Vocabulary:

A bank holiday-национальный праздник

A religious holiday-религиозный праздник

To make marry - веселиться

To be celebrated - отмечаться

Great-heartedness- доброта, великодушие

To be marked with a custom-отмечаться с соблюдением каких-либо традиций

A New Year party- новогодняя вечеринка

To be held on New Year`s Eve -проводиться в канун Нового года

To see the old year out-провожать старый год

To see the New Year in -встречать новый год

Folk- народный

To crown- короновать

Amateur- любитель

Bonfire Night- ночь костров

All Halloween’s eve- Канун всех святых

Straw- солома

To convince- убеждать

Exercise1. Comprehension questions:

1. What is a Bank Holiday? 2. What are the religious holidays for most people nowadays? 3. What holiday is the start of the summer tourist season? 4. What do people do on Christmas Day? 5. When does Spring Bank Holiday fall on? 6. What do people eat on the Friday before Easter? 7. What nation is considered to be the most conservative in Europe? 8. What are the best examples of their conservatism? 9. What are the most popular English traditions? 10. What is the original name of Halloween? 11. What is a popular Scottish event? 12. What is the Eisteddfod? 13. What peculiarities of the English monetary system do you know?

Exercise2. Make up a dialogue.

One Kazakh student is at the Christmas party. He is asking his American friend a lot of questions about Christmas.

Exercise3. Inquire about your friend`s favourite holiday.

1. What holiday does he like to celebrate most of all?

2. Does he like to celebrate it at home (outside, with friends)?

3. Does he have any traditional dish?

4. How does he usually organize it?

5. Does he decorate the place where he is going to celebrate his holiday party?

6. Does he like to get presents any time?

Exercise4. Write a composition on the following topics.

1. I don`t like to celebrate my birthday party.

2. Holidays and traditions of my country.

3. The difference between American and Kazakh celebretion of New Year.

Exercise5. Read the short passages and answer the questions about them giving your opinions to the point.

1. Tradition is a chain which links the present with the past, part of our task is to interpret the life and activity of tradition as a formative and perfecting factor in the development of man in society.

What is the role of the tradition in our life?

2. Some people find it difficult to tell the difference between a custom and a habit. Custom are social and habits are personal. Smoking is a bad habit and certainly an exspensive one. Customs are common to a large number of people who belong to e society or a nation. For man giving up his seats to old people, to women carrying babies, to people who are ill should be a national custom.

Can you describe any national customs?

3. Story-telling and story-collecting used to be an old tradition in tha times before the scientific and technological revolution.The tales and legends have been handed down by word of mouth often for generations. Many were passed on by wandering storytellers, others were composed for special occasions such as wedding and etc.

Can you give your impression of a traditional wedding you recently attended (Kazakh, Russian, etc.)? Describe the old and new customs and rituals you saw there.

Exercise5. Topics for discussions.

The advantages and disadvantages of multinational states for the development of national traditions.

The continuity of folk traditions in modern life (pros and cons).

Customs and holidays

Topical vocabulary:

Symbolic calendar days of rest and celebrations: holidays; festivals; bank holidays; public holidays.

Types of holidays: international; national; local; family; political; cultural; seasonal; religious; ethnic.

Activities in observance of holidays: to mask; to observe; to celebrate; to commemorate; to recognize an occasion, a date; to keep, to preserve a tradition; to give a party; to have family to get together; merry-making; to give presents (BE), gifts (AE); to send greeting cards; to ask a penny for the guy.

Constituent parts of national celebrations: New Year tree decorations (BE), trimmings (AE); small lights; ornaments, fairy-lights; baubles, glitter; evergreen; garlands; holly; mistletoe; fir-cones; bonfires; fireworks; party-poppers; Santa Claus and his reindeer; Father Frost and Snow Maiden; witches; stockings.

Gifts: toys; sugar mice; red roses; chocolate (Easter) eggs; boxes of candies or cookies (AE); boxes of sweets or biscuits (BE).

The types of folklore: verbal (proverbs, rhymes, myths, legends, folksongs, ballads); partly verbal (superstitions, customs and festivals, games); non-verbal (folk gestures, handicrafts, folk music).

Terms of partly verbal folklore according to their degree of generalization:

rites; ceremonies; rituals; customs; traditions; festivals.

Do you any Kazakh traditions?...

