Festivals and celebrations

Monday, 12 October 2026 9:30 p.m.

Dear Diary,

Today was the happiest day of the year because we celebrated Dashain Tika at home. I woke up early at five and took a bath. My mother had already prepared the sel roti, and the whole house smelt of incense and flowers.

At about ten o'clock, all the relatives from my uncle's and aunt's families arrived. My grandfather sat on the decorated mat in the courtyard and put tika and jamara on everyone's forehead. I touched his feet and received his blessings and some money. He wished us good health and success. I felt very lucky to be loved by so many people.

In the afternoon we ate a delicious feast of rice, mutton curry, lentils and sweets. Later, the children played cards and flew kites on the roof while the elders talked and laughed. In the evening we visited our neighbours and exchanged greetings.

I was a bit sad when the guests left, but I am full of happy memories. The festival taught me the value of family togetherness and respect for elders. I hope that every festival will be as joyful as this one.

Good night, Diary.

Kathmandu
14 October 2026

Dear Rohan,

I hope you are fine and enjoying your studies. I am writing to invite you to my birthday party, which I will celebrate at my home on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the evening.

My family members and some close friends will join the party. We will cut a big birthday cake and then enjoy a delicious meal together. There will also be singing and dancing, which I am sure you will love.

Your presence will make my day more special, so please do come on time. Give my regards to your parents.

Your loving friend, Anish

The correct order is V, IV, III, II, I.

V. Aranceri standing on the square are loaded with oranges. IV. When the aranceri cart comes near, they start throwing oranges. III. The bombarding activity causes horses to stop for some time. II. The game is played without wearing any protection hats. I. The aranceri make a big noise supporting their team.

This follows the text: the aranceri fill their bags with oranges, charge at the cart and bombard it, the horses halt, they wear no protection, and they shout their team's war cries at the end.

2.1 Choose the correct alternative

I. (b) to memorialize the fall harvest. The text says the festival commemorates the fall harvest and honours ancestors.

II. (d) to celebrate Chuseok with their relatives. Koreans return to their ancestral hometowns to celebrate with their families.

III. (c) food and wine. The day begins with a ceremony in which food and wine are offered to the ancestors.

IV. (d) after they eat the feast. The graves are visited later in the day, after the meal.

V. (c) gift giving. Tug-of-war, archery and sirrum are athletic events, but gift giving is not.

2.2 Fill in the blanks

This text is about Chuseok, a Korean festival. Koreans call it (I) Hangawi in their mother tongue. It is equivalent to American (II) Thanksgiving day. It is celebrated for three days in the month of (III) August every year. The special food they eat at Chuseok is (IV) songpyon (a crescent-shaped rice cake). They visit the graves of their ancestors and participate in various games. Most importantly, they wear special costume called (V) hanbok at Chuseok.

Kathmandu
15 March 2025

Dear Suman,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am happy to tell you that my sister is getting married next month, and I would like to invite you to the wedding ceremony on 26 April, 2025. It will be held at our own home.

Please do not bring any gifts; your blessings to the bride and bridegroom are the best gift for us. After the ceremony, there will be a wedding party. We would be delighted to have the presence of your whole family. Kindly let me know by telephone whether you can come (RSVP).

With best wishes, Prakash

In our society, many people spend more money than they can afford during festivals and celebrations just to show off. They buy expensive clothes, decorate their houses lavishly, arrange grand feasts and give costly gifts so that neighbours and relatives will admire them. Some even take loans for this purpose and fall into debt. In this way the real meaning of a festival, which is to share happiness, respect culture and strengthen relations, is lost.

In my view, we should celebrate festivals simply and within our means. A festival is not measured by how much we spend but by the love and togetherness we share. The money saved can be used for children's education, health care or helping the needy. Parents, teachers and the media should teach young people to value tradition and simplicity instead of show. If we do so, festivals will bring joy to everyone and not stress to families.

A. True, False or Not Given

(i) FALSE. Mum's birthday is tomorrow (28th May), as the Thursday entry says. (ii) FALSE. The writer is playing a football match on Saturday. (iii) NOT GIVEN. The diary does not mention a cake. (iv) TRUE. On Friday the family goes to Shani Village Resort for dinner. (v) TRUE. The writer watched the cricket match between Australia and England.

B. Answer the following questions

(i) Thursday was dreadful because the writer fell out (quarrelled) with a friend for a while, though they became friends again. (ii) The Social Studies teacher gave a project work to collect information on the historical and cultural sites of their district. (iii) On Thursday the thought of going out to dinner for mum's birthday excited the writer, and on Friday the dinner at the restaurant excited the writer most. (iv) The writer prayed for the long life of mum. (v) The given text is a diary entry.

A. Fill in the blanks

a. The writer wants to meet her friends from college. b. The friends used to go to a club after having dinner in a pub. c. The writer is going on a business trip to Japan. d. The writer wants to know whether her friends are free on the 20th. e. The writer wants to confirm the hotel bookings after talking with her friends.

B. Answer these questions

a. She wants to meet her friends in London next month. b. She wants to tell Jan about her business trip to Japan. c. Jan is not free on the 27th because she is attending her sister-in-law's wedding. d. She wants to send an email to check that everyone is free on Saturday 20th and to suggest meeting in London. e. She plans to meet in a pub, have dinner and then go to a club, like in the old days, though someone may suggest a better idea.

