文化 Chapter9 festivals wxy.ppt

An old lady with Jiao zi How many western holidays do you know? Origin of New Year’s Day In ancient civilizations the calendar was based on the seasons. The Egyptian New Year began when the Nile River overflowed. For the early Britons and the Romans the New Year began on the first day of spring. Origin of New Year’s Day How did it come into being that New Year’s Day falls on January 1st? Origin of New Year’s Day The Meaning of January Traditions and Customs Open House Traditions and Customs Presidential Message for New Years Day Traditions and Customs Philadelphia Mummers Parade Traditions and Customs The parade is a day long event. There are four divisions to the parade:The Comic Division Fancy Division String Band Division Fancy Brigade Division Comic Devision Prancing, dancing clowns in colorful costumes wield their three-tiered parasols as they strut to strains of Golden Slippers. Imaginative floats and presentations satirize everyday life. Comic motifs run the gamut from traditional to contemporary. FANCY DIVISION Ten categories allow individuals, trios and juveniles, as well as Captains and their pages to dress elaborately and outrageously. Accompanied by brass bands, they compete in various categories. Bigger than life floats and frame suits are interspersed with marchers. STRING BAND DIVISION A central theme dominates music, costumes and presentations of the groups of 48 or more musicians. Plumed and bespangled, they mark time to music, highlighted by the banjo and glockenspiel. Ornately garbed captains join the band in precision drills. Fancy Brigade Division Imaginative presentations are the hallmark of the Brigades. A theme centered around an elaborately costumed Captain is carried out by 35 or more performers in spectacular costumes as they move in undulating formations. Traditions and Customs The Tournament of Rose Parade History of Rose Parade Equestrians Since the beginning, horses have played a part in the Ros