蒙大英语国家-美国概况扩展课件03 American Holidays and Special Days

1、 American Holidays and Special Days The word “holiday” derives from “holy” and “day”. “Holy”, related to God and religion, means sacred. In the United States, there are federal (national) holidays, state holidays, and annual events. On federal holidays, federal and state offices, banks, schools, and

2、 companies close throughout the United States. Most people have a day off. There are ten federal holidays now. State holidays are legal holidays in a particular state or states. State offices, banks, schools, and companies in that state close. For annual events, offices and stores do not close, and

3、people work as usual.New Years Day (1st January)St. Valentines Day (14th February)April Fools Day (1st April )Good Friday (the Friday before Easter)Easter (April)May Day (1st May)Mothers Day (the second Sunday in may)Independent Day (4th July)Columbus Day (12nd October)Halloween (31st October)Thanks

4、giving Day (The last Thursday in November)Christmas Day (25th December)American holidays can be divided into four categories based on their content. Holidays for birthdays of famous Americans include the birthdays of George Washington (February 22), Martin Luther King (January 15),and Abraham Lincol

5、n (February 12). Patriotic holidays include Memorial Day (May 30), Veterans Day(November 11), and Independence Day (July 4).Religious holidays include Christmas (December 25) and Easter; Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), Valentines Day (February 14), St. Patricks Day (March 17) and Hallowe

6、en (October 31) have religious origins.Other holidays include New Years Day (January 1), Mothers Day (the second Sunday in May), Fathers Day (the 3rd Sunday in June)Labor Day (the first Monday after September 1), and Columbus Day (October 12).New Years Day ( Jan,1)Jan, 1 is the first day of a year,

7、on which people celebrate the coming of a happy , peaceful new year. Usually they watch parades or go to the church to pray, sing the carols. On New Years Eve, some Americans invite their friends to have a dinner party ( open-house reception ) at home. Eggnog(蛋奶酒） is their favorite drink. People can

8、 watch football games while drinking eggnog. Some Americans may express their New Years Resolution (新年决心), for instance, “Ill give up smoking in the new year.” or “ Ill work harder.”Valentines Day 2.14Valentines Day ( Feb 14 ) On this day, people send Valentines to their sweethearts, close friends a

9、nd relatives, inside which are the traditional words: Be Mine, I Love You, Be My Valentine. The most popular gifts are flowers, roses ,and chocolates. Valentines Day is a special day of love! It is day to celebrate friendship and love. It is a time to give little gifts to special people. Make homema

10、de Valentine cards for your family and friends. Share a story and a smile with someone you like.VALENTINE SYMBOLS HEARTEmotions are feelings such as love, happiness, anger, or fear. A long time ago, people believed that all the emotions were found in the heart. In later years, they thought only the

11、emotion of love was connected with the heart. The heart is still a symbol of love, and because of this, it is also a symbol of Valentines DayValentines DayValentines Day is named for_, an early Christian churchman who reportedlyhelped young lovers. More than 2000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebr

12、ated a holiday for_. As part of the celebration, Saint Valentine loversgirls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container（容器）.Boys picked one out .The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover .The rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of

13、love. Red is a color that stands for strong feelings. This is why the red rose is a flower of love.RED ROSELace is a pretty fabric made by weaving together fine threads. Hundreds of years ago, women carried lace handkerchiefs. If a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man nearby might pick it up and re

14、turn it to her. Sometimes a woman might see a man she wanted to meet. She might drop her lace handkerchief on purpose to encourage romance. Soon people thought of romance when they thought of lace. They began using paper lace to decorate chocolate boxes and Valentine cards.LACEEaster, the principal

15、festival of the Christian church year, celebrates the Resurrection(复活) of _on the _day after his Crucifixion（死于十字架上）.For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. Jesus ChristthirdEasteron a _between March 22 and April 25 /Easter bunnies (rabbits) 复活节兔 Egg hunts

16、(复活节蛋)SundayThe first Sunday after the full moon following a spring equinox（春分）White lily- purity(纯洁)Speckled eggs Easter Festival Easter Sunday ( late March or early April ,三月二十一日后从月圆算起的第一个星期日)Easter is a Christian holy day when Christians remember the death of Christ and his return to life. It is

17、celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, which comes around March 21st. When the full moon comes on Sunday, Easter will be on the following Sunday. Therefore, the date ranges from March 22 to April 25. Easter is a time for families to get together much like Ch

18、ristmas or Thanksgiving . People usually have a large meal and serve traditional dishes such as baked ham (火腿), eggs, chocolates. Clever manufacturers make chocolates in the shape of eggs and rabbits since they are the symbols of Easter. Rabbits are very fertile animals, thus the Romans regarded the

