Unit One FESTIVALS

How did you spend your Spring Festival?

Spring Festival on the first day of the lunar year last fifteen days do spring cleaning , decorate their houses On New Year’s Eve, dinner, watch the Spring Festival programme, watch fireworks, set off firecrackers get lucky money Lantern Festival

Spring Festival Spring Festival comes at the turn of a Chinese lunar year and is celebrated all over the country. On the day of the Lunar New Year people get up early and wear all kinds of new clothes. In the north, most families prepare jiaozi (dumplings) on the Eve as special food, while in the south sticky-sweet glutinous rice pudding called nian gao is served. Crackers are fired everywhere when the clock strikes twelve, as a signal of saying good-bye to the old year and welcoming the New Year in. Fireworks are lit to drive away evil spirits. People watch the CCTV special Spring Festival programs, sing and dance until the small hours of the morning.

How many festivals do you know in China? Time What does it celebrate? What do people do? Spring festival spring The arrival of spring and the new year get together, watch TV and eat dumplings, give money in red paper to children, visit family members

Lantern Festival New Year’s Day Women’s Day National Day May Day Chinese festivals and holidays National Day May Day Army Day Children’s Day Mid-autumn Festival Dragon Boat Festival

Festivals Foreign Festivals Christmas Day Thanksgiving Day Chinese Festivals Lantern Festival The Dragon Boat Festival Tomb Sweeping Day Mid-Autumn Day New Year’s Day Double-ninth National Day May 1st Foreign Festivals Christmas Day Thanksgiving Day Mother’s Day Father’s Day April Fool’s Day Valentine’s Day Easter Halloween

Easter In April It is the time when Jesus Christ died and came back to life. Eat chocolate eggs

It is the birthday of Jesus Christ Christmas Day On December 25th It is the birthday of Jesus Christ Go to the parties and churches , give cards and presents to our friends and relatives

People send roses and cards to the people they love. Valentine’s Day In February People send roses and cards to the people they love.

Dragon Boat Festival In June The day that the poet Qu Yuan died Eat rice dumplings and watch boat races

Ching Ming Festival In April The day we remember our dead relatives Visit graves

Mother’s Day In May We give flowers and presents to our mothers.

Mid-autumn Festival In September The day we enjoy the full moon Play lanterns and eat moon cakes

Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the new year ( 15th, in the lunar calendar) lanterns: symbols of good fortune, happiness and health. “dragon” and “lion ” dances

Pre-reading 1.What’s you favourite holiday of the year? 2.What festivals or celebrations do you enjoy in your city or town?

Reading You are given 5 minutes to read the passage quickly and try to remember different kinds of festivals mentioned in the text.

Harvest Festivals Spring Festivals Task 1 Obon Festivals of the Dead Day of the Dead Cherry Blossom Festival Festivals to Honour People Halloween Dragon Boat Festival Harvest Festivals Columbus Day Easter Spring Festivals Thanksgiving

1. How many parts is the passage divided into? Task 2 1. How many parts is the passage divided into? Six parts. 2. Which festivals are mentioned in the passage?

Thanksgiving festivals Mid-autumn Festival China/Japan Spring Festival Countries Obon Japan Day of the Dead Mexico Halloween Dragon Boat Festival China Columbus Day USA Mahatma Gandhi Day India Thanksgiving festivals Mid-autumn Festival China/Japan Spring Festival China Carnival Easter Cherry Blossom Festival Japan

Reading again Read the passage again and then fill in the following form:

Festivals Purpose How to celebrate Ancient Festivals Festivals of the Dead To celebrate the the end of the cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn. Lit fires and made music. Light lamps,play music,eat food in the shape of skulls and cakes with bones, go to their neighbors to ask for sweets, dress up To honor the dead or satisfy and please the ancestors.

Festivals to Honour People Purpose How to celebrate Festivals to Honour People Harvest Festivals Spring Festivals For their great contributions to the society or the country. Dragon boat racing, eat zongzi. Food is gathered for the winter. A season of agricultural work is over. Decorate churches and town halls, have big meals, admire the moon,eat moon cakes. To celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring. Eat delicious food, give children lucky money, have carnivals.

Retell the text by filling the following blanks: There are all kinds of festivals and __________ around the world, which are held for different reasons. The _______ _________ were mainly held at three times a year--- the end of the cold winter, planting in spring and harvest in autumn.Some festivals are held to _____ the dead or satisfy and ______ the _________ in case they might _____ _______, while other festivals are held to honor famous people or the gods, such as _________ _______ ______ and Columbus Day. celebrations ancient festivals honor please ancestors harm do Dragon Boat Festival

Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals are happy events because the food is _________ for the winter and because a season of ___________work is over,to which Mid autumn festival belongs.And the most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the ______ of spring, such as the ______ New Year, at which people have a very good time. gathered agricultural coming lunar

Assignment Collect as much information about festivals as possible.