Contents

Lead-in Pair One The Spring Festival & Christmas Debate

Pair Two: Qi Xi Festival & Valentines Day Discussing

Part Three : Tomb-sweeping Day & Halloween Blank Part Four:filling Double Ninth Festival & Thanksgiving Day Reading a poem

Conclusion

Look at the pictures and speak out the festivals it reminds you!

Christmas Tree

Christma s

An old lady with Jiao zi

Spring Festival

A clown (

A bat

Halloween
A pumpkin lantern (

How many Chinese traditional festivals Brainstorm do you know?

Lantern Festival ( Spring Festival Tomb-sweeping Festival ( Dragon Boat Festival

Chinese traditional festival

Mid-autumn Festival

Double Ninth Festival

Qi Xi Festival

How many western holidays do you know?

Christmas ( Valentines Day Easter

Western Holidays
Thanksgiving Day

Halloween April Fools Day

Compare the Chinese Traditional Holidays with Western ones

1.The Spring Festival ( 2. Qi Xi Festival 3. Tomb-sweeping Day 4. Double Ninth Festival

1. Christmas

P K

2. Valentines day 3. Halloween 4. Thanksgiving Day

Part One

g in r p S e h t f o in ig r o e h t w o n Do you k Festival? Celebrate

the New Year.

The Spring festival is also known as the Chinese New Year, which is the most important traditional festival in China. It falls on the first day of the first Chinese lunar month .

Origin In ancient time, a demon( called Nian that lived under the sea would hurt people once a year on the new year eve. It jumped out from the sea, attacked villages, devoured people, animals and plants.

Demon Nian

Origin
The villagers gathered to discuss how to deal with Nian .Some people suggested that the demon was afraid of loud noises, red color and flames.
Fireworks Dragon dance

Origin
So they lighted firecrackers, put on red couplets( on their gates, beat gongs ( and drums to drive Nian away. Since then, the custom and tradition of celebrating the Spring Festival born.

Do you know the customs in the Spring Festival ?

Customs

1. Spring Cleaning
From December 23rd in the Chinese calendar, people begin to clean their house to bid farewell to the old year and usher in a happy and fresh new year.

Customs
2. Write and paste couplets( on doors

Customs
3.The lion and

dragon dancing

Customs
4.Set off fireworks

It is said that the evil spirits can be frightened to run away.

Customs
5. Receive Gift Money
Children get money in red paper or envelop from their parents or relatives.

Custom s

6. Greet each other

Do you know the food in the Spring Festival?

It means in Chinese the beginning of the new year.

1. Dumplings ( ) 2. New Year cake ( )

It means abundance( and wealth for household.

Food
3. Whole fish ()

Fish in Chinese language is pronounced as Yu. It sounds like . means togetherness and abundance .

t a in ig r o s a m t ris h C e h t id d w Ho
December 25 is the day that most Christianities celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

e?

Origin
In 1607, religious leaders all over the world met and reached an agreement that December 25 would be the Christmas day. Since then, most Christians began to celebrate Christmas.

Customs

1. Send Christmas Cards and songs

People send Christmas cards to their friends or family members to show their best wishes for a new year.

Origin
In the bible, Jesus was born at night, so the night of December 24 is known as the Christmas eve.

Customs

Santa Claus is believed to be a fat jolly old man with a red suit, red hat and long white beard.

2. Receive gifts from Santa Claus

He can come down from chimney on Christmas Eve and bring children gifts.

Customs

3. Exchange gifts

Ancient religion believed that the first Christmas gifts were given by Three Wise Men to the infant Jesus.

1. Christmas Tree

President Bushs wife with Christmas tree

It is covered with strings of colored lights, and the star on the top is believed to guide Three Wise Men to find Jesus.

Symbol s

2. Santa Claus

Symbol s

Santa Claus sends parcel.

Santa Clauses are studying.

Symbols
3. Christmas wreath
It means the perpetuity( of Jesus Christ.

4. Stockings

Symbol s

Exercise: True or False Questions

1. ( ) The origin of the Spring Festival is December 23rd associated with a monster called Nian. in the Chinese 2. ( X) In the early December of calendar lunar calendar, people begin to sweep the house for the new year. climb down from the as chimney 3. ( )December 24th is known Christmas Eve. 4. ( X) It is said that the Santa will knock the door and give presents to children.

Debate :Should we celebrate the Spring Festival or not? Nowadays, most of the
youngsters observe Christmas holiday. Should we still celebrate the Spring Festival or not? No!!! Yes!!!
Pro. Con.

Part Two

Origin
The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It is also called Chinese Valentines Day, Qi Qiao Jie , the Daughters Festival . It is important day for girls.

Origin

A handsome but poor orphan who lived with his elder brother and sisterin-law. After his parents passed away, the boys brother inherited the house and the land. But all he had was an old ox.

Origin As a cowherd, the boy had to work the farm fields and talked with his ox. With the oxs help, the cowherd fell in love with the Emperors seventh daughter, Weaving Maid. Weaving Maid was good at handcrafting, especially weaving clothes. They soon had two children two years later.

Origin
However, the emperor missed the beautiful skies once woven by Weaving Maid. He ordered his daughters grandmother to find her and bring back to him.

Origin
As Weaving Maid was flying to heaven with her grandmother, the cowherd put on his oxs hide and put their children into two bamboo baskets laced with his wifes magical fairy clothes to chase after his love.

Origin

But the grandmother created a milky way in the sky to keep the lovers apart. They could meet each other once in a year on the day of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month.

Origin

Therefore, it is hard to find magpies on Chinese Valentines Day in China, because all magpies fly to make the bridge for the Weaving Maid and Cowherd.

