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So cool to read about everyone's home tradition they miss the most! I'm from England but I've been living in the States for five years and the thing I miss the most is Bonfire Night on November 5th.

The best thing about Bonfire Night is the fireworks, oh, and the bonfires! … and the history behind it. Basically, Guy Fawkes and his friends tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. They nearly did it too – they hired a room under the House of Parliament and filled it with explosives. But someone told the royal palace. The authorities found Guy Fawkes in the room guarding the explosives, and he was sentenced to torture and death.

So it's a tradition that celebrates the fact that the king survived. It also means people don't forget what happens if you plot against your country. There's a kind of poem about it that starts 'Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.' That's why we build a 'guy' – a life-size model of Guy Fawkes – and burn it on the bonfire. Pretty dark and horrible when you think about it!

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So cool to read about everyone's home tradition ...
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What tradition do you like best from your country?

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When winter goes away and spring arrives a lot of children prepare figure of Marzanna, goddness of winter. She is built by using sticks and straw. We put clothes on her and then build a bonfire and burn her or throw her in a river. It's a symbol of the arrival of spring - Jaryle, god of spring.

It's very interesting to know some traditions from other countries. I'm from Peru and we have a lot singular history episodes. I've read about Incas, civil wars, conflict with other countries are parts of our past.

In my country the tradition I like best is the Holy month of Ramzan. For many years this special tradition of fasting has brought the Islamic community together in spiritual ways and a feeling of peace and harmony. The blessing of this Holy month attracts more people to the mosques.

Hello everyone, So many things to learn from your comments. I'm from Syria in the middle east. From a small town where we have Akito celebration. Akito is the new year (B.C.) for a very ancient civilization of the assyrian people. Akito celebrations last for 7 days to welcome spring season. We go to a green lands, set our tents, wear our costumes, dance and have our special food. I wait for this week every year as it keeps me attached to my family, relatives and it helps us not to forget our traditions.

Hello! everyone. I'm from Dominican Republic, you probably don't know about this beautiful island in the Carribean Sea and we don't have traditions like Halloween, but we celebrate other kind of traditions among which ones my favorite is the civil war of April 25th, and you probably think that a civil war is not a cause of celebration but actually it represents the day when dominican people fight united against oppression.

Hello everyone! It's wonderful to know traditions around the world. I'm from Vietnam, and it's such a coincident that I'm currently having Lunar New Year holiday here. We celebrate LNY, or "Tet" in our language, on the first week of every lunar year. There are many practices to be done before and during the holiday, mainly relevant to our ancestors. It's also a chance to clean up and decorate our home for the incoming year, as a new fresh start. But above all, what we all look forwards to Tet is the time we get to spend with those we love. It's a chance to see your distant relatives, your old friends, or those who had been going abroad the whole year, and give eachother beautiful wishes. However, Tet wouldn't be whole if we don't count another unique tradition in. During Tet, it is expected for adults to give money in red envelopes to children, and so they will receive a (childish) wish in return. There are lots of tradition on Tet holiday, and together, they make Tet an unforgettable experience, to be looked forward to by both children and adults. Have an awesome new year everyone!

Hélio sxweetlollipop! I like pretty much to know a little about Vietnam's tradition. But I have a doubt, your country follows the lunar calendar?

Hi guys. I am from Uzbekistan. From my point of view a few people know about this country. Unfortunately, there are not celebrations as hallowen or carnival in my country. However, we celebrate Navruz every year for ages. It is our traditional holiday. And it is celebrate in 21st Mart. Navruz is the beginning of spring. Basically, on this day we wear traditional dresses, that called Atlas, and cook traditional foods of our country. It can be somsa, plov, pie-apples. But especcially revered traditional food we cook on Navruz is Sumalyak. Sumalyak taste like Nutella, but it is not nutella. I can not think that it is cool, but i do not like this holiday. Because it is a little boring to me. In spite of this many people like this. if you want knew more information, you could search it in google. ( if i had mistakes, write me) And please say me, how i can improve my speaking. Or lets create a speaking club!

Hello mafaa.k,

Thanks for telling us about Navruz and how you celebrate it. If any other person reading this wants to know more, there's also a page about this holiday in our Magazine.

I'm afraid we don't correct our users texts, but if there's a specific phrase or sentence you want to ask us about, feel free.

The best thing to do to improve your speaking is of course practise speaking with other people. Even if they are not native speakers, it's still useful.

I'd also encourage you to choose sentences from our Listening and Speaking pages that you think would be useful in your speaking, either because they are difficult to pronounce or because they could be useful in different conversations. Practise saying that phrase over and over again until it's easy to say. Check your pronunciation with the recording. Then do the same thing with the other phrases or sentences you've chosen. Do this a couple of times a day for several days, until you can remember and say them all confidently.

Write them down in a notebook and then choose another set of sentences from another listening and follow the same procedure. Gradually, you will build up your speaking fluency and vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation and listening.

Good luck and let us know if that works for you!

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

Personally, I quite like "Berchteln". You dress up completely in white, even covering your face, and go from house to house. There the people have to guess who you are. Afterwards kids get sweets and adults get alchol and you move on. Our town has its own little tradion when it comes to "Berchteln". In the rest of Austria people dress up either fully white or fully black. We only wear white. That is because there once was an old lady who would only led in those dressed in white. Thus everyone started doing that.

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