N. Kryazheva - The United States and the United Kingdom. Past and Present (doc) (798446), страница 9
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fabric-ткань to give heart-felt thanks . ис благодарить;
intimate relations - зд.: теплые отношения
Halloween f31st of October]
Symbols of Halloween are evil spirits, witches, black cats, ghosts, goblins, skeletons. Black is one of the traditional Halloween colors. Pumpkins are also a symbol of Halloween. Faces are carved on pumpkins and a light is put inside. Therefore, orange color became the other traditional one.
On October 31st, dozens of children dressed in costumes knock on their neighbors' doors and yell, "Trick or Treat", when the door opens. The neighbors' must either give them a treat (usually sweets) or the children will play a trick on them.
November 1st is a religious holiday known as All Saints' Day (or formerly, All Hallows' Day). The day before the Holy Day is known as All Hallows' Eve. The word "Halloween" comes from that form. Like some other American celebrations, its origin lies in both pre-Christian and Christian customs.
October 31st was the eve of the Celtic New Year. The Celts were the ancestors of the present-day Irish, Welsh, and Scottish people. On this day, ghosts walked and mingled with the living, or so the Celts thought. The town people baked food
all that day, and when night fell, they dressed up and tried to resemble the souls f the dead hoping that the ghosts would leave peacefully before midnight of the w year, the people carried the food to the edge of town and left it for them.
Much later, when Christianity spread throughout Ireland, and October 31 was о longer the last day of the year, Halloween became a celebration mostly for "hildren. "Ghosts" went from door to door asking for treats, or else a trick would be played on the owners of the house. When millions of Irish people immigrated to the United States in the 1840s, the tradition came with them.
Today, school dances and neighbourhood parties are popular among young and old alike. More and more adults celebrate Halloween. They dress up like historical or political figures and go to masquerade parties. In larger cities, costumed children and their parents gather at shopping malls early in the evening. Stores give parties with games and treats for the children.
Columbus Day [second Monday in October]
In 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day. Since 1971 it has been celebrated although it is generally accepted that Columbus was the first European to have discovered the New World of the America, there is still some controversy over this claim. But 1992 marked the 500th anniversary of the Columbus discovery.
Thanksgiving [fourth Thursday in November]
In 1620, a boat filled with more than one hundred people sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in the New World. This religious group had begun to quest on the belief of the Church of England and they wanted to separate from it. The Pilgrims settled in what is now the state of Massachusetts. Their first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow many crops, and without fresh food, half the colony died from diseases. The following spring, the Indians taught them how to grow corn (maize), a new food for the colonists. They showed them other crops to grow in the unfamiliar soil and how to hunt and fish.
In the autumn of 1621 beautiful crops of corn, barley, beans and pumpkins were harvested. The colonists had much to be thankful for, so a feast was planned. They invited the local Indian chief and ninety Indians. The Indians brought deer to roast with the turkeys and other wild game offered by the colonists. The colonists had learned how to cook cranberries and different kinds of corn and squash dishes from the Indians. To this first Thanksgiving, the Indians had even brought Pop-corn.
It was George Washington who suggested the date November 26 as Thanksgiving °аУ. Then in 1864, at the end of a long and bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to mark the last Thursday in November as a Day of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, a different date every Уеаг. The President must proclaim that date as the official celebration. Thanksgiv-in9 Menu consists of a roast turkey stuffed with herb-flavored bread, a cranberry Je,,y, white mashed potatoes, a pumpkin pie.
George Bush, president of the United States of America, called upon ц American people to observe Thursday, November 22, 1990, as a National Day of Thanksgiving and gather together in homes and places of worship.
Thanksgiving is a time for tradition and sharing. Even if they live far away family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. They gjVe thanks together for the good things that they have. In this spirit of sharing, civic groups and charitable organizations offer a traditional meal to those in need, par. ticular to the homeless. On most tables throughout the United States, foods eaten at the first Thanksgiving have become traditional.
