Festivals and celebrations ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

ENGLISH COLLOCATIONS IN USE (ADVANCED)

UNIT 23

Festivals and celebrations

A	Talking about festivals Ballynoe Fiddle Festival (18 JULY) This fun festival falls on the third Saturday of July, and the village becomes the centre of wild music for the whole day. The festival celebrates the birthday of Pat Davey, a famous local musician. This year’s special guests include Anne O’Keeffe (fiddle) and Ger Downes (guitar), who will uphold1 the annual tradition of playing at the house where Darvey was born. GOLDEN APPLE WEEK (3–9 SEPT) Every year, the villagers of Hartsby hold an unusual festival – the Week of the Golden Apple. Hartsby, at the centre of the apple-growing region, celebrates this tradition, which dates back to the Middle Ages, at the beginning of every September. The festival is held to celebrate the apple harvest. Come and join in the festivities and eat as many apples as you want! Tickets £5 (children £2). FIRE AND LIGHT FESTIVAL (18 DEC) It may be winter, dark and cold, but the village of Taft will be in festive mood on December 18th. Wearing traditional dress, the women of the village perform dances around a huge ­ re in the main square, while the men keep up the age-old2 tradition of wearing large, brightly coloured hats and carrying lanterns. The event marks3 the beginning of the festive season4. 1 also keep up 2 (journalistic/literary) very old 3 also festival marks 4 usually refers to the time around Christmas and New Year
B	Traditional festivities Different religions oft en have movable feasts1 which depend on the phases of the moon. There is a rich tradition of music and dance in central Sweden. Jazz and blues are part of the cultural heritage of the southern United States. Every year the town puts on a firework display as part of the festival. We have a proud tradition of raising funds for charity through our annual town festival. This month some of our students are observing the festival of Ramadan. In a break with tradition this year’s festival will feature modern dances alongside traditional ones. 1 can refer to any arrangement, plan or appointment where the date is flexible
C	A wedding celebration Look at this speech by the best man (usually the bridegroom’s best or oldest male friend) at a wedding. He mixes informal and formal collocations, which can have a humorous effect. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, according to long-standing1 tradition, I now have to make a speech, but it’ll be very short, so here goes. I never thought Theo would ever get hitched2, but he’s finally decided to tie the knot3. Yesterday he was suffering from pre-wedding nerves, but today he looked calm and happy as he and Jade were joined in matrimony4. So now, I’d like to propose a toast5 to the bride and groom. Please raise your glasses. To Jade and Theo! May they have many years of wedded bliss6!’ 1 which has existed for a long time 2/3 (informal) get married 4 (formal: used as part of the marriage ceremony) married 5 also make a toast 6 (usually used slightly humorously) happiness through being married Common mistakes Dress is an uncountable noun when it refers to a style of clothing (e.g. traditional dress, formal dress). Don’t say traditional dresses; this would mean dresses for women only.

EXERCISES

23.1	Match the beginning of each sentence with its ending. 1 This year’s National Day festival a traditional dance from the region. 2 In this region we have a rich the tradition, despite opposition. 3 A group of children performed festival in spring. 4 This year’s festival represents a break celebrates 50 years of independence. 5 The tradition of carol singing dates of giving food to older villagers every New Year. 6 The people are determined to uphold with tradition, as it will be held in May. 7 The town holds its annual tradition of poetry, music and dance. 8 Our village has a proud tradition back hundreds of years.
23.2	Correct the collocation errors in these sentences. 1 All the men wore traditional dresses consisting of green jackets and white trousers. 2 The festival makes the beginning of the Celtic summer. 3 The festival is part of the region’s cultural inherit. 4 Hundreds of people, locals and tourists, join on the festivities. 5 The annual ‘Day of the Horse’ drops on 30 March this year. 6 Everyone in the village was in feast mood as the annual celebrations began. 7 The average age at which couples tie the strings is rising. 8 This region has a ripe tradition of folk singing and dancing. 9 Getting joined to matrimony is a significant reason for celebration. 10 The area is famous for observing a number of age-standing traditions.
23.3	Read these remarks by different people. Then answer the questions. Alicia: Grandparents’ Day is a movable feast, depending on when Easter falls. Brona: Every year we put on a display of traditional arts and crafts. Monica: Nowadays, only older people observe the Festival of the Dead. Erik: The festive season usually gets underway towards the middle of December. Evan: The harp is part of the cultural heritage of Wales. 1 Who is talking about the beginning of a period of celebration? 2 Who is talking about something that represents the identity of a group of people? 3 Who is talking about something that happens on a different day each year? 4 Who is talking about something that not everyone celebrates? 5 Who is talking about people organising an exhibition of some sort?
23.4	Answer these questions about weddings. 1 Does get hitched mean get (a) engaged (b) married (c) divorced? 2 What kind of happiness do married couples hope for? 3 What do the bride and bridegroom ‘tie’ when they get married? 4 What is the difference between making toast and making a toast? 5 What phrase means the nervousness people feel before they get married? 6 What formal expression meaning to marry is used in the marriage ceremony? 7 Why do people raise their glasses? 8 Are the two expressions referred to in questions 1 and 3 formal or informal?
	Over to you Look up a festival that is special in your country on the Internet. What information in English can you find about it? Make a note of any interesting collocations in the text. A good starting-point for your search might be: www.festivals.com.

ANSWER KEY

23.1 1 This year’s National Day festival celebrates 50 years of independence. 2 In this region we have a rich tradition of poetry, music and dance. 3 A group of children performed a traditional dance from the region. 4 This year’s festival represents a break with tradition, as it will be held in May. 5 The tradition of carol singing dates back hundreds of years. 6 The people are determined to uphold the tradition, despite opposition. 7 The town holds its annual festival in spring. 8 Our village has a proud tradition of giving food to older villagers every New Year. 23.2 1 All the men wore traditional dress consisting of green jackets and white trousers. 2 The festival marks the beginning of the Celtic summer. 3 The festival is part of the region’s cultural heritage. 4 Hundreds of people, locals and tourists, join in the festivities. 5 The annual ‘Day of the Horse’ falls on 30 March this year. 6 Everyone in the village was in festive mood as the annual celebrations began. 7 The average age at which couples tie the knot is rising. 8 This region has a rich tradition of folk singing and dancing. 9 Getting joined in matrimony is a significant reason for celebration. 10 The area is famous for observing a number of age-old/long-standing traditions. 23.3 1 Erik 2 Evan 3 Alicia 4 Monica 5 Brona 23.4 1 (b) married 2 wedded bliss 3 the knot 4 Toast used uncountably means bread made brown and crisp by heating it. Making a toast (countable) means offering an expression of good wishes or respect for someone which involves holding up and then drinking from a glass after a short speech. 5 pre-wedding nerves (one can also say pre-wedding jitters) 6 be joined in matrimony 7 to make a toast / to toast someone 8 informal