ESL WORKSHEET - The arrival of spring in the world

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

SPRING CELEBRATIONS 

LinguaHouse

Apr. 25, 2025

Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Celebrations and Commemorations; Celebrations and Special Events; Beliefs, Religion and Superstition; People and Places; Article Based; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 04/25/2025

In this lesson plan, students read about celebrations to welcome the arrival of spring around the world. Reading and speaking skills are the primary focus, supported by activities on key words and phrases, and understanding the text. The lesson ends with an activity for students to talk about spring celebrations in their own countries.

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Speaker: Spring celebrations. People around the world celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of a new season in distinctly different ways. Some of these festivals date back thousands of years, whilst others are new additions to the spring calendar.
1. Marzanna - Northern Slavic countries. Celebrated around the 21st of March, the tradition of burning or drowning a figure of Marzanna to mark the end of winter survives in the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The figure can be as small as a puppet or the size of a human. Children often throw this decorated figure in a river during school field trips. The ritual represents the end of the dark days of winter, victory over death, and spring: the time for rebirth.
2. Sechstleuten - Switzerland. This Swiss festival includes the tradition of burning an 11-foot snowman filled with straw, cotton and dynamite. The rate at which the snowman, named Boogg, burns indicates what the summer weather will be like. The faster the fire reaches the head of the snowman, the better the forecast. The longer it takes to explode, the wetter the summer will be. The name of the festival translates to "the six-o-clock ringing of the bells", referring to the time in the 16th century when craftsmen worked to around 5 pm in the winter. When spring arrived, church bells were rung, and people worked until the sun went down at 6 pm.
3. Floriade Festival - Australia. This relatively new tradition takes place in Australia’s capital, Canberra, where more than 400,000 people flock to a massive flower festival every spring. The month-long celebration starts in September, the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. More than one million blooms are on show in Canberra’s Commonwealth Park each year, creating a breathtaking display of spring color. The festival also offers concerts, art displays and gardening workshops.
4. Nowruz - Iran. This festival starts off the Iranian New Year and falls on the same day as the beginning of spring. Meaning "The New Day" in Persian, it is celebrated in several countries and by people of different religions. Its origins come from ancient ideas which stress the connection between humanity and nature. Today, Iranians celebrate Nowruz over 13 days by extensively cleaning their homes, buying new clothes, and visiting friends and family. On the thirteenth day of the festival, families eat a picnic outside to show that they don’t believe in the bad luck associated with the number 13.
5. Spring Equinox at the El Castillo Pyramid - Mexico. Thousands of years ago, the Mayans celebrated the Return of the Sun Serpent at the beginning of spring. Now, every year on the 20th or 21st of March, thousands of people gather together at the El Castillo pyramid in the middle of the Chichen Itza archaeological site to do the same. Between 9 a.m. and 1 pm, participants climb the 360 steps to the top of the pyramid. During the equinox in spring and autumn, the late afternoon sun casts a shadow over the pyramid, creating the illusion of a snake slithering down it.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/spring-celebrations. Accessed on May 19, 2025. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2025. All rights reserved.