人教版-英语-必修三-课文-电子版

2021年1月25日发(作者：user)
Unit1 Festivals and celebrations

Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient
times. Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of cold weather, planting in spring
and harvest in autumn. Sometimes celebrations would be held after hunters had caught
animals. At that time people would starve if food was difficult to find, especially during
the cold winter months. Today's festivals have many origins, some religious, some
seasonal, and some for special people or events.

Festivals of the Dead

Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the ancestors, who might
return either to help or to do harm. For the Japanese festival Obon, people should go to
clean graves and light incense in memory of their ancestors. They also light lamps and
play music because they think that this will lead the ancestors back to earth. In Mexico,
people celebrate the Day of the Dead in early November. On this important feast day,
people eat food in the shape of skulls and cakes with
flowers and gifts to the dead. The Western holiday Halloween also had its origin in old
beliefs about the return of the spirits of dead people. It is now a children's festival, when
they can dress up and go to their neighbours' homes to ask for sweets. If the neighbours
do not give any sweets, the children might play a trick on them.

Festivals to Honour People

Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. The Dragon Boat Festival in
China honours the famous ancient poet, Qu Yuan. In the USA, Columbus Day is in
memory of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World. India has a national
festival on October 2 to honour Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who
helped gain India's independence from Britain.

Harvest Festivals

Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events. People are grateful
because their food is gathered for the winter and the agricultural work is over. In
European countries, people will usually decorate churches and town halls with flowers
and fruit, and will get together to have meals. Some people might win awards for their
farm produce, like the biggest watermelon or the most handsome rooster. China and
Japan have mid-autumn festivals, when people admire the moon and in China, enjoy
mooncakes.