Unit 4 Holidays and Special Days
Teaching Aims,
In this unit students are required to,
1) get to know some useful information concerning the topic of the reading passages in this unit and to know more about English culture;
2) do some preparation activities such as discussion,group work,etc,to practice their spoken skill and communicative skills;
3) grasp some new words and try to use these words which help them to enrich their vocabulary;
4)read the in-class reading passage in a limited time and grasp some expressions and grammatical points in the in-class reading passage to improve their reading comprehension;
5) do some post-reading exercises and some after-class reading to practice what they have got to know in class to improve their English comprehensive skills.;
6) translate some typical sentences into Chinese or English by using some expressions learned in the reading passages to acquire some translating skills and better their translating abilities.
I,Useful Information
Holiday are special times of respite（暂停，小歇）from work and other routines（常规活动）,In some cases,they are legal holidays when stores,businesses and government offices are officially closed,In other cases,they are celebrated（过节）without taking time off from work,Holidays are often times for celebration,revelry（狂欢）,eating,drinking,travel,and family gatherings,but they may also be times of rest and reflection（反省）,The current trend is away from rest and reflection,Even Mardi Gras(大斋首日的前一天，直译为,油腻的星期二”),the day before the traditionally reflective period of Lent（大斋期）,has turned into an entire week of parties,parades（游行）and merry-making for those who make the annual pilgrimage（每年的朝圣）to New Orleans,for example.
In most cultures the scheduling（时间）of holidays originally was related to the seasons,the lunar cycle（太阳周期）,and religion,Christmas (December 25) celebrates the birth of Jesus,but it is not actually known whether Jesus was born in the wintertime,The first Roman emperor to espouse（拥护）Christianity decided to have Christmas when the days are shortest to bring a spirit of optimism to the long winter months,It also helped bring Christianity to the pagans（非基督徒）,who were accustomed to having festivals at the winter solstice(冬至),encouraging warmth and sunshine to return,Over the years Christmas has come to symbolize（象征）goodwill and generosity for both Christians and non-Christians through the personification（拟人）of Santa Claus,originally a Christian saint,known as St,Nicholas,Nowadays Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is almost as important a global（全球的）symbol of Christmas as Jesus or Santa and the commercialization（商业化）of Christmas threatens to replace generosity with greed（吝啬）,Many people forget that the original Christmas gifts were given by the Three Wise Men,all pagans,to Jesus,a Jewish child born in a manger（马槽）,All they think of are the gifts they will give or receive,and all the money they have spent.
One reason for the increasing popularity of Christmas is its proximity（临近）to New Year’s Day,encouraging a long holiday to evolve（发展）out of both,In the U,S.,the holiday has turned into an extended holiday season,lasting from Thanksgiving Day（感恩节）in late November until New Year’s Day,with a seemingly endless array（排列）of parties,dinners,concerts,parades,and vacation trips,The schools and colleges are closed from mid-December through early January while many people eat too much,drink too much,and watch too much American football on TV,Many gifts,cards,and annual newsletters are exchanged,and the various festivities are not always very restful,Then the same people make New Year’s Resolutions to eat less,drink less,spend less,and work harder in the coming year.
Christmas is by far the most important holiday in English-speaking countries,Other important holidays in addition to Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are Valentine’s Day（情人节）,St,Patrick’s Day（守护圣徒节）,April Fools’ Day（愚人节）,and Easter（复活节）,On Valentine’s Day,celebrated on February 14,people give cards,chocolates,flowers,and kisses to their spouses（配偶）and sweethearts,On St,Patrick’s Day,March 17,people wear green to celebrate the luck of the Irish,and eat corned beef and cabbage washed down with green beer,During Easter Week in late March or early April,Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus while Jews celebrate Passover,in memory of the escape of the Jews from ancient Egypt,where they had been slaves,Although it is not actually a holiday and has no religious connotation（涵义）,April Fools’ Day,celebrated on April 1,is a day when people play embarrassing tricks on their friends and colleagues and even on their teachers,Another holiday with some similarity to April Fools’ Day is Halloween（万圣节前夕）on October 31,when children wear funny or scary（吓人的）costumes（服装）and ask their neighbors for,tricks or treats”,The name Halloween means,hallowed（神圣的） evening”,the night before All Saints’ Day（万圣节）when Christian saints are honored（受封）,On the following day,All Souls’ Day,services and prayers are said for the dead,In many countries,it is a day when families visit cemeteries（公墓）and place flowers on the tombs of their relatives,In Europe,Labor Day is celebrated on May 1,whereas in Canada and the United States,labor and laborers are honored by a legal holiday on the first Monday in September.