Dialogue between two friends, Sita and Rina, about Parents Day

Sita: Hi Rina, our school is celebrating Parents Day next Sunday. Have you prepared your performance?

Rina: Hello Sita. Yes, I am going to sing a song about a mother's love. I have been practising every evening.

Sita: That is lovely. I think our parents will be touched. I am doing a group dance with five classmates.

Rina: Great! Which song have you chosen?

Sita: A Nepali folk song. We have rehearsed for a week, but our steps are still not perfect.

Rina: Don't worry. Practise once more on Friday after school, and I will help you with the timing.

Sita: Thank you, Rina. What will you wear on the stage?

Rina: I will wear a traditional dress. And you?

Sita: We will wear colourful dresses. I hope our parents enjoy the programme.

Rina: I am sure they will. Let's do our best.

To: uncle.raj@example.com From: sabin.thapa@example.com Subject: Our school's annual day celebration

Dear Uncle,

I hope you and aunt are in good health. I am writing to tell you about the annual day celebration of our school, which was held last Friday. I wish you had been there.

The programme began at 10 a.m. when the Chief Guest, the Mayor of our municipality, lit the traditional lamp. The principal then presented the school's yearly report, and the toppers of each class were awarded prizes and certificates. After this, the cultural programme started. There were songs, a comedy skit, a drama on environmental protection, and many dances. The programme ended with a vote of thanks and a lunch for all the guests.

I took part in the group dance with eight classmates. We had practised for almost a month after school. When we performed on the stage, I felt nervous at first, but the loud clapping gave me confidence, and our dance won the second prize. I was so proud when my teacher congratulated us.

Overall, it was a wonderful and memorable day. I felt happy, tired and proud at the same time. Please come to the next one if you are free.

Give my love to aunt and my cousins.

Yours lovingly, Sabin

A.

(a) Jimutavahana

(b) a hermit

(c) Astami (Jitiya)

(d) sponge gourd

(e) the legendary figures

B.

(a) Jitiya is celebrated in the month of Ashwin (September-October) for three days: Saptami, Astami and Navami.

(b) Married women fast for the good fortune of their children, husband and family.

(c) The brata formally starts on the first day, after the women bathe in a river or pond early in the morning.

(d) They scrub the house with cow's dung to make it sacred.

(e) They eat curd, beaten rice and fruits as dar.

A.

(a) celebrate

(b) sorrow

(c) fate

(d) pace

B.

(a) True. Women neither eat nor drink anything on Teej day.

(b) True. The Rai people perform rituals to worship their ancestors.

(c) False. They mention their fate for not being able to make their husbands happy, but they do not curse themselves.

(d) True. The dance starts slowly and gets faster as the drum beats more quickly.

C.

(a) The priests (purohitas) are called to perform religious rituals.

(b) Teej songs reflect the women's mixed emotions of happiness and sorrow.

(c) Chandi Naach is observed on Baishakh Purnima.

(d) One can enjoy the real Chandi Naach in the eastern hills of Nepal.

Matching

Detail vi (the participant of Thanksgiving) has no match.

Dialogue between two friends, Ramesh and Hari, about celebrating the New Year

Ramesh: Hello Hari, the New Year is coming soon. Have you made any plan to celebrate it?

Hari: Hi Ramesh. Yes, I am planning to visit my grandparents in the village with my family. What about you?

Ramesh: Some of my friends and I are going to organize a small picnic at Godavari. Would you like to join us?

Hari: I would love to, but I have promised my grandparents. Perhaps I can join you in the evening.

Ramesh: That would be nice. We will cook food, sing songs and play games.

Hari: Great! At home we usually prepare special dishes and visit relatives to exchange good wishes.

Ramesh: I like that. I think the New Year is a time to forget the past problems and begin afresh.

Hari: Exactly. I have also decided to study regularly and stay healthy this year.

Ramesh: That is a wonderful resolution. I will try to read at least one book every month.

Hari: Then let us help each other keep our promises. Happy New Year in advance!

Ramesh: Happy New Year to you and your family!

(a) a - 'a small town' (first mention). (b) with - 'crowded with people'. (c) sung - past participle with a passive meaning ('songs sung by children'). (d) was - singular subject 'One of the boys'. (e) was feeling - reported speech ('how he was feeling'). (f) were excited - reported speech in the past, with the subject 'they'. (g) because - it is followed by a clause ('it was so much exciting'). (h) feel - 'made them + base verb'. (i) were - plural subject 'The manager and accountant'. (j) didn't - 'You had a great time' is positive, past simple, so the tag is 'didn't you'.

A. Match

a. Extending thanks for the harvest - iii. is a main reason of celebrating Thanksgiving. b. Thanksgiving - iv. is celebrated in different ways. c. Consumption of roast turkey - i. is about 45 million in number. d. Food items like sweet potatoes - vi. are truly American origin. e. Macy's Thanksgiving parade - ii. is one of the largest parades in the world.

(The extra ending, v, is not used.)

B. Answer the following questions

a. Festivals show people's heritage, culture and traditions. b. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the USA. c. The main part of the celebration is the Thanksgiving dinner with family. d. The parades vary in size and type: they range from small town affairs with the local marching band to Macy's parade in New York with floats and huge balloons. e. Americans still celebrate it joyfully because it reminds them of their history, the first harvest feast of 1621, and gives them a chance to thank for the harvest, share food and spend time with family and friends, which keeps their culture and bonds alive.