Oral English, Lesson 15.pptVIP

Oral English Festivals—Origins and Traditions Halloween—October 31 Christian and Pagan Origins All Hallow’s Eve All Hallow’s Day Days of the Dead Days of Spirits Traditions Trick-or-Treat Dressing Up Jack o’lanterns Horror Movies Thanksgiving—4th Thursday in November Historical Origins Starvation in early American colonies Help from the Indians Feast to thank God Reinstituted by Abraham Lincoln Given an official date during WWII Traditions Feast with family Includes many traditional foods Thanking God Thanking friends and family In schools—reenacting first Thanksgiving Christmas—December 25 Origins Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ (actual date is unknown, though the year was probably 4 B.C.) Made an official holiday sometime in the 300s, and placed in December to give people hope in the middle of winter. Incorporated some elements of old European winter solstice festivals. Traditions Advent Christmas tree Exchanging Gifts Nativity scene Christmas songs Christmas dinner Going to church Christmas pageants Valentine’s Day—February 14 Inherited from England ? Origins are kind of shaky… presumably it’s to celebrate a Saint named Valentine who helped Christian lovers get married back when the Christian church was being persecuted. Traditions Obviously, it’s mostly a holiday for romance, but friends and family also give each other gifts. A Valentine’s day gift, even from a guy to a girl, is not necessarily a sign of romantic interest, but it could very easily be interpreted as one. Easter—in March or April Origins Celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, after his death on a cross. Dating tentatively based on Jewish Passover, so it shifts around. Incorporated some elements of European Spring Festivals Traditions Lent Going to church Easter egg hunts Easter bunny Concerts in church Independence Day—July 4 Origin Date on the official Declaration of Independence from of the United States of America from Great Britain. Although the war was not won until several