Last Updated on August 8, 2025
An IELTS Cue Card for the question “Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country” is featured in this IELTS Speaking Cue Card blog. In the IELTS Speaking test, you are assessed across three parts: the introduction, the cue card task, and the follow-up discussion. You get 11 to 15 minutes to display your fluency, coherence, and vocabulary. This IELTS speaking blog includes three model answers along with follow-up questions, related IELTS Cue Card topics, and a vocabulary list to help you prepare with confidence.
Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country
You should say:
- When it is celebrated
- What people do during this festival
- What you like or dislike about it
- And explain why this festival is important in your country
Model Answer 1: Diwali – Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country
Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country.
Among its countless celebrations, I would unquestionably single out Diwali, the Festival of Lights, as the traditional festival that rises above the rest.
When it is celebrated
Obviously, the exact date of Diwali varies, falling in October or November, according to the Hindu lunar calendar. The festival customarily spans five days, of which the third day is regarded as the most significant.
What people do during this festival
People tidy up their homes and spruce them up with lamps, candles, and rangoli. They don new attire, set off firecrackers, pass around sweets, and carry out religious rites to worship Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
What you love or don’t like about it
I am thrilled by the vibrant décor and all-around festive spirit. Yet I hate the deafening blast and the adverse air pollution released from the firecrackers.
Why the festival is significant
Diwali commemorates the triumph of light over darkness and of good over evil. Because it unites families and communities, it carries profound cultural and emotional importance throughout India.
Conclusion
Diwali is more than a mere observance; it stirs an emotion that binds people of every faith, every corner of the country, and every generation.
Model Answer 2: Pongal – Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country
Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country.
In the southern region of India—particularly Tamil Nadu—Pongal, a harvest festival, occupies a place of utmost importance.
When it is celebrated
The celebration happens in mid-January, most often from the 14th to the 17th, heralding the beginning of the Tamil month Thai.
What people do during this festival
Families cook the season’s first grain of rice and allow it to spill over from the pot, a sign of abundance. Families cook staples like sweet pongal, deck out cattle in colourful ornaments, and don traditional clothing.
What you love or don’t like about it
I appreciate Pongal’s simple rural ambience and its profound cultural foundations. My only gripe is that the celebration is celebrated mostly in a small number of regions.
Why the festival is significant
It pays homage to nature and to India’s farmers, both of which are critical in this predominantly agrarian nation. It is also one of the scant occasions which expresses gratitude toward the Sun God and the Earth.
Conclusion
Pongal urges us to honour nature and value the food before us.
Model Answer 3: Eid – Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country
Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country.
Eid is likewise a major traditional festival celebrated by India’s Muslim community, marking a day of prayer, gratitude, and communal bonding.
When it is celebrated
There are two Eids—Eid al-Fitr, observed after the month of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, marking about two months later. The precise dates shift in accordance with the lunar calendar.
What people do during this festival
If it falls on a Friday, Muslims attend Eid prayers at their mosques, don new attire, exchange “Eid Mubarak” greetings, and sit down to a festive feast featuring dishes such as biryani and seviyan. A substantial element of the celebration is charitable giving.
What you love or don’t like about it
I’m especially fond of the atmosphere of communal solidarity and selfless sharing that characterises Eid. All are welcoming, and food is generously shared with relatives, neighbours, and the poor. To be perfectly honest, I simply can’t bring to mind anything I dislike about it.
Why the festival is significant
Eid nurtures values of discipline, empathy, and sharing. It draws adherents of varied faiths together and fosters a mood of unity.
Conclusion
Eid vividly showcases India’s diversity and the harmony that exists among its communities.
Follow-up Questions to “Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country.”
Why do people so enjoy traditional festivals?
They permit people to honor their culture, strengthen family bonds, and pause from their everyday routine.
In what ways do festivals mirror a nation’s culture?
By presenting the nation’s religious beliefs, time-honoured customs, distinctive cuisine, vibrant art, and core values, festivals act as a reflection of its identity.
Do you believe that traditional festivals evolve along with time?
Yes, many festivals have grown increasingly commercial, and customary traditions are frequently supplanted by modern variations.
Should the celebration of traditional festivals become part of the school curriculum?
Absolutely. It allows them to connect with their roots and to appreciate the significance of unity and diversity.
How crucial are traditional festivals to fostering national unity?
Indeed, they unite people and call to mind a shared history and set of values, thereby reinforcing national identity.
Vocabulary List – “Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country.”
Use these words and phrases naturally in your speaking answers to the IELTS Speaking Cue Card, to boost your lexical resource band score.
Word / Phrase | Meaning / Usage |
Culturally significant | Something important to a group’s culture