There are many public and bank holiday during the year, but my favourite one is certainly New Year. Each year on the 31st of December we see the old year off and the New Year in.
For most people it’s the start of something new, of the new page in their life. In this sense, I’m not an exception. I know that English people create a list of New Year resolutions and I think it’s a good tradition. Each culture has its own unique way of celebrating this holiday.
As I live in Central Russia I can tell about the traditions and customs of my region. It is usually rather cold and snowy here at this time of the year. Starting approximately from the 25th of December we have two-week school holidays. My parents also have several days off to celebrate New Year and Christmas. All families put up fir- or pine-trees at their houses. We prefer to buy a pine-tree and richly decorate it.
On the New Year’s Eve my mother cooks special tasty dishes, including my favourite salad with corn and crab sticks. It’s my father’s responsibility to prepare a chicken or turkey stuffed with rice.
On the 31st of December my grandparents visit us and all together we sit around the festive table. Sharp at midnight we listen to the President’s speech and congratulations. Then we toast to the New Year and eat as much as we like.
In the morning I check whether Father Frost brought me presents. All the presents are usually placed under the New Year tree. The next few days we visit our close relatives and friends to wish them Happy New Year and to exchange presents.
Time flies quickly. In a few days it’s again time to go to school and to get back to daily routine.
On 12 April 2010 there was a massive earthquake on the Haiti island. As a result, 222 570 thousand people died and 311 were injured. Thousands of residential buildings and almost every hospital in Port-o-Prense were destroyed. Around 3 million people became homeless. National palace and local prison from where prisoners escaped were listed among destroyed buildings. Sanitary and rescuing works have been handled for 2 months straight, and on 31 of March, donor countries and international organisations invested 9 million dollars in the Haiti restoration. As for today, not a single Act of God has been observed over the last 5 years.
For most people it’s the start of something new, of the new page in their life. In this sense, I’m not an exception. I know that English people create a list of New Year resolutions and I think it’s a good tradition. Each culture has its own unique way of celebrating this holiday.
As I live in Central Russia I can tell about the traditions and customs of my region. It is usually rather cold and snowy here at this time of the year. Starting approximately from the 25th of December we have two-week school holidays. My parents also have several days off to celebrate New Year and Christmas. All families put up fir- or pine-trees at their houses. We prefer to buy a pine-tree and richly decorate it.
On the New Year’s Eve my mother cooks special tasty dishes, including my favourite salad with corn and crab sticks. It’s my father’s responsibility to prepare a chicken or turkey stuffed with rice.
On the 31st of December my grandparents visit us and all together we sit around the festive table. Sharp at midnight we listen to the President’s speech and congratulations. Then we toast to the New Year and eat as much as we like.
In the morning I check whether Father Frost brought me presents. All the presents are usually placed under the New Year tree. The next few days we visit our close relatives and friends to wish them Happy New Year and to exchange presents.
Time flies quickly. In a few days it’s again time to go to school and to get back to daily routine.
On 12 April 2010 there was a massive earthquake on the Haiti island. As a result, 222 570 thousand people died and 311 were injured. Thousands of residential buildings and almost every hospital in Port-o-Prense were destroyed. Around 3 million people became homeless. National palace and local prison from where prisoners escaped were listed among destroyed buildings. Sanitary and rescuing works have been handled for 2 months straight, and on 31 of March, donor countries and international organisations invested 9 million dollars in the Haiti restoration. As for today, not a single Act of God has been observed over the last 5 years.