Conversation and discussion

CUSTOMS AND HOLIDAYS

THEMATIC VOCABULARY

1. Symbolic calendar days of rest and celebrations: holidays; festivals; bank holidays; public holidays.

2. Types of holidays: international; national; local; family; politi­cal; cultural; seasonal; religious; ethnic.

3. Activities in observance of holidays: to mark; to observe; to celebrate; to commemorate; to honour; to recognize an occasion, a date; to keep, to preserve a tradition; to organize, to hold, to sponsor a parade, a demonstration; to give a party (to throw a party) (col-loq.), to demonstrate labour solidarity; to have a family get together; merry-making; to give presents (BE), gifts (AE); to send greeting

cards, Valentine cards; to go treat or tricking; to ask a penny for the guy; to have bonfires; to lay wreaths.

4. Constituent parts of national celebrations: New Year tree dec­orations (BE); trimmings (AE); small lights; ornaments; fairy-lights; baubles; glitter; evergreen; wreaths of evergreen; garlands; holly; mis­tletoe; fir-cones; bonfires; fireworks; the flying of flags, balloons and paper streamers; horns; party-poppers; Santa Claus and his reindeer. Father Frost and Snow Maiden; dressing up; fancy dress balls; witch­es; ghosts; jack-o'-lanterns; stockings (for presents).

5. Gifts: toys (dolls, a set of building blocks, teddy-bears); boxes of candies or cookies (AE); boxes of sweets or biscuits (BE); choco­late (Easter) eggs; sugar mice; red roses (for Valentine's Day).

6. Special celebration foods: the Christmas bird (turkey or goose); the Christmas pudding; chocolate log; mulled wine; mince pies; cake; Easter eggs; the Thanksgiving turkey and a pumpkin pie; pancakes; roasted chestnuts.

7. The types of folklore: verbal (proverbs, rhymes, myths, leg­ends, folksongs, ballads); partly verbal (superstitions, customs and festivals, folkdances and games); non-verbal (folk gestures, folk mu­sic, folk architecture, handicrafts, folk costumes and foods).

8. Terms of partly verbal folklore according to their degree of generalization: rites; ceremonies; rituals; customs; traditions; festi­vals.

9. Politically marked ceremonies and parliamentary conven­tions: trooping the colour; opening of Parliament; the Lord Chancel­lor's procession; the Gentleman of the Black Rod mission; spying the strangers; Beefeaters searching the cellars of the Houses of Parlia­ment, etc.