1. HOLIDAYS IN RUSSIA

2. There are some holidays in Russia. They are New Year's Day, Christmas, Women's Day, Day of the Defender of Motherland, May day, Victory Day and Independence day.

3. New Years Day is the favorite holiday of many people in Russia. Now we celebrate this holiday on the 31 st of December

4. Peter I changed the Russian calendar in 1699. He made the first of January New Year's Day.

5. Russian people celebrate Christmas on the 7 th of January. On that day a lot of people go to church services.

6. A lot of people consider New Years Day to be a family holiday. They have New Year parties at home. They greet the new year with champagne and listen to the Kremlin chimes beating 12 o'clock. Some people begin to prepare for this holiday beforehand. They buy a New Year tree and decorate it with toys.

7. Women's Day is celebrated on the 8 th of March. On that day men usually give women flowers and presents. They do everything about the house and cook the meal.

8. Victory Day is the greatest national holiday in our country. On the 9th of May 1945 the Soviet Army and its allies completely defeated the German fascists and the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War ended.

9. Many veterans take part in the military parade and lay wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. All people stand in silence for a minute.

10. Independence Day is celebrated on the 12 th of June. On that day in 1992 the first president of Russia was elected. Independence Day

11. Shrovetide In late February and early March, Russia celebrates Shrovetide, the most ancient festival of the Slavonic people. In the old days, Slavs believed that the change of seasons was the struggle between Yarilo, god of the sun, and the evil spirits of cold and darkness.

12. For the whole week, ancient Russian villagers had fun and games. They built a straw dummy of the Shrovetide Maid, then put it on a sledge and pulled it around the village laughing and playing. On the last day of the festival they burnt it.

13. ☼ The most important part of Shrovetide week was making and eating pancakes. The hot, round pancakes symbolized Yarilo. The Slavs believed that by eating pancakes, they got the power, light and warmth of the sun. ☼

14. The pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1612. The pilgrims sailed to America from Plymouth, England, in September, 1620. They came to America for religious freedom. They were among the first European settlers in America. The name of their ship was the «Mayflower».

15. The pilgrims' first winter in the New World was difficult. They had arrived too late to grow many crops. Without fresh food, half of the pilgrims died. The following spring the Indians taught the pilgrims how to hunt, fish, plant, and survive in America. The crops did well, and in the fall of 1621 the pilgrims had a great harvest. They were thankful and decided to celebrate with a Thanksgiving feast.

16. Pilgrims prepared a dinner of turkey, corn, beans, and pumpkins. They invited their Indian friends to share this fest. American still celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the fall. It is celebrated on the forth Thursday in November. Turkey is still the main dish and pumpkin pie is the most popular dessert.