II,In-Class Reading Activities
A Merry Christmas
1,to sip away
to sip,drink very small quantities
away,continuously (表示动作一直持续下去)
She was typing away in the little room.
He was laughing away all afternoon.
Sipping at her drink just to be polite.
2,to go/get/slip/run into debt,to owe money
It’s easier to get into debt than to get out of it again.
We must cut down expenses or we’ll be getting into debt.
3.to come to do,begin to do (come和不定式构成谓语) 经过一个过程发生某情况
I hope we shall be friends and come to understand one another.
You may come to be ashamed of what you have done today.
4,to be supposed to do,should do; ought to do
Who is supposed to look after the child?
He is supposed to be washing the car.
She is supposed to be reading.
What is he supposed to be doing now?
to be not supposed to do,to be not allowed to do
You are not supposed to talk to strangers.
It is a secret still,I am not supposed to say.
Supposing that假使（状语从句）
Supposing that she doesn’t come,what shall we do?
Supposing that he asks you,will you go?
5,…a time when (when,at which time) (attributive clause) (after nouns,time,day year,childhood…)
I have always longed for the time when I should be able to be independent.
At the time when I saw him,he was well.
There are moments when I forget all about it.
to be associated with,to be connected with; to be related to
Cigarette smoking has been associated with breast as well as lung cancer.
He wished to forget everything associated with his former life/wife.
Political news was often related to economic and social problems.
6,to carry out,fulfill; complete sth
We intend to carry out our full policy.
I was chosen to carry out the experiment.
He didn’t carry out his promise.
7,In one’s name; in the name of,by the right or power of
I arrest you in the name of the law.
Let me thank you in the name of us all.
The Prime Minister spoke in the name of the king.
8,to save up,keep (money) for future use; keep and not spend/use as for a special purpose
to save for
We are saving for a new car./ for a new house.
We are saving to get married.
9,to sit up,not go to bed(until late)
I sat up until midnight,writing letters and reading.
They sat up all night playing cards.
We don’t allow the children to sit up late.
10,first of all,before everything else; in the first place
First of all,you must be frank,I shall try first of all to make them alter their ideas.
11,to put up,raise
Put up your hand if you think you know the answer.
Drop your weapons and put up your hands.
to put up,build
They are putting up several new houses on our street,These houses were put up in 1924.
to put up,provide lodging and food for
I hope you will be able to put me up for a few days.
I am afraid I cannot put you up; you will have to go to a hotel.
to put up张贴，挂上to put in a public place
It’s time we put up Christmas decorations in the living room,To put up a notice
12,in advance,before in time; beforehand; ahead of time
to pay rent in advance
There is no reason why you shouldn’t tell them in advance that you are going.
Send your luggage in advance.
in advance of,in front of
She walked two yards in advance of her husband.
13,whatever,no matter what(adverbial of clause)
Don’t lose heart,whatever you do.
Whatever happens,you must be calm and quiet.
Whatever (introduce adverbial clauses of subject and object.)
Whatever I have now will be yours in the future.
I’ll do whatever you wish.
One should stick to whatever one has begun.
III,Post-Reading Activities
Questions for Group Discussion
1．What do the two subtitles mean?
