新世纪英语第一册unit 4 课文文本

UNIT 4 TEXT

Holidays and Festivals in the United Kingdom

There are many national holidays in the United Kingdom. Among them, Easter, and Christmas are two of the most famous.

EASTER The date of Easter varies each year. It usually falls in March or April. During the Easter holiday, people give each other chocolate Easter eggs. The eggs are opened and eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday (the Friday before Easter, when Christians observe the day on which Christ died), hot cross buns(复活节前一个星期五吃的十字面包) are sold. They are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday (the day after Easter) is a Bank Holiday. On that day, banks and other major businesses are closed; people may enjoy a trip to the seaside or watch an exciting sports game, such as football, or horse-racing.

CHRISTMAS For most British families, Christmas is certainly the most important holiday of the year. Families decorate their houses in bright colours. Usually a Christmas tree is placed in the front room, shining with coloured lights and interesting decorations.

On the morning of Christmas Day (December 25), many people go to church to celebrate the birth of Christ(耶稣基督). In the afternoon, they stay at home and open the gifts that were gathered around the tree. Later, they may watch the Queen appear on television to deliver her traditional Christmas message to the whole country. In the evening, the family sit down to a big goose (sometimes turkey) dinner. They round off the meal with pudding, a Christmas specialty.

Many traditions are connected with Christmas. For children, the most important one is that of receiving gifts. On Christmas Eve (December 24), they usually leave a long stocking hanging by the bed or by the fireplace. They hope that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents. They are usually not disappointed!

December 26, Boxing Day, is also a public holiday. This is the time to visit friends or watch football. Students have several weeks off school for Christmas.