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Birthday — День рождения

«What will you do on your birthday?» Most Americans celebrate their birthdays on the day on which they were born.
Like in Russia, friends and relatives share in the celebration. However, unlike in Russia, birthday parties have a more spontaneous, less planned guest list and agenda, and there is no particular attempt made to venerate one’s guests with vast quantities of gourmet treats (A birthday person is not expected to spend his special day in the kitchen!). Something simple but elegant (not something you would eat any day) and a nice bottle of wine will suffice for this occasion.
In the United States an adult person having a birthday feels no particular social obligation to invite guests home for festivities. This time and space is usually reserved for the immediate family and close family friends. Co-workers may have an impromptu group gathering at coffee break time with cake and ice cream and a small gift for which all have contributed. Or they may shout

a ‘birthday lunch’ at a nearby restaurant for the special person or go out for drinks after work.
Children may bring cupcakes and candy to school or distribute invitations to their classmates for a party to be held at their home.
A cake is baked, group games are played, and prizes and souvenirs are passed out to all of the guests. Cone-shaped paper birthday hats may be worn and noise makers passed out to everyone present. Serving of the ornately decorated birthday cake is the highlight of the birthday celebration for the guests. First the cake is equipped with candles, one candle for each year of the birthday person’s life. Then the candles are lit and everyone sings «Happy Birthday to You,» after which the special person makes a ‘secret wish’ and blows the candles out.
The custom of putting candles on a birthday cake is said to have started about 200 years ago in Germany, renowned for its high-quality candles.
It was considered good luck to blow out all of the candles in one blow. Now it is considered as assurance that the birthday wish will come true. The custom
of singing «Happy Birthday to You» began about 100 years ago in America when Mildred and Patty Hill made up the song which has since become a big hit and attracted lots of humorous variations.
For the birthday person the highlight of the celebration is often quite conspicuously the opening of the birthday presents. Now, more and more, this custom is reserved for the very formal gift-giving occasion of the wedding.
The most common way to wish someone a happy birthday, however, is with a simple birthday card, a custom that began in England about 100 years ago.
Some typical examples of simple birthday greetings are:
«On your mark, get ready, go! It’s time for you to steal the show! Happy Birthday!»
«Today’s your day, so stay tuned in for birthday fun that makes you grin!»
«You’re № 1, so have fun on your special day! — Happy Birthday!»
They serve as testimony to the fact that in the United States the focus is definitely on the individual, at least on that one very special birthday each year.

День рождения

Что вы обычно делаете на ваш день рождения? Большинство американцев отмечают свой день рождения в день, когда они родились.
Как и в России, к празднованию присоединяются друзья и родственники. Однако, в отличие от России, вечеринки в честь этого дня имеют более спонтанный характер, список приглашенных гостей и программа также менее запланированы. Что касается стола, виновник праздника не проводит весь день на кухне, пытаясь удовлетворить гастрономические вкусы некоторых из гостей. Просто, но со вкусом. Что-то необычное, что вы не едите каждый день и, конечно же, бутылка хорошего вина, этого должно быть достаточно.
В США, у взрослого человека нет светской обязанности, приглашать кого-либо для домашнего празднества. В этот день время проводят в семейном кругу и в кругу близких друзей семьи. Сотрудники могут, не планируя заранее пойти с вами в кафе и съесть торт или мороженное и вручить вам общий подарок. Они также могут заказать праздничный обед в близлежащем ресторане для этого человека, или же просто выпить с ним где-нибудь после работы.
Дети могут принести конфеты в школу или раздать одноклассникам приглашения на вечеринку, которая состоится дома.
Пекут торт, играют в групповые игры, всем гостям вручают призы и сувениры. Можно надеть праздничные конусообразные бумажные шляпы, всем присутствующим раздают шумихи. Момент подачи торта с украшениями — главный момент праздника для всех собравшихся. Торт украшен свечками, по одной на каждый год жизни. Свечи зажигаются, все говорят «с днем рождения!», виновник празднества загадывает желание про себя и задувает свечи.
Говорят, что традиция задувания свечей зародилась около 200 лет назад в Германии, славившейся тогда качеством своих свечей.
Считалось, что удача будет сопутствовать вам, если вам удастся задуть все свечи сразу за один раз. Сейчас это считается гарантией того, что загаданное желание сбудется. Традиция петь «С днем рождения тебя…» зародилась около ста лет назад в Америке, после того, как Милдред и Патти Хилл сочинили песню, которая сначала стала большим хитом, затем последовало множество ее юмористических переделок. Для человека, у которого день рождения в этот день, самым приятным моментом является, наверное, момент разворачивания подарков. Сейчас этой традиции придерживаются только на свадьбах и то, в довольно формальном виде.
Самый распространенный способ поздравления с днем рождения — обычная открытка, этот обычай зародился в Англии примерно сто лет назад.
Самые распространенные виды поздравительных открыток на день рождения:
«На старт, приготовиться, пошел! Настало твое время! — С днем рождения!»
«Сегодня твой день! Оставайся в хорошем настроении и веселись!»
«Ты сегодня — номер один, так что веселись в этот день! — С днем рождения!»
Открытки свидетельствуют, что в США внимание в этот день сосредоточено на конкретном человеке, по крайней мере, в этот особенный день в каждом году.

Questions:

1. What will you do on your birthday?
2. How do most Americans celebrate their birthdays?
3. What is the difference in birthday parties in America and in your country?
4. When did the custom of putting candles on a birthday cake start?
5. When did the custom of singing «Happy Birthday to You » begin?
6. What is the most common way to wish someone a happy birthday?

Vocabulary:

To venerate — благоговеть, чтить
to suffice — быть достаточным, хватать
impromptu — импрорвизированный
highlight — основной момент
assurance — гарантия, уверенность
conspicuous — видный, заметный
steal the show — затмить всех
to grin — улыбаться
testimony — свидетельство

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