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My favorite holiday is New Year’s Day. New Year’s Day comes once in a year 
and is a special day throughout the world. All people in the universe recognize this day 
because it is the beginning day of the year, which is the first day of January. The weather 
is usually cold by that period. On the 31
st
of December, I usually gather my family 
together to give praises to God starting at 11:00 pm until 1:00 am. At 10:00 am, I usually 
go to church with my family. After arriving home from church, my family and friends 
usually have a get together party with various kinds of food that would have been 
prepared to eat, such as pounded yam, rice and beans, and turkey. After eating, I used to 
give out some gifts to my friends. 
-Amos Olojede 
My favorite holiday is Independence Day. On September 15, hundreds of 
thousands of people come to the zólalo for one moment, the midnight of Mexican 
Independence Day. Fireworks flash, flags wave, the president and his family step onto 
the balcony at the national palace. The president rings a bell, and shouts ¡Viva México!
The crowd shouts back ¡Viva México! Mexico gained independence from the Spanish in 
1821. Independence Day is celebrated on September 16, the day Hidalgo started a 
revolution in Delores, Juanajuato in 1810. ¡Viva México!
-Ubaldo Ortega 
My favorite holiday is Christmas. The date is the 24
th
of December. The weather 
is usually cold. On that day, I am usually with my family at my house. A typical food 
for the holiday is fish and potato salad, cabbage soup, fish, and mushroom soup. I like 
this holiday because my family is together and we don’t have to worry about anything, 
just enjoying the holiday and trying to make others happy. 
-Ondrej 
Mazanovsky 

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Hello. I’m Emmanuel Arias from San Felipe, Guanajuato, Mexico. My favorite 
holiday is Christmas, or la navidad, which is the time when family is back in town for 
gathering at my father’s house. We celebrate Christmas on December 25. This 
celebration is in memory of Jesus being born. This event is religious, and we call it “el 
acostamiento del niño Jésus.” I celebrate with all the family: my mother, brothers, 
sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, and some of the neighbors. In the daytime, we cook 
carnitas, traditional food, tamales, punches, and chocolate. The young people play most 
of the night and the old people talk. You do not need to give or receive gifts on this day.
This day is for family and religion to celebrate in my parent’s home. 
-Emmanuel Arias 
My favorite holiday is Christmas . We celebrate Christmas in December 25. The 
celebration begins on December 16 with "Las posadas ". 
"Las posadas" are representation of Maria and Jose,when looking for a place to spend 
the nigth, some people sing carols and break pinatas. 
In December 24 is the last posada. After this ,the people go home with their families,to 
eat and exchanging presents. 
After eating all expect the midnight at twelve o' clock ,every hug and wish the best for all 
saying "Merry Christmas''. 
For next day December 25 people meet's with friends and family to eat rehearing. 
When I was a girl my favorite holiday was Christmas, because, I always broked the 
pinatas and collect candys and fruit. 
I liked to see the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, in my house were seven 
children and my parents always give us toys. 
The best part, was to openn my gifs. My mother cooked too much and sometimes we ate 
the same food for 2 or 3 days. But, when she does punch (ponche),
I can drink everydays,wich is a drink made with fruit of the season and a lot people mix 
with tequila or rum. 
I enjoy Christmas with my family and friends,because Christmas is time for feel peace 
and harmony. 
(Note: Photos are saved on the same drive as this document) 
-Lilia Fitz 

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My favorite holiday in Japan is New Year’s Day. We celebrate New Year from 
January 1 through January 3 as well as on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Eve, we eat 
buckwheat noodles while we watch an annual singing competition between men and 
women on TV. Buckwheat noodles are believed to symbolize long life. On New Year’s 
Day, we say “Akemashiteomedetou.(Happy new year)”to each other and drink toso(a 
special sake). People decorate their front door spine branches and bamboo. Many families 
and their relatives together and eat special New Year’s foods.
New Year’s special foods include a special soup, cooked vegetables, a type of sea 
weed, Japanese style omelets, fish roe, and rice cake. Every year, some children and 
elderly people choke to death on rice cake (omochi). TV announcers make annual public 
service warning about the hazard of eating a rice cake. My mother cut rice cake for my 
grandparents. Many women prepare the food in advanced of New Year’s Day. I 
remember helping my mother to cook New Year’s special foods every New Year’s Eve. 
The choice of New Year’s special foods depends on the family, and in particular favorite 
soups can be very different. My family’s soup of choice is made of fish and vegetables 
but my husband’s family soup of choice is made of miso, vegetables and rice cake. 
One of the reasons that I like the arrival of New Year is that my birthday is January 2. 
Thus I was able to celebrate my birthday with my extended family. I got money for my 
birthday present, because children traditionally receive cash from their parents and 
relatives during the New Year celebration. When I was a child, I expected to get a lot of 
money. Now, I’m worried about how much money I have to give to my nephews and 
nieces. 
Japanese New Year’s special food 
osechi
ozouni kadomatsu(bamboo devoration) 
-Ikumi Kida

