英语国家概况课件9.pptVIP

Chapter Ⅳ Holidays and Festivals Spend the holidays at the seaside. Amusement park or funfair Spend a summer holiday in a boardinghouse. Christmas Day Boxing Day New Year’s Day April Fool’s Day Santa Claus The popular image of Santa Claus, shown here, developed from literary descriptions by novelist Washington Irving and poet Clement Clarke Moore and the fanciful drawings of illustrator Thomas Nast. Holy Night Depictions of the birth of Christ were popular themes in northern European painting from the 15th to the 17th centuries. These images became central to Christmas celebrations of the time. This painting, Holy Night, was created by Dutch painter Gerard David in the late 15th century. Shopping Mall Santa For several weeks before Christmas, Santa Claus takes up residence in many major shopping malls, which are often decorated to resemble “Santas Workshop.” Santa invites children to sit on his lap, have their picture taken with him, and—if theyve been good—tell him which presents they would like to receive for Christmas. Christmas Church Service St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City holds a special Christmas service each year. Christian churches of all denominations feature seasonal decorations and singing during Christmastime, while some also perform dramatizations of the biblical story of Christ’s birth. Candlelight Procession Residents of San Antonio, Texas, celebrate Christmas in a candlelight procession along the Paséo del Rio, a popular walkway that follows the San Antonio River through downtown. Chinese New Year Festivities  Revelers in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood carry long cloth dragons and dance down the streets to celebrate the Chinese new year. The holiday begins on the first day of the new cycle of the moon, which usually occurs in late January or early February, and traditionally lasts two weeks. It is the most important festival in many Chinese communities throughout the world. Times Square on New Year’s Eve  Each year huge c