1 . Christmas Activities for Adults

    1     So what should we do when we have all the time for ourselves without having to worry about work? You have to have fun! For starters, here are some fun Christmas activities that you are absolutely going to love.

·Organise a Charity Show

Christmas is about spreading joy and love, and it’s also about giving. We give our family presents on this day to show them happiness and love, don’t we? But have you ever wondered how the poor celebrate their Christmas? Does Santa leave gifts for them too?     2     Use all the activities to buy gifts and／or necessities for those less privileged(幸运的).

·Visit Orphanages(孤儿院)and Old Age Homes

Christmas is an occasion for the entire family to come together and celebrate. More than the celebration, we look forward to being near our close ones.     3     Form a group and spend an entire day with children at orphanages or seniors at old age homes. Play games, interact and give away goodies, especially to the children.

·Start a Donation Drive

If you have the time, organise a donation drive in your locality. A lot of people will want to donate clothes , accessories (衣服的配饰)and other necessary items.     4    

    5     Plan these activities in time and have fun with your family and friends. Merry Christmas and may God bless you!

4 . In the long history of about 5,000 years, numerous Chinese traditional festivals were celebrated in honour of gods or some significant days, some of which are passed down from generation to generation and people always practice special traditional activities in each festival.

The Qingming Festival

The Qingming Festival is on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox (春分), around April 4 or April 5 every year.     1    . They remove the weeds growing on their ancestors’ tombs to make them clean, so this festival is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. In some areas, people are forbidden to use the fire to cook food, so they only eat the cool food. Thus, it is also named the Hanshi Festival.

The Double Ninth Festival

    2    . The Chinese character of September is the same as 9, so we get this special name. Chinese people, especially in the northern region, climb up the mountains to enjoy the wonderful view, and admire the beauty of chrysanthemums (菊花).

The Winter Solstice (冬至)

The winter solstice is on around December 22 or 23 of the solar calendar each year. From that day on, the daytime will be longer and longer.     3    . Chinese people in the northern region eat dumplings and wontons (馄饨), while in the southern region rice balls.

    4    

In China, this festival is in late January or early February, the last day of the lunar year. People celebrate it by having a family reunion dinner, setting off fireworks and staying up late. Breaking the dishes and bowls is a thing all the people are afraid of, but if you did it, you should say “Sui sui ping an!”     5    .

6 . Whether it’s one day off or a week, you don’t need to be surrounded by people to have a great holiday.     1    . You can use your holiday to do all the things you never have time for in your everyday routine.

Go out and do something

Don’t feel like you have to stay in your house because you’re spending your holiday alone. Going shopping is a good choice.     2    , you can take your time perusing stores,and treat yourself to something small that you’ve been wanting. Going to see a movie or showing alone can be also a fun experience.

Be productive

    3     Your project might be anything from weeding your garden or organizing a messy closet. While you work on your project you can make it fun. You can keep snacks around or listen to some music.

Read a book

Setting aside long periods of time to read can help you get around to finishing that book you’ve been wanting to read and feel a sense of achievement.     4    . It’s still a relaxing activity, but you won’t feel like a zombie(僵尸)in front of your computer or television.

Do some exercise

    5    ,and it can improve relaxation afterwards. Set aside thirty minutes or an hour to do a cardio workout. Holiday is a great time to exercise because you won’t be rushed or feel like you need to be somewhere else. You’ll feel better and fresher after you are wet with sweat.

7 . Besides being fun, well-managed festivals and events offer a host of economic and social benefits to communities.     1     There are risks and costs related to the effort.

Festivals attract visitors and boost the economy.     2     On-site spending includes admission fees, parking fees, food, beverage and souvenir sales — and more. But off-site spending related to festivals brings income for communities, too. For example, visitors stop at local gas stations, souvenir shops, and restaurants — the list goes on. Festivals also provide free marketing and advertising for local businesses as visitors talk about their fun experiences when they go back home. If visitors post comments and photos about their experiences on Facebook or other social media, so much the better. The economic benefits of successful festivals affect local tourism and non-tourism-related businesses alike.

    3     Planning and conducting festivals involves many members of the community, which produces a number of social benefits. “The best thing about being involved with festivals and events is the opportunity to help build a community, develop a sense of pride within a community, and engage a community,” says Chris Romano, a business consultant with Thrivent Financial Services. “Honestly, in my professional career, I’ve never found something outside a community festival that can do that to the same degree.” Experts agree that hometown pride is a critical factor in the development and improvement of any community. People with community pride are more likely to speak positively about their town to others and to volunteer with organizations and activities that support the common good.

Festivals will teach visitors new things. Whatever a festival’s theme, it’s bound to be instructional and visitors are bound to learn from it. Of course, education is another social benefit of festivals.     4     Learning is a big byproduct of the annual Lady Slipper Celebration in the northwestern Minnesota community of Black duck. The community launched the celebration, named after the Minnesota state flower, to showcase and promote understanding of the area’s natural resources and Native American culture.    5     who were pleased with their experience and planned to return to the area.

9 . Gold Coast family holidays are always great fun whether you are from Australia or from abroad. There are beautiful beaches, adventure parks, nature parks and so much more.

There are so many sights to see here. It is a pity to drive in a car and you’ll miss a great part of it. Australia is home to many animals and birds that can only be seen when moving slowly and going into the areas that they live.

When you are on a bicycle, you have the advantage of being able to stop whenever you want to see an interesting animal or bird that you have never seen before. It is a quieter mode (方式) of transportation as well, so you might even be able to take a picture. When you are on the beach, you can breathe that clean air and view the beauty of the water and sand. It is a totally different experience from either simply sunbathing or passing it in a car.

There are many choices of hiring a bicycle to experience the Gold Coast attractions. There are stores that will fit a bike perfectly to your size. These bikes for both adults and children are in many styles and colors to please any taste. If you have ever wanted to try a tandem bike (双人单车), now is your chance, because they have those too.

A bicycle hire on Gold Coast is something that everyone should try at least once. This is a wonderful chance for anyone who likes to cycle and it is also a cheap way to travel with your family.

10 . Famous Food Festivals Around the World

Food festivals are held all around the world every year, and people from different parts come to these festivals in large numbers to satisfy their taste buds(味蕾).

The Galway International Oyster(牡蛎)and Seafood Festival

Galway, Ireland

September 26 to September 29, 2023

This is the world's longest running oyster festival, first appearing in 1954. Apart from the excellent seafood that is served, the festival also features some exciting events such as oyster-eating contests, live music, tasting parties, etc.

The International Mango Festival

New Delhi, India

June 30 to July 2, 2023

This festival is a celebration of everything about mangoes. It features different kinds of mangoes and various food items that are made from them. The festival also holds a number of special events such as mango- eating competitions, mango-tasting events, quiz competitions, and plenty of traditional and folk performances.

The Garlic(大蒜)Festival

The Isle of Wight, England

August 17 to August 18, 2023

This is one of the largest events that the Isle of Wight hosts each year, and it shows recipes made from garlic. Some foods made out of garlic and garlic beer are available there. The festival also features live music and a country fair.

The Crave Sydney International Food Festival

Sydney, Australia

October 1 to October 31, 2023

This festival attracts a number of famous international chefs each year as visitors to experience the best of Australian food. From fine dining at famous restaurants to street food to cooking classes, this event has a lot in store for a visitor.