Read the dialogues.

Jeremy: Janet, are the eggs boiled yet?

Janet: Yes, and the dyes are ready, too. Look at the beautiful colors I mixed. Let’s get busy!

Jeremy: Tell the kids it’s time. They’ve been waiting so long.

Janet: After the eggs are dyed then we can hide them in the grass for tomorrow.

Jeremy: We’d better count them so we don’t lose any.

Janet: Did you find the Easter basket from last year? Each child will need one.

Jeremy: They are all waiting for the Easter Bunny to fill them with candies and eggs.

Janet: Tomorrow the children will be dressed in their best clothes so I hope the weather is nice and they won’t get dirty before church.

Jeremy: Well, you can be sure they will be into the chocolate eggs before church. It’s all fun for them, so a little dirt can’t hurt.

Janet: I’m going to be busy preparing dinner for the relatives, so it will be up to you, Dad, to entertain the children.

Jeremy: We might even take care of our garden before the spring season. That would be a great place to hide some of the eggs.

*****

Jerry: Look, Fei! I got a Christmas card from my sister.

Fei: It’s very beautiful. Why are the words “Happy Holidays” written on the card? Christmas is only one holiday. Shouldn’t it be “Happy Holiday”, without the “s”?

Jerry: We don’t just celebrate Christmas during this season. We also celebrate the coming of the New Year.

Fei: Oh, I never thought about that before. There’s more than one holiday at the end of the year.

Jerry: Now that I’m in China, I want to celebrate the holidays Chinese-style. What do you and your family do for Christmas?

Fei: Actually, we don’t do much at Christmas. It’s not really a big family holiday. Young people in China would rather spend Christmas Eve with their boyfriends or girlfriends.

Jerry: So is it something like a date night?

Fei: Yes, I guess you could say that. Christmas Eve is special, but we don’t usually have any special plans for Christmas Day.

Jerry: Don’t people give gifts to each other like they do in the U.S. and Europe?

Fei: Many parents do give gifts to their kids. But more important, boyfriends give wonderful, special, romantic gifts to their girlfriends!

Jerry: I see. How about the New Year in China? Is it a bigger holiday than Christmas?

Fei: Not really. The Spring Festival is much more important to us here in China.

Jerry: The Spring Festival is known around the world as “Chinese New Year”. It’s the beginning of the year according to the traditional lunar calendar, isn’t it?

Fei: That’s right. The Spring Festival is the biggest family holiday in China, so we don't celebrate the western New Year. How about in New York? Do people celebrate New Year’s Eve more or New Year’s Day?

Jerry: Single people, or couples without children, often go out late on New Year’s Eve. They drink and party after the clock strikes midnight. There are big parties all over, but the biggest is in Times Square in Manhattan.

Fei: I guess they won’t have much energy left over to do anything on New Year’s Day, then.

Jerry: Right. But there are families who don’t do anything special on New Year’s Eve. Instead, they celebrate with their families on New Year’s Day.

*****

Grandpa: I love parades. The Thanksgiving Day parade is always such a great fun. (Pointing to the TV screen.) Look at that Superman balloon just floating along high above Central Park West. Don’t you just love it? Oh, and the bands and the music... I love this music. Look at the decorations, Robbie. Look at those funny-looking clowns.

Robbie: It’s for kids.

Grandpa: Maybe so, but parades always make me feel like a kid. Remember when you and your dad and I went to the Thanksgiving Day parade? You were four or five years old, I think.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1975