????? 8.Irish National holidays

Saint Patrick's Day, Samhain(31 october-1 november), Saint Brigit?s day(1 february)

St. Patrick?s Day is celebrated every year on March 17th in honor of Saint Patrick of Ireland. He was the patron of Ireland, and a saint who brought Christianity to the nation. Saint Patrick is also known for driving the snakes away from Ireland. The national symbol of Ireland is shamrock and according to legend Saint Patrick chose this plant to illustrate the Holy Trinity to the Irish. Nobody knows exactly why St. Patrick?s Day is celebrated on March 17th. However, there is a theory that on this day Saint Patrick died. Traditional activities include dressing up in green clothes, holding parades, arranging fireworks, singing and dancing in the streets, going to pubs, organizing fairs and festivals. Green is the official colour of St. Patrick?s Day. That?s why on this day people try to wear something green. They also paint green stripes on the city streets. Another symbol of St. Patrick?s Day is Leprechauns. They are little people who wear green clothes and carry the pot of gold. Leprechauns cannot be offended or hurt. People don?t work or study on this day.

????? 9. Irish dances

Irish social dancing can be divided further into céilí and set dancing. Irish set dances are quadrilles, danced by four couples arranged in a square, while céilí dances are danced by varied formations (céilí) of two to sixteen people. In addition to their formation, there are significant stylistic differences between these two forms of social dance. Irish social dance is a living tradition, and variations in particular dances are found across the Irish dancing community; in some places, dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed.

Irish step dancing, popularized in 1994 by the world-famous show Riverdance, is notable for its rapid leg and foot movements, body and arms being kept largely stationary. The solo stepdance is generally characterised by a controlled and rigid upper body, straight arms and back, and quick, precise movements of feet and legs. The solo dances can either be in "soft shoes" or "hard shoes". Soft shoes are often called ghillies or pumps. They are constructed of very soft kid leather - similar to ballet shoes in texture. Their laces crisscross across the top of the feet and are tied up either around the ankle or under the arch of the foot. Hard shoes are often called heavy shoes or jig shoes. They are used to create the beautiful rhythmical percussions. They are made of black leather with fiberglass heels and taps on the tips of the shoes with a leather strap across the top of the foot.

????? 10. Famous people

SIGNERS: Bono/Paul Hewson (U2) ,Niall Horan(One Direction), Jedward

WRITERS: Samuel Beckett, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde

ACTORS: Colin Farrell ,Cillian Murphy, Michael Fassbender, Andrew Scott

????? 11. Facts

Irish prefer meat to fish.
Titanic was made in Ireland.
August is the autumn month.
There are no wild snakes in Ireland
Irish people are also fond of French Fries.
The world?s first Duty Free shop was opened in
Irish airport Sionainne.
The number of people living in Ireland is smaller, than the number of dogs and mobile phones.

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 197