Primary Plus

Special days
How do we celebrate
festivals?

Featuring

Name

Primary Plus/SK
 How do we celebrate festivals?
We can throw tomatoes!

1 Write the names of the festivals. What do you know about them?

Lunar New Year     La Tomatina      Songkran

Cinco de Mayo      Basler Fasnacht    Bonfire Night

1. 2.

East and
Spain Southeast Asia

3. 4.

Switzerland United Kingdom

5. 6.

North America South and

Southeast Asia
festivals around the world

2 What activities do people do at these festivals?

throw confetti dance watch a bonfire wear a mask

© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

see family and friends have a carnival listen to music

throw tomatoes watch fireworks dress up

What other activities can we do at festivals?

2
 How do we celebrate festivals?
We get lanterns!

3 Match the words to the correct parts of the pictures.

1. moon

2. candles

3. mooncakes

4. lanterns

1
4 Listen. Then complete the sentences.

1. Ling talks about the Mid- Festival.

2. Ling and her sister go the  .

3. They sit on the grass and look at the  .

4. They have a family at home.

5. They eat hairy crab and  .

6. Ling’s tells stories about the moon.

5 Design your own lantern. Draw and write.

This lantern is  
listening for detail
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

Task 1

Write about your favourite festival.

Draw yourself celebrating.
3
 How do we

Celebrate with me
celebrate festivals?
Have a picnic in the
park.
2
6 Listen to the song. Fill in the blanks.

Let’s celebrate! Let’s party!

With family and friends
Let’s celebrate! Let’s party!
We hope this day never ends

Happy Diwali!
Have some coloured 1.
Let’s watch the fireworks
Light up the 2.
Let’s make rangoli
Come and celebrate with me

Chorus

Happy Sham el-Nessim!

Paint your face and 3.
Let’s have a picnic
Play with your 4.
Let’s all have fun
Come and celebrate with me

Chorus

Happy Rio Carnival!

Let’s all dress up
Dance to the 5.
What festivals will you and your
Put on your 6. classmates celebrate next?
Join the parade
festivals and activities

Come and celebrate with me

© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

Task 2

Choose a festival. Make a poster

about how people celebrate it.
4
 7 Look at the scene. What do you think is happening on the farm?

1
8 Watch We Wish Ewe A Merry Christmas . Circle what you see.

   stocking      fruit        tree

   costume     vegetables     fireworks
masks roast turkey lights
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0    © and TM Aardman Animations Limited 2019. All rights reserved.

jumper cake decorations

9 Circle the correct answers.

1. The farmer / Bitzer wears a Father Christmas costume.

2. The sheep get toys / fruit and vegetables as presents.

prediction / comprehension

3. The farmer’s lights / glasses break.

4. Bitzer looks through the window and laughs / cries.

5. The sheep push the tree through the door / window.

6. The farmer’s jumper is in a stocking / under the tree.

5
 2
10 Watch. What presents do they get? Write.

1. 2.

Bitzer gets . The farmer gets .

3. 4.

Timmy gets . Shaun gets .

© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0    © and TM Aardman Animations Limited 2019. All rights reserved.

11 Read the sentences and correct the mistakes.

camera   photos   farmer   Timmy

1.  Bitzer wakes up first.

2.  People sing to the animals.

comprehension

3.  The farmer looks at his old presents.

4.  The farmer hits the tree with a ball.

6
 12 Why is the farmer sad? Do you think he likes Christmas?

13 What do the animals do to make the farmer happy?

© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0    © and TM Aardman Animations Limited 2019. All rights reserved.

14 Tick (4) the activities that are part of Christmas celebrations on the farm.

watch a parade see family and friends wear masks

decorate the house watch fireworks eat together

feelings / helping others

throw confetti sing songs give presents

Task 3

Plan a New Year’s Eve party on the farm.

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 Colourful festivals
15 Read. Underline the festivals and the countries.

5 May
Dear Granny,

It’s Children’s Day here in South Korea!

