Make a project work: “A character sketch of the typical Englishman”.

 

Belarusian Customs and Traditions

 

Study the following words from.

 

depiction – изображение

destiny – судьба

fern – папоротник

folk – фольклор, народное искусство

junction – соединение

wreath – венок

distinguishing – отличительный

miraculous – волшебный

picturesque – живописный

 

Choose the correct definitions of the given words.

 

1. Destiny

a) a person or thing that destroys something

b) a cause of great and irreparable damage

c) the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future

2. Folk

a) a kind of pale yellow Italian cheese

b) a logical consequence of something

c) relating to or originating from the beliefs and opinions of ordinary people

3. Miraculous

a) capable of mixing

b) remarkable and bringing very welcome consequences

c) delivered to the wrong person or at the wrong time

4. Picturesque

a) deserving or arousing pity

b) visually attractive, especially in a quaint or charming way

c) arousing feelings of sympathy or gratitude

5. Marital

a) eye-catching a mark or pattern of marks on an animal's fur, feathers

b) relating to marriage or the relations between husband and wife

c) inspiring great affection or delight

 

Give Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations.

 

Popular legends, romantic hope, to bind wreaths, marital future, ancient pagan festival, fiction creatures, folk music, pancakes.

 

Read the text and answer the questions that follow it.

 

Kupalie is the most mysterious of all Belarusian festivals. It is celebrated on the night from the 6th to 7th of July. According to popular legends existing for thousands of years, a flower of a fern unfolds on Kupalie midnight and the one who finds it will be eternally young and happy. And that person will know the future.

On that night young people set off to the forest with a naive, yet romantic hope to pick up such a miraculous flower. In the meantime girls bind wreaths and let them drift down the river trying to find out their destiny and marital future. At the same time it is the celebration of the power of nature through the marking of the summer solstice. It would be difficult to find a more picturesque holiday. The essential part of it is the great fire, which according to the belief has a purifying power. Young couples hand in hand must jump over it. Sometimes young people clear themselves in water of rivers and lakes. Besides, they move on a round dance. It’s an amazingly wonderful and ancient pagan festival. The Kupalie night is the darkest one in the year. One step away from the fire and you plunge into absolute night and stars.

Kolyady is actually the celebration of the New Year as per the old calendar (prior to 1917) on the night of January 13-14. Traditionally some people dress in the images of animals or fiction creatures. Then noisy companies, holding the depiction of the sun and a nanny-goat’s head, begin to visit houses one after another singing original Kolyady songs. In response people treat them with the food from their tables and sometimes give them money. Nowadays this old holiday is celebrated mostly for fun.

One more folk festive of pagan origin is Maslenitsa. It is a ceremony at the junction of two seasons; it sees off winter and meets spring. Popular festivals of folk music are organized at the time of Maslenitsa. People sing traditional songs and dance in the streets wearing national costumes. The distinguishing feature of Maslenitsa is pancakes!

 

1. When is the most mysterious of all Belarusian festivals celebrated?

2. What happens to a flower of a fern according to popular legends existing for thousands of years?

3. What do girls do on Kupalie?

4. What happens on Kolyady?

5. What is Maslenitsa?

 

Make a project work: “A character sketch of the typical Belarusian”.

Youth and Society, The Belarusian State Agrarian and Technical University

 

Study the words.

 

branch – отделение, филиал

headquarters – штаб-квартира, головной офис

equal – равный, ровня, сверстник

implementation – выполнение

issue – спорный вопрос

assist – помогать

estimate – оценивать; приблизительно подсчитывать

involve – вовлекать

handicapped – физически или умственно неполноценный

authoritative – авторитетный, влиятельный