The subtitle,More Stuffing” is a play on words,The verb,to stuff” has several meanings,but there are two that come to mind at Christmas time,First,“to stuff” means to overeat( to eat too much); second,“to stuff a chicken or a turkey” means to put stuffing ( a mixture of bread and seasonings) inside before it is cooked,So in this case,the subtitle,More Stuffing” means,Do you want to stuff more into your stomach?” and,Would you like some more stuffing?” The latter is a polite question one would ask at the dinner table.
The subtitle,Not Only for Children?” means that Christmas is not only a wonderful time for children but also for adults,It can also help adults get out of the ordinary routine of life.
Who do you agree with,Patrick Brendan or Lynne Knight? Can you give additional reasons to support his/her view.
Sample1
I agree with Patrick Brendan,I think Christmas is a waste of money,People buy a lot of food that they are able to finish,They spend a lot of money on presents,All this produces a lot of waste,People rarely think of others who are less fortunate,They indulge themselves with good food and beautiful clothes,Every year,they celebrate Christmas in the same way,which is boring.,The real meaning of Christmas has been lost in the commercialization,Christmas causes sickness and depression,People eat and drink too much and poor people feel sad because they can’t afford to buy things,
Sample 2
I agree with Lynne Knight,After working all year through,people do need a time for relaxation and a time for family reunions,Christmas is just the time for it,All the family members can get together,eating the food they like and chatting with each other,Presents are not important; what’s important is the friendship between people,It is important to have a holiday that celebrates kindness and goodwill to others,People should think of less fortunate people more often,but at least they can do it at Christmas,Holidays that make children happy are wonderful.
IV,Further Development
1．Additional Information
Apart from Christmas and April Fool’s day,some of the most important holidays in the united States are Labor Day,Halloween,Thanksgiving,New Year’s Day,Valentine’s Day,Mother’s Day,Father’s Day and Easter.
Labor Day,celebrated the Monday in September,is an occasion for parades to honor workers,The story of Labor Day began in the 19th century with the dream of a carpenter named Peter J,MeGuire,who grew up eventually to become the president of a national union of carpenters,MeGuire was well-acquainted with both the satisfaction and the suffering that accompanies hard work,He wanted to establish a holiday,to honor the industrial spirit,the great vital force of the nation”,At his suggestion,the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City in 1884,Labor Day became a federal holiday in the United States.
Because the holiday also marks the end of the summer vacation period for many people,it is often the time for an outing to the beach,a picnic in the park,or a barbecue in the back yard,Since this holiday provides a three-day weekend for most workers and students,many people use it to enjoy a few last summer days relaxing outdoors.
Every year on October 31,Halloween is celebrated throughout the United States,American children love to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating,If an adult refuses to supply a treat----candy,cookies,fruit,or money----the children may play a trick,Typical Halloween pranks are soaping windows,writing on doors with crayons,overturning garage cans,sticking pins into doorbells to keep them ringing,and spraying shaving cream on cars and friends,Masquerading (pretending to be),begging,and many other Halloween customs are mainly for the amusement of children,The name Halloween is a short way of saying All Hollow’s Eve,which means the night before the Roman Catholic holy day of All Saints’ Day,Although Halloween got its name from a Christmas festival,its customs are of death and a Roman festival in honor of the goddess of gardens and orchards,The Halloween colors,black and orange,suggest both ideas,death and harvest.
In the United States,the fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day,On this day,celebrated with big dinners and happy reunions,The first American Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth,Massachusetts in 1621.Many of the traditions of the modern American Thanksgiving come from that first Thanksgiving celebration,Today’s Thanksgiving turkey is much like the ones that were hunted in the forest around Plymouth,Squash and corn,which were also harvested by the early Pilgrims,appear on the Thanksgiving table,Pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert,
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May,On this occasion,Mother usually receives greeting cards and gifts from her husband and children,The best gift for an American Mom is a day of leisure,The modern employed homemaker enjoys the traditional Mother’s Day custom of breakfast (or brunch) cooked by her family and served to her on a tray in bed,Later in the day,it’s also traditional for the extended family group to get together for dinner,either in a restaurant or in one of their homes.
