MASLENITSA

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 416.

Nauryz

Kazakhstan has many different customs and traditions. The most important Kazakh holiday is “Nauryz”, the Kazakh New Year.

On March 22nd people from smaller villages come to bigger cities. Families get together to help one another in constructing a ‘kiyiz ui', a traditional Kazakh home. Since the Kazakhs were originally nomadic people they had homes that could be easily set up and moved from one place to another. The yurt became such a home for the Kazakh people.

Yurts are made of long pieces of wood that are tied up together and make the skeleton for this round house. Large pieces of felt are placed over the wood and rugs are placed inside the ‘kiyiz ui' on the floor to keep warmth and protect from cold and rain. If you enter a yurt on Nauryz you will see that it is decorated with beautiful Kazakh ornaments, rugs and blankets.

One of the major features of Nauryz is the traditional of costumes that men and women wear on the day.

As a guest you will be seated at a long table inside a yurt and treated with traditional Kazakh dishes “karta” (round pieces of dried horse meat) ‘plov' (meat and rice), ‘baursak' (fried rolls), and “besbarmak” (‘five fingers') - a dish cooked of noodles, onions and mutton.

This meal is traditionally served with a sheep's head, which is set at the “place of honour”– at the head of the table. An elder “ aksakal” (a wise old man) will usually have the task of cutting the sheep's head and saying words of blessing while giving each part of the head to a different person. The parts are distributed in a special way, it is also a symbolic action.

At the end of the meal you will sit and have tea and listen to musicians playing dombyras and kobyz and singing songs. Then you may see many ancient Kazakh games.

Ø True (T) or False (F) sentences:

1. Kazakhstan has many different customs and traditions.

2. On March 22^nd people from smaller villages come to bigger cities.

3. The yurts are made of stones.

4. If you enter a yurt on Nauryz you will see that it is decorated with beautiful Russian ornaments, rugs and blankets.

5. The traditionally served dish is meat with a sheep's head.

Ø Fill in the preposition:

1. Since the Kazakhs were originally nomadic people they had homes that could be easily set up and moved … one place … another.

2. Large pieces … felt are placed … the wood and rugs are placed inside the kiyiz ui … the floor to keep warmth and protect … cold and rain.

3. An elder “aksakal” will usually have the task … cutting the sheep's head and saying words … blessing while giving each part … the head … a different person.

4. … the end … the meal you will sit and have tea and listen … musicians playing dombyras and kobyz and singing songs.

5. One … the major features … Nauryz is the traditional costumes that men and women wear.

Ø Answer the questions:

1. What is the most important Kazakh holiday of the year?

2. When is Nauryz celebrated?

3. What is the name of the traditional Kazakh home?

4. What are the ‘kiyiz ui' made of?

5. What are the traditional dishes of Kazakh people?

6. How is the ‘kiyiz ui' decorated?

7. What musical instruments do Kazakh people play?

Every nation has a great number of customs, but the most attractive of them are holidays. They were created by people even in ancient times; they wanted to throw down a burden of daily cares and to forget about grief-adversity. Among the variety of Russian popular holidays there is a favourite winter one – Maslenitsa (a ‘buttered' (pancake) week) that comes before Lent. You are forbidden to eat meat but you are allowed to have milk dishes during this week, especially buttered ones. Every year this holiday lasts for a week: from Monday to Sunday. Every day has its own meaning and its own name. Monday is ‘a Meeting', Tuesday is called ‘Zaigrysh' (play day), Wednesday is ‘A Gourmand', Thursday is considered to be ‘A Wide Thursday', Friday is called ‘Mother-in-law's Evenings', Saturday is known as ‘Sister-in-law's young people's gathering” and Sunday is the day of asking somebody's pardon. People used to toboggan and cook tasty pancakes every day that week. Pancakes are especially tasty with sour cream, eggs, fish, caviar, butter, sugar and honey.

