work or travel in the UK. British
culture and life.
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
Things to do in the UK in March 2013
|
||||
|
MARCH 2013
|
||||||
|
Sun
|
Mon
|
Tue
|
Wed
|
Thu
|
Fri
|
Sat
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
|
31
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Fri 1 Mar 2013 | St David's Day, Wales Saint David's Day is the traditional day for Welsh people. Saint David is the "patron saint" of Wales. He was a member of the Celtic church and died on 1st March 589 A.D. There will be events in many towns in Wales, and Welsh communities in other parts of the UK will also gather together in pubs, churches or other places. There is a parade in Cardiff: http://www.stdavidsday.org/stdavid. For more details, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_David's_Day. * Basic introduction to Wales: Britain/Countries/Wales * Photos of Wales: Travel/Tours/Wales |
 Daffodils in bloom |
 St David's Day: Traditional Welsh dress |
| Sat 2 Mar - Sun 3 Mar 2013 |
Barbican Weekender, London Free event at the Barbican Centre. See: http://www.barbican.org.uk/weekender |
| Tue 5 Mar - Wed 6 Mar 2013 |
Champions League Football Second leg matches from the round of 16 stage of the Champions League For further information, see: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague or http://www.itv.com/sport/football/champions-league * Football: Life/Sport/Football |
| Thu 7 Mar - Sun 10 Mar 2013 |
Crufts, Birmingham A famous annual British dog show which started in 1928. It is held at the NEC in Birmingham (nearest train station: Birmingham International). The "Best in Show" award is presented on the final day (Sunday). See: http://www.crufts.org.uk. * Photos from this event: Ideas/Album/Crufts |
 Crufts dog show |
 Best In Show |
| Fri 8 Mar 2013 | International Women's Day, worldwide International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. There are many related events in the UK, including the Women of the World festival at the Southbank Centre in London: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/women-of-the-world See: http://www.internationalwomensday.com |
| Sat 9 Mar - Sun 10 Mar 2013 |
Six Nations Championship, UK/France/Italy International rugby competition (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy). Saturday: 2:30pm Scotland vs Wales ; 5:00pm Ireland vs France Sunday: 3:00pm England vs Italy * Rugby in the UK: Life/Sport/Rugby * Photos from a visit to a Six Nations game: Ideas/Album/SixNations |
| Sat 9 Mar - Sun 10 Mar 2013 |
TNT Magazine Travel Show, London Fair in the Business Design Centre in Islington (nearest Tube: Angel) providing information to people who want to travel in the UK, Europe or around the world. You can visit the stalls of tour and travel companies (some offer competitions or special discounts), and you can attend seminars on a variety of travel-related topics. For details, see: http://www.tntmagazine.com/london/tnt-events/march-2013/tnt-travel-show-march-2013 * Information about travel in/from the UK: Travel/Tours |
| Sat 9 Mar 2013 | UK University Fair, London University fair for international students at Earls Court exhibition centre in London (nearest Tube: Earls Court). See: http://www.ukunifair.co.uk |
| Sun 10 Mar 2013 | Mother's Day (also called "Mothering Sunday"),
UK A time for people living in the UK to think about their mothers. People often give flowers or chocolates or organise a special day out for their mothers at this time, and may send a special "Mother's Day" card. Note that Mother's Day is celebrated on a different date outside the UK. The UK date is the fourth Sunday of Lent. * Ideas for Mother's Day presents: Ideas/Gifts/MothersDay |
| Mon 11 Mar 2013 | Commonwealth Day, UK & other Commonwealth countries Commonwealth Day is an annual event (on the second Monday of March) during which all the member countries of the Commonwealth celebrate their links with one another. People use the day to promote understanding about global issues, international co-operation and the work of the modern Commonwealth. Each year there is a different theme. There is a special multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey, usually attended by the Queen. |
| Tue 12 Mar - Fri 15 Mar 2013 |
Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham One of the main horse racing events of the year, taking place in Cheltenham (in Gloucestershire, part of the Cotswolds). This is jump racing (over fences), with many top British and Irish horses competing. The most important race is the Gold Cup on Friday. See: http://www.cheltenham.co.uk/festival/the_festival.html * Horse racing in the UK: Life/Sport/Horse |
 Cheltenham Festival |
| Tue 12 Mar - Wed 13 Mar 2013 |
Champions League Football Second leg matches from the round of 16 stage of the Champions League For further information, see: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague or http://www.itv.com/sport/football/champions-league * Football: Life/Sport/Football |
| Thu 14 Mar - Sun 24 Mar 2013 |
London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, London A festival of gay and lesbian films, shown at the National Film Theatre in London. For details, see: http://www.bfi.org.uk/llgff * Information for lesbians in the UK: Personal/Relationships/Lesbian * Information for gay men in the UK: Personal/Relationships/Gay * British films: Britain/Films |
| Fri 15 Mar - Mon 1 Apr 2013 |
