The Two Gifts by O.Henry.

2. Learn the words and phrases and use them in situations

a.

Christmas - Easter - New Year federal - state

form = class, from Christian holidays

ethnic groups who immigrated Mother’s Day

mark n = celebrate Memorial Day

beginning = arrival gift = present

arrive v - arrival n place - placing

as well = also, too clothing = dress immigrant

Martin Luther King's birthday home - house

Valentine’s Day - President's Day April Fool's Day

honour (AE) - honour (BE) - honouring card - post-card

Lincoln's birthday -Washington's birthday Saint (St.) Patrick's Day

b. Remember what you know and talk about the holidays in the English-speaking countries.

c. Listen to the story and memorize some important information on: the main American holidays; religious and birthday holidays; holidays celebrated in the USA.

HOLIDAYS IN THE UNITED STATES

Most of the holidays celebrated in the United States are also celebrated in many other countries: Christmas, Easter and New Year’s Day form part of the holiday tradition throughout most of Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Members of different ethnic groups who immigrated to North America brought other holidays to the United States.

January. New Year’s Day marks the beginning of a new year and the end of the “holiday season", the period from Thanksgiving (late November) to Christmas (December 25). Schools, government offices and most businesses are closed. People celebrate the arrival of the New Year. Martin Luther King's birthday is celebrated on the third Monday of the month. King became a black leader of national importance.

congratulations - куттуктоо; поздравления, wishes - каалоо; пожелания.

February. Valentine’s Day (February 14) is one of popular holidays with school children. President’s Day (third Monday in February) is a day when Americans honour men who were the Presidents of the United States, Federal offices are dosed on this holiday, but schools and most businesses are open. They observe Lincoln s birthday (February 12) and Washington’s birthday (February 22).

March. Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17, celebrated to honour the patron saint of Ireland has become a day for wearing f symbolic green clothing. In New York, the home of large numbers of Irish immigrants St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated.

April. April Fool's Day (April 1) is a day on which people traditionally joke. Easter is the most important of Christian holidays. It is a religious holiday.

May. May Day (May 1) is not celebrated in the United States as a day honouring the worker, as it is in other parts of the world. It is celebrated as the beginning of spring.

Mother’s Day, the second Sunday of May, is traditionally the Day Americans honour mothers and grandmothers with visits, cards, gifts, and so on.

Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, is a federal holiday. This is officially the day for honouring all Americans who died in wars and for many families it has become a day for visiting and placing flowers on the graves of other family members as well.

(To be continued) (From "Four Very American Days". pp. 5-8)

d. Have a discussion on the topics: Americans celebrate holidays in the months of January- May; Religious holidays; President’s Day.

e. Read the words and phrases and use them in your own sentences.

eat up drink up earn money be on

look up get up have money come on

make up go up make money go on

tidy up stand up no money read on