Customs

1. Overhear the Maid crying

It is said that under the grape-wine, you could probably hear the crying of Weaving Maid.

Customs
2. Five-colored Ribbons

Girls throw the ribbons on the roof so than magpie( can use them to build a bridge.

Symbols
1. Needle work

Symbols

2. Blossom water( On the Chinese Valentines day, girls would put blossoms into a copper basin of water, which could absorb the essence of blossoms and do good to girls skin.

Origin
Valentines Day is celebrated on the 14th February each year. Valentine was a priest( who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he stopped the young men from marrying.

Origin
Valentine realized the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriage with a young lady in secret. When Valentines actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he put to death.

Customs

1. Send Valentines card

Customs

2. Exchange gifts between lovers

Customs 3. Kiss

Food
1. Candy 2. chocolates

Symbols
Flowers

Exercise: Match Column A with Colum B

A
Qi Xi Festival Valentines Day

B
1.Chocolate 2.Five-colored ribbons 3.Needle work 4.cards 5.Blossom water 6.Weaving Maid 7.Emperor Claudius

Discuss: If you were the Heaven Emperor, what will do with the Weaving Maid and cowherd?

Part Three

Origin

Tomb-sweeping Day is a time to remember the dead and the dearly departed. More important, it is a period to honor and to pay respect to ones deceased ancestors and family members. It falls in early spring. Qing Ming literally means Clear Brightness.

Origin

It is popularly associated with Jie Zi-tui , who lived in Shanxi province in 600 B.C. Jie saved his starving lords life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small country, he invited his faithful follower to join him.

Origin

However, Jie declined his invitation, preferring to lead a hermits life with his mother in the mountains. Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set the forest on fire. But Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death.

Origin
To commemorate Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put on the anniversary of Jies death. Thus began the cold food feast , a day when no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit. the cold food festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and is often considered as part of the Qing Ming festival.

Customs
1. Visit the graves of the ancestors 2. Sweep the ashes on the tomb

Customs
3. Go to the suburb (Ta Qing)

To breathe the fresh air and enjoy the scenery.

Other Names
1. All Souls Day 2. Clear Brightness Festival 3. Festival for Tending Graves 4. Grave Sweeping Day

Origin

Around the eighth century, the Christian church made November 1 All Saints Day to honor all of the saints that didnt have a special day of their own. It was called All Hollows .

Origin

The night before was known as All Hallows Eve. Eventually this name became Halloween. The legend said on that day night, the spirits would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year.

Customs
1. Parade 2. Costume parties

3. Trick or treat Children dressed in costumes knock on their neighbors doors and yell trick or treat when the door opens. If the hostess dont give the candies, the children will rush into the house and make trouble.

Customs

Halloween symbols and Food

1. Carved pumpkin with a lit candle inside ( (Jack-o-lantern) 2. Skeletons 3. Bats

Halloween Symbols and Foods

4. Dried pumpkin seeds( 5. Popcorn balls

Exercise Fill in the blanks with the information you get.

Halloween is the holiday celebrated on the eve of 31st October . It is said that on this eve the spirit would come back in search of living bodiesto possess for the next year. People will dress in different costumes and parade on the street. Children will knock their neighbors door and yelled trick or treat. If the hostess dont give candies, they will rush into the house make and trouble

Part Four

Origin
The Double-Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month and has a history of more than 1,700 years.

Origin
The festival is based on the theory of Yin( and Yang , the two opposing principles in nature. Yin is feminine, negative principle, while Yang is masculine and positive.

Origin
Among Chinese numbers, 1,3,5,7,9 are positive numbers and 2,4,6, 8 are negative ones.

Origin
Thus, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month is called Double-Positive or Double-Nine.

Customs
1. Climb the mountains( 2. Admire chrysanthemums

Customs
3. Visit the Old Men House (

1.Chrysanthemums tea 2.Chrysanthemums wine 3. Double-Ninth cake

Food

Other Names 1. Seniors day 2. Height Ascending Festival

Origin
Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. It is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.

Origin
A small ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England and the passengers, most of whom were pilgrims , spent 66 days to arrive the mainland coast of Massachusetts .
.

Origin

They were faced with a grim( winter with sickness and little food. Fortunately, the native Americans helped them with food, and helped them to plant corn, and in the autumn, the first crop was harvested.

Origin

The pilgrims gave a huge feast and invited the India Chief and his 90 people. In 1941, the Thanksgiving Day was established by Congress.

Customs
1. Thanksgiving parade 2. Watching football games

Customs

Foo d
1. Stuffed Turkey 2. Pumpkin pie

Exercise: Read the poem on Double Ninth Festival.

Discuss: What difference can you get between Chinese traditional festival and western ones??
1. Chinese traditional festival originated from the wishes of safety and longevity, however western ones are associated with religion , mostly Christian. The major activity in Chinese festivals is eating, however, the playing in western festivals. Most of Chinese festival is aimed at the inheritance if Chinese traditional merits, while western festival is aimed at the entertainment.

2. 3.

What is the right attitude towards Chinese traditional festivals and western holidays??

1. Get to the history of Chinese festivals, and be in love with our motherland festivals; 2. Comprehend and understand western festivals; 3. The most important is introducing our Chinese festivals around the world.

Confucian University around the world

Confucian University in Britain

Confucian University in the United States

Confucian University in Japan

There are more than 200Confucian Universities around 60 countries around the world !!!!!

Homework
1. Whats the history of Easter ? 2. How do people celebrate April Fools Day ? 3. Whats the relation between Qu Yuan and Dragon Boat Festival ? 4. Whats the story of Mid-autumn Festival ?

1 http://www1.china.com.cn/ch-jieri/ 2 http://www.jieri.org.cn/ 3 http://www.cnhubei.com/200601/ca986250.htm 4 5