Questions about festivals are a great chance to introduce Uzbekistan: Navruz or sumalak will be new and interesting to the examiner. Explain the festival through its date and meaning, then describe one custom in detail.
What the examiner asks on this topic
What is the most important festival in your country?
How do you usually celebrate it?
Do you prefer celebrating with family or friends?
Did you enjoy holidays more as a child?
Are there any holidays you don't enjoy?
Have festivals changed in your country?
Model answers (aimed at band 7+)
What is the most important festival in your country?
I'd say Navruz, the spring new year on the twenty-first of March. It's been celebrated for thousands of years, and because it marks the start of spring, the mood everywhere is really optimistic.
How do you usually celebrate it?
We visit relatives, and the women in our mahalla, our neighbourhood community, cook sumalak, a sweet dish made from sprouted wheat. It has to be stirred all night, so people take turns and sing to stay awake. It's more about being together than about the food itself.
Did you enjoy holidays more as a child?
Probably, yes. As a child I just enjoyed the sweets and the presents, whereas now I'm usually the one helping to organise things. I appreciate them in a different way, though.
Have festivals changed in your country?
In some ways. Celebrations have become bigger and more commercial, with concerts and decorations everywhere, but the core traditions, like visiting older relatives, are still the same.
Useful words and phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mark the start of | mark the start of |
| neighbourhood community | neighbourhood community |
| sprouted wheat | sprouted wheat |
| take turns | take turns |
| stay awake | stay awake |
| whereas | whereas |
| commercial | commercial |
| the core traditions | the core traditions |
How to answer
- Open with the date and meaning: "Navruz, the spring new year on the twenty-first of March".
- Explain Uzbek words straight away: "mahalla, our neighbourhood community".
- Compare childhood with now using "whereas".
- For questions about change, give both sides: what has changed and what has not.
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Everything about Part 1: the Part 1 guide. More topics: all articles.
Practise this topic now
The AI examiner asks you these questions, listens to your answers and shows your mistakes.