Flowers are an important part of Mother’s Day,Mothers are often given corsage or a plant for the occasion,particularly if they are elderly,If the Mother is no longer living,the children often place flowers on her grave.
Father’s Day is celebrated throughout the United States and Canada on the third Sunday in June,The holiday customs are similar to Mother’s Day,Dad also receives greeting cards and gifts from his family and enjoys a day of leisure.
Easter,one of the most important Christmas holidays,got its name and many of its customs and symbols from a pagan festival,This ancient holiday honored Easter,the goddess of springtime and sunrise,Her name came from east,where the sun rises,Every spring,northern European people celebrated the festival of Easter to honor the
Every spring,northern European people celebrated the festival of Eostre to honor the awakening of new life in nature,Later,Christmas related the rising of the sun to the Resurrection of Christ and to their own spiritual rebirth,(According to the New Testament,on Easter Sunday,Jesus Christ,who had died on the cross and been placed in his tomb,came to life again.)
Many modern Easter symbols came from pagan times,The egg,for example,was exchanged by the ancient Persians,Greeks,and Chinese at their spring festivals,In Christmas times,the egg too
The Easter bunny also came from pre-Christmas times,The rabbit,a very fertile animal,was a natural symbol of new life,Today,children enjoy eating chocolate bunnies and listening to stories about Easter bunny,who brings Easter eggs in a fancy basket,In some families,the parents hide candy eggs for the children to find.
Traditionally,the meats associated with Easter are lamb and ham,Both of these meats have had symbolic meaning since ancient times,In the Old Testament,Abraham used the lamb as a sacrifice after thousands of years; the pig has been a symbol of good luck,On Easter Sunday,smoked or cooked ham is the traditional main course in both Europe and the United States.
Easter is a happy time,The continual rebirth of physical life on earth symbolizes the eternity of spiritual life,But the deeper meaning of Easter is a profound paradox,The story of Christ implies that for all Christians the beginning of eternal life is physical death.
What do you know about the traditional Chinese Festivals?
Apart from the spring festival,some of the traditional Chinese festivals are:
New Year’s Day (Jan,1st,Solar Calendar);
the Lantern Festival( Jan.15th,Lunar Calendar);
Pure Brightness( Clear and Bright Day) (April 5th,Solar Calendar)
the Dragon Boat Festival (May 5th,Lunar Calendar);
the Double Ninth Festival( Sep,9th,Lunar Calendar);
the Mid-autumn Festival (August 15th,Lunar Calendar)
Writing
Write a composition on the following topic,My Favorite Holiday,You should write at least 100 words,Remember to write neatly.
Samples
My Favorite Holiday
My favorite holiday is the Spring Festival,On New Year’s Eve,the whole family gets together and has a wonderful supper,After supper,the elders five the children money with which the young can buy whatever they went,During the Spring Festival,people visit their relatives and wish each other,Happy New Year”,Throughout the Spring Festival,everyone is much friendlier and kinder than at any other time of the year,and you can feel the world is filled with love,During the Spring Festival,since there is no school,the children always walk in the streets in groups,singing and laughing,Sometimes they set off firecrackers and generally have a good time,The young always go shopping or go to the parks together,or they can stay at home and watch TV,There is a peaceful and happy atmosphere everywhere.
My Favorite Holiday
My favorite holiday is the Spring Festival,When the Spring Festival comes,I can go home to be reunited with my family and friends,I love to travel on the trains with all the other happy people and I love to arrive back in my hometown.
On the eve of the Spring Festival,the whole family gathers together to have supper and to talk,After supper,I receive money from the elders in my family that I can use to buy all kinds of nice things,The elder members of the family usually watch TV and the young set off firecrackers,This year there were many families who bought fireworks,We enjoyed the beautiful colors and all the noise.
During the Spring Festival,everybody seems much friendlier to each other than usual,Everybody says,Happy New Year” or,Hello”,I think the Spring Festival is an important traditional holiday when people feel close to their family and are kind to their friends and neighbors.
