Fill the gaps with the correct word.

feasts atmosphere didn’t presents presents never layer memorable sprinkle

anniversaries best had cake were

In Hungary the most important family celebrations are Christmas, Easter, birthdays, namedays, wedding 1.
………, christenings and graduations etc.
At Christmas family members buy 2. ………… for each other. We decorate the Christmas tree and gather
around it in the evening to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. My mum always prepares a delicious Christmas
dinner which we eat together in a cosy 3. ………….
At Easter families eat a lot of ham and chocolate Easter bunnies. On Easter Monday the boys 4. ……….. the
girls with water or perfume so that they remain fresh and young.
What I hate about these 5. ………. is that my parents always expect me to tidy my room, but 1 like being
together with them and playing cards or having a chat.
I enjoy birthdays 6. ………... I cannot imagine my birthday without a 7. ……… and a fine dinner with my
family. I also get 8. ………. which I am very happy about, but these are not the most important things. My last
birthday was 9. ………… because my mother baked me my favourite chocolate 10. ………. cake and I had a
surprise party. I visited one of my friends on Saturday and by the time I got home all of my friends and family
members 11. ……… there, which was really surprising because I 12. …….. notice any cars in front of our
house. We laughed a lot together and 13. …….. a great time. I'll 14. ………. forget that party.

