What would you tell your foreign friends about traditional Russian holidays and celebrations? What do you think your British friends will tell you about their traditional holidays and celebrations?

Every country has its own national holidays and festivals. First of all, I would tell my foreign friends about the most popular and favourite holiday in Russia -New Year's Day. Russian people have some traditions of celebrating this holiday. They begin to prepare for the holiday beforehand. They decorate a New Year tree and put presents under it. At 10 o'clock they see the Old Year off and when the Kremlin clock strikes 12, they see the New Year in. In our country New Year’ Day is a family festival. All the family and relatives gather at holiday table and say to one another: "Best wishes for the New Year! The New Year's Day is always connected with our new hopes and dreams. Everybody hopes that the new year will be better than the last one and enjoys this holiday very much! The greatest national holiday in Russia is Victory Day which is celebrated on the 9-th of May. On this Day in 1945 the Soviet Army completely defeated the German Fascists and the Great Patriotic War ended. We lost 30 million people during this war. 1Many veterans meet on this day and they participate in the military parade on Red Square. The other popular holidays in Russia when people all over the country don't work, are: Christmas, Day of the Defender of Motherland, Women's Day. As for traditional holidays in Britain, I think, the most popular is Christmas Day, which is celebrated on December, 25. English people pay much more attention to Christmas than to New Year. Most cities are decorated with coloured lights and beautiful Christmas trees. The biggest Christmas tree stands on Trafalgar Square in London. On Christmas Day the family usually meets for a traditional dinner of turkey and Christmas pudding and everyone gives and receives presents. I think, my British friends would also tell me about such traditional festivals as Saint Valentine's Day, Hallowe'en, April Fool's Day, Guy Fawkes Day. Some of these festivals have become popular in Russia too, for example, St. Valentine's Day and Hallowe'en.

My town.

The first report about Dubossary is mentioned in the 18^th century documents. It appeared in 1702.

The name originated as a result of the convergence of Slave word “dubass” which denominated boards gouged from oak and of Moldavian suffix “ar” pointing out the kind of work of people, i. e. those who build “dubasses”.

In 1795 Dubossary acquired the status of a town and soon become known as a center of trade and handicraft.

In the beginning of the 19^th century the Decembrists A. P. Yushnevsky and I. I. Sukhinov used to visit Dubossary and in November of 1820 A. S. Pushkin put up at the town on his way from Kishinev to Kamenka.

A prominent Russian surgeon, professor of the Moscow University N. V. Skliphosovsky was born in Dubossary.

In 1912 the first large enterprise – the tobacco plant – was inaugurated there.

The victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution provided the Moldavian people with ample opportunities for cultural development. Liquidation of illiteracy became the most urgent task. By 1940 24 seven-year and 9 secondary schools were opened in the district.

The stories, told by the citizens of Dubossary who miraculously servived in the years of fascist occupation are full of horrific details.

And then came the long-awaited day of liberation. On April 12, 1944 the Red Army liberated Dubossary.

In 1954 the Power Station was put into operation.

Dubossary changed beyond recognition during last decades. New dwelling quarters are built, streets smother in trees and flowers, a new man-made lake was created.

Modern Dubossary is the town of builders and workers of the sewing industry, machine-builders and motorists, wine-makers and food-industry workers.