Table of Contents
Describe a Traditional Celebration (a Festival or Ceremony) in Your Country That You Enjoy
Cue Card
You should say:
- What it is
- What you do to celebrate it
- Who you celebrate it with
- And explain why you enjoy it
Sample Answer
I’d like to talk about a traditional festival that’s just around the corner, and it’s called Dragon Boat Festival.
And it falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, which is somewhere around June. Just to give you an idea, this year it’s celebrated on June 22nd.
This annual festival dates back to over two thousand years ago and it commemorates a poet named Qu Yuan, who died for the country.
Each year, it’s traditional for us to eat Zongzi, which is made of sticky rice wrapped in long leaves. There are also a variety of Zongzi fillings to choose from, ranging from dried dates to meat.
There has also been an ongoing “debate” on which flavor is more legit, sweet or savory. I think both taste good, but my bestie Mary would be disgusted at the very idea of savory zongzi.
That’s why for me the best part of the day would be to blatantly enjoy a savory one in front of her just to be annoying. It’s a very personal tradition that I follow each year with my best buddy/ roommate.
But more common traditions would include having a family get-together, which I used to do back when I was little. I still remember having a large family dinner featuring a lot of traditional dishes like fish, duck eggs and Chinese pastries. And we’d spend great quality time together.
Some families would also include watching or even joining dragon boat race as part of their celebration, but for us, we’ve only ever watched it on TV.
So overall I enjoy the festival because it’s a great time to bond with loved ones and enjoy some traditional foods. Not to mention the three days off we can get from the Dragon Boat holiday, where we get to go on a short trip to relax and unwind.
Part 3
1. Is it important for children to learn traditional festivals at school?
It is important for kids to learn that at school.
Nowadays, most parents are too busy with work to teach their kids about customs and traditions, and social media and other interests have occupied the minds of the young.
They’d rather listen to mainstream music and do things the modern way than learn about things from the past.
So it’s up to the education sector to teach children about traditional festivals, or these will soon die out two or three generations from now.
2. Do children like to learn about traditional festivals?
Young children find traditional festivals interesting, especially if they get to dress up in costumes and try food associated with the festival. But I’ve observed that older children are less enthusiastic.
One reason is that they no longer believe in the folklore surrounding these festivals because of modern ways of thinking.
Another is that children today are more interested in the customs and traditions of what they see on TV.
Unfortunately, most of these are from other countries, so they’re no longer interested in their own traditional festivals.
3. Are traditional festivals disappearing?
It’s a bit of a mixed bag, really.
While traditional festivals have faced some challenges, I wouldn’t say they’re disappearing completely.
Yes, there’s no denying that modernization and changing lifestyles have had an impact on traditional festivals.
Some younger generations might not feel as connected to these festivals or might prioritize different activities.
However, many communities and organizations are actively working to keep these traditions alive.
They organize cultural events, workshops, and educational programs to revive and promote traditional festivals.
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Credits
Image : Photo by cheng feng on Unsplash