Ideal Home Show, London The Ideal Home Show is an annual exhibition about home improvement which takes place at Earls Court. For more information, see: http://www.idealhomeshow.co.uk. |
| Fri 15 Mar 2013 | Red Nose Day, UK There are fun events across the UK to raise money for Comic Relief, which supports UK and African charities. Some of the ways you can help are by giving a donation at the counter of any bank or building society, by buying Comic Relief products such as a red nose or the Comic Relief record, or by taking part in or organising a fund-raising event. The first Red Nose Day was in 1988; after 1989 it was decided to do it once every two years. A fund-raising programme will be shown on BBC television throughout the evening. For full details about the event and to make a donation, see: http://www.rednoseday.com. * Photos of a fun run on a previous Red Nose Day: Ideas/Album/RedNoseDay1 and Ideas/Album/RedNoseDay2 |
 Red Nose Day |
| Sat 16 Mar 2013 | Six Nations Championship, UK/France/Italy Final day of the international rugby competition (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy). The games are: 2:30pm Italy vs Ireland ; 5:00pm Wales vs England ; 8:00pm France vs Scotland * Rugby in the UK: Life/Sport/Rugby * Photos from a visit to a Six Nations game: Ideas/Album/SixNations |
| Sat 16 Mar 2013 | Maslenitsa, London A free event based on the Russian spring festival, featuring Russian music, dance, theatre and food/drink. In 2013 it will take place in Trafalgar Square. See: http://www.maslenitsa.co.uk |
 Lady Maslenitsa (mascot of the Maslenitsa celebration) |
 Russian folk singers |
| Sun 17 Mar 2013 | London St Patrick's Day Festival, London A celebration of Irish culture in London, usually on the Sunday nearest to St Patrick's Day (17 March). There is a parade starting at 12 noon which passes down Piccadilly, Regent Street and past Trafalgar Square before finishing in Whitehall Place There is also a festival of music and cultural performances in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. To check full details of this year's event, see: http://www.london.gov.uk/stpatricksday. [Some other places where St Patrick's Day is often celebrated in London include the Irish Cultural Centre, the London Irish Centre, and St Martin-in-the-Fields] * Photos from this event: Ideas/Album/StPatricksDay |
 St Patrick's Day |
 Final matches of the Six Nations competition |
|
ST PATRICK'S DAY
|
|
| St Patrick's Day is on 17th March and is celebrated either on this day (or on one of the nearest weekends) not only in Ireland but also in London, New York and in other cities with a large Irish expatriate community. Saint Patrick was born in north England or southern Scotland at the time when the country was occupied by the Romans. He was captured and made into a slave, and was taken to Ireland, where he worked as a shepherd. He escaped on a boat, but later came back to Ireland and worked to convert the Irish people to become Christians (previously the main religion was paganism). Saint Patrick died on 17th March 461 AD, and has become the "patron saint" of Ireland. For details of St Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin, see: http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie |
| Wed 20 Mar - Sun 24 Mar 2013 |
Country Living Fair (Spring), London British crafts and small businesses display their products. A good place to find unusual gifts. There is an entrance charge. The event is held at the Business Design Centre in London (near Angel underground station; map). For details, or to buy tickets in advance, see: http://www.countrylivingfair.com. |
| Wed 20 Mar 2013 | Spring Equinox, UK The day and night are each 12 hours (this is known as the spring or vernal "equinox"). Pagans celebrate this natural event. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/springequinox.shtml. |
| Sat 23 Mar 2013 | Head of the River Race, London A boat race on the river Thames in London for "eights", which each have eight people who row and one person (the "cox") who directs the boat. There are several hundred boats competing, setting off at 10-second intervals (the strongest teams row first), and the times to finish the course are recorded. In 2013 it is expected to start at 12:45pm and end at about 2:00pm; the fastest boats can complete the 4.25 mile (7 kilometre) course in about 20 minutes. The race starts at Chiswick Bridge and ends at Putney Bridge. You can watch it from any accessible point along the river, but the best views are probably on the east bank of the Thames (the side which is in Surrey) just north of Chiswick Bridge (near the railway station Mortlake; see: map). Poor weather or strong tides may stop the race, so check before on the website: http://www.horr.co.uk. |
| Tue 26 Mar - Tue 2 Apr 2013 |
Jewish Passover Jewish people celebrate the festival of Passover during this 8-day period. Work is not permitted on the first two and the last two days of Passover. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/passover_1.shtml |
|
EASTER
|
|
| The Easter weekend is the time when Christians
remember the time that Jesus Christ was killed on a cross and later came
back to life. People eat "hot cross buns": currant buns with a
symbol on the top which represent the cross on which Jesus was killed (these
are cut in two, toasted, and butter is spread on each half). The date of
Easter changes each year, but it is always between the end of March and
