Describe a festival or celebration you enjoy
A full Band 9 model answer for this IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card, with the key vocabulary it uses, three Part 3 follow-up answers, and an examiner note on why it scores so highly.
Describe a festival or celebration you enjoy.
You should say:
- what the festival is
- when it takes place
- what people do during it
and explain why you enjoy this festival in particular.
You get 1 minute to prepare and should speak for 1-2 minutes. Try it yourself first, then compare with the model answer below.
Band 9 sample answer
The celebration I look forward to most every year is Diwali, the festival of lights, which is easily the biggest event in my family's calendar.
It falls in autumn, usually around October or November depending on the lunar calendar, and it stretches over several days rather than a single one, which I think is part of its charm. The build-up is almost as enjoyable as the festival itself.
In terms of what people do, the customs are wonderfully varied. Homes are scrubbed from top to bottom and then decorated with rows of little oil lamps and intricate patterns made of coloured powder on the doorstep. Families come together for enormous meals, exchange sweets and gifts, and in the evening the whole sky lights up with fireworks. Underlying all of it is a lovely symbolism — the idea of light triumphing over darkness, and good over evil.
The reason I am so fond of it is not really the spectacle, although that is undeniably beautiful. It is that Diwali is one of the few occasions that reliably brings the whole extended family back under one roof, including relatives I might not otherwise see all year. In our increasingly busy and scattered lives, having a fixed point in the calendar that pulls everyone together feels increasingly precious. For me, that sense of connection and continuity is what the festival is really about, far more than the lights or the food.
Key vocabulary used
The collocations and idiomatic phrases above that lift the answer into Band 9 lexical resource.
- the build-up
- the period of preparation and anticipation
- scrubbed from top to bottom
- cleaned thoroughly
- light triumphing over darkness
- good defeating evil (a symbolic idea)
- undeniably beautiful
- beautiful in a way no one could dispute
- under one roof
- in the same house, together
- a fixed point in the calendar
- a reliable annual occasion
Part 3 follow-up questions
The examiner develops the topic with more abstract discussion questions. Here is how a Band 9 candidate might answer.
Why are traditional festivals important to a society?
They serve as a kind of social glue. Festivals pass down shared values and history from one generation to the next, and they give people a collective identity and a sense of belonging. In a fast-changing world, these recurring traditions provide stability and a reassuring link to the past.
Have festivals changed compared with the past?
Yes, quite noticeably. Many have become more commercialised, with a heavier emphasis on shopping and spectacle than on their original meaning. Technology has changed them too — people now share celebrations online rather than only in person. Some of the authenticity may have been diluted, but the core function of bringing people together has largely survived.
Should festivals from other cultures be celebrated in a country?
I am very much in favour of it. Exposure to other cultures' festivals broadens people's horizons and fosters mutual understanding, which is increasingly valuable in diverse societies. As long as it is done respectfully rather than superficially, sharing celebrations is one of the most enjoyable ways to build bridges between communities.
Why this is a Band 9 answer
Band 9 features: rich descriptive lexis, accurate present-tense generalisation, clear paragraphing of the three bullets, and a conclusion that elevates the answer from description to genuine personal reflection.
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