# Describe a festival or celebration you enjoy: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Events

Describe a festival or celebration that you enjoy.

You should say:
- what the festival is
- when it takes place
- how people celebrate it
- and explain why you enjoy it

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

The festival I'd like to talk about is Tihar, which is one of the biggest festival in Nepal. Some people call it the festival of lights. It usually takes place on October or November, depending on the lunar calendar, and it lasts for five days.

What's unusual about Tihar is that each day has a different meaning. On the first day people honour crows, and on the second day it's dogs, so people put a flower garland around dogs' necks, give them a red tika on the forehead and feed them special food. Even street dogs get treated like kings that day, which I love. The third day is for cows and it's also Laxmi Puja, when we worship the goddess of wealth. Everyone cleans the house, decorates it with marigold flowers and puts oil lamps and candles everywhere, so the whole city is glowing at night. In the evenings, groups of young people go from house to house singing traditional songs, called deusi and bhailo, and people give them money or food. The last day is Bhai Tika, when sisters put a colourful tika on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long life, and brothers give them gifts.

I enjoy Tihar because it brings my whole family together. My brother lives in another city, but he always comes home for Bhai Tika, so it's one of the few times in the year when we're all in the same house. Also, I like that it's very beautiful and peaceful, with all the lights and flowers. And of course, there's a lot of delicious food, especially sel roti, which is a kind of sweet fried bread my mother makes.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer explains the festival accurately and in a well-ordered day-by-day structure, adding personal detail about the brother and the mother's cooking. Vocabulary such as "honour", "worship", "garland" and "glowing" is used appropriately, and phrases like "treated like kings" add colour. The description becomes a long list in places, linking at the end relies on "Also" and "And of course", and there are typical errors: "one of the biggest festival" (rather than "festivals") and "on October or November" (rather than "in"). For Band 8, the speaker would summarise the customs more selectively and explain their meaning with more precise, idiomatic language.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-your-favourite-festival).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.