Describe a Festival that is Important in your Country – IELTS Cue Card

In the IELTS Speaking section, one of the most common question types is the Cue Card Speaking prompt. The IELTS Cue Card topics will prompt you to formulate a response and speak on the given topic. To attempt this question, you must narrow down the essential questions on the given topic to answer within the given time. Consider the sample Cue Card below. Study the types of questions that have been formulated based on the cue card and how to go about with your response:

Sample Answer 1

Here is the sample for “Describe a Festival that is Important in your Country” topic:

India is a diverse country that is home to several religions and backgrounds. Hence, we celebrate all of the festivals with great pomp and show. One of the significant festivals that we celebrate is Diwali. This festival of lights is one of the major festivals of Sikhs, Jains and Hindus. Generally, it lasts up to five days and is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar month – Kartika, between October – November.

Two days before Diwali, we celebrate Dhanteras – it is a day associated with money and prosperity. So, on this day, people buy utensils, gold or silver and do a puja. The next day is Chhoti Diwali, which goes in decorating the house. People light up their houses with fairy lights and decorate their home temples. On the main day of Diwali, everybody exchanges gifts with near and dear ones and offers prayers to Lakshmi and Ganesha.

I like the vibe of this festival. Regardless of the corner you turn to in your city, you will find houses lightened up with lights and diyas. However, the one thing that I don’t like about this festival is the excessive burst of crackers.

The festival is extremely important in my country as it signifies the values of righteousness, patience and good over evil. It is the day when Lord Rama, along with Sita and Lakshman, came back to their kingdom after spending 14 years in jungle and killing Ravana. Thus, Diwali holds the utmost significance in India.

Vocabulary

Here are the vocabularies for “Describe a Festival that is Important in your Country” with examples:

• Heritage: property that is or may be inherited; an inheritance.
  Eg: The heritage of Bengal is to be preserved.
• Culture: A culture is a way of life of a group of people–the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.
  Eg: Harry believes in Indian culture.
• Empowerment: authority or power given to someone to do something
  Eg: She believes in women empowerment.
• Courage: strength
  Eg: The Queen’s courage is still appreciated today. 

Sample Answer 2

Festivals are the very reason why Kolkata is popularly known as the “City of Joy.” In India, West Bengal is one of the states known for its rich cultural heritage and festivities. Durga Puja is the biggest festival in the state and is well-known worldwide. People from different states and countries come to visit Kolkata during this time of the year. It is celebrated during the autumn in late September or October.

Durga Puja is a Hindu festival, but people from all religions come forward to celebrate this festival. The preparation for the festival starts a month prior to the set date. Pandals are made in every corner of the city to feel its essence. From Mahalaya till Vijaya Dashami, people get out of their houses and hop around pandals. Some pull an all-nighter and visit every pandal to see the various creative representation of the figurine of Goddess Durga.

Durga Puja is my favourite festival. I get a lot of energy during that time of the year. During the four days from MahaSaptami to Vijaya Dashami, I go out with my friends, family and many other close relatives. For the past few years, our locality has built puja pandals, and the women of the locality organise the entire setup. All in all, there is nothing I dislike about this festival.

Durga Ma symbolizes “women empowerment.” It shows how the women of the world are as strong and courageous as today’s men. This festival is a celebration of that very theme. No matter how busy Indians are with their lives, everyone comes together during this time—some catch up with their old friends while others spend time with their loved ones.

Sample Answer 3

Among the various festivals in my country, Vietnam, I enjoy the Tet festival the most. To be concise, the Vietnamese New Year is called the Tet Nguyen Dan, which is abbreviated as Tet. It celebrates the first morning of the first day of the Lunar year and mostly falls in late January or early/mid-February. The dates vary from year to year as it is based on the Lunar calendar. The celebration lasts one week or longer.

Tet festival is one of the most widely celebrated public festivals in Vietnam. As it represents a new beginning, people express their respect for their ancestors and enjoy the present with their close ones. Those who stay away from their family or ancestor land come home during this time of the year. Every family gets together to have big meals to welcome the New Year. They pray at temples about the two weeks before and immediately after Tet as it is considered auspicious. Homes are cleaned and decorated with Hoa Mai (yellow apricot blossom), Hoa Dao (peach blossom), Kumquat tree and many other colorful flowers. Everybody, especially kids, wears new clothes and shoes to visit families and friends and enjoy traditional Tet food like Banh Chung (a sticky rice cake). Sometimes, children even receive money in red envelopes as a token of luck and love. 

It is impossible to dislike anything about festivities, particularly ones that bring our whole family together. Distant cousins visit us and sometimes we visit some of our relatives. All the neighbours come together and we often enjoy a short outing like a picnic with delicious home-cooked food. Different kinds of games are played. In short, it is the time of the year that we wait for. 

Tet is significant for everyone in our country because it is a time of renewal. We leave behind the sorrow of the past and look forward to fresh starts. Commercially, it is essential as tons of tourists visit the country during this time of the year to witness the vibrant decorations, learn more about the customs and culture of Vietnam and enjoy the tranquility as well as the festivities. 

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