Tooth Fairy Day

In many cultures around the world,     1    (vary) traditions around the tooth fairy are celebrated! The tooth fairy herself or himself     2    (be) around since at least the Middle Ages, although the exact origins are still    3    (know). In any case, this is certainly an iconic childhood symbol that brings joy and smiles to children all over the world.

    4    (fall) on February 28^th, Tooth Fairy Day is a time     5     is designed to pay respect to this generous spirit to leave treats or coins underneath children’s pillows. Devoted to oral health for children, it also helps balance children’s fear of the pain of tooth-losing     6     the joy of collecting wealth.

For kids who want to celebrate Tooth Fairy Day, making a craft or enjoying a tooth-related activity can be loads of     7     (funny). Some dentists’ offices sponsor a coloring page contest that kids can participate in. Parents might like to help their kids to make their own tooth pillow or bag, a tiny fabric envelope which serves as a place to keep loose teeth     8     they don’t get lost while waiting for the tooth fairy. Other parents or teachers might like to use this as     9    educational opportunity to help their kids learn some interesting facts about teeth that will keep them     10    (motivate) to brush and care for their teeth in a responsible and healthy manner.

3 . Bank Holidays in the UK

Public holidays in the UK are commonly referred to as bank holidays. As the UK is a country made up of four more or less independent regions, official holidays vary depending on whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

There are eight bank holidays in England and Wales.

When bank holidays fall on a weekend, the following Monday is usually a “substitute” holiday. For instance, 25 December 2022 is Sunday, so there will be a national substitute holiday for Christmas Day on Monday, 26 December 2022.

In Scotland, the summer bank holiday is earlier in August. Moreover, Scots celebrate St. Andrew’s Day on 30 November and 2 January is also a bank holiday, but Easter Monday is not. All in all, there are nine bank holidays in Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March is a bank holiday, and so is Orangemen’s Day on 12 July which commemorates the Battle of Boyne. There are a total of ten bank holidays in Northern Ireland, making it the region with the most holidays in the UK.

The UK does not have a national day, making it only one of two countries in the world without one (the other is Denmark). There’s an old joke about this, that the United Kingdom, once called “the empire on which the sun never sets”, doesn’t need its own national day because it’s indirectly responsible for so many other countries’ national independence days.

The Mid-autumn Festival     1     (celebrate) by Chinese and Vietnamese people takes place on the 15th day of the 8th Chinese lunar month, on which day the moon     2     (believe) to be fullest and brightest.

Ancient Chinese emperors believed that admiring the moon on this day     3     (bring) them a plentiful harvest. To express their gratitude and     4     (appreciate) for the moon, they offered sacrifices, such as plums （李子）, apples or grapes.

Two notable traditions during the festival are moon gazing and lantern lighting. Colorful lanterns in     5     (vary) shapes are made by children and their families and hung in trees or float on rivers. Another important part of the festival are mooncakes, which are round,     6     (symbolize) the reunion of a family and they come in many flavours depending on     7     region they come from. People sacrifice the cakes to the moon as     8     offering, feed them to celebrate and gift them to wish friends and family a long and happy life. Eating the cakes under the moon symbolizes our longing     9     distant relatives and friends. Some people celebrate inside with their families while others prefer to be outside     10     (direct) under the moon. Other festivities may include dragon or lion dances and drinking cassia wine（肉桂酒）.

Like Peking Opera and other traditional national arts in China, Piyingxi or the shadow play show,     1    (know)as a Chinese     2    (culture)heritage, has spread to many countries. Vivid design and a rich variety of     3    (color), beautiful costumes, change of lighting, and unique singing, together make up the fascinating world of a shadow play.

As     4     old form of storytelling and entertainment, shadow play artists use plain figures in front of a bright cloth     5    (create)the illusion of moving images. The figures are usually moved     6     people behind a thin screen. Shadow play is not     7    (entire)a show of shadows, but rather a show of silhouettes(剪影).

That day I     8    (watch)a shadow play show at the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and was fascinated by the wonderful     9    (perform). Most young people have little understanding of     10     a shadow play is, despite its 2000-year-old history. It is a pity that nowadays young people don't know how to appreciate this traditional an. Shadow play is our precious folk art, and let's preserve it.