Our team look at festivals around the world: in Laos, Germany and America. There’s some great sound effects too!
Transcripts
Laos
In Laos, there are so many festivals in the year, the biggest festival, and the one everybody is waiting for, is called SONG KARN (known as water festival). The festival takes three days. The first of the three days is on the last day of the old year. Houses and villages are properly cleaned on the first day. Perfume, water and flowers are also prepared for the Lao New Year.
Lao New Year is celebrated at the same time each year (April 13th -16th). Water is used for washing homes, Buddha images, monks, and soaking friends and passers by. Students first respectfully pour water on the elders, teachers, then monks for their blessings for long life and peace, and last of the all they throw water at each other. The water is perfumed with flowers or natural perfumes. Some people prefer flowers in the water to give a pleasant smell, as well as adding perfume.
Water festival is one of my favorite festivals of the year, because you can smell the perfume all around the places. And if you have chance to visit Laos, please come and enjoy the festival. I am sure that u will love it.
Oktoberfest
Hello, my name is Yuka. Do you like beer? I’d like to tell you about a big international beer festival from Germany. The Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich during late September to early October. It’s one of most famous events in Germany and the world’s largest fair with six million people from around the world attending every year. The original “Oktoberfest” occur?ed in Munich on October 12, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of the Crown Prince and Princess. The reason that it is held at the end of October is that it is often very good weather. It’s usually about 28-30 degrees. It stimulate? thirst of the visitors. From 1914 through 1918 World War 1 prevented the celebration. So Oktoberfest?wasn’t held during the war due to inflation. In this festival, there are many tents. That is only used during festival. Beer or wine is served in each tent. The?tents each have a name. They can accommodate more than 6000 people. Visitor also eats huge amounts of food, most of it is traditional foods such as sausage, and there is German beer. 6 beer companies in German make a special beer for this festival. One of the companies is “Lowenbrau”. This beer is popular among Japan. People are just drinking, eating, and singing, there is stage in each section. A brass band gives a concert. Sometimes sign of cheers?comes, then people say “Prost” all together. “Prost” means “Cheers” in English and”Kanpai” in Japanese. These beers contain high alcohol and in this festival there are only 1 little size. It is called “Mas”. The price of Mas is ?8.00.?It is good to buy a Mas and only drinking or buy a sausage and feel an atmosphere. You can enjoy this festival in a lot of ways. This year, it will be held from October 20 to September 5. If you go to German, Please visit this amazing festival. “Prost”.
Survey – two ELP teachers
~Survey1~
Yuka : What is your name?
Carolyn : My name is Carolyn Yamaga.
Yuka : Where are you from?
Carolyn : I’m from San Francisco, California.
Yuka : What festival do you like in your country?
Carolyn : My favorite holiday in America is Thanksgiving day because all family gets together and cook together and just sit and talk and enjoy each our company. So I think that’s my favorite holiday.
Yuka : OK. Thank you very much.
~Survey2~
Azumi : What is your name?
Ted : My name is Ted O’neill.
Azumi : Where are you from?
Ted : I’m from the United States. I’m from Massachusetts.
Azumi : What festival do you like in your country?
Ted : Festival in my country uh??let’s see, I think my favorite holiday is a Halloween. And when I was a boy, we always had a harvest festival at that time. And in autumn, and were a lot of pumpkins and corns and vegetables and I think like that.
Lao New Year is celebrated at the same time each year (April 13th -16th). Water is used for washing homes, Buddha images, monks, and soaking friends and passers by. Students first respectfully pour water on the elders, teachers, then monks for their blessings for long life and peace, and last of the all they throw water at each other. The water is perfumed with flowers or natural perfumes. Some people prefer flowers in the water to give a pleasant smell, as well as adding perfume.
Water festival is one of my favorite festivals of the year, because you can smell the perfume all around the places. And if you have chance to visit Laos, please come and enjoy the festival. I am sure that u will love it.