Задание №12 — Коммуникативные умения

What old Irish traditions are still followed?

What vegetables are exported from Ireland to other countries?

What vegetable is very popular in Irish cuisine?

Why were Irish people afraid of wearing green in old times?

What made the Irish town popular?

What is wrong with the stereotype of an Irish person?

How can you keep the talisman effective?

When you think of the Irish, you often picture a red-haired person dressed all in green. However, it’s just a popular myth. It’s customary in Ireland to wear green clothes only on St. Patrick’s Day. Lots of people are tricked by this cliché. In fact, originally, the colour associated with Saint Patrick was not green but blue.

In Ireland, the colour green was long considered to bring bad fortune. The reason is that, in Irish folklore, green is the favourite color of the Good People (the proper name for fairies). Myths run that they are likely to steal people, especially children, who wear too much of the colour. In the past, a girl would never wear anything green on her wedding day.

Christmas is a very important celebration in Ireland. People try to keep the old Irish customs. After dinner on Christmas Eve, it is still common for families to leave milk and bread on the table as a sign of friendliness and kindness. Another custom is to leave the door unlocked. A lit candle is left in a window during the night. It represents help for any traveller who is passing by.

Irish people enjoy good and substantial food. The basis for many traditional Irish dishes is potatoes which are eaten boiled, mashed, fried and baked. Potatoes are mixed with cabbage or green onions to make traditional Irish dishes. They are also made into potato cakes and used in soups or stews. It’s common to find potatoes cooked in two different ways on the same dinner plate.

In Ireland it is believed that shamrock brings good fortune to everyone. It helps in different situations and saves its owner from bad luck. There are certain conditions to be met so that its power remains strong: the owner of the shamrock must keep it away from the public eye and never give it to anyone else.

Ireland is known as the native land of limericks – short humorous poems that have five lines. Theymake people laugh and are easy to remember! Lots of poets and writers were fond of limericks. The word limerick probably comes from the Irish town of Limerick. The short poem has made the town known all over the world.