You are going to read three short texts about Christmas in three different countries. Some words are
missing from the text. Your task is to choose the most appropriate word from the list (A-L) for each gap
(1-10) in the text. Write the letter of the appropriate word in the box below. There is one extra word that
you do not need to use. There is an example (0) at the beginning.
Christmas in Hungary
In Hungary the main Christmas celebrations (0)……..place on Christmas Eve. The evening is
(1).....…Holy Evening. Before attending Midnight Mass, families (2)…….around the Christmas tree to sing
carols and open the presents (3)...................................................................…by Baby Jesus and the angels. A
couple of weeks before Christmas, on December 6th, the children receive a visit from Mikulás, or St Nicholas.
He arrives (4)...............................................................................................…….red clothes and he carries a sack
full of small presents.
Christmas in Great Britain
On Christmas Eve youngsters hang up their stockings on the ends of the beds or by the chimney so that when
Father Christmas comes he can (5).............................................…….them something.
On Christmas morning, the family traditionally (6)........…….their presents and prepare for a big
meal which is typically (7)......…..just after midday. At every place on the table there is a cracker.The meal
begins with a toast, (8)………by the popping of the crackers.
Christmas in Brazil
Papai Noel or Father Noel is the gift bringer in Brazil. According to legend, he (9)……. in
Greenland. When he (10)........…..in Brazil, he usually wears silk clothing due to the summer heat.
A celebrated B called C left D served E take F open G wearing H followed I leave J arrives K lives L gather
Fill the gaps with one word only.
The British ……… not celebrate 'name day'. The
word exists, but ……… mostly used to describe
the customs of other countries - it is ……… very
common and not everyone will know it. When
talking to a foreigner unfamiliar with ……….
country's customs, it is best ………. explain, for
example: 'It is originally ………. day of the saint
………. name you bear, but many non- Catholics
celebrate it as ……….'
Complete the following description with the
correct words. The first letter is given.
A countryside wedding
An occasion I’ll always remember is my cousin
Eva’s wedding. She and her f………. Jack had
decided to have a c………… wedding, but as a
registry office is not a very romantic-looking place,
they had asked the r………….. to come to the
family’s holiday home in the countryside, and the
wedding c……….. took place outdoors, under a big
tree.
Jack’s brother was his b……man. All our female
cousins were b………. The bride had no v………
on her head, but she carried a lovely b……… of
white flowers. The g………. wore a grey linen suit.
Then there was a r……… for a hundred people in
the garden. We ate and danced and enjoyed
ourselves, and Eva walked around, chatting to
everyone and showing off the wedding b………..
on her finger. On the following day, the n………
took of for their honeymoon.
Useful words
best man, bridesmaid, bride, groom, fiancé, fiancée,
newlyweds, wedding guests, wedding ceremony,
church wedding, civil wedding, registrar, registry
office, wedding dress, veil, bouquet of flowers
wedding reception, wedding present, wedding
ring/band, honeymoon, go on honeymoon
Easter Day
Easter Day is the central religious feast in the
Christian world. According to Christian scripture,
Jesus rose from the death on the third day after
his crucifixion. Some Christians celebrate this
resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday
(also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday).
Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed
in relation to the civil calendar.
According to the traditions, Easter Sunday is
celebrated by taking part in an Easter vigil,
lighting a new fire outside the church early on
Sunday morning. Another custom involves
lighting the Paschal candle and decorating it with
studs to celebrate Christ's wounds. Chanting of
the Easter proclamation, reading the old
testament, singing hymns and wishing happy
Easter Day are other characteristics of the
celebration.
Relatively newer elements such as the Easter
Bunny and Easter egg hunts have become part of
the holiday's modern celebrations, and those
aspects are often celebrated by many Christians
and non-Christians alike. The Easter Bunny,
which is a counterpart to the Santa Claus of
Christmas, brings gifts, a basket of coloured
eggs, to children on the night before the
celebration. Easter eggs used to be painted
chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to
substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled
with confectionery such as jelly beans. These
eggs are often hidden, allegedly by the Easter
Bunny, for children to find on Easter morning.
True or false?
1. Easter Day is celebrated on a fixed date.
2. The custom of Easter vigil involves
lighting fire indoor.
3. Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs are very
old customs.
4. Easter Bunny on Easter Day is very
much like Santa Claus on Christmas.
 The Day of the Dead
It's the end of October, and Mexico is preparing to celebrate the Day of the Dead on 1 November. In cities
throughout the country for several weeks before the festival begins, street markets and shops are filled with
symbols of death.
It's the highlight of the year for all Mexicans: the day 1. …….. to the land of the living. But there's nothing sad
about this festival. It simply reflects the Indian belief that death is a natural part of life.
November 1 is known as the feast of All Saints and All Souls. The Day of the Dead is called todos santos or
dia de muertos 2. ………. and the festival usually involves two days of celebration on 31 October and 1
November. Mexicans believe that on the Day of the Dead the souls of dead relatives will return. The Indian
festival became a Catholic one when the Spanish brought their religion to Mexico.
A feast is prepared 3. ……….. food and drink, cigarettes, sweets and fruit. A special kind of bread, known as
pan de muertos ('bread of the dead') is baked, traditionally by the men - either the head of the family or the
closest relative of the dead person. Today, however, the pan de muertos is often bought in markets. A bowl of
water and a cloth is put on the table so that the spirits can wash their hands, and sometimes a favourite
possession of the dead person is-left.
The dead person 4. ……… seen when they return, but their spirit is felt by the family. After the festival, the
food is given to the community, and the gifts are arranged around a wooden frame 5. ……….. with coloured
papers, flowers and fruit.
The island of Janitzio 6. ………. for its Day of the Dead celebrations, and has become a major tourist
attraction. Just before midnight on 1 November, the lake which surrounds Janitzio is lit up by hundreds of
torches. 7. ……….. the route of the lanchas (small boats) which carry the families to the island. They go with
their gifts to the cemetery where they will spend the night.
The cemetery is crowded 8. …………, but with tourists, photographers and even film crews. But later in the
night, the tourists leave, and the families remain until morning. Through the night, attracted by the light of the
candles and perfume of incense and flowers, the souls of the dead return once more to their families.

A. is famous B. for the dead with their favourite

C. when dead spirits return D. which is decorated
E. not only with family and friends F. by the Mexicans
G. These show H. is not usually

Thanksgiving in the USA

Americans celebrate Thanksgiving every year on the fourth Thursday in November. It's a very important festival
for families, who usually come together for a long weekend - even if some of them have to travel long distances
to get home. According to American tradition, the first Thanksgiving took place in 1621, soon after the first
European settlers arrived in North America.
The most common meal at Thanksgiving in the USA is roast turkey and vegetables. According to tradition, the
person who gets the 'wishbone' must break it and make a wish. Of course, you needn't have turkey at
Thanksgiving. Lobster and crab are also popular.
Apart from the family meal, the Thanksgiving weekend is also a time for sport, parades and shopping. There are
American football matches on TV, as well as college football matches around the country. In New York, the
department store Macy's organises a famous fancy-dress parade which always ends with Santa Claus. The Friday
of Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally a busy shopping day because people start to buy presents for
Christmas.
Traditionally, autumn festivals are an occasion to give thanks for having plenty of food. However, Thanksgiving
is also an opportunity to remember those people who are less fortunate. In many US cities, volunteers spend
some of the holiday working in soup kitchens which distribute free food to the poor and homeless.

