IELTS Speaking part 1 | Festival

In most western countries Christmas is probably the most important but in other areas of the world it may be different.

Think about these questions –

1. Is the most important festival in your country Christmas?
2. If not, what is the most important festival in your country?

Examples

• The most important festival in my country is Spring Festival which is the lunar New Year. It is as important in China as Christmas is in western countries. The date varies every year depending on the lunar calendar and it is significant because of special animals based on Chinese horoscopes, for example, this year is the year of the ox.
• Christmas is the most important festival in my country, and it is celebrated every year on the 25^th of December. The day after is also a holiday which we call boxing day or St. Stephens day. Christmas Day is supposed to be the celebration of Jesus’s birthday, but I think most of the religious meaning has largely been forgotten and it more a commercial festival really.

Even though Christmas is celebrated in many countries throughout the world in some countries it is celebrated a little differently.

Have a look at these questions –

1. What do you usually do on this festival?
2. Do people exchange gifts?
3. Do people go to the church or to a temple?

Examples

• Well, people will usually return to their hometown to be with their families. I read somewhere that it is the biggest movement of people on Earth at any one time and I can tell you it is a nightmare trying to buy train tickets. On New Years Eve it is traditional to make ‘jiaozi’ or Chinese dumplings to be eaten at midnight. Also, people will set off fireworks to drive away evil spirits and burn lucky money for their dead ancestors.
• Christmas is usually celebrated by spending time with family. People will usually cook a big meal, for example turkey is the most popular but I am not that keen on it myself.  So, people tend to eat and drink a lot and then fall asleep in front of the television. There are a lot of films and television programs on at Christmas that people like to watch. Another traditional element of is Christmas the exchange of gifts and cards.

There are many things you may enjoy about a festival from the time you get off work, school, or university to spending time with family members.

Think about the following –

1. Do you enjoy time off from work/school?
2. Do you enjoy spending time with family members you haven’t seen for a while?
3. Do you like receiving gifts?

Examples

• I like spending time with my family the most as it is usually the only time I get to back to my hometown as I am studying now in Beijing. It is good to catch up with everyone and find out what they have been up to over the last year. I know we can keep in touch by phone, but it is just not the same as seeing my parents and sister face to face.
• I would say the time off is what I enjoy the most. A lot of people get two weeks holiday over the Christmas period, so it is good just to wind down after a busy year at work. I can just relax and eat and drink what I want, most people tend to overindulge and go on a diet in the New Year.

Most celebrations have religious meaning behind them no matter what your beliefs are.

Take a look at these questions –

1. Do festivals maintain traditional culture?
2. Are festivals important for religious purposes?

Examples

• I think festivals are important for a country and they maintain cultural traditions. For instance, at Spring Festival we eat a lot of different foods during the celebrations which have a meaning behind them. On the last night of the festival people will usually eat fish as it is a sign of abundance and they want to attract that in the following year. We have a lot of festivals that are steeped in Chinese tradition and I think it is important to preserve them.
• To be honest, I don’t think festivals are as important as they used to be, and Christmas is not the same as it once was. Traditionally people used to go to church on Christmas Eve, but I don’t think many people do that now. I think it will always be celebrated, just like Easter, but I think the religious meaning has been lost to some extent. I think the main importance is to be with family members these days and as I mentioned earlier Christmas most certainly is more of a commercial festival these days.