Page+14+Special+Days+Around+The+World_Listening

=SPEAKING & READING=

Exercise 3 (SEE YOUR COURSEBOOK FOR THIS ACTIVITY

A. There is one more special day shown in the poster in exercise 1. You and your friend have different information about it. Look at the chart given and ask questions to your partner to find out the information your are missing.

Exercise 4 A. Work with a partner, look at the questions below on the details about the special day mentioned above, then read the excerpt to answer the questions.

1. Why do people celebrate it?

2. What are the two other activities mentioned in the passage except the ones above?

3. Except Ireland and Northern Ireland, name other places where it is celebrated?

4. What is the origin of the green shamrock?

This holiday is named after Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. It was made an official Christian feast day in the early seventeenth century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Christians also attend church services, and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day, which has encouraged and propagated the holiday's tradition of alcohol consumption. Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland,Northern Ireland,Newfoundland and Labrador and Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish Diaspora around the world; especially in Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the ubiquitous wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a feature of the day.

=Writing=

Exercise 5

A. Think that your university is organizing an international cultural event. You are asked to prepare a poster that promotes a special day of your culture. You might use the reading text above as a model. To do that… 1. Write an introductory information about the special day / holiday you like to introduce (130 words min)

2. Log into your glogster and prepare a poster promoting the special day / holiday of your choice by creating a mash-up of photos, your description of the holiday and other media content, then post it to the class wikispace (by embedding it on page 16)