Teaching Aims,
In this unit students are required to,
1) get to know some useful information concerning the topic of the reading passages in this unit and to know more about English culture;
2) do some preparation activities such as discussion,group work,etc,to practice their spoken skill and communicative skills;
3) grasp some new words and try to use these words which help them to enrich their vocabulary;
4)read the in-class reading passage in a limited time and grasp some expressions and grammatical points in the in-class reading passage to improve their reading comprehension;
5) do some post-reading exercises and some after-class reading to practice what they have got to know in class to improve their English comprehensive skills.;
6) translate some typical sentences into Chinese or English by using some expressions learned in the reading passages to acquire some translating skills and better their translating abilities.
I,Useful Information
Holiday are special times of respite（暂停，小歇）from work and other routines（常规活动）,In some cases,they are legal holidays when stores,businesses and government offices are officially closed,In other cases,they are celebrated（过节）without taking time off from work,Holidays are often times for celebration,revelry（狂欢）,eating,drinking,travel,and family gatherings,but they may also be times of rest and reflection（反省）,The current trend is away from rest and reflection,Even Mardi Gras(大斋首日的前一天，直译为,油腻的星期二”),the day before the traditionally reflective period of Lent（大斋期）,has turned into an entire week of parties,parades（游行）and merry-making for those who make the annual pilgrimage（每年的朝圣）to New Orleans,for example.
In most cultures the scheduling（时间）of holidays originally was related to the seasons,the lunar cycle（太阳周期）,and religion,Christmas (December 25) celebrates the birth of Jesus,but it is not actually known whether Jesus was born in the wintertime,The first Roman emperor to espouse（拥护）Christianity decided to have Christmas when the days are shortest to bring a spirit of optimism to the long winter months,It also helped bring Christianity to the pagans（非基督徒）,who were accustomed to having festivals at the winter solstice(冬至),encouraging warmth and sunshine to return,Over the years Christmas has come to symbolize（象征）goodwill and generosity for both Christians and non-Christians through the personification（拟人）of Santa Claus,originally a Christian saint,known as St,Nicholas,Nowadays Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is almost as important a global（全球的）symbol of Christmas as Jesus or Santa and the commercialization（商业化）of Christmas threatens to replace generosity with greed（吝啬）,Many people forget that the original Christmas gifts were given by the Three Wise Men,all pagans,to Jesus,a Jewish child born in a manger（马槽）,All they think of are the gifts they will give or receive,and all the money they have spent.
One reason for the increasing popularity of Christmas is its proximity（临近）to New Year’s Day,encouraging a long holiday to evolve（发展）out of both,In the U,S.,the holiday has turned into an extended holiday season,lasting from Thanksgiving Day（感恩节）in late November until New Year’s Day,with a seemingly endless array（排列）of parties,dinners,concerts,parades,and vacation trips,The schools and colleges are closed from mid-December through early January while many people eat too much,drink too much,and watch too much American football on TV,Many gifts,cards,and annual newsletters are exchanged,and the various festivities are not always very restful,Then the same people make New Year’s Resolutions to eat less,drink less,spend less,and work harder in the coming year.
Christmas is by far the most important holiday in English-speaking countries,Other important holidays in addition to Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are Valentine’s Day（情人节）,St,Patrick’s Day（守护圣徒节）,April Fools’ Day（愚人节）,and Easter（复活节）,On Valentine’s Day,celebrated on February 14,people give cards,chocolates,flowers,and kisses to their spouses（配偶）and sweethearts,On St,Patrick’s Day,March 17,people wear green to celebrate the luck of the Irish,and eat corned beef and cabbage washed down with green beer,During Easter Week in late March or early April,Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus while Jews celebrate Passover,in memory of the escape of the Jews from ancient Egypt,where they had been slaves,Although it is not actually a holiday and has no religious connotation（涵义）,April Fools’ Day,celebrated on April 1,is a day when people play embarrassing tricks on their friends and colleagues and even on their teachers,Another holiday with some similarity to April Fools’ Day is Halloween（万圣节前夕）on October 31,when children wear funny or scary（吓人的）costumes（服装）and ask their neighbors for,tricks or treats”,The name Halloween means,hallowed（神圣的） evening”,the night before All Saints’ Day（万圣节）when Christian saints are honored（受封）,On the following day,All Souls’ Day,services and prayers are said for the dead,In many countries,it is a day when families visit cemeteries（公墓）and place flowers on the tombs of their relatives,In Europe,Labor Day is celebrated on May 1,whereas in Canada and the United States,labor and laborers are honored by a legal holiday on the first Monday in September.
