Speaking Part 2 · EventsIn the May–Aug 2026 forecast
Describe a Festival You Celebrate
In short
“Describe a Festival You Celebrate” is a common IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card. You get 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1–2 minutes, covering all four points below. This page gives you a Band 9 model answer, an idea map so you can make it your own, the Part 3 follow-up questions with answers, and the vocabulary examiners reward.
The task card
Describe a Festival You Celebrate. You should say:
- •What the festival is
- •When it takes place
- •What people do during it
- •And explain why it is important to you
Band 9 model answer
The festival I'd like to describe is the festival of lights that we celebrate at home — it's easily the biggest and most joyful event in our calendar, and the whole country more or less stops for it.
It falls in autumn, around October or November depending on the lunar calendar, and it runs for several days. In the run-up, people deep-clean and decorate their homes, string up rows of little lamps and lights, and the markets get absolutely packed with sweets, gifts, and new clothes.
During the festival itself, families get together — often travelling long distances to do so — share enormous meals, exchange gifts, and light lamps in the evening so entire streets glow. There are fireworks, and a real sense of hospitality; people visit neighbours they might not see all year.
The reason it means so much to me is less about the religious side and more about what it represents: it's the one time everyone in my extended family is in the same place at the same time. In a world where everyone is scattered and busy, that guaranteed reunion is something I hold dear. It also connects me to traditions my grandparents kept, so celebrating it feels like keeping a small part of them alive — which is exactly why I look forward to it every single year.
Make it your own: three angles
A cultural or religious festival
Richest option — explain it clearly for an examiner who may not know it, and tie "why it matters" to family and tradition.
A harvest or seasonal festival
Good for describing customs and food; lean on the community angle.
A modern national holiday
Workable, but push past "we get a day off" to a genuine personal reason.
What the examiner is listening for
A cultural topic rewards clear, listener-friendly explanation — assume the examiner may not know your festival, so describe it vividly. Use the present simple for what happens each year and evaluative language for why it matters to you; a personal reason ('the one time my family gathers') beats a generic 'it's fun'.
Part 1 warm-up questions
- Are festivals important in your country?
- Do you enjoy celebrations?
- What is your favourite public holiday?
- Do you think traditional festivals are changing?
Part 3 follow-up questions & answers
Why are festivals important in a society?
They give people a shared rhythm and identity — a reason to pause ordinary life, gather, and pass traditions to the next generation. Festivals also strengthen community bonds, because they bring together people who might otherwise rarely meet, which matters more as daily life gets busier and more scattered.
Do you think traditional festivals are losing their meaning?
In some ways — commercialisation has turned parts of many festivals into shopping events, and younger people may keep the customs without the original beliefs. But I'd argue the core function, bringing people together, survives even when the meaning shifts, so they adapt rather than simply fade.
Should festivals be public holidays?
For major cultural festivals, yes — it lets families actually travel and gather, which is the whole point. A country can't make every festival a holiday, though, so there's a fair debate about which ones, especially in diverse societies where different communities value different days.
How has technology changed the way people celebrate?
Considerably. People now send greetings by message rather than in person, share celebrations on social media, and even attend some events virtually. It keeps distant relatives connected, which is lovely, but it can also thin out the face-to-face contact that made festivals special in the first place.
Do festivals bring communities together?
Generally yes — they create shared experiences and reasons to interact across ages and backgrounds. A neighbourhood that celebrates together tends to feel more connected. That said, festivals can also highlight divisions if some groups feel excluded, so inclusive celebration matters.
Is it important to preserve traditional celebrations?
I think so — they carry a community's history, values, and sense of identity, which are easily lost once a generation stops practising them. Preserving them doesn't mean freezing them, though; the healthiest traditions evolve while keeping their essential meaning intact.
Useful vocabulary
| Word / phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to get together | to meet as a group, especially family |
| festive | cheerful and celebratory |
| to hold (something) dear | to value something greatly |
| to take part in | to join or participate in |
| deep-rooted | firmly established over a long time |
| hospitality | friendly, generous treatment of guests |
| to look forward to | to feel excited about a future event |
| to mark the occasion | to do something special to celebrate an event |
| to bring people together | to unite people socially |
| to keep a tradition alive | to continue practising a custom |
More cue cards
Describe a Person You Admire
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