Spring festivals: February–April 2 Ascolta e leggi i brani. Poi rispondi alle domande. Valentine’s Day (14th February) Saint Valentine’s Day is 14th February. The Romans executed Saint Valentine on this day in the third century because of his Christian beliefs. There was already a Roman festival, Lupercalia, on 15th February. At Lupercalia, Roman girls wrote anonymous love letters and put them in a bag. Young men took a love letter and tried to guess who the writer was. After many centuries, Saint Valentine’s Day and Lupercalia became the same festival. Valentine’s cards are very popular today. In the UK nobody writes their name in a Valentine’s card: the sender of the card is always a mystery! Glossary beliefs fede 1 What happened to Saint Valentine? 2 What was Lupercalia? 3 What is mysterious about Valentine’s cards in the UK? Go Live! Level 2 Festivals C, p.220 © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE Pancake Day (February) Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is a Christian festival. It is the day before the start of Lent (the forty days before Easter Sunday). In medieval times, Christians didn’t eat any meat, fat or sweet food in Lent. So, the day before, they used the ingredients that were forbidden in Lent. Today, in the UK, it is traditional to make pancakes on this day, using flour, eggs and milk. Pancake Day is always a Tuesday. In some villages and schools in the UK they have a pancake race. You have to run and toss a pancake at the same time! Glossary pancake crespella Lent Quaresima fat grassi forbidden proibiti toss far saltare in padella 4 What are the ingredients of pancakes? 5 On what day of the week is Pancake Day? Go Live! Level 2 Festivals C, p.220 © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE Mother’s Day (March–April) Mother’s Day is a Christian festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent. It started many years ago, when people had servants in their houses. On Mother’s Day the servants had a holiday. They went home to visit their mothers, and they took presents of spring flowers for them. Churches in the UK have a special service on this day, and people give their mothers cards and presents. Glossary servants servitori service funzione, servizio religioso 6 Who, in the past, always had a holiday on Mother’s Day? Go Live! Level 2 Festivals C, p.220 © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE.