Traditions and holidays of Kazakhstan

NAURUZ

I. Read the following words and word combinations paying attention to their pronunciation:

1) vernal equinox 2) oriental 3) reconciliation 4) festive 5) festival 6) hardships 7) to participate 8) to be in a hurry 9) to revive 10) spiritually 11) debt 12) to get rid of 13) well 14) to ask for forgiveness 15) wrong (=evil) 16) to reconcile 17) neighbor 18) ingredient 19) obligatory 20) popular belief 21) to eat one’s fill 22) fruit-bearing 23) pleasure measures 24) to witness 25) verbal competition 26) contest 27) to set riddles 28) custom 29) to respect 30) native land

весеннее равноденствие азиат примирение праздничный праздник трудности, тяготы участвовать торопиться обновляться, оживать духовно долг избавиться от колодец просить прощение зло, несправедливость, обида мириться сосед(ка) составная часть обязательный поверье наесться досыта плодотворный увеселительные мероприятия быть свидетелем устное состязание состязание загадывать загадки обычай уважать родная земля

II. Read and translate the text:

Nauruz

There are a lot of different holidays in the Republic of Kazakhstan: official, professional, religious. Among the official ones there are New Year, the Women’s Day, the Day of the Unity of the Peoples of Kazakhstan, the Victory Day, the Day of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Day of Independence. And one of the most popular is Nauruz.

Nauruz is known as a holiday of a great vernal equinox. Orientals have celebrated this holiday since ancient times. The ancient Iranians considered that the whole world was created at the moment of the sunrise. At that moment light was separated from darkness, day from night, good from evil.

Nauruz, the modern Kazakh word for New Year, comes from Persian “nau – new, ruz – year”. Before that New Year was called “Ulys kuni” meaning a tribe or clan day. The tradition of reconciliation between relatives around a festive table, exchange of presents and good wishes was set for this day. The patient resistance to the winter hardships has come to an end, and now with the coming of spring it is time to participate in the life-giving festival. In spring people are in a hurry to revive themselves both physically and spiritually, liquidate their debts, get rid of old unwanted things, repair clothes, houses, water canals and wells, ask for forgiveness for past wrongs, reconcile with neighbours, invite guests and present relatives with gifts.

The main dish of this festival is nauruz-kozhez, a traditional spring soup. Nauruz-kozhez always includes seven ingredients. The ingredients may be different, but smoked meat from the reserves of the past year, milk and cereal are obligatory. There is a popular belief that if one tastes nauruz-kozhez in seven homes, the year will be successful for this person. One should eat it one’s fill so that the next year would be fruit-bearing.

It is impossible to imagine this festival without pleasure measures: sports contests, games and songs. Thousands of people witness sharp verbal competitions of akyns, contests in national sports – Kazakhsha-kures, toguz kumalak, Kuz-Kuu, Baiga. Games are accompanied by songs, playing tunes, setting riddles, improvising. Various dramatized shows and theatrical marches presenting national customs and rituals teach people to respect thenational culture and the native land.

III. Translate the words in the brackets into English:

1. Orientals (отмечали) this holiday since ancient times.

2. It is time to participate in the (жизнеутверждающий) festival.

3. The tradition of (примирение) between relatives around a festive table was set for this day.

4. In spring people are in a hurry to get rid of (ненужных вещей).

5. (Копченое мясо), milk and cereal are obligatory.

IV. Find the Russian equivalents to the word combinations in the left-hand column:

1) winter hardships 2) to get rid of 3) to be in a hurry 4) to set riddles 5) vernal equinox 6) pleasure measures

a) весеннее равноденствие b) зимние трудности c) увеселительные мероприятия d) торопиться e) загадывать загадки f) избавляться

7) patient resistance g) ненужные вещи

8) one should eat one’s fill h) обновляться как физически

9) unwanted things так и духовно

10) revive themselves both i) следует наесться досыта

physically and spiritually j) терпеливое противостояние

V. Find the corresponding endings of the sentences and translate them into Russian:

1. People are in hurry to ask for … 2. It is time to participate in … 3. It is the tradition of reconciliation between … 4.Various shows and matches teach people to respect … 5. Nauruz-kozhez always includes …

a) relatives around festive table. b) seven ingredients. c) forgiveness for past wrongs.   d) the life-giving festival.   e) native land.