The Traditional Wedding Ceremony of the Kazakh People

The Kazakh people, like other nations, developed its particular wedding

ceremony. The ceremony consisted of three stages. The first stage was matchmaking. It started with betrothal. For this purpose the father of the future bridegroom sent a relative or some respected person to the father of the future bride as a matchmaker (zharshy). When sitting on horseback the matchmaker tucked one trouser-leg into the high boot while the other trouser-leg was worn over the high boot. That was done to ensure an indulgent attitude of the future bride’s father to the matchmaker. The disordered appearance of the matchmaker is an ancient symbol, which means that a guest has come to disturb the usual order in a family. Men were sent for matchmaking on ‘happy days’. Each family had its own ‘happy days’.

If the girl’s father had agreed to give s caner in marriage the matchmaker presented a so-called nail robe. That robe had symbolically to fasten the agreement of matchmaking like a nail. After a ransom (kalym) for the bride was partly paid the second stage of the wedding ceremony started. The bridegroom visited the bride’s nomad village (aul) and presented clothes, dry fruits and other sweets to the bride’s parents and relatives and a filly to his future father in law. After crossing the threshold of the nomad tent (yurta) the bridegroom had to bow down three times. Those bows were addressed to the parents of the bride and to the old women sitting there. The visit of the bridegroom to the nomad tent of the bride’s father was called esekashu (opening of the door). The bride’s mother gave the bridegroom a cup (kesse) of cows’ milk or mare’s milk (koumyss) and blessed him. Then the bridegroom was taken to the fire of the nomad tent’s hearth and given a scoop full of melting fat. The bridegroom poured the melting fat on the fire. That ceremony is linked with the ancient cult of fire. Some of the women strewed dry fruits on the bridegroom. That ceremony was called shashu. Finally everybody except the bridegroom and the bride left the nomad tent. After coming back the bride’s parents pretended that they did not notice the bridegroom.

It was preferred to marry off sons and daughters in autumn or in the end of summer. According to popular belief the future fate of a young family is linked with the character of the day of the wedding. If the day is bright the life of the young couple will be happy.

After the first night of marriage the bride had to wear a special lady’s wedding head-dress (saukele). By custom a girl had to do her hair in one braid only, while after marriage a young woman had to do her hair in two braids. During the trip to the bridegroom’s house the bride had not to look back. Residents of villages through which the wedding procession passed put different obstacles in its way. For instance they used to stretch a rope across the road and ask for ransom. Several lookouts hurried up to the bridegroom’s village to deliver the good news. They were consequently presented with gifts for that news.

The wedding nomad tent went in front of the wedding procession. On arrival at the nomad’s village it was immediately set up. Then the third part of the wedding ceremony started. Close relatives met the bride, greeted her and brought her to the village. The bride was always covered by a wedding curtain in order to protect her from the view of outsiders. During two or three days the bride as kept in the nomad tent in a circle of girls. Nobody could see her, even the husband. During all that time relatives and friends were gathering in no age and feasts were arranged for them. On the third or on the fourth day the bride was brought to the nomad’s tent of her father in law. She was dressed in her smartest clothes with the saukele on her head and with a shawl covering her race. Before entering the nomad tent of her father in law the bride had to touch the upper part of the tent with her forehead to receive the patronage of the spirits of her husband’s ancestors.

Exercise1. As you read the text

a) look for the answers to these questions:

1. Who is the “zharshy” in wedding ceremony? 2. Explain the meaning of the following words: kalym, saukele, esekashu, yurta. 3. What rituals have you learned about from the text? 4. How many parts is the wedding ceremony consisted of? 5. What is the role of relatives in the ceremony? 6. Describe the clothing of the bride.

b) find in the text the facts the author gives to illustrate the following:

1. The ceremony consisted of 3 stages. 2. After crossing the threshold of the nomad tend the bridegroom had to bow three times. 3. It was preferred to marry off song and daughters in autumn or in the end of summer.

Exercise2. Use the topical vocabulary in answering the following problem questions:

1. The variety of holidays and festivals in all social communities is determined by the diversity of their characters. One can talk about international, national, cultural, religious, ethnic etc. holidays.

Please, give examples of these holidays and say which of them is your favourite and why.

