Seasons and Celebrations by Jackie Maguire

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      This week I read Seasons and Celebrations by Jackie Maguire. This book is about the seasons and celebrations as a title. I found that the meaning of celebration is different from Japan even if the same day. I will write some quote and my opinions.


The people of Britain have had festivals for thousands of years. Long ago the sun, the moon, the wind, rain, animals, and trees were all important in their religions, and they had festivals for them. When Christianity came to Britain, people wanted to keep some of their old festivals so they brought the religions together.

　In the old days, it was interesting that the festival started with gratitude and respect for natural things such as the moon and the sun.Festivals often have religious implications, but I would like to find out what they really mean.

New Year's Eve is on 31 December, the last day before the New Year begins. In many places, people go to parties or restaurants with friends in the evening. Sometimes they meet outside: in New York, thousands of people to Times Square; in Sydney they go down near the sea; in London, they go to Trafalgar Square. Just before midnight, people look at the clock, and together they count the last ten seconds before the New Year begins: "Ten, nine, eight. .. At midnight they stand in a circle, hold hands and sing an old song called Auld Lang Syne. A Scottish man called Robert Burns wrote the words of this song about two hundred years ago. The song says that it is good to remember your old friends.

　 In Japan, we usually spend New Year's Eve time with family. And we visit temples to ring bell. The sound of bell is ring 108 time by people, it is traditional event. And at home, there are many　TV program which is only broadcast on the New Yea's Eve. The most famous one is "kouhaku-utagassenn". It is the Music TV program, many Japanese watch it on that day. And another custom is to eat "tosikosi-soba" on that day. It is Japanese noodles. I like it. 


Most fruit and vegetables grow through the summer. When autumn comes, it is time to bring them in from the trees and fields. This time is called the harvest. After the harvest, many people want to say thank you for all the food. There are church services called Harvest Festivals or Thanksgiving Services. There are lots of vegetables, fruit, flowers, and bread in the church, and people sing special songs of thanks. These services started hundreds of years ago.

 I have watched about Thanksgiving on foreign TV drama. I remember it was eaten pumpkin in the drama. In Japan, we do nothing on Thanksgiving day. So, it is the difference, and I want to some parties like what the book said. 

Seasons and Celebrations (Oxford Bookworms: Factfiles, Stage 2)
著者 : JackieMaguire
Oxford Univ Pr
発売日 : 2008-03-15
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