Have you heard from Singles’ Day (November 11) in China? Many people stay up lately, shopping online to get big savings. Well, the US has something like it calling Black Friday.

Black Friday is one of the bigger shopping days in the US. It always fell on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. On Black Friday, stores will offer special deal, just like Singles’ Day in China. Shoppers will often wake up very early to wait in the line at stores after they open. Sometimes, the crowds will be such big that it is impossible get inside the store. People sometimes fight over things because there are only a few left.

   Looking for something entertaining to do? Check out some wonderful festivals around the world.

Koningsdag or King’s Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27^th is a Sunday), the date marking the birth of King Willem-Alexander. Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of feather boas (羽毛围巾) and body paint as crowds gather in the plazas and on the boats in the rivers. Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, with many live music events, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day.

Thai National Elephant Day is a national holiday in Thailand. Thai National Elephant Day has been celebrated on March 13^th of every year since 1998. Because the elephant is the national animal of Thailand, it is highly respected and treasured. During the festivals elephant are honored during a ceremony (典礼) in which they are fed with bananas, other fruit, and sugarcane.

On the last Tuesday of January the entire town of Lerwick, Shetland is in flames. At the festival, you’ll find yourself sitting, dancing, or stumbling around the largest bonfire you’ve ever seen in your life. The festival lasts only one day but takes the entire year to plan. Be prepared for an evening of singing, dancing, and fast paced activities, and don’t worry about making it to work next day — it’s a national holiday!

Holi, the Festival of Color, is a Hindu celebration full of joy and one of India’s most important holidays. On the last full moon day of the lunar month, usually late February or early March, the air is full of bright-colored powder. The festival is celebrated differently throughout the country, with bonfires and music, but the cheerful spirit is common throughout Hindu communities around the world.

Nowadays Chinese are using the solar calendar. But at the same time, Chinese are also using their own lunar calendar. Each lunar year 【小题1】 (give) the name of one of these animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the cock, the dog and the pig. This list repeats 【小题2】 (it) every twelve years, 【小题3】 is a main feature of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon, and the full moon always comes on the 【小题4】 (fifteen) day of the month. The New Year, 【小题5】 (actual) well known as the Spring Festival, always falls 【小题6】 January 21st and February 20th.

On the last day of each lunar year, the Chinese will hold 【小题7】 big family reunion dinner. All the members of a family, with the 【小题8】 (except) of married daughters, will try to be present on this festival occasion, even if they have to travel many miles 【小题9】 (return) to the home of their parents. After the dinner, even children will stay 【小题10】 (wake) until the midnight to welcome the New Year.

American writer Theodore Seuss Geisel, better 【小题1】 (know) as“Dr. Seuss”, is one of the world's most famous authors of books for children.

March 2, 2018 was his 114th birthday. He was born in 1904 in Massachusetts and 【小题2】 die) in 1991. 【小题3】 his honor, March 2 is called both “Dr. Seuss Day” and, in many places,“World Book Day”. The aim of  the observance (纪念) is to celebrate literature and urge children around the world to read.

Dr. Seuss is famous for his fantastical and 【小题4】 (humor) books for young children. His books 【小题5】   (fill) with colorful pictures and fun rhymes. Dr. Seuss’ 【小题6】 (work) include “The Cat in the Hat”,“Green Eggs and Ham”and“The Lorax”.

Dr. Seuss helped generations of children learn to read and to love reading. His books have been published in some 20 languages.

Many people used “World Book Day” 【小题7】 (express) thanks for Dr. Seuss' books. If you missed out on World Book Day, you will have 【小题8】 chance later this year to celebrate books and reading. The United Nations marks World Book and Copyright Day on April 23. That is the date on 【小题9】 several of the world's 【小题10】 (great) writers died. They include England's William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes of Spain.

   Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick，the aged，and children who have lost their parents，but also friends，workmates，relatives and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago，when a Cleveland man noticed that some people，such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed，too often felt forgotten and neglected，he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors，he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed，other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration，which came to be called "Sweetest Day". Over time，the Sweetest Day's idea of spreading cheer to the poor，the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened（扩大）to include everyone，and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder（提醒人记忆之物）that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because of many people remembering to take the form of gift giving，Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care，in a positive way.