2. National customs and traditions have been historically associated with seasonal changes of the year. The celebration of the magic force of the first day can be seen in the pagan traditions of marking the first day of winter, spring, having festivals in honor of natural forces- the Sun, the Moon (e.g. Sunday, Monday).

Do you know about any other folk holidays marking the seasonal changes? What is the role of such holidays in the cultural development of a nation and in securing the community of national customs and traditions?

3. Some young people refuse to observe the old rituals and have a wedding party considering it a terrible nuisance and a waste of money. What is your idea of celebrating a wedding? Should the old customs and traditions be observed or should it be held in an absolutely new manner?

4. What part do you think the national cuisine plays in the celebration of different holidays and festivals? Can you describe some Kazakh (Russian, English, French, German etc.) special dishes associated particularly with celebration?

Exercise3. Here is an extract of someone talking about a festival using rather informal language. Write it as a more formal description, using words and expression from the box instead of the underlined words and making any other necessary changes.

Parade atmospheric focus be believed to associate

Pagan symbolize sombre superstitious flamboyant

Raucous trace

Well, it’s called the Festival of flowers, and it’s all to do with the coming of spring, after the dark, serious winter months. It all started with a religious tradition of taking flowers to the church to offer them to God. Spring flowers are the a main thing in the festival, and there’s always a big gang of people marching through the streets dressed in traditional costumes. It’s all very lively and extremely colourful and rather noisy, and it has a great feeling about it. The flowers mean new life, and people thought they would be guaranteed a good harvest later in the year if they were offered to God. Nowadays most people don’t have such funny beliefs about nature, but there’s still a really old, pre-Christian atmosphere about it all…

FOCUS American holidays

Americans has three national holidays with many countries Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Easter, which falls on a spring Sunday that varies from year to year, celebrates the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family Many Americans follow old traditions of coloring hard-boiled eggs and giving children baskets of candy. On the next day, Easter Monday, the president of the United States holds an annual Easter egg hunt on the White House lawn for young children.

Christmas Day, December 25, is another Christian holiday; it marks the birth of the Christ Child. Decorating houses and yards with lights, putting up Christmas trees, giving gifts, and sending greeting cards have become traditions even for many non-Christian Americans

New Year’s Day, of course, is January 1. The celebration of this holiday begins the night before, when Americans gather to wish each other a happy and prosperous coming year.

Uniquely American holidays

Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although some of them have counterparts in other nations). For most Americans, two of these stand out above the others as occasions to cherish national origins: Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family and friends. The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to practice their dissenting religion without interference.

The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, honors the nation’s birthday — the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is a day of picnics and patriotic parades a night of concerts and fireworks.

Besides Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, there are six other uniquely American holidays.

Martin Luther King Day: The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., an African- American clergyman, is considered a great American because of his tireless efforts to win civil rights for all people through nonviolent means. Since his assassination in 1968, memorial services have marked his birthday on January 15. In 1986, that day was replaced by the third Monday of January which was declared a national holiday.

Presidents’ Day: Until the mid 1970s, the February 22 birthday of George Washington, hero of a1l the Revolutionary War and first president of the US, was a national holiday. It is celebrated on the 3d Monday of February.

Memorial Day: Celebrated on the 4^th Monday of May, this holiday honors the dead.

Labor Day: The 1^st Monday of September, this holiday honors the nation’s working people, typically with parades. For most Americans it marks the end of the summer vacation season and for many students the opening of the school year.

Columbus Day: on October 12, 1492, Italian navigator Ch. Columbus landed in the New World. But in the US this holiday takes place on the 2d Monday in October.

Veteran’s Day: Originally called Armistice Day, this holiday was established to honor Americans who had served in World War I. It falls on November, 11. Other celebrations: While not holidays, two other days of the year inspire colorful celebrations in the US. On February 14 - Valentine’s Day, on October 31 - Halloween.

Which of these important days are celebrated in your country? Make sure you can describe what people do on this day in English. Use a dictionary or encyclopedia if necessary.

Follow-up: Read the article and answer the 17 questions below about St Patrick’s Day...

