中西方主要节日简介.docVIP

A brief introduction to Western festivals1. New YearIn Western countries, the New Year begins on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar. People ring out the old year and ring in the new year and send greeting cards or gifts to each other on this date. There is always a party on New Year’s Eve; particularly popular is the masquerade, when people dress in bizarre costumes and wear masks, to cast away all worries and enjoy the night.2. St.Valentine’s Day St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated every year on February 14. It is an important traditional festival in Western countries where people prepare chocolates, greeting cards and flowers. St.Valentine’s Day is the time for expressing one’s love and for making a proposal of marriage to one’s beloved. Today, St. Valentine’s Day has become popular throughout the world so people are very familiar with the festival. Here is an interesting superstition to share: it is said that if you are single, you should look out of the keyhole of your door on the morning of St. Valentine’s Day; if the first person you see is walking alone, then you will remain single for the year, but if you see two or more people walking together, you will find your loved one within the year, and if you see a rooster and a hen walking together, then you will get married before Christmas. Isn’t this interesting? 3. EasterEaster is an annual Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For most people today, Easter is enjoyed as a cultural holiday. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, which could be any day between March 22 and April 25. Typical Easter gifts are related to Spring and resurrection, for example, Easter eggs and Easter rabbits. On the morning of Easter, children find in front of their bed an Easter basket full of chocolate eggs, Easter rabbits, fluffy chickens, dolls, and other toys. It is said that Easter rabbits hide Easter eggs indoors or outdoors on the lawn for ch