the end of April. The 4-day holiday period is used by many people as a chance to travel. Airports can be very busy (book your flights early). If you are travelling by train, check if there is engineering work on the part of the railway network you need: extra bus services will be organised, but journeys can take longer. If you are driving, note that the roads can be very busy (especially on Thursday, Friday and Monday), and check for roadworks before travelling. If you want to go on a tour, try to book this early. Easter is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring (Eostre). Eggs and bunnies (baby rabbits) are two symbols that represent new life. There are many Easter traditions involving eggs, including eating chocolate Easter eggs, egg races, egg hunts and egg painting. |
 Statue of Jesus on the cross |
 Hot cross buns |
 Chocolate Easter bunny |
| Thu 28 Mar 2013 | Maunday Thursday, UK Maunday Thursday is when Christians remember the Last Supper, when Jesus met with his followers before he was betrayed by Judas and was captured by the Romans. |
| Fri 29 Mar 2013 | Good Friday, UK A public holiday in the UK. Some supermarkets and larger shops will be open, but many local shops will be closed. Buses and trains will run, often with a service that is similar to a normal Saturday or Sunday service. Good Friday is the day when Christians remember the death of Jesus Christ, who was crucified (killed on a cross) by the Romans. Christian churches hold special services. * Photos and information about Good Friday traditions: Ideas/Album/Good-Friday |
| Sat 30 Mar / Sun 31 Mar 2013 |
British Summer Time (BST) starts, UK If you are in the UK, change all clocks forward 1 hour. You lose one hour's sleep. The time change is actually during the night: at 1am on Sunday morning the time is changed to 2am. Before going to bed you should change at least your watch and alarm clock, and the clock for your heating system - you can make other changes on Sunday morning if you prefer. Note that some computers and electronic equipment automatically change their clocks during the night. Mornings become darker, and afternoons/evenings brighter. If you are calling abroad note that the time difference may have changed (for example: Japan/Korea change from 9 hours ahead of the UK to 8 hours ahead). For the next 6 months the time in the UK is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1). When you change your clocks, you can check the exact time from the speaking clock by phoning 123. Do not always believe the clocks which you may see in public places - sometimes there is a delay before they are changed. More information is available on the website: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/info/timeuk.htm. |
| Sun 31 Mar 2013 | Easter Sunday, UK Special Easter Sunday services in Christian churches celebrate the belief that Jesus Christ came back to life on the third day after he was killed (known as the "resurrection"). There are special Easter Sunday religious services. Churches are often decorated with flowers. Children are often given chocolate Easter eggs by their parents or relatives. Sometimes eggs are hidden and children hunt for them in the house or garden. Note that many shops are closed on Easter Sunday, even if they normally open on other Sundays. Visitor attractions are usually open, but you should check before you travel. * Photos and information about Easter Sunday traditions: Ideas/Album/Easter-Sunday |
| Sun 31 Mar 2013 | Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race, London An annual university boat race on the Thames in London between Oxford University (the "Dark Blues") and Cambridge University (the "Light Blues"). The teams toss a coin to choose which side of the river they start (the north side is "Middlesex", and the south side is "Surrey": these are the names of the counties on each river bank. The race starts at Putney Bridge (near Putney Bridge underground station, on the Wimbledon branch of the District line; see: map), and ends after a distance of 4.25 miles (7 kilometres) just north of Chiswick Bridge (near the railway station Mortlake; see: map). The starting time changes each year, depending on the tide. Thousands of people line the river to see the two boats pass (after this people often rush to the nearby pubs to watch the rest of the race, which lasts about 20 minutes). The first contest took place in 1829, after a student at Cambridge challenged his friend at Oxford. Before the main event is a similar race between the second teams, which are known as "Isis" (Oxford) and "Goldie" (Cambridge). Other useful vocabulary: cox or coxswain (the person who steers the boat), stroke (the rower nearest the cox), bow (the rower furthest from the cox), a clash of oars (when the oars of the two boats hit each other), to catch a crab (when one of the oars gets stuck in the water and cannot complete its stroke). In 2013 the starting time for the race is 4:30pm. For more details about the event, see: http://www.theboatrace.org. You can watch the race live on television. |
 Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race |
| Sun 31 Mar 2013 | The Oxford & Cambridge Goat Race, London A race between two goats called "Oxford" and "Cambridge" is one of the events in an afternoon of entertainment at Spitalfields City Farm, held on the same day as the boat race. Note that tickets are required, and these should be bought in advance. See: http://www.thegoatrace.org |
|
|
|