1. When is St Patrick’s Day?

2. Why is this day celebrated as St Patrick’s Day?

3. Where is it celebrated?

4. When was St Patrick born?

5. What happened to St Patrick at the age of 16?

6. What did the saint see as his ‘calling’?

7. What is a shamrock?

8. What use did St Patrick make of the shamrock?

9. What is a leprechaun?

10. What should you do if you meet a leprechaun?

11. Where is the blarney stone and what is special about it?

12. What does the word ‘blarney’ mean today?

13. Did St Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland?

14. What should you wear on St Patrick’s Day?

15. What do children do on St Patrick’s Day?

16. What do people traditionally eat on St Patrick’s Day?

17. What do pub owners do on St Patrick’s Day?

Who Is St. Patrick? St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He was born in the fourth century and is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is a very well known Irish national holiday, which is celebrated not only in Ireland but all around the world. It falls on the 17th of March. History of St. Patrick St. Patrick was born to wealthy parents in the late fourth century. Until the age of 16 years old, he thought of himself as a pagan. He was kidnapped and sold as a slave at this age by Irish marauders. It was during this capture that he turned to God. He managed to escape after being a slave for six years and then studied in a monastery in Gaul for 12 years. This was when he knew that his ‘calling’ was to try and convert all the pagans in Ireland into Christianity. St. Patrick went from monastery to monastery, successfully converting people to Christianity. The Celtic Druids were very unhappy with him and tried to arrest him several times but he always managed to escape. After 30 years of being a missionary in Ireland, he finally settled down in a place called County Down. He died on the 17th of March, AD 461. Legend and Folklore Shamrocks, leprechauns and the blarney stone are associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are three-leaved clovers found growing in patches on grass. You are thought to be lucky if you find a four-leaved clover, so do keep it if you ever come across one! Leprechauns are little Irish fairies, and they are thought to work as shoe-makers for other fairies. The Irish say that if a leprechaun is caught by a human, he will reveal where he hides his pot of gold. On this day, pictures of shamrocks and leprechauns are hung everywhere. Some people even dress up as leprechauns complete with their big green hats! The village of Blarney is situated northwest of the Irish village of Cork. Blarney comes from the Irish word ‘An blarna’, meaning the plain. Blarney Castle is a very famous castle in this village and is 90 feet tall. The world famous Blarney Stone is on the top story. It is said that if one kisses this stone, one will be given the gift of eloquence, meaning to have beautiful speaking abilities. Nowadays, the word blarney means the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without offending. Legend also says that St. Patrick could raise people from the dead. He is well-known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, although many people dispute how true this is! Another great story was how he used the shamrock, with its three leaves, to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost) to his followers. What Do People Do on St. Patrick’s Day? St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated world-wide with people dancing and singing in Irish pubs, watching St. Patrick’s Day parade, drinking ‘green’ beer, wearing green clothes and just generally having a good time. Children in Ireland have a tradition of pinching their friends who don’t wear green on this day! Traditional Food and Drink on St. Patrick’s Day Corned beef and cabbage is what most people have on this day. Another popular dish is Irish soda bread and potato pancakes. Irish pub owners go crazy on this day, putting green food colouring into their beers and traditional Irish Guinness Stout is a sell out in all Irish pubs! People also drink lots of Irish coffee, which is made with warm whiskey, sugar, coffee and topped off with whipped cream. Sounds delicious? It is! Irish Proverbs The Irish have many proverbs but here are some favourites. • Better the coldness of a friend than the sweetness of an enemy. • Be nice to them on the way up. You might meet them all on the way down. • Let your anger set with the sun and not rise again with it. Irish Humour The Irish are famous for their jokes and good nature. Here’s an example: Definition of an Irish husband: He hasn’t kissed his wife in 20 years but he will kill any man who does! Now that you know almost everything about St. Patrick’s Day, go out on March the 17th and enjoy yourselves! Why not try and spot a leprechaun or two to find your pot of gold…?

Christmas

Exercise1. Christmas cross sticks

What do you think of when you see the word CHRISTMAS? Try and link up as many Christmassy words as you can like a crossword puzzle.

C

H

R

I

S

T

M

A

S

Exercise2. Happy Christmas word hunt How many words can you make from the letters in HAPPY CHRISTMAS?

Write the words here:

What’s the longest word you found?

Exercise3. Where in the world?

• Have you ever spent Christmas in a different country?

• If so, was it very different to how you usually spend Christmas?

• How much do you know about what happens at Christmas around the world?

• Try to match the customs on the left with the country on the right.