It’s a fun day. Families eat and play
Mrs Smith
together. Children sing and dance in
street parades. The parks have lots of
34 Apple Street
fun activities. We can take part in races
and play games. Children also get
Smalltown
presents from their parents!

Love,
Soo Yun

31 December
Dear Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rob,
It’s New Year’s Eve! It’s cold here in
England. We want to watch the fireworks
tonight. There is a big countdown ten Mr and Mrs Brown
seconds before midnight. Everyone
shouts ten ... nine ... eight ...! At midnight, Flat 9C
it is the new year!
22 Leafy Gardens
In England, some people make a
promise for the new year. I promise to
read more books!
Jonathan

6 March
Hi Sally,

Happy Holi from Nepal! Holi is a Sally Griggs

colourful festival! It celebrates the start
festivals and activities

of spring. Later, we’ll gather by the Flat 3E

temple for an exciting tradition. We’ll
throw coloured powder at each other! 78 North Road
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

It’s messy! People also play drums and

everyone is very noisy. It’s so much fun!

Alisha

8
 How do we celebrate festivals?
We can take part in races and play games.

16 Complete the table.

Name Country Festival

Soo Yun

England

Holi

17 Match. Write one more thing about each festival.

People watch fireworks.

Children’s Day

People throw powder.

New Year’s Eve

Children get presents.

Holi

18 Who might say these phrases? Tick (4).

Soo Yun Jonathan Alisha

1. The fireworks are so colourful.

2. Thank you for my present!

3. My face is yellow, blue and pink now!

4. ... three ... two ... one ... Happy New Year!
comprehension
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

Task 4

Interview your classmates

about their favourite
festivals. 9
 19 Look at the photos of this Chinese festival. What do you think happens?

3
20 Listen. Fill in the blanks.

Peter: What’s your favourite festival?

Alice: The Dragon Boat Festival.
Peter: When is it?
Alice: It’s in the 1. .
Peter: What do you do at this festival?
Alice: We watch dragon boat 2. .
Peter: Where do you watch them?
Alice: We usually go to the 3. !
Peter: What traditional food do you eat?
Alice: We eat zongzi! It’s sticky 4. with a filling, wrapped in
bamboo leaves.
Peter: What activities do you do?
Alice: Some people try to make an 5. stand up at midday!
Peter: Huh? Why?
What other questions do you
Alice: It brings 6.
luck! want to ask Alice about the
Dragon Boat Festival?

21 Imagine you are at the Dragon Boat Festival. Describe it.

prediction / listening for detail

What are you doing? What can you see? What can you hear?
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

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 22 Choose a festival. Tell your classmates about it.

Diwali Lunar New Year

Bonfire Night Sham el-Nessim

This family is celebrating Diwali! There are

sweets and cakes to eat. There are …

23 Describe another festival to your classmates. Can they guess what it is?

You eat chocolate eggs.

talking about festivals

Is it Songkran?
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

No! Try again!

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 24 Write an email to a friend about a festival. Project
Where
1. Develop a mind map about When
Quebec, winter
the festival. Canada
See
Activities Quebec snow and ice
go to an outdoor
concert, go on a
Winter sculptures, Ice
sleigh ride, ice Carnival Palace, night
parades, fireworks
skate
Wear
Eat
doughnuts, red sash,
hot chocolate warm clothes,
boots

2. Write your email and draw a picture.

From: abigail@canadacomms.com
To... freddy@ppbcmail.com
Send
Date: 4 December Subject: Quebec Winter Carnival

Hi Freddy!

I want to tell you about the Quebec Winter Carnival in Canada. It’s the best!
It happens in winter when it’s really cold! You have to wear very warm
clothes and …

25 Share your email and picture with your classmates.

This is the mascot at the Quebec Winter Carnival.

He’s a snowman! He lives in the Ice Palace.
planning / research / writing an email

Colour a light.
Write what you did well.
© British Council | 2.09 | SK | v2.0

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