Национальные праздники США.

«Национальные праздники США»

St. Valentine’s Day

No one knows how Valentine’ s Day first started. There are several different theories. The first theory took place in Roman times, about 2,700 years ago. Rome is a city in Italy and when it was built, hungry wolves surrounded city walls and howled at night. They ate the people’ s sheep and sometimes even killed people. The Romans were afraid of the wolves, so they prayed to one of their gods Lupercus, to protect them. Lupercus was the Roman god who watched over sheep and shepherds. They prayed to this god on a special holiday named Lupercalia. This holiday was held on February 15th each year. Even after the wolves had disappeared, the Romans kept celebrating the holiday because they enjoyed it. But as the years passed, Lupercus became less important to the people and they started celebrating a holiday for Juno instead. Juno was the queen of the Roman gods. She ruled over marriage. This was a holiday for love. On this day, young Roman women wrote their names on February 14th, and the names they drew would be their partners for dances and games on this holiday.

There is another story about a man named Valentine. Valentine was a Christian priest in Roman Empire 3 hundred years after the death of Jesus Christ. When the Roman Emperor Claudius II needed soldiers, he made a law against marrying because he felt that marriage made men want to stay home instead of fighting wars. But Valentine couldn’t agree with the Emperor’s decision. When he saw that young couples were truly in love he married them secretly. He had been thrown in prison. There Valentine performed miracle – he cured the jailer’s daughter from her blindness. And they had fallen in love with each other. On February 14th Valentine was beheaded, and at the night before he was executed he wrote a letter to the jailer’s daughter signing “From your Valentine”. The Christian Church took for his saint’s day February 14th. So, this day became a day of love.

Still another possible origin for Valentine’s Day took place in Europe hundreds of years ago. People noticed that some birds chose their mates around February 14th. Since birds did this, they thought people should, too. Today we see birds used on valentine cards. They stand for the times when people believed that birds chose their mates for life around Valentine’ s Day. Today we call two people who are very happy together ”lovebirds.”

We sometimes see Cupid on valentines. He evolved from the Greek god called Eros, the god of love. Cupid is a chubby little baby with wings and curly hair. He usually shoots an arrow into people’ s hearts. This arrow does not hurt them, but makes them fall in love with someone.

Ribbons on valentines go back to the knights on horseback. Women would give a little piece of ribbon to a knight when he went to war. He would carry this ribbon to remind him of his love.

Roses and flowers are often seen on valentines. The rose is known as the flower of love. Violets and bachelor’ s buttons are also seen on valentine cards. One story says that Saint Valentine sent notes on violets from his jail cell. The birds carried the notes to people.

Lace symbolizes a net for catching one’s heart. If you put lace on your Valentine, you are supposed to catch the heart of the person you give it to.

It isn’t a national holiday. Bank and offices don’t close but it is a happy festival in honor of St.Valentine, patron of sweethearts and lovers. It is widely celebrated among people of all ages by the exchange of “valentines”. A valentine may mean a specially greeting card or a little present. The greeting cards are often colored red and have red trimmings and pictures of hearts.

Напишите прощальное письмо священника перед смертью к его возлюбленной. Write a farewell message of the priest Valentine to his sweetheart:

My Dear Girl, when I saw you for the first time I immediately fell in love with you. I couldn’t help admiring you and I couldn’t afford such a beautiful girl to suffer. My heart was full of delight. I am so glad that I could help you, but I am just a young bishop and I can’t go against God’s will. Believe me, that even in the paradise I shall remember you forever. But alas, I must say goodbye. Tomorrow I shall leave you, but you must know, that I love you.

Your
Valentine.

Match the symbols of love with their definitions.Соотнесите символы любви, используемые в День Святого Валентина, с их определениями:

Halloween.

October 31 is a very special holiday for children called Halloween. In old times the night of October 31 was the last night of the year when all the witches and ghost were out. It was a celebration of dead souls.

