All Fools' Day

Normally called "April Fools' Day", this day falls on 1^st April. It is a day when you can light-heartedly make fools of your family, friends and colleagues by playing tricks on them. People send messages intended to mislead, offer fake food, create realistic-looking blood stains and devise a host of other deceptions to fool the gullible.

The joke, however, must be received or believed by midday otherwise it is the joker and not the victim who becomes the fool.

Even newspapers, television and radio programs join in the fun, publishing and broadcasting amusing and unlikely tales. A few years ago, The Guardian newspaper published a whole supplement about a fictitious group of islands called San Serif, with articles on the economy, climate, political situation, weather, etc. But the most famous April Fools' joke was perpetrated by BBC highly-regarded television documentary program, "Panorama". The program presented an apparently serious report about spaghetti growing on trees in Italy. It examined the problems of calculating and harvesting spaghetti and included interviews with spaghetti farmers.

to play smb. а trick – сыграть с кем-л. шутку to devise

to mislead – ввести в заблуждение

A host of deceptions – множество хитростей

fake – подделка; фальшивка

gullible – доверчивый

to device – придумывать

Text 7

Easter

The build-up to Easter begins on Shrove Tuesday. This is the day before Ash Wednesday - the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. On Shrove Tuesday it is the custom to cook and eat pancakes. This is symbolic of using up left-over food - eggs, milk and flour in this case - in readiness for Lent, traditionally a time of Fasting and abstinence. Nowadays very few British people actually fast in Lent, but many use it as a time to give up something they know is bad for them, such as chocolate, alcohol or cigarettes.

Although Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar, the majority of the British public pay much more attention to Christmas with its traditions of present giving, eating and drinking. Good Friday (three days before Easter Day) and Easter Monday are bank holidays, and the banks and other financial institutions, offices and shops are closed ой these days.

Gift giving is more restricted than at Christmas although most children are given an Easter egg-made of chocolate and often filled with sweets or a small gift. Tradition says that these eggs are delivered by the Easter Bunny (rabbit) and it is a popular game for the children to hunt for small eggs concealed around the house or garden.

Fish is traditionally eaten on Good Friday and Easter cake is an iced fruit cake with a marzipan on the top.

Easter – пасха

Ash Wednesday – прощенная среда

Lent – великий пост

Shrove Tuesday – масленица

Fasting – пост

Abstinence – воздержание

To restrict – ограничивать

Good Friday – страстная пятница

Text 8