Words and Phrases:
ghost - приведение origin - происхождение
goblin - домовой, гоблин to carve - вырезать
pumpkin - тыква ancestor - предок, прародитель
to discover - открывать, обнаруживать
mall - место для гуляния
discovery - открытие controversy - противоречие
game-ЗД- Дичь anniversary - годовщина
to sail - зд.: плыть в лодке corn - зерно
crop - урожай unfamiliar - незнакомый
diseases -болезни relative -родственник
place of worship - церковь feast - праздник
trick and treat - шутка и угощение to accept- принимать
squash dishes - размягченная пища
claim -зд.утверждение
to mingle - смешивать(ся)
sharing - зд.:обмен мнениями
Halloween = Hallow-e en - канун дня всех святых
Christmas [December 25]
Christmas is a joyful religious holiday when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas story comes from the Bible.
To people all over the world Christmas is a season of giving and receiving presents. In Scandinavian and other European countries, Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, comes into houses in the night and leaves gifts for the children. Saint Nicholas is represented as a kind man with a red cloak and long white beard. He visites houses and left gifts, bringing people happiness in the coldest months of
the year. Another character, the Norse God Odin, rode on a magical flying horse across the sky in the winter to reward people with gifts. These different legends nassed across the ages to make the present day Santa Claus.
Immigrant settlers brought Father Christmas to the United States. Father Christmas's name was gradually changed to Santa Claus.
In the USA the spirit of Christmas arrives about a month before the holiday itself. Late in November, street lights and store windows are decorated with the traditional Christmas colors of red and green. Families decorate their homes inside and out, with colored lights and evergreen (especially green wreaths). Christmas tree is part and parcel of the holiday. It is believed that it brings good luck.
American children believe that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with his wife. All year he lists the names of children, both those who have been good and those who have been bad. He decides what presents to give to the good children.
One of the important customs of Christmas is to send and receive Christmas cards, which helps to express the sentiment of the season. Some are religious in nature; others are more secular. Americans begin sending Christmas cards early in December to friends, acquaintances, and co-workers. The post office advises customers to mail early in the season and avoid the Christmas rush.
Going home for Christmas is a most cherished tradition of the holiday season. No matter where you may be the rest of the year, being at "home" with your family and friends for Christmas is "a must". The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are the busiest times of the year at airports, train stations, and bus depots. It seems that all America is on the move and Americans are on their way to spend the holidays with their loved ones.
The Christmas table looks much like a Thanksgiving feast of turkey or ham, potatoes and pie. No Christmas is complete without lots of desserts, and nothing symbolizes Christmas more than baked breads and cookies hot from the oven. Many American traditional desserts, like other Christmas customs were started •°ng ago in other parts of the world.
People go from house to house to sing Christmas carols to their neighbours. Long ago, each child hung a stocking, or a sock, over the fireplace. Santa C|aus entered down the chimney and left candy and presents inside the socks f°r the children. Today the tradition is carried on, but the socks are now large red sock-shaped fabric bags still called stockings. Each child can't wait to open his or her eyes to see what Santa Claus has left in the stocking.
Giving gifts is a Christmas tradition.
Christmas is too "commercialized," especially in large cities. Store owners be-9'n advertising and decorating very early in hopes of selling more goods. To get extra money, many students get part-time jobs during December, delivering mail 0r selling gifts, trees or greetings. Commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ is the Vei7 reason for Christmas and should be central to the celebration. Thus, Amends install Christmas trees at Rockefeller Center in New York and Washington,
c- in front of the White House.
Americans Rest
The rapid spread of videotaped movies watched nightly by millions of Amerj, cans in their homes has made movies even more popular and influential form 0f entertainment in recent years.
But performances in theaters, and exhibitions and museums are usually very well attended. It is difficult to get tickets despite their high prices.
But the most popular sources of entertainments are television, movies, radio and recorded music. Most Americans enjoy sport - both playing sports them! selves and watching their favorite sports and teams.
Americans like to travel. Car travel is the most common leisure activity during holiday time. Many people fly to other cities and countries to visit their friends and relatives.
Words and Phrases:
the rest - остальная часть "a must" - необходимость, потребность
secular - светский chimney - труба, дымоход
to attend - посещать gift - подарок
fire-place - камин to advertize - рекламировать
influential - влиятельный advertisement (ad) - реклама
carol -воспевание no matter -неважно
retailer - торговец evergreen - вечнозеленый
cherished traditions - взлелеянные традиции
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