Task 1. Read the text and fill in the table to compare the legal holidays in Ukraine, the USA and the UK.

When people work a lot they want to have a good rest. Holidays (‘holy days’) are the days free from work, usually these are special days for the commemoration of an important event. Holidays are often accompanied by public ceremonies, such as parades and carnivals, and by religious observances; they may also be simply a time for relaxation. Days of commemoration are observed throughout the world. The famous observations and commemorations are Bastille Day in France, Victory Day in Russia, and the New Year in China.

National holidays ( public or legal holidays ) are proclaimed by the central government and observed throughout a country. On legal holidays banks and schools are closed and business transactions are restricted. In Ukraine the legal holidays are New Year’s Day (January 1), Orthodox Christmas (January 7), International Women’s Day (March 8), Orthodox Easter, Holy Trinity Day ( Triytsya ) — Orthodox Pentecost, Labour Days (May 1–2), Victory Day ( Memorial Day in Lviv Oblast) (May 9), Constitution Day (June 28), Independence Day (August 24).

In the USA the legal national holidays are New Year’s Day ( January 1 ), Presidents Day (a combined observance of George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays that occurs near the date of Washington’s birthday), the Fourth of July ( Independence Day ), Labour Day ( the first Monday in September ), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25).

There are fewer public holidays in Great Britain than in other European countries. They are: Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Day (January 1), Good Friday (before Easter), Easter Monday, May Day (May 1), Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May) and Summer Bank Holiday (last Monday in August). Public holidays in Britain are called bank holidays, because the banks as well as most of the offices and shops are closed.

 

Type of Holiday	Ukraine	The USA	The UK
Holidays connected with country’s history.	Independence Day
Holidays connected with calendar.	New Year’s Day		Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday
Religious observations.
Holidays unique for this country only.

Task 2. Explain the meaning of the holiday vocabulary and give the examples.

Celebration of a date may include:	For example:
observations and commemorations
parties
festivals
parades

Task 3. Are you a party animal or a party pooper? Read the text and fill in the table to tell what parties you have visited. Use the table to describe your point of view.

Social Occasions

Parties and celebrations are the reflection of how people socialize and network. Socializing is meeting people for pleasure; networking is meeting people, who can be useful for you in business or career. Networking at parties involves exchanging business cards and establishing useful connections. When people socialize only with those, who are important for business or career, they hobnob (usually used negatively). People also rub shoulders when they are at the party with someone who is famous.

Many people love holidays for the chance to socialize — to go out or entertain guests at home. The social occasions are divided into personal or informal, when a family, friends or colleagues gather to celebrate or just to relax, and public or formal, which are held on a wider scale.

Informal gatherings include:

office party — an evening or afternoon party organised by your place of work. It could include lunch, or drinks, or a ‘secret santa’ where each employee anonymously buys a present for another employee;

a housewarming party — to celebrate moving to a new house or flat;

family gathering — when family members meet for lunch, dinner, or the whole day;

informal drinks — an informal party at your house where you serve drinks and snacks;

a drink-up — a party in a pub organised by your colleagues or friends;

pub quiz night — when a group of friends go to the pub to take part in a quiz. They organise themselves into teams, and try to get the most answers right to win a prize;

a game party (e.g. bingo ) — where people buy a card with numbers on it, then listen to an announcer reading out numbers. If you hear your numbers, you call ‘Bingo! ’ and win a money prize;

pajama ( sleep-over ) party — when the teenagers are invited to stay for a night or weekend at the home of a host;

a hen party / a girls’ night out — informal gathering of women;

a stag party — a party before a wedding for the future husband and his male friends;

a pool party — a party in summer by the pool.

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