Now Halloween is a holiday for children. But originally, it was a religious holiday. Children make faces on pumpkins and put a candle inside. These pumpkins are called jack-o'-lanterns. All children are dressed in costumes of ghosts, clowns, goblins, witches, vampires, pirates, etc. Many of the costumes are witches in white sheets, trying to scare the winter spirits. Many of them wear masks. They do not know who is who and try to guess who is behind the masks.

There are Halloween parties in many schools. Children begin to prepare for the party long before, sometimes weeks before the holiday. During the holiday there is usually a parade of costumes, and the participants and the guests of the holiday choose the most original costume. They have some special things to eat and to drink: apple juice, popcorn, caramel apples, candies, oranges.

The party is always fun, with jokes, games, mysteries, witches, scarecrows, black cats, bats and other characters that try to frighten the others.

Dressed in costumes children go to the different people's home, ring at the door saying, "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat". This means that if people do not give them candies or apples or other tasty things, the children may play a trick on them (shaving cream on the car or on the door, for example).

In the old days "trick or treat" had to perform songs and shifts for their neighbors. If the neighbors liked the performance, the children received a "treat" - fruit or candy. If not, the neighbors played a trick on the children - like throwing water on them.

A favorite game at Halloween parties is ducking for apples. Apples swim in the water in a big bowl. Children are to get one. Each child holds a fork in his (her) mouth and tries to stab an apple. The children get very wet but enjoy themselves greatly.

Guess the holidays, which these poems and songs are devoted to.Угадайте праздники, которым посвящены эти стихи и песни.

Use the articles where necessary. Используйте артикли, где это необходимо.

Christmas.

Most people in … Britain see Christmas as … major festival of … year – when parties are given and gifts are received. Almost all … people are having fun on Christmas Eve, especially children. On Christmas Eve, children hang … stocking at … end of their beds or over … fire-place. They are told that Father Pole and fills each stocking with … presents. The children open their presents – put there secretly by their parents – on Christmas morning.

Lunch is … most important point on Christmas Day. … traditional lunch consists of … roast turkey with … vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding, which is made with … dried fruit and … brandy. Sometimes … coin is put in … pudding as … surprise.

… day after Christmas is called Boxing Day (after the church box which was opened for … poor on that day) and this too is … public holiday.

New Year’s Eve in Scotland.

People all over … Britain celebrate … passing of … old year and … coming of … new. In Scotland, Hogmanay – as it is called there – is almost as important as Christmas. … Scots take New Year’s Eve very seriously. There is a New Year Eve Fire Festival; ... men parade with blazing tar barrels, they throw them into … great bonfire. The “First Boots” then set out.

In Scotland “first footing” is … common custom: it’s considered lucky if … dark-haired man is … first to set foot in … house after midnight on Hogmanay, bringing … coin, … peace of … bread, or … lump of .. coal as … symbol of plenty for … coming year.

Independence Day.

The 4th of July is the biggest national holiday of the USA. It is celebrated as the birthday of the country. July the 4th, 1776 when the American colonies were fighting with Britannia, the Continental Congress, adopted a resolution, which has come to be known as the Declaration of Independence.

In fact, the Declaration of Independence was a letter from the Continental Congress to the king of Great Britain. Tomas Jefferson wrote to the king that the people of America did not want to pay taxes. But the Declaration was just a letter, it didn’t make the American people independent of Britain. Though the Declaration of Independence has been adopted on July the 4th, it was not signed by the members of the congress on August the 2nd, 1776.

The Congress held it’s meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The member met the Independence Hall and celebrated their first “Fourth of July”.

Philadelphia, which was founded in 1682 by William Penn, a prominent statesman, was a large city in Colonial America. Even now some parts of the old city remind one of the pasts. Visitors can walk the old streets, see the old houses and public buildings. In 1790 the first congress met in Philadelphia. It would be the capital of the USA while the federal capital in Washington D.C. was being built. It remained the capital for the next 10 years.

Americans still ring bells to celebrate Independence Day. They march on the parades. They decorate the graves of their dead soldiers. In the evening of the Fourth they shoot off fire-works in parks and fields.