IELTS Speaking Part 1:Festivals
- What is your favourite festival and why?
My favourite festival is Holi, which is celebrated in March every year. It is my famous festival because it is a festival of colour, and it is a festival where truth wins over the enemy.
How do you celebrate Holi in your culture or community? We celebrate Holi in our culture by playing with colours and water, water balloons. We worship in the morning and celebrate it with good food, good music, and lots of colours.
2. Can you describe any unique traditions or customs associated with Holi?
A unique tradition is eating a special delicacy called Gujiya during Holi.
3. What are the typical foods or dishes eaten during festival celebrations?
A wide variety of sweet and salty snacks are consumed during the festivities. Many people prefer having sweets, but people who cannot take sweets also make salty snacks at home. And even these days, people buy it from the market as well.
4. How has the way you celebrate festivals changed over the years?
Over the years, back in my childhood, we celebrated the festival at home, where many relatives used to come—all my friends whose house was nearby used to get together and enjoy. But now, as everybody is busy in their own life, people have stopped the gatherings during the festivals. The group of friends has become very small. But in exchange, we exchange excellent wishes through social media and messages.
5. Have you ever participated in a festival from a different culture?
Yes, I have participated in many festivals of other cultures. I studied in a Christian institute, and there, we celebrated Christmas and Easter with excellent preparation and enthusiasm. We also contributed to preparing the meals for people who used to fast on the Lent days.
6. Do you think festivals play an important role in preserving cultural heritage?
Yes, festivals play a huge role in preserving the cultural heritage. Because these days people are busy in their professional lives, they tend to need to remember the culture of their family or their surroundings. So, festivals give them a reason to get together, look back at the old times, and cherish their culture.
7. What are some environmental considerations to keep in mind during festival celebrations?
During the celebration of various festivals, for example, in Holi, people tend to waste. It should not be there. People firecrackers, and there is a lot of noise pollution. So, it is harmful to the environment, humans, and animals. Various activities in every culture are or the other hand harmful to the environment.
8. Are there any festivals you haven’t celebrated but would like to experience?
Yes, there are a few festivals that I have heard from my friend. She is from South India, and she told us stories about her festival and the times when they enjoyed it a lot. I would like to be a part of that place where she belongs by being there during the festival.
9. How do festivals contribute to promoting community spirit and social cohesion?
Festivals are a reason for everybody to take a break from their professional life, go to their hometown, spend time with the family, and socialize. So, festivals are an excellent opportunity for people to experience social cohesion.