One of the tokens of Maslenitsa is going horse riding. The smartest harness is set in, the bells are suspended under a shaft-bow, and a gear is decorated with bright silks, shawls, waist belts and ribbons. In the village of Bykovo, Zyryanovsk district, they erect a hurdle (about two metres high) across the street and the riders should get over it. The inhabitants of Cheremshanka, Glubokoye district, place a thick wooden pole about six metres high and on the top of this pole they put a present. That person who reaches the top can take this present and become a winner.

The main character of the festive week is Maslenitsa itself – a straw scarecrow with peasant clothes on. Maslenitsa is escorted by mummers (ryazheny). The real performances take place in a “Maslenitsa train-sledge”. The inhabitants of Shemonaikha remember an old man, Shashmaika, who sat in his sledge and placed a thick pole with a wheel at the top. He sat on the wheel and steamed a dog with a switch of green birch twigs.

The last day of Maslenitsa week is ‘Farewell to Maslenitsa'. The main event is burning Maslenitsa (a straw scarecrow of winter) on the bonfire. For many years this holiday has been called “Seeing-off Winter”. But recently the citizens of Ust-Kamenogorsk again can watch this holiday and participate in it. The nice old tradition has been revived!

Vocabulary:

burden – груз

grief-adversity – горе-невзгоды

Lent – Великий Пост

gourmand – лакомка

toboggan – кататься с горы

sour cream – сметана

caviar – икра

token – примета, признак

harness – сбруя

suspend – подвешивать

shaft-bow – дуга

gear – упряжь

shawl – шаль

waist belt – пояс, кушак

ribbon – лента

erect – сооружать

hurdle – барьер

pole – бревно

festive – праздничный

peasant – крестьянский

mummer – ряженый

switch of green birch twigs – березовый веник

steam – парить

seeing-off – проводы

bonfire – большой костер

Ø Correct the spelling mistakes:

Example: 0. Every nation has a great number of customs, but the most attractiev of them are holidays.

0. attractiev – attractive

1. They were created by people even in ancient times, they wanted to throw down a burden of daily cares and to forget about grief-adversity.

2. Among the variety of Russian popular holidays there is a favourite winter won – Maslenitsa.

3. A ‘buttered' (pancake) weak comes before Lent.

4. You are forbidden to eat meet but you are alloued to have milk dishes during this week, especially buttered wons.

5. Every ear this holiday lasts for a weak: from Monday to Sonday.

Clues:

1. anshient – ancient;

2. won – one;

3. weak – week;

4. meet – meat; alloued – allowed; wons – ones;

5. ear – year; weak – week; Sonday – Sunday.

Ø Choose the right answer:

1. Every day has its own ­­­­______ and its own name.

a) goal b) meaning c) length d) burden

2. People used to _____ and cook tasty pancakes every day that week.

a) play snowballs b) skate c) toboggan d) ski

3. Pancakes are especially tasty with sour cream, ______, fish, caviar, butter, sugar and honey.

a) sausage b) salad c) eggs d) meat

4. One of the tokens of Maslenitsa is ______.

a) going horse riding b) going shopping c) going to the theatre d) going to the cinema.

5. The smartest harness is set in, the bells are suspended under a shaft-bow, ______ is decorated with bright silks, shawls, waist belts and ribbons.

a) a horse; b) a house; с) a fence; d) a gear;

Сlues:

1. b 2. c 3. c 4. a 5. d

Ø Write the sentences in Passive Voice:

1. They erect a hurdle across the street in the Village of Bykovo, Zyryanovsk district.

2. The riders should get over the hurdle.

3. People from Cheremshanka placed a thick wooden pole with a present at the top.

4. The winner could take the present if he reached it.

5. Mummers escort Maslenitsa everywhere.

Clues:

1. A hurdle is erected by them across the street in the Village of Bykovo, Zyryanovsk district.

2. The hurdle should be got (gotten - Am) over by the riders.

3. A thick wooden pole with a present at the top was placed by people from Cheremshanka.

4. The present could be taken by the winner if he reached it.

5. Maslenitsa is escorted by Mummers everywhere.