More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for “row of lights”. It is the most important holiday in India.
Many people around the world are beginning to celebrate it as well. The United States is one of the places where the festival is becoming more common. Diwali celebrations can now be found at American landmarks like Disneyland in California and New York City’s Times Square. They are also held in many parks and museums.
Neeta Bhasin created the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India. So, she decided to act. “I felt it’s about time that we should take India to mainstream America and show India’s rich culture, heritage, arts and variety to the world,” she said, “and I couldn’t find a better place than Times Square.”
Bhasin came to the United States from India 40 years ago. She is president of ASB Communications, the marketing firm behind Diwali at Times Square. Tens of thousands of people attend the event, now in its fourth year.
In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called “diyas”.
A Diwali celebration will light up Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim this year. Visitors can watch performances of traditional Indian dances and take part in a Bollywood dance party. The event is part of a Festival of Holidays program at the theme park to show cultural traditions from around the world. The program takes place on November 10th through January 7th.
San Antonio, Texas, also holds a Diwali celebration. And it is one of the nation’s largest celebrations, with more than 15,000 people in attendance each year. Visitors can enjoy Indian dance, food and fireworks. Organizers also plan to float hundreds of lighted candles in the San Antonio River, along the city’s famous River Walk.
【小题1】Which is the main symbol in the Indian holiday Diwali?A.Dances. | B.Lamps. |
C.Food. | D.Clothes. |
A.To make the American culture richer. |
B.To create a new business for the firm. |
C.To make Indian culture better known in the US. |
D.To show the achievements of Indian immigrants. |
A.It is held in autumn in India. |
B.It lasts five days in America. |
C.It has been held for 40 years in America. |
D.It happens from November 10th to January 7th in India. |
A.Diwali is mainly celebrated in Disney Parks. |
B.Many American cities compete to hold Diwali. |
C.Indian Holiday Diwali lights up America, too. |
D.Diwali has become the most important holiday in India. |
“We wish you a merry Christmas” with pictures of Elvis Tsui seems to be the latest trend among Chinese netizens during this year’s Christmas.
Born in 1961, Hong Kong veteran actor Elvis Tsui has become the latest internet icon thanks to the classic character he played in the 1992 comedy movie, where he looked a bit similar to Santa Claus, with a red hat and white beard. The movie Tsui starred in was adapted from The Deer and the Cauldron, a novel by late Hong Kong novelist Louis Cha. Tsui played the role of Oboi, a malicious and greedy military officer who conspires to fight for the throne.
Also, the character’s name Oboi is pronounced similar to “all buy” in English, which encourages people to buy some gifts for loved ones during the Christmas season. And the coincidence further increases the popularity of Tsui.
Reputed as China’s Santa Claus, Elvis Tsui has been frequently searched on Dec 24 on Sina Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, and his images have been adapted into micro videos, gifts and emojis at very short notice. Some clever business minds have produced tailor-made products on China’s e-commerce platform Taobao.
On Dec 25, an image of Tsui’s character from the film has already been added into the Sina Weibo emoji list for users to choose from. “I have been waiting for more than two decades to find the Chinese Santa Claus, and he just appeared. I believe that he is the perfect image in my heart,” said weibo user Xiao Midou1993.
In response to the enthusiasm shown by online users, the 57-year-old was pleased to receive the new title, and wrote on his official weibo account, “It’s Christmas and the old man with a red hat and white beard is bringing you the best wishes!”
【小题1】Why has Elvis Tsui become the latest internet icon?A.Because he played in the 1992 comedy movie. |
B.Because he is a veteran. |
C.Because he encourages people to buy gifts during the Christmas season. |
D.Because his character in the 1992 movie seemed similar to Santa Claus. |
A.An image of Tsui’s character | B.A micro video |
C.A tailor-made product | D.A gif |
A.Gift | B.Name | C.Wish | D.Image |
A.An introduction to Elvis Tsui | B.Wish you a merry Christmas |
C.Chinese Santa Claus storms the internet | D.Hong Kong veteran actor Elvis Tsui |
The best festivals in August
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world. Last year, the festival lasted 25 days, including 55,000 performances of 3,548 shows in 317 places. The festival started in 1947. Anyone can join in with the performance of their choice.
Wilderness Festival
Wilderness Festival takes place in one of the oldest woods in England. Taking place over four days in nature, people will experience music, comedy, theatre, and dance from Sadler's Wells. All the campsites are made-to-order for different needs, including family camping.
Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival takes place on the streets of Notting Hill in London, England in each August lasting three days. Attracting around one million people each year, it's one of the biggest street festivals in the world. Happening since 1966, Notting Hill Carnival is an essential cultural experience in London.
La Tomatina
Each year, the Valencian town of Bunol gets changed into a red mess as locals and tourists take to the streets and throw tomatoes at each other, creating the biggest food fight in the world, all for fun. This tomato festival has been happening since 1945 and is held on the last Wednesday of August each year.
【小题1】Which festival lasts the longest?A.Wilderness Festival. | B.Edinburgh Festival Fringe. |
C.Notting Hill Carnival. | D.La Tomatina. |
A.The campsites are specially offered. | B.People can dance with famous stars. |
C.People will experience wilderness adventure. | D.It is the biggest street festival in the world. |
A.Get dressed in red. | B.Experience classic music. |
C.Eat as many tomatoes as possible. | D.Throw tomatoes at each other for fun. |
Bank Holidays in the UK
Public holidays in the UK are commonly referred to as bank holidays. As the UK is a country made up of four more or less independent regions, official holidays vary depending on whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
There are eight bank holidays in England and Wales.
Holidays | Time of The Year |
New Year’s Day (substitute day) | 1 January (3 January 2022) |
Good Friday | 15 April 2022 |
Easter Monday | 18 April 2022 |
Early May | 2 May 2022 |
Spring Bank Holiday | 2 June 2022 |
Summer Bank Holiday | 29 August 2022 |
Christmas Day (substitute day) | 25 December (26 December 2022) |
Boxing Day (substitute day) | 26 December (27 December 2022) |
When bank holidays fall on a weekend, the following Monday is usually a “substitute” holiday. For instance, 25 December 2022 is Sunday, so there will be a national substitute holiday for Christmas Day on Monday, 26 December 2022.
In Scotland, the summer bank holiday is earlier in August. Moreover, Scots celebrate St. Andrew’s Day on 30 November and 2 January is also a bank holiday, but Easter Monday is not. All in all, there are nine bank holidays in Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March is a bank holiday, and so is Orangemen’s Day on 12 July which commemorates the Battle of Boyne. There are a total of ten bank holidays in Northern Ireland, making it the region with the most holidays in the UK.
The UK does not have a national day, making it only one of two countries in the world without one (the other is Denmark). There’s an old joke about this, that the United Kingdom, once called “the empire on which the sun never sets”, doesn’t need its own national day because it’s indirectly responsible for so many other countries’ national independence days.
【小题1】How many holidays are there in England in the second quarter of 2022?A.2. | B.3. | C.4. | D.5. |
A.Good Friday and Easter Monday. | B.Easter Monday and St. Andrew’s Day. |
C.St. Andrew’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. | D.St. Patrick’s Day and Orangemen’s Day. |
A.The UK used to rule a lot of countries. |
B.The UK’s culture influenced many countries. |
C.The UK’s independence greatly encouraged many countries. |
D.The UK helped many countries set their independence days. |
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