II,In-Class Reading Activities
A Merry Christmas
1,to sip away
to sip,drink very small quantities
away,continuously (表示动作一直持续下去)
She was typing away in the little room.
He was laughing away all afternoon.
Sipping at her drink just to be polite.
2,to go/get/slip/run into debt,to owe money
It’s easier to get into debt than to get out of it again.
We must cut down expenses or we’ll be getting into debt.
3.to come to do,begin to do (come和不定式构成谓语) 经过一个过程发生某情况
I hope we shall be friends and come to understand one another.
You may come to be ashamed of what you have done today.
4,to be supposed to do,should do; ought to do
Who is supposed to look after the child?
He is supposed to be washing the car.
She is supposed to be reading.
What is he supposed to be doing now?
to be not supposed to do,to be not allowed to do
You are not supposed to talk to strangers.
It is a secret still,I am not supposed to say.
Supposing that假使（状语从句）
Supposing that she doesn’t come,what shall we do?
Supposing that he asks you,will you go?
5,…a time when (when,at which time) (attributive clause) (after nouns,time,day year,childhood…)
I have always longed for the time when I should be able to be independent.
At the time when I saw him,he was well.
There are moments when I forget all about it.
to be associated with,to be connected with; to be related to
Cigarette smoking has been associated with breast as well as lung cancer.
He wished to forget everything associated with his former life/wife.
Political news was often related to economic and social problems.
6,to carry out,fulfill; complete sth
We intend to carry out our full policy.
I was chosen to carry out the experiment.
He didn’t carry out his promise.
7,In one’s name; in the name of,by the right or power of
I arrest you in the name of the law.
Let me thank you in the name of us all.
The Prime Minister spoke in the name of the king.
8,to save up,keep (money) for future use; keep and not spend/use as for a special purpose
to save for
We are saving for a new car./ for a new house.
We are saving to get married.
9,to sit up,not go to bed(until late)
I sat up until midnight,writing letters and reading.
They sat up all night playing cards.
We don’t allow the children to sit up late.
10,first of all,before everything else; in the first place
First of all,you must be frank,I shall try first of all to make them alter their ideas.
11,to put up,raise
Put up your hand if you think you know the answer.
Drop your weapons and put up your hands.
to put up,build
They are putting up several new houses on our street,These houses were put up in 1924.
to put up,provide lodging and food for
I hope you will be able to put me up for a few days.
I am afraid I cannot put you up; you will have to go to a hotel.
to put up张贴，挂上to put in a public place
It’s time we put up Christmas decorations in the living room,To put up a notice
12,in advance,before in time; beforehand; ahead of time
to pay rent in advance
There is no reason why you shouldn’t tell them in advance that you are going.
Send your luggage in advance.
in advance of,in front of
She walked two yards in advance of her husband.
13,whatever,no matter what(adverbial of clause)
Don’t lose heart,whatever you do.
Whatever happens,you must be calm and quiet.
Whatever (introduce adverbial clauses of subject and object.)
Whatever I have now will be yours in the future.
I’ll do whatever you wish.
One should stick to whatever one has begun.
III,Post-Reading Activities
Questions for Group Discussion
1．What do the two subtitles mean?
