Theme 7

Theme 7 Food and Festivals 

Listening 

Tapescript (Track 24)

Dorothy : I’m interested in festivals. They always bring happiness to a place.

Mehmet : I’m always excited about our festivals, too. The most important ones are two religious

festivals.

Dorothy : Can you tell me about them?

Mehmet : Sure. They are the Ramadan Feast (Eid al Fitr) and the Sacrifice Feast (Eid-al-Adha). The Ramadan Feast is celebrated at the end of Ramadan with a three-day festival.

Dorothy : What do you do then?

Mehmet : People dress in their finest clothes, make their homes beautiful and visit family members and friends. Sweets are always offered. Children are given some money, so they like religious festivals.

Dorothy : What about the Sacrifice Feast?

Mehmet : On the first, second or third day of the festival, sheep, goats or cows are sacrificed

according to Islamic traditions.

Dorothy : Do you eat all the meat during the feast?

Mehmet : No. Some part of the meat is given to the poor. Fried meat “kavurma” is prepared and eaten in almost all families at lunch time on the first day of the Sacrifice Feast. Different

meat dishes are cooked and eaten, too. People visit each other and go out because it is

a public holiday.

Dorothy : How often are festivals celebrated?

Mehmet : They are celebrated once in a year. Now, it is your turn to talk about a festival.

Dorothy : Chinese New Year celebrations are really interesting. It is an annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world. It is celebrated when the new moon

occurs sometime between January 21 and February 20.

Mehmet : How do they celebrate it?

Dorothy : Red clothes are worn and red decorations are used. Young people are given money in red envelopes. Family members are also visited.

Mehmet : I like it. Thank you.