PLACES/ TRADITIONS Reading (6 points, 1 point per item) You are going to read about Christmas in Lithuania. For questions 1-6, read the following text and then choose from the list A~H the best phrase given below it 10 fill each of the spaces. Write one letter (A-H) in each space provided. There is one extra phrase. The first has been done for you as an example (0). ABEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL TIME Christmas is celebrated in many parts of the world, but everywhere itis a little different Christmas time in Lithuania is a very special season. What sets a holiday apart from that in other places is the enjoyment of simple pleasures. As is evidenced by the tree-to-tree holiday strolls that take place for weeks before (0)_H__, Lithuanians tend towards togetherness rather than commercialism. ‘A visitor to Vilnius is bound to be as captivated by the romantic spirit as the locals are. Two years ago, 1 spend my first Christmas night in the city, walking from the Town Hall Square tree to the Cathedral Square tree for hours on end, It was a cold (1) , but thousands of smiling faces also turned out For a Christmas spent alone, it was one of the warmest I remember. On 1 December this year the country experienced its first day of winter, (2) _that accentuated the annual arrival of Father Christmas both on Town Hall and Cathedral squares. Delighted by the angelic snowflakes, families took to the squares in crowds to welcome the arrival of the holiday season. WITH FAMILY In Lithuania, the night before Christmas is more important than Christmas Day itself. Christmas Eve is a holiday of quiet and joy. Itis a special time for family reunions. Christmas Eve is a holiday to be spent together when everybody tries to be at home or visits family and relatives. Of course, it is a joyous time for children, because it means presents. Children are the same wherever they live. They love gifts, @) TWELVE DISHES ‘Thinking back to my first holiday here, the traditional aspect of Christmas Eve dinner stands out the most. The explanation for everything that seemed a bit out of the ordinary sounded quite simple: it's a tradition! ‘Tables will be covered with a layer of fine hay, asa reminder of the birth of Jesus in a stable, where he lay in a manager on a pile of hay. The table is then covered with a pure white tablecloth, set with plates and decorated with candles and fir twigs. A crucifix and a plate of blessed Christmas wafers (kalédaitis) are placed in the centre of the table. Families will sit down together to enjoy what they refer to as the 12 dishes, significant because it pays homage to Christ’s 12 Apostles. First the head of the table breaks and shares the kalédaitis, then ‘everyone settles down to sample the variety of tastes. Most of dishes consist of fish, and vegetables, dishes served are a metaphor for life: the briny taste of salted herring is a reminder of distasteful things to come. m Sad things in life are visible in the tear-shaped serving of dried pears. = Prunes symbolise the often rugged (4) = The plentitude of sustenance is ingrained in the loaves of bread. . . is not eaten on this day. Moreover, most of the White fish is said to represent Christ. Boiled potatoes conjure up an image of our humble and mundane existence.