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1、Unit 2 Public holidaysPublic holidays in the US The major holidays Christmas1 “Tis the season to be jolly,” says the Christmas song. December 25 commemorates the birth of Christ and is the biggest holiday of the year. Its celebration goes far beyond its religious origins, and most of the festivities
2、 have little to do with religion. In fact, the holiday may originally have been a pre-Christian celebration of the winter solstice (December 21), when the days start to get longer again.2 Christmas calls people home from far away to be with their families, and each family has its own Christmas tradi
3、tions. Although Jews and members of some other religions may prefer not to, most houses have a decorated Christmas tree, and people cook (or buy) special foods for the season Christmas cookies, plum puddings, fruit cakes. Everybody is expected to have a family or family substitute at Christmas time;
4、 it is the only time of year that some families see each other. It is also a particularly depressing time for those who are alone.Words and Expressionsjolly: adj. happy, cheerful ( slightly old-fashioned) 快活的celebration: n. a party, feast or other event to celebrate something, eg a birthday 庆祝活动comm
5、emorate: v. to be a reminder of somebody or something 作为对。 。 。的纪念religious: adj. concerned with religion 宗教的origin: n. the place where something began 起源 No one knows the exact origin of th North American Native Americans.festivity: n. celebrations 节日，欢庆I always enjoy the festivities during Chinese
6、New Year.religion: n. a belief in th life of the soul or spirit, and usually in one ( or more) gods 宗教tradition: n. an old custom that some people still follow today 传统Jew: n. a person who believes in the same God as Christianity (and Islam), but is not a believer in Christ, or a follower of Muhamma
7、d 犹太人decorated: adj. made to look attractive, eg a wedding cake may be decorated. 经装饰的 cf the noun decoration: Christmas tree decorationscookies: n. small sweet snacks 曲奇饼 biscuits in British Englishplum pudding: a delicious and rich pudding made of fruit (but not usually plums) rather like a cake 干
8、果布丁（圣诞节传统食物）substitute: n. a replacement, something you use instead of something else. eg some teams have players who are substitutes, and who may be called on to play if necessary. 代替者Some people put sugar in their tea; others prefer a sugar-substitute.Textbooks are no substitute for real life.3 Th
9、e central tradition of Christmas is the exchanging of gifts which are intended to represent the “Goodwill towards men” that Christ preached. Every year, voices rise to protest the insane commercialization of Christmas, but nothing has dimmed the enthusiasm for gift-giving. As a nation of shameless c
10、onsumers, a holiday centered round shopping suits us very well. Charitable giving is at a peak over Christmas as well.4 A fair proportion of the years parties are given at Christmas time. As Christmas takes place the week before the New Year begins, the holiday spirit does not diminish even after Ch
11、ristmas. Christmas parties can be given any time between December 12 and December 29. “Open houses” are popular, some given on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.5 Family traditions vary. Some people open their presents on Christmas Eve, and some wait until Christmas Day. There are many church services
12、over the Christmas period. Throughout the Christmas season there is much singing of Christmas carols, lovely songs well-known to most Americans.6 Usually a big dinner makes its way to the family table some time between 1 and 8 on Christmas Day. If you are a foreigner visiting the US, far away from y
13、our family and home, everyone will feel sorry for you and may well invite you to one of these celebrations. If so, you may wish to bring a bottle of wine, or flowers, or a potted plant, as a gift.7 Often cards are exchanged at this time. Through an accident of the calendar, Christmas and New Year ar
14、e very close to each other. A card may just offer “Seasonal greetings”; but many cards contain the message “A merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year”. New Years Eve8 Our calendar elects January 1 as the first day of the new year. The big celebrations are held the evening of December 31 “to see th
15、e new year in”. As soon as the clock strikes twelve midnight, people shake hands, and kiss, and often sing the traditional Scottish song Auld Lang Syne.9 While most companies only give workers a day or two off at Christmas, its a time when many people take personal vacation days. The week between Ch
16、ristmas and New Years Day is not a time any one should seriously expect to get much business done. In this respect it is very similar to Chinese New Year in China.Thanksgiving10 The fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and remember a supposed feast between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims in 1621. Had the Native Americans not befriended the Pilgrims during that winter, the Pilgrims would have starved. In recognition of this occasion,(and ignoring all th