The subtitle,More Stuffing” is a play on words,The verb,to stuff” has several meanings,but there are two that come to mind at Christmas time,First,“to stuff” means to overeat( to eat too much); second,“to stuff a chicken or a turkey” means to put stuffing ( a mixture of bread and seasonings) inside before it is cooked,So in this case,the subtitle,More Stuffing” means,Do you want to stuff more into your stomach?” and,Would you like some more stuffing?” The latter is a polite question one would ask at the dinner table.
The subtitle,Not Only for Children?” means that Christmas is not only a wonderful time for children but also for adults,It can also help adults get out of the ordinary routine of life.
Who do you agree with,Patrick Brendan or Lynne Knight? Can you give additional reasons to support his/her view.
Sample1
I agree with Patrick Brendan,I think Christmas is a waste of money,People buy a lot of food that they are able to finish,They spend a lot of money on presents,All this produces a lot of waste,People rarely think of others who are less fortunate,They indulge themselves with good food and beautiful clothes,Every year,they celebrate Christmas in the same way,which is boring.,The real meaning of Christmas has been lost in the commercialization,Christmas causes sickness and depression,People eat and drink too much and poor people feel sad because they can’t afford to buy things,
Sample 2
I agree with Lynne Knight,After working all year through,people do need a time for relaxation and a time for family reunions,Christmas is just the time for it,All the family members can get together,eating the food they like and chatting with each other,Presents are not important; what’s important is the friendship between people,It is important to have a holiday that celebrates kindness and goodwill to others,People should think of less fortunate people more often,but at least they can do it at Christmas,Holidays that make children happy are wonderful.
IV,Further Development
1．Additional Information
Apart from Christmas and April Fool’s day,some of the most important holidays in the united States are Labor Day,Halloween,Thanksgiving,New Year’s Day,Valentine’s Day,Mother’s Day,Father’s Day and Easter.
Labor Day,celebrated the Monday in September,is an occasion for parades to honor workers,The story of Labor Day began in the 19th century with the dream of a carpenter named Peter J,MeGuire,who grew up eventually to become the president of a national union of carpenters,MeGuire was well-acquainted with both the satisfaction and the suffering that accompanies hard work,He wanted to establish a holiday,to honor the industrial spirit,the great vital force of the nation”,At his suggestion,the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City in 1884,Labor Day became a federal holiday in the United States.
Because the holiday also marks the end of the summer vacation period for many people,it is often the time for an outing to the beach,a picnic in the park,or a barbecue in the back yard,Since this holiday provides a three-day weekend for most workers and students,many people use it to enjoy a few last summer days relaxing outdoors.
Every year on October 31,Halloween is celebrated throughout the United States,American children love to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating,If an adult refuses to supply a treat----candy,cookies,fruit,or money----the children may play a trick,Typical Halloween pranks are soaping windows,writing on doors with crayons,overturning garage cans,sticking pins into doorbells to keep them ringing,and spraying shaving cream on cars and friends,Masquerading (pretending to be),begging,and many other Halloween customs are mainly for the amusement of children,The name Halloween is a short way of saying All Hollow’s Eve,which means the night before the Roman Catholic holy day of All Saints’ Day,Although Halloween got its name from a Christmas festival,its customs are of death and a Roman festival in honor of the goddess of gardens and orchards,The Halloween colors,black and orange,suggest both ideas,death and harvest.
In the United States,the fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day,On this day,celebrated with big dinners and happy reunions,The first American Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth,Massachusetts in 1621.Many of the traditions of the modern American Thanksgiving come from that first Thanksgiving celebration,Today’s Thanksgiving turkey is much like the ones that were hunted in the forest around Plymouth,Squash and corn,which were also harvested by the early Pilgrims,appear on the Thanksgiving table,Pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert,
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May,On this occasion,Mother usually receives greeting cards and gifts from her husband and children,The best gift for an American Mom is a day of leisure,The modern employed homemaker enjoys the traditional Mother’s Day custom of breakfast (or brunch) cooked by her family and served to her on a tray in bed,Later in the day,it’s also traditional for the extended family group to get together for dinner,either in a restaurant or in one of their homes.