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When I think about holidays, I can say that each of them is special for me. 
But most special are Christmas and Easter. 
I don't want to talk about Christmas, now. I'm going to 
talk about Easter in my country. 
I like Easter very much because it is always on spring (at 
most of the time some Sunday in April). 
Outside everything looks happy, same as inside, on that 
day. In the morning people are going to the church to 
get God's blessing and after that every family goes 
home for the Easter lunch. 
Our tradition is coloring eggs in all different colors. Put 
on some stickers or make your own pictures or 
ornaments. 
It's usually job for the women .That job must be done on Good Friday. When the job is 
done woman chose one egg, most beautiful and red, put it on the side on some safe 
place and keep it for the following year. 
It is some kind of belief that it's going to be lucky egg for the 
home and prosperity for the all people in the house. 
On the Sunday all family is together, we have a lunch with all 
favorite food. People are wearing new close with nice bright 
colors. 
During the lunch everyone pick's up one egg that he or she 
thinks that is the hardest egg. And contest can begin! 
Members of family are searching for the winner egg by hitting 
each other with top and the bottom of the egg into each other 
eggs. Also everyone who comes into our home in a visit we would challenge them with 
our winner egg to do the same. This competition is always great because of the positive 
spirit which surrounds us. Also I like Easter very much because all the different cheerful 
colors of the eggs and the spring colors of the outside. 
-
Marija Mladenovic 

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My favorite holiday is Thai New Year or Songkran Festival. Thai New Year is 
celebrated every year on April 13 to April 15. Songkran falls in the hottest time of the 
year in Thailand at the end of the dry season. Songkran is one of Thailand’s biggest 
holiday celebrations during which every town participates.
The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. People roam the 
streets with containers of water or water guns and post themselves at the side of roads 
with a garden hose and drench others and passersby. 
Songkran has traditionally been a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including 
family members, friends, and neighbors. People celebrating Songkran may also go to 
temple to pray and give food to monks. 
A typical food for the holiday is we are making a lot of food for family and friends, for 
example Thai food, pad Thai, Tom, yam, rice, noodle, bbq pork, steak, and fruit. 
I like this holiday because I can spend time with my family. We are plays water outside 
of road with family and friends. Together we are wet and fun.
Welcome to Thailand! The land of smiles. 
-Sasithorn Punchana (Jee) 

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Our factory operates even on national holidays in general in Japan. So most of all 
national holidays are not holidays for me. Instead of that, there are 2 or 3 times of 
consecutive holidays. These are summer holiday and new year holiday, which is 
Christmas holiday in USA. So my favorite holidays are both of that.
In summer holiday, it is a traditional custom that all family go back to their original home 
and they go to ancestor’s cemetery. Traffic jams in this season is very famous in Japan.
Sometimes it could be 10 miles long. The funny thing is that we have traffic jam 
forecasting like weather!
We have BON—dancing festival around August 15
th
everywhere. We say summer 
holiday is BON-holiday. This dancing festival has old meaning. It is the meaning that to 
light up darkness of night by dancing around fire, like camp fire, leads ancestor’s revival 
without losing their way home. Of course, nowadays, this meaning is getting faded out 
like St. Valentine’s Day. It remains just for fun! 
-Masato Takamatsu 
My favorite and special holiday is New Year in my country on March 21. We are 
celebrate New Year with all family and friends. People celebrate New Year with 
parades. The farmers show all their equipment. We have horse races called buzkashi and 
boys play with boiled eggs. We drink a special juice combined of seven different fruits 
called meway tar karda. We eat special food called kabuly palou. We wore new clothes 
and Afghanistan people celebrate New Year a long time ago and people believe God 
gives all nature new life. 
-Medina Baha