••• I----~---~ Describing a festival

Before you read1 Work in pairs. You have one minute. How many

festivals can you name from other countries, thatyou don't have in your country?

Reading2 Read this text about a Mexican festival. Is it from:

a an advertisement? b a guidebook?e a holiday brochure?

Fhe Day of the DeaaThe Day ofthe Dead is Mexico's best-known

festival. It takes place on 2nd November. Onthis day the souls of the dead are believed toreturn to the earth. The festival is celebratedeverywhere in Mexico.Before the festival, families decorate their homeswith flowers. The night before the festival, theyvisit cemeteries to sit with their dead friends andrelatives by candlelight. On the day itself, theyvisit the cemetery again, and take presents, suchas flowers. It is a celebration of the life of thedead persono The souls of dead children are calledangelitos, because they are assumed to becomeangels. The festivities in the Pátzcuaro region arethe most famous, especially those on the IslaJanitzio in the Lago de Pátzcuaro. There aretraditional dances, and there is a parade ofdecorated canoes late in the evening. It is thoughtthat this tradition originated with the PurépechaIndians. It involves the story of the royalPurépechan Iovers, Mintzita and Itzihuapa, whoselove was destroyed by the Spanish conquistador,Nuno de Guzmán. It is said that the souIs of thelovers come to the cemetery ofthe isIand's churchon this night.If you want to visit Pátzcuaro at this time, youwill need to book your hotel in advance. Also,bring a warm sweater, as it can get quite cold inthis mountainous area in November.

3 Read the text again. Decide if these statementsare true (T) or false (F).1 The Day of the Dead is the most famousfestival in Mexico. T/F

2 The atmosphere is cheerful, and one ofcelebration. T/F

3 The souls of dead children are alsocelebrated on 2nd November. T/F

4 The festival was introduced by theSpanish conquistadores. T/F

4 Look at the words in italics in these extracts fromthe textoa ... the souls of the dead are believed to return tothe earth.

b It is thought thatthis tradition originated ...These two structures are different ways ofsaying: People believe or People think that ...

1 Find one more example of each structure in thetextoa _ b _

Vocabulary5 Complete the definitions (1-5) with the words in

the box.

atmosphere • parade • festivities • celebrate• tradition

1 You to show you're happy on aspecial day.

2 A is a group of people walking ina line.

3 are happy events.4 is the mood of a place.5 A is an old way of doing things.

Speaking6 Work in pairs. Discuss whether you would like

to visit the Day of the Dead festival. Tell yourpartner about another festival that you haveseen, taken part in, or heard about.

Writing7 Think of a festival from your own town or

country. Write a guidebook entry for it.

Gef realWork as a class. Start a 'world festivals calendar'.Collect information about interesting festivalsin different parts of the world and put them onthe wall.

Tourism and Catering 27"'----,