Festivals Advanced
Step 1: Introduce the topic of festivals. Ask your students what festivals they have participated in other countries. Introduce words like customs, traditions, cultural heritage, etc.
Step 2: Have the students discuss the warm-questions and ask for some answers after they are done to create conversations.
Step 3: Introduce the article. Have your students read aloud and go through some of the vocabulary.
Step 4: Have the students complete the vocabulary worksheet before the reading or after the reading. This will depend on teacher preferences.
Step 5: Let the students discuss the discussion questions and elicit answers from them after they are done. You should get them to use the vocabulary in their discussions.
1. How do you typically celebrate your country's major national holiday or festival?
2. Have you ever participated in a festival or holiday from a different culture? What was it like, and how did you feel?
3. Describe a festival or holiday you would like to attend in the future, either in your own country or abroad.
India - Holi
Often called the festival of colours, Holi is a popular ancient festival in India. Every year, on March 8, Indians get together to dance, sing, and most of all, throw coloured powders at one another. The colours of the powder are meant to celebrate the colours of the gods and the ideas of life, marriage, and happiness they bring. The holiday also welcomes the arrival of spring and the coming harvest. At night, neighbourhoods gather to eat a large meal together, with special desserts and delicacies. These parties are to bring the communities together, and to encourage everyone to put in their fair share. When taking part, it’s important you wear white to stand out and clothes you don’t like as they will be messy from all the water and powders.
Venice, Italy - Carnival
Every year in the city of Venice, people gather to celebrate the festival of Carnival. Although the festival began in 1162 to celebrate Venice winning a war, the ceremonies and traditions of the festival have changed over time. Today, the festival is most well known for its use of masks and costumes. These masks and costumes are a way to hide people’s identities so that anyone, rich or poor, can do what they want, celebrating freedom.
Every year the festival attracts over 3 million visitors who go to wear beautiful masks and costumes and to enjoy parties, balls, and Venetian food. The most popular event is the mask parade, where visitors go to see a parade of people with the best masks and costumes.
Black Rock Desert, USA - Burning Man
Every year, over 70,000 people gather for nine days in the desert to create a large city of tents and RVs. There they celebrate art, self-expression, building a community, and being self-sufficient. The festival first began in 1986 and has been growing ever since as a popular attraction for hippie culture. The name ‘burning man’, comes from the giant wooden statue of a man which is burnt every year. At Burning Man, people dress up in costumes, wander around on foot or bicycle, make art together, attend classes, and do lots of partying. Nothing is booked at the festival, as the people create the shows themselves. Since you cannot buy food or water at the festival, you must bring your own. In fact, no one uses money to buy things. Instead, they pay by trading their art, giving free shows, or doing any services they think are valuable, like yoga classes or doing someone’s taxes.
Golden Week - Japan
While some festivals have one day of celebration, Japan does something different entirely. They celebrate four festivals packed into one week. It’s called Golden Week, where in seven days they celebrate four national holidays. The first national of these holidays is Showa Day (April 29) which is the birthday of the former Emperor Showa who died in the year 1989. It is about remembering his legacy. The second holiday is the Constitutional Day (May 3), a day where the Japanese acknowledge their new constitution that was made after the second world war. The third holiday is Greenery Day (May 4), which celebrates plants and the environment. People like to plant trees on this day to show their appreciation to nature. The last festival is Children’s Day (May 3 for girls and May 5 for boys) where families pray for good luck, health, and success for their sons and daughters. For the girls, there are decorations of dolls and peach blossoms put in the house, and for the boys, there are carp streamers hung up and samurai dolls. These dolls are to symbolize strength, success, and happiness. For this week of festivals, most Japanese get time off work and like to take the time to relax
1. What do they throw at each other during Holi?
2. What ideas does Holi celebrate?
3. Why did Venice start celebrating Carnival?
4. What is the most popular event at Carnival?
5. Where does the name ‘Burning Man’ come from?
6. Do people use money at Burning Man?
7. What do the Japanese decorate their homes with on Children’s Day?
8. What do people do on Greenery Day?
1. Coloured powders.
2. The colours of the gods and the ideas of life, marriage, and happiness they bring.
3. Winning a war.
4. The mask parade.
5. The burning of the giant wooden statue which is burned every year.
6. No. They pay by trading their art, giving free shows, or doing any services they think are valuable, like yoga classes or doing someone’s taxes.
7. Dolls, peach blossoms, carp streamers, and samurai dolls.
8. They plant trees.
1. Are there any festivals in your country that are similar? How so?
2. Which festival would you like to go to the most? Explain your answer.
3. What do the festivals and holidays in your town/country celebrate?
Delicacies: Rare or exquisite foods, often associated with special occasions or fine dining.
Ceremonies: Formal events or rituals with specific traditions and practices, often marking important occasions.
Parade: A public procession or march, often involving participants, floats, or vehicles, held for celebration or demonstration.
Self-expression: The act of expressing one's thoughts, feelings, or identity through various forms like art, speech, or behaviour.
Legacy: Something handed down from the past, often a tradition, belief, or contribution that has a lasting impact.
Acknowledge: To recognize, accept, or admit the existence or truth of something or someone.
Festivals Around the World
