Card 15 Let’s talk about Belarusian customs and traditions.

1) What can you tell me about your favourite holiday?

I like New Year’s Day best. New Year’s Day is a family holiday. On the 31^st of December all the family get together to see the New Year in. There’s usually a holiday dinner with a lot of tasty things and everyone wishes each other “A Happy New Year” at 12 p.m. and give presents. After that young people enjoy going outside to the streets and squares and watch or make fireworks.

2) Are you proud of our national holidays and traditions? Why?

I’m proud of our national holidays and traditions because they are quite interesting and reflect our rich history.

There are seven official holidays in our country: January 1 – New Year’s Day, January 7 – Christmas (Orthodox), March 8 – Women’s Day, May 1 – Day of Working People, May 9 – Victory Day, July 3 – Independence Day, December 25 – Christmas (Catholic). These holidays have lots of traditions which are very similar to those all over the world.

There are also special Belarusian holidays which are different from all the rest. Some of them are not official. Their traditions have been formed for centuries and still have high popularity.

January 13 is the old style New Year. On this day people celebrate thecoming of the New Year according to the Julian calendar. This holiday iscalled Shedry Vecher (which means the GenerousEve) or Kolyada. People dressed as animalsor fantastic creatures['kri:ʧəz], holding a Sunimage and a goat’s head walk from onehouse to another, singing originalKolyadniye songs. In return, hosts treat such folk actors and sometimes give them money.

Traditional celebrationsare held at Easter. On that day people go to church at dawn. They have a special service after which there is a beautiful ceremony of consecrating ['kɔnsɪkreɪtiŋ] Easter cakes and painted eggs. Then people go home and share the consecrated food with their friends and relatives.

On the ninth day after Easter we have Radunitsa. It’s a day for remembering all those relatives who are not with us anymore. It’s an official day off. People go to cemeteries ['semətrɪz], clean the tombs [tu:mz] of their dead relatives and decorate them with flowers.

Among other notable holidays is the Day of Defenders of the Nation on February 23d, which is widely regardedas «Men’s Day».

The end of February and the beginning of March is the time of Maslenitsa (Shrovetide ['ʃrəuvtaɪd]). It’s an old custom associated with saying farewell to winter. Traditionally on this day people bake sun-shaped pancakes and hold festivals.

One of the most interesting and mysterious [mɪ'stɪərɪəs] holidays is Kupalye. People sing and dance in a ring and make bonfires on that night. It is an ancient pagan ['peɪg(ə)n] festival.

I think these unique traditions make our country special.

3) What questions can you ask your classmate about his/her birthday celebration?

Do you usually celebrate your birthday at home? Do you have a party? What’s your favourite dish for a birthday dinner? You invite some of your friends, don’t you? What present do you usually get?

4) Which holiday celebration in Belarus will you recommend your British friend?

I would recommend him to take part in Kupalye festival which is still observed in many villages. I think it’s one of the most interesting and mysterious [mɪ'stɪərɪəs] holidays, which is celebrated on the night of July 6 to 7. According to an old popular belief, at Kupalye the ferns blossom at night. A person who finds such a fern will know his future and stay young forever. During that night some brave young people go to the woods – in naïve [naɪ'i:v] but romantic hope to find a fern flower. Girls twine wreaths [ri:θs] and send them flowing along the rivers, wishing for luck in life and their future family life. People also sing and dance in a ring and make bonfires. It is an amazing ancient pagan ['peɪg(ə)n] festival.

*What souvenir ['su:vənɪə] would you recommend a foreign tourist to buy in our country?

I would recommend a foreign tourist to buy a straw spider amulet ['æmjulət] designed to protect the house and ensure the well-being of the family.

5) Do you think it is important to follow our grandparents’ traditions? Why?

Traditions are a part of our culture. They help us understand the life and experience of the previous generations, to understand where we came from. I believe we should learn from traditions and observe some of them to feel that we are a nation.

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