Custom	Country
1) St. Nicolas brings presents on December 6th to good children and a bag of sticks for bad children.	a. China
2) December 26th is called Boxing Day and was traditionally a day to give presents to the poor.	b. Spain
3) Tropical flowers are used as Christmas decorations.	c. Great Britain
4) The three Kings arrive on the night of January 5th to give presents to children. Most towns have a carnival style parade through the streets.	d. Germany
5) On January 6th a special almond cake with a toy crown inside is eaten.	e. Czech Republic
6) Wooden decorations and candles are put in windows of homes.	f. France
7) The Christian population is between 4 – 6% and big cities put up Christmas trees.	g. Canada
8) Fir trees grow here and they always send the biggest and most beautiful fir tree to Boston in the USA.	h. Costa Rica

• Do you know anything about any of these customs? If so, explain them to your classmates.

• What would you write about your own country?

Exercise4. What does Christmas mean to people in the UK? Work in groups of five if possible. Before you read the text imagine how Christmas is spent in the UK. Do you think it is similar or different to your own country? Discuss your ideas with your group.

Now each member of the group is going to read one paragraph. When you have all finished reading your paragraph, explain it to the rest of the group then discuss these questions together.

• Is Christmas in the UK very different to how spend the festive season?

• Do you think Christmas is more important for children?

• Would you consider giving up some of your free time to help homeless people?

• Do you think there’s too much pressure on people to spend money on presents at this time of year?

• Do you like the idea of the unusual gifts and gift ‘experiences’? What would you choose for an unusual gift?

• Do you watch a lot of television at Christmas time?

• Do you think the real meaning of Christmas is getting forgotten?

	What does Christmas mean to people in the UK? What you might expect For most people Christmas means a range of things. The most popular ones are spending time with the family and visiting relatives and friends. If there are young children in the family then all activities revolve around them, and parents get very excited for their child’s first Christmas. Simon, a first-time parent, commented he will be ‘mostly entertaining and being amused by our daughter who will be enjoying her first Christmas ever’. For children in particular it means presents and the more the better. Christianity Despite the considerable and increasing commercialisation of Christmas it still holds a religious meaning and importance for some. This is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ; hence the name Christmas. Because of this Christmas is traditionally meant to be ‘the season of goodwill’ and for some this is still true, for example one woman called Claire spends time giving food to homeless people which she describes as ‘VERY sad and depressing.’ Christmas presents Christmas cards are widely distributed whilst presents are reserved for close friends and family. Traditionally the giving of a gift is symbolic of the three wise men giving their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. There are a handful of people who try to be imaginative and buy unusual gifts for their relatives such as the ‘experience’ gift. Steve’s Christmas gift to his 65 year old Mum was an hour’s flight in a light aircraft where she was co-pilot. Another popular gift from wives to their husbands is an afternoon at a go-kart racing track. In return, a day spent at a health spa may be their special treat. However the majority of people after many hours of frantic rushing around the shops end up buying ‘smellies’ (beauty products), chocolates, wine, hats and scarves and books. Having stood the test of time, these gifts are guaranteed to please. Unexpected meanings There are some more unusual meanings to Christmas for some people. Parents associate it with being under a lot of pressure to buy their children the latest – and often most expensive - toys. This is not helped by the TV advertising, which starts in early October. Similarly, for many it means getting stressed about buying presents and spending lots of money. One young man said Christmas for him meant ‘stressing over what presents to buy and how I can afford them’ but he adds it is also a time of  ‘great fun’. Families and television When families get together there can often be disagreements and some people connect Christmas with family arguments. Others associate Christmas with eating and drinking too much while others think of bad quality TV programmes and films, many of which are repeats. For many in the UK Christmas simply means a time off work and away from the office and for some it’s an opportunity to reflect on the past year and also look forward to the next. Mary-Ann This article originally appeared on the British Council Japan Trend UK website

Exercise5. New Year’s resolutions

Have you ever made any new year’s resolutions? In the UK many people make resolutions for the New Year. These are promises they make to themselves. Typical resolutions may be to give up smoking, do more exercise or to read more books. Think about what you would like to promise yourself for the next year. Write three New Year’s resolutions here:

1)

2)

3)

• Do you think you will keep the resolutions?

Exercise1. Answer the following questions:

What does this word mean to you?

What country does it make you think of?

What happens in carnival?

Do you have carnival in your country?

What public celebrations do you have?

Look at the headline below