Boxing Day falls on December 26th or sometimes the following Monday if December 26th happens to be a Saturday or Sunday. It is said that Boxing Day began in England in the middle of the nineteenth century. Boxing Day, also known as St. Stephen’s Day, is usually celebrated in Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada.
There seems to be two stories on where Boxing Day comes from and why it is celebrated. The first is that centuries ago, on the day after Christmas, business people would give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, or money to their employees and servants. The gifts, which were an expression of thanks, gave the holiday its name, “Boxing Day”.
The second story is that Boxing Day comes from the tradition of opening the alms (救济物) boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The collections including food and money were sent to the poor the day after Christmas.
Today, Boxing Day is spent with family and friends with lots of food and sharing of friendship and love. Government buildings and small businesses are closed but department stores are open and filled with people exchanging gifts or buying price-reduced Christmas gifts, cards, and other things.
To keep the tradition of Boxing Day alive, many businesses, organizations, and families give away money to Food Banks and provide gifts for the poor. That’s the way the Christmas holiday spirit can be kept.
1. Where was Boxing Day probably born?| A．In Australia. | B．In Canada. |
| C．In New Zealand. | D．In England. |
| A．Fighter’s Day | B．St. Stephen’s Day |
| C．Business Day | D．Thanksgiving Day |
| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．help them | B．satisfy them |
| C．express thanks | D．share friendship |
| A．department stores | B．small businesses |
| C．government buildings | D．local food banks |
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【推荐1】Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast(盛宴). The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies(殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed(宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .| A．in spring | B．summer |
| C．in autumn | D．in winter |
| A．some people from England | B．the American Indians |
| C．Sarah Josepha Hale | D．Governor Bradford |
| A．in the U. S. A. | B．in Great Britain |
| C．in Canada | D．on some island off the Atlantic |
| A．Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest. |
| B．Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations. |
| C．Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God. |
| D．There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. |
| A．how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A. |
| B．how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated |
| C．that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday |
| D．how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places |
【推荐2】Full of beauty, happiness and a healthy love of life, the Bulgarian (保加利亚人的) festivals and customs date back to old times when man tried to live in peace with nature.
Sourvakari And Ladouvane
The merriest and richest festivals are Christmas and the New Year, when the so-called “sourvakari” makes the round of house with wishes for health and wealth. Other main festivals include “ladouvane”—a holiday for young girls on New Year’s Day or Midsummer Day（24th June）, Shrovetide and Mummers’ Games which mark the start of spring, and “lazrouvane”—a traditional festival for love and family, health and richness.
“Martenitsas” And Rose-picking
Among the local traditional celebrations, the widely popular and typical Bulgarian customs and festivals are “martenitsas” and rose-picking.
Every year on March 1st, the Bulgarians give each other “martenitsas”—a small doll made of white and red strings, a symbol of the beginning of spring, health and happiness.
In late May and early June every year, the rose-picking season starts in the Valley of Roses which is between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rose-picking starts at dawn, before sunrise and before the pleasant smell of the rose has disappeared. The Bulgarian rose produces 70 percent of the world’s rose oil which is used by the very well-known perfume (香水) company as a basic element of its products. This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, happy activities, folk songs and dances in Karlovo and Kazanluk on the first Sunday in June.
1. What is the tone of the author while introducing Bulgarian festivals?| A．Critical. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Objective. |
| A．To find the origin of the Bulgarian customs. |
| B．To let us know some knowledge of Bulgarian culture. |
| C．To tell us the differences between customs and festivals. |
| D．To explain the connection between customs and industry. |
| A．A Historical Novel. | B．A Daily Newspaper. |
| C．A Magazine Of Travel. | D．A Book On World Culture. |
【推荐3】People usually find Christmas to be the most expensive time of a year. The money spent on the celebration increase surprisingly, ranging from gifts to decorating.
Start shopping for Christmas decorations early. Stores have sales for decorations between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Shop for gifts all year round.
Cut down your gift giving. Sometimes you just can’t afford to get something for everyone. Take away the people from your list whom you seldom speak with.
| A．Send them simple cards instead. |
| B．Great friendship may contribute to a perfect budget. |
| C．Begin with a budget. |
| D．And it’s after Thanksgiving that the prices begin to go up. |
| E．The gifts bought on special festivals surely carry special meanings to your friends. |
| F．But there’s no reason to worry too much. |
| G．Whenever you’re out shopping, keep an eye out for great Christmas presents. |