Read the text. Which of the activities is not mentioned?

Dancing eating a big meal shopping spending time with your family
volunteering for charity work watching a parade watching sport

Read the text again and answer the questions.

A.) When was the first Thanksgiving, according to American tradition? B. What is the most common
meal at Thanksgiving? C. Who has to make a wish at the meal? D. Where is Macy's parade?
E.) Why are the shops busy on the Friday after Thanksgiving? F.) How do volunteers help
less fortunate people?
Read the magazine article again. For questions 1-7, choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D.

New Year's Day is celebrated all over the world, but not always at the same time. Our New
Year starts on 1 January but the Chinese New Year takes place any time between 21 January
and 19 February, depending on the year. In Germany, a few centuries ago, people celebrated
the New Year in November, because this was the time when they had finished bringing in the
harvest. They looked forward to this part of the year because after the harvest they would have
a period of rest when they could relax and have fun.

Nowadays, New Year is regarded as a time for celebrating and for making a new start in life. People wish each
other 'Happy New Year' and often send special greetings cards. In recent years, these cards have been replaced
by colourful e-mail messages. In many European countries, people make New Year's resolutions. This
involves people promising themselves that they will improve their behaviour in some way, by giving up bad
habits. People might decide to give up smoking, for example, or to go on a diet. These promises are often
broken in the first few days of the New Year, however!

On New Year's Eve many people go to parties or get together with their families, neighbours or friends and
they stay up until midnight to see the New Year in. Some people can't resist drinking a little bit more than they
should on this night. In Britain and especially in Scotland, they sing a special song called 'Auld Lang Syne'. In
London, people gather to celebrate in Trafalgar Square, waiting for Big Ben to strike twelve. When it is almost
midnight people are very quiet but when Big Ben begins to strike they all start cheering. People greet each
other with 'Happy New Year' and some even kiss the police who are there to control the crowd. It would be
more accurate to say that the police try to control the crowd but in such an atmosphere it is very difficult, and
a lot of people end up in the fountain in the Square with all their clothes on.

In China, days before New Year's Day, every family is busy giving its house a thorough cleaning. They hope
to sweep away all the ill-fortune there may have been in the family to make way for good luck in the coming
year. People also paint their doors and windows red. The New Year's Eve supper is an important family event.
All members of the family like to have dinner together. When it is over, the whole family stays up late playing
cards or board games. At midnight the whole sky lights up with fireworks. Very early next morning, children
greet their parents and receive their present: money wrapped in red paper.
5. In Trafalgar Square on New Year's Eve
1. New Year in China falls
A on 1 February. A the police join in the party.
B on the same day every year. B people are allowed to kiss the police.
C on the same day in February. C the police don't work very hard.
D the police try to stop people from jumping in the
D later than in Europe.
fountain.
2. In Germany the New Year was originally
6.In China, people clean their houses before the
A a celebration to mark the end of winter. New Year
B a celebration at the end of the harvest. A to get rid of all the bad things that have happened
C celebrated by holding a big party. during the year.
D a time when people were on holiday. B because a dirty house is full of ghosts.
C because it brings the whole family together.
3. The promises people make for the New Year
D to get them ready to be painted.
A don't last long. 7.The New Year's Eve supper in China
B make them healthier. A starts with games involving all the family.
C change their lives. B is accompanied by a firework display.
D are written on special cards. C brings together the whole family.
4. On New Year's Eve people D has several different courses
A never drink alcohol.
B sometimes drink too much.
C drink a special New Year's drink.
D start drinking at midnight