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Sweeping Day
Festival around the world
May Day
dragon boat festival
Festivals of the dead, like obon in japan and qing ming in china, are hold to honour the dead or to satisfy the ancestors.
逝者之节，像日本的盂兰盆节和中国的清明节，是被举行来纪念逝者或祭奠祖先的。
How many festivals do you know both in and out of China?
The Chinese festivals
Spring Festival
Lantern Festival
元宵节是中国的传统节日，早在2000多年前的西汉就有了，元宵赏灯始于东汉明帝时期，明帝提倡佛教，听说佛教有正月十五日僧人观佛舍利，点灯敬佛的做法，就命令这一天夜晚在皇宫和寺庙里点灯敬佛，令士族庶民都挂灯。以后这种佛教礼仪节日逐渐形成民间盛大的节日。该节经历了由宫廷到民间，由中原到全国的发展过程。在汉文帝时，已下令将正月十五定为元宵节。汉武帝时，“太一神”的祭祀活动定在正月十五。（太一：主宰宇宙一切之神）。司马迁创建“太初历”时，就已将元宵节确定为重大节日。 另有一说是元宵燃灯的习俗起源于道教的“三元说”；正月十五日为上元节，七月十五日为中元节，十月十五日为下元节。主管上、中、下三元的分别为天、地、人三官，天官喜乐，故上元节要燃灯。 又说元宵节起源于“火把节”，汉代民众在乡间田野持火把驱赶虫兽，希望减轻虫害，祈祷获得好收成。直到今天，中国西南一些地区的人们还在正月十五用芦柴或树枝做成火把，成群结队高举火把在田头或晒谷场跳舞。隋、唐、宋以来，更是盛极一时。参加歌舞者足达数万，从昏达旦，至晦而罢。当随着社会和时代的变迁，元宵节的风俗习惯早已有了较大的变化，但至今仍是中国民间传统节日。
另有一说是元宵燃灯的习俗起源于道教的“三元说”；正月十五日为上元节，七月十五日为中元节，十月十五日为下元节。主管上、中、下三元的分别为天、地、人三官，天官喜乐，故上元节要燃灯。元宵节的节期与节俗活动，是随历史的发展而延长、扩展的。就节期长短而言，汉代才一天，到唐代已为三天，宋代则长达五天，明代更是自初八点灯，一直到正月十七的夜里才落灯，整整十天。与春节相接，白昼为市，热闹非凡，夜间燃灯，蔚为壮观。特别是那精巧、多彩的灯火，更使其成为春节期间娱乐活动的高潮。至清代，又增加了舞龙、舞狮、跑旱船、踩高跷、扭秧歌等“百戏”内容，只是节期缩短为四到五天。
Tomb Sweeping
Dragon Boat Festival
The seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar is known as Qi Xi Jie, or Chinese Valentine's Day.
Mid- Autumn Festival
Mooncakes

Double-Ninth
Festivals in foreign countries
Valentines’ Day
a holiday honoring love and lovers, is celebrated on February 14th.
Carnival
a festival for western countries,especially for Catholics天主教. It is held in the middle of February and lasts 3 days.
Easter
the time of springtime festivals, a time to welcome back the Tulips郁金香, the Crocuses番红花 and the Daffodils水仙花. Its a time of new suits, new dresses and patent leather shoes黑漆皮鞋. A time for Christians to celebrate the life and resurrection复苏 of Christ. And a time of chocolate bunnies兔子, marshmallow蘑菇 chicks, and colored eggs! Depending on the calendar - can be celebrated in March or April
复活节（Easter），是纪念耶稣基督复活的节日，西方信基督教的国家都过这个节。在西方教会传统里，春分之后第一次满月之后的第一个星期日即为复活节。东方教会则规定，如果满月恰逢星期日，则复活节再推迟一周。因此，节期大致在3月22日至4月25日之间。复活节是最古老最有意义的基督教节日之一，庆祝的是基督的复活，世界各地的基督徒每年都要举行庆祝。复活节还象征重生和希望。2010年的复活节是4月4日。
April Fool's Day
a "for-fun-only" observance.Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day
Mother's Day
a time of commemoration and celebration for Mom. It is a time of breakfast in bed, family gatherings, and crayon蜡笔画 scribbled "I Love You"s. Celebrated the 2nd Sunday in May
Father's Day
a day of commemoration and celebration of Dad. It is a day to not only honor your father, but all men who have acted as a father figure in your life - whether as Stepfathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, or "Big Brothers." Celebrated the 3rd Sunday in June
Halloween Parade(游行）
the time of Ghosts, Goblins妖精, Gravestones and Graveyards. Of Spooks幽灵 and Spirits and silly-fun tricks. Of Witches巫婆 and Warlocks术士 and Scary Black Cats. And Candy Corn, Jelly果冻 Apples, Pumpkins and Bats蝙蝠. Halloween is celebrated the 31st of October
Carved Pumpkin Lantern
Thanksgiving Day
a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of turkeys, stuffing馅, and pumpkin pie. A time for Indian corn, holiday parades游行 and giant balloons.Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November
Christmas Day
the Day of the Dead
Festivals
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
1.What’s you favourite holiday of the year?
2.What festivals or celebrations do you enjoy in your city or town?
Do you like spending festivals with your family or friends? What part do you like best—the music, the things to see,the visits or the food?
FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS
You are given 5 minutes to read the passage
quickly and try to remember different kinds of
festivals mentioned in the text.
Now do the following exercise:
Obon
Day of the Dead
Halloween
Dragon Boat Festival
Columbus Day
Thanksgiving
Easter
Cherry Blossom Festival
Festivals of the Dead
Festivals to Honour People
Harvest Festivals
Spring Festivals
连线题
P.1
When did ancient people celebrate?
They celebrated at the end of the cold weather/when good weather returned / when they had a good harvest / when the hunters caught animals for food/ when they had enough food / when wanted a year of plenty.
Starve
V.(1) 挨饿
e.g.: Millions of people starved to death during the war.
(2) starve for sth, starve to do,渴望
e.g.: The homeless children were starving for love.
be starved of 缺乏,通常用被动
e.g. : He was starved of love.
(3)to feel very hungry 感觉很饿,仅用于进行时态
e.g.: When will be the dinner be ready? I’m starving.
n. u. starvation
plenty
days/years… of plenty 富裕(尤其指食物和钱)的日子,年月,生活等
e.g: You have a life of plenty, what would you be worried about?
P.2
What are festivals of the dead for?
They are to honour our ancestors / to make our ancestors happy so they won’t harm us / to satisfy our ancestors
Festivals of the Dead:
1 How do Japanese honour their ancestors?
2 What do the people in Mexico do in memory of the dead?
1 They have a festival called Obon, when people should go to clean the graves and light incense to honour their ancestors. They light lamps and play music.
2 They offer food, flowers and gifts to the dead on the Day of the Dead. People might eat certain food on that day.
Obon
in Japan
Obon
A traditional Buddhist festival which takes place throughout Japan around August 15. At this time, people visit their ancestors' graves, welcome the ancestors' spirits home with food and offerings and then see the spirits off, but it is also meant to be a joyful time to celebrate life.
The Day of the Dead
In Mexico
The Day of the Dead in Mexico
The best way to describe this Mexican holiday is to say that it is a time when Mexican families remember their dead, and the continuity of life. The celebration usually begins as early as October 18 and continues until November 9.
In this picture, we can see a lady is visiting the resting place of the dead. She has lit some candles and is now placing a bunch of flowers in front of the monument to show her respect and in memory of the dead.
Pumpkin head
Halloween Masks
The night of October 31st, when it was believed that the spirits of dead people appeared, and which is now celebrated in the US by children, who dress as witches and ghosts.
Halloween
给糖果还是要捣蛋？Trick or Treat?
It initiated a custom hundreds of years ago where groups of farmers would go house to house collecting food for the village. Prosperity was promised for generous givers and threats were made against the stingy villagers.
harm
n. do harm to sb=harm sb 伤害某人
come to harm 身体,精神上受到损害,通常用于否定句
e.g: I’ll go with her to make sure she comes to no harm.
do more harm than good 弊大于利
e.g: If we solve the problem in this way, it may do more harm than good.
v. cause harm to 伤害,损害
e.g: This event didn’t harm his reputation.
in memory of /to the memory of 纪念某人
e.g: The museum was built in memory of/to the memory of the famous scientist.

in the shape of 以…形状
e.g: The boy likes to eat the cake in the shape of a little bird.
dress
u.n 连衣裙,女装
c.n衣服,男女均可 casual dress
v.穿衣,穿晚礼服
e.g: Do you need to dress to the theatre?
dress up穿上盛装,化装打扮
e.g: Children love dressing up.
P.3
Why does India have a national festival on October 2?
To honour Mahatma Gandhi, the leader who helped gain India’s independence from Britain.
Mahatma Gandhi(1869-1948)
Gandhi, Indian national leader, was born in Porbandar on October 2, 1869, and educated in law in London．
Gandhi was remembered as the international symbol of a free state． Indians regarded him as a saint（圣者；圣徒） and called him Mahatma (Sanskrit, “great soul”), a title for the greatest saints．
more about him
Dragon Boat Festival
China
Columbus Day
USA
National Festival
India
Festivals to Honour People:
1 Why do the Chinese have the Dragon Boat Festival?
2 What do people do on this day? Why?
1 To honour the ancient poet Qu Yuan.
2 They have a rowing competition on the boats which are decorated as dragons and they eat Zongzi.
It is said that people wanted to save Qu Yuan by boat. They offer zongzi to him without worrying that it would be eaten by fish.
P.4
Why are autumn festivals happy events?
People are grateful for the harvest / for the end of the agricultural work / the end of the hard work on the farms .People are happy that they will have food for the year.
Harvest Festivals:
1 What do people do on Thanksgiving?
decorate churches and town hall
get together to have meals
win awards for crops and animals
church
rooster
watermelon
admire
(1) admire sd/sth 钦佩,赞赏,羡慕
e.g: They admired our garden.
I admire him for his success in business.
(2)赞美,夸奖
e.g: Aren’t you going to admire my new house?
n. admirer 赞赏者,追求者
eg:I am not a great admirer of her work.
She has many admirers.
P.5
Name three things people do at spring festival.
What is one important reason to have festivals and celebrations.
People eat, dance, play and listen to music, visit family members ,have parade ,give and receive gifts.
To have a break from daily life, to celebrate our customs / our history / our heroes, to enjoy meeting family and friends, to eat special food, to have fun with each other
Spring Festivals:
1What does Easter celebrate?
2 Do you know the symbols of Easter?
1 It celebrates the return of Jesus for Christians and it also celebrates the coming of spring.
2 Easter eggs and Easter Bunnies.
Easter
The most important holiday in spring, especially for Christians(n.基督徒), is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year, but it’s always on a Sunday