A flower festival is an event during which many types of flowers are shown to the public. In some cases, a flower festival may be a small event attended by local people who grow plants as a hobby. Other festivals are big international events. 【小题1】

Usually, a flower festival takes place at a time of year when many types of flowers are fully open. 【小题2】 In this case, the organizers must make sure that the event is scheduled during the right time of year for that type.

Some festivals are arranged to encourage flower growers to grow certain types of plants. 【小题3】 There will be competitions. Prizes are given to those who grow the largest, most colorful or hardiest(最耐寒的)plants.

Besides competing for prizes, many flower growers show their plants in flower shows for business purposes. Some people use these events to win contracts with companies that buy large numbers of flowers. 【小题4】 And some growers have created new types of flowers. They put their newly created plants on show at these festivals.

【小题5】 Local restaurants provide meals and drinks for attendees. Musicians and other entertainers(演艺人员)are sometimes hired to provide attendees with pleasure. Nearby hotels and shops are full of people. They all can make a lot of money from the event.

Meaningful ways to celebrate the New Year

It's been said that the New Year sets the intention for the entire year to come. Here are some meaningful ideas for celebrating this New Year.

Write a letter to yourself. 【小题1】 In it, you can list things like what your biggest dreams are right now, the things we are most afraid of, the most impressive emotions you experience on a daily basis, the things that are flowing in your life and things that feel stuck, how you feel in your body and how you hope you will feel as you read the letter in one year.

Release a floating lantern. In many cultures, it's considered good luck to release a lantern into the sky. 【小题2】 With a few simple tools you can make your own lantern, and can even write on the outside some of the old patterns you are ready to release from your life.

【小题3】 Alone time is unbelievably important for processing, reflecting and connecting with yourself. And if you cannot decide what celebration feels right for you this New Year's Eve, you may simply enjoy your own company. Have a solo dance party, order favorite carry-out, do an at-home yoga practice or meditation（冥想） and take a candlelit bubble bath. Give yourself the gift of quality time, and find enjoyment and ease in the company you keep, even in the empty moments. 【小题4】

List the things you are grateful for. There's no truer way to find delight in this very moment than to count your blessings. As you look back on an entire year, you're sure to discover a treasure of miracles just waiting to be illuminated（照亮）and treasured. So take some time to come up with your own gratitude list for 2020. 【小题5】

The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. People thought that there was a special danger from evil spirits, so friends and family came together to bring good thoughts and wishes and even presents. 【小题1】 But as time went by, children and then adults began to have their own birthday celebrations. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere and anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and singing the “Happy Birthday” song. 【小题2】

In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top. 【小题3】 The key means that the young persons are now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to!

In the past in parts of Europe, men who reached the age of thirty and were still single, had to clean the stairs of the City Hall. This way every girl could see that the man didn't have a girlfriend. 【小题4】

After the age of thirty, many people prefer to forget their birthdays rather than celebrate them...children often bring Mum（or Dad）breakfast in bed. 【小题5】 It's also a day when your friends and family have to pay if you go out for drinks or a meal!