19、m, along with eggs, as symbols of fertility, the largest concern of the ancients. Children often play a game called Easter Egg Hunt. Parents, elders neighbors hide the colorful eggs inside trees, behind rocks or in grass for the children to look for and collect eggs in baskets. those who get the lar

20、gest number of eggs win the game, and as a result , get all the eggs. Some children also slide eggs down a slope to see whose eggs are the hardest. Besides, around Easter time people often get new clothes for spring.Halloween is the short form for “ All Hallows Eve”. It is one of the holidays that c

21、hildren in the US like best. It is a night-time holiday. The symbol of Halloween is “jack-o-lantern”. It is made of a pumpkin. The eyes, nose and mouth are carved with a candle inside. Each family puts “Jack-o-lantern” in their windows. The candles inside shine in the dark so as to frighten the devi

22、ls, demons away.Halloween (Oct.31)Halloween 10.31 Halloween is from_, which is celebrated on_. People would dance at the fancy ball and wear _in order to _away spirits looking for bodies to possess. Halloween AmericaOctober 31ghost costumes( clothes), false faces and witches hats, frightenCostume Ba

23、llHalloweenhalloween costumesCarved Pumpkin LanternHalloween Parade(游行）Apple BobbingTrick-or-TreatTrick or treat?Trick or treat? On Halloween, many children wear costumes, some are dressed as kings, queens, animals, witches or ghosts. They love to go “trick-or-treat” from house to house. If an adult

24、 refused to supply a treat (candy, cookies, fruits or money) children may play a trick such as soaping windows, writing on doors with crayons or overturning ash cans. The children, dressed up as ghosts or scary monsters, shout “Trick or Treat! ”Thanksgiving Day (last Thursday in Nov.) In the USA, th

25、e fourth Thursday in Nov. is celebrated as “Thanksgiving Day”. On this day, American give thanks for the blessings they have enjoyed during the year. Thanksgiving is usually celebrated with big dinners and happy reunions. The traditional food is turkey, pumpkin pie and Indian Puddings. Christmas, th

26、e most joyous of American holidays, is celebrated on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a promise of spring and people are expecting further progress in the coming new year. Almost all workers have Christmas Day off, and students have a two to three week vacation for

27、Christmas and New Year. Christmas (Dec 24 Eve Dec 25)Today, people might start saving for Christmas in September or even in August. However, the Christmas season really starts right after Thanksgiving. Street lights and store windows are decorated in the traditional Christmas colors of red and green

28、. Snowmen, Santa Clauses, and Nativity scenes appear in many shop windows. Many people decorate their homes with colored lights, and evergreens, Christmas trees, holly wreaths, and mistletoe are common sights.People send Christmas cards to their families, relatives, friends and business customers. T

29、hey may put the cards that they have received on the wall, the mantle, or hang them on a string, as Christmas cards are very colorful and beautiful. During the Christmas season, Christmas carols are heard all over, on radio, on TV, in church, and at school. Following an English tradition, many peopl

30、e walk from house to house singing traditional carols, such as Joy to the World, Silent Night, and Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.Many people do Christmas shopping in December. They look for nice gifts for their family, relatives, and friends. It is said that stores make one quarter of all their sales dur

31、ing the Christmas season.Most shopping centers have huge crowds before Christmas. There is often a nice Christmas tree, and usually a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit. Small children tell him what they want for Christmas.Many people hold Christmas parties before Christmas. The guests drink, eat, an

32、d dance surrounded by Christmas decorations. A typical drink served at Christmas parties is eggnog, which is made of eggs, milk, sugar and sometimes rum.Small children hang stockings near the fireplace, hoping that Santa Claus will fill them with candy and toys. They believe that Santa Claus, who we

33、ars red suit and hat and has a beard, comes in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and visits each house, coming in through the chimney, bringing gifts to children. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, family members gather around the Christmas tree and open the Christmas gifts that are piled under

34、the tree. Early Christmas afternoon, they sit down for a traditional Christmas dinner. They enjoy turkey or ham, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, nuts, fruitcake, plum pudding, and mince pie. They may invite their family, relatives, and friends. Part One PreparationHoliday WordsDirection

35、s: Below are some items and words that express the spirit of the holiday season. They are hidden forward, backward, up, down, and diagonally. After youve found all the words below, write down the remaining letters to reveal a special message.Boxing Day: 节礼日，圣诞馈赠日在英国，圣诞节的次日（若是星期日，则顺延一天），按照惯例于此日赠送雇员，邮差等礼物。In-class readingAfter-class ReadingUnderstanding the TextQuestions1. How long does the vacation of students last?Two weeks, the vocations begin shortly before Christmas and end soon after NewYears Day. (L2)2. How do Americans make decorations before Christmas? Street lights and store wi