ゴールデンウィーク

This entry, the For B News team will be discussing Golden Week. Read along and see if you can understand their discussion! If not, you can check the meaning of some of the words in the comments box.

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Naoyuki: It is Golden Week in Japan now. Does Golden Week exist in the UK?

David: In Britain, there is no Golden Week, but we have a spring holiday known as Easter. Easter is of a much older lineage than Golden Week! Its origins are over 2,000 years old, although some believe that it is even older than that.
Naoyuki: Yes, I wonder when Golden Week started? ... According to Wikipedia, Golden Week only began in 1948, and it didn't get its name until 1951. The managing director of Daiei Films gave it that name because it was the peak sales period for the Japanese movie industry. So it's only 60 years old. What's the origin of Easter?

David: The modern Easter story is the tale of the death and resurrection of Jesus, who according to the tale died on "Good Friday" and came back to life on the following Sunday or "Easter Sunday". It is the most important holiday in most European countries - much more important than Christmas, although in Japan many people celebrate Christmas but not Easter.

Naoyuki: Does it take place at the same time as Golden Week?

David: Not quite. The date of Easter changes every year, because it takes place from Friday to Sunday, not on a specific date. It is also based on the position of the moon. It always falls either in March or April, so it happens slightly earlier than Golden Week.

Naoyuki: In Japan, people usually like to go on trips during Golden Week. What do people do for Easter?

David: Easter is celebrated differently in different countries. In mainland Europe, it is a very serious festival, with everybody going to church and holding processions. In Britain, it is more lighthearted. Children eat colourful chocolate eggs known as Easter Eggs, and people have special meals of Hot-Cross Buns and pancakes. In olden times, people would fast for a month before Easter - that means they did not eat any food during daylight hours for a month before the festival. So when Easter came around they would eat as much as possible!

Easter Eggs

Naoyuki: It sounds like a festival with a long tradition.

David: Yes. Some historians say the Christian Easter holiday is a continuation of an even older tradition. For example, the tradition of eating painted eggs, like Easter Eggs, goes back 2,500 years, to ancient Persia. Some people say that "Easter" comes from the word "Ishtar", who was a God of the ancient Babylonians. If so, it means the Easter festival is at least 6,000 years old.

Naoyuki: I wonder if people in Japan will be celebrating Golden Week in 6,000 years' time...


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