Flowers are an important part of Mother’s Day,Mothers are often given corsage or a plant for the occasion,particularly if they are elderly,If the Mother is no longer living,the children often place flowers on her grave.
Father’s Day is celebrated throughout the United States and Canada on the third Sunday in June,The holiday customs are similar to Mother’s Day,Dad also receives greeting cards and gifts from his family and enjoys a day of leisure.
Easter,one of the most important Christmas holidays,got its name and many of its customs and symbols from a pagan festival,This ancient holiday honored Easter,the goddess of springtime and sunrise,Her name came from east,where the sun rises,Every spring,northern European people celebrated the festival of Easter to honor the
Every spring,northern European people celebrated the festival of Eostre to honor the awakening of new life in nature,Later,Christmas related the rising of the sun to the Resurrection of Christ and to their own spiritual rebirth,(According to the New Testament,on Easter Sunday,Jesus Christ,who had died on the cross and been placed in his tomb,came to life again.)
Many modern Easter symbols came from pagan times,The egg,for example,was exchanged by the ancient Persians,Greeks,and Chinese at their spring festivals,In Christmas times,the egg too
The Easter bunny also came from pre-Christmas times,The rabbit,a very fertile animal,was a natural symbol of new life,Today,children enjoy eating chocolate bunnies and listening to stories about Easter bunny,who brings Easter eggs in a fancy basket,In some families,the parents hide candy eggs for the children to find.
Traditionally,the meats associated with Easter are lamb and ham,Both of these meats have had symbolic meaning since ancient times,In the Old Testament,Abraham used the lamb as a sacrifice after thousands of years; the pig has been a symbol of good luck,On Easter Sunday,smoked or cooked ham is the traditional main course in both Europe and the United States.
Easter is a happy time,The continual rebirth of physical life on earth symbolizes the eternity of spiritual life,But the deeper meaning of Easter is a profound paradox,The story of Christ implies that for all Christians the beginning of eternal life is physical death.
What do you know about the traditional Chinese Festivals?
Apart from the spring festival,some of the traditional Chinese festivals are:
New Year’s Day (Jan,1st,Solar Calendar);
the Lantern Festival( Jan.15th,Lunar Calendar);
Pure Brightness( Clear and Bright Day) (April 5th,Solar Calendar)
the Dragon Boat Festival (May 5th,Lunar Calendar);
the Double Ninth Festival( Sep,9th,Lunar Calendar);
the Mid-autumn Festival (August 15th,Lunar Calendar)
Writing
Write a composition on the following topic,My Favorite Holiday,You should write at least 100 words,Remember to write neatly.
Samples
My Favorite Holiday
My favorite holiday is the Spring Festival,On New Year’s Eve,the whole family gets together and has a wonderful supper,After supper,the elders five the children money with which the young can buy whatever they went,During the Spring Festival,people visit their relatives and wish each other,Happy New Year”,Throughout the Spring Festival,everyone is much friendlier and kinder than at any other time of the year,and you can feel the world is filled with love,During the Spring Festival,since there is no school,the children always walk in the streets in groups,singing and laughing,Sometimes they set off firecrackers and generally have a good time,The young always go shopping or go to the parks together,or they can stay at home and watch TV,There is a peaceful and happy atmosphere everywhere.
My Favorite Holiday
My favorite holiday is the Spring Festival,When the Spring Festival comes,I can go home to be reunited with my family and friends,I love to travel on the trains with all the other happy people and I love to arrive back in my hometown.
On the eve of the Spring Festival,the whole family gathers together to have supper and to talk,After supper,I receive money from the elders in my family that I can use to buy all kinds of nice things,The elder members of the family usually watch TV and the young set off firecrackers,This year there were many families who bought fireworks,We enjoyed the beautiful colors and all the noise.
During the Spring Festival,everybody seems much friendlier to each other than usual,Everybody says,Happy New Year” or,Hello”,I think the Spring Festival is an important traditional holiday when people feel close to their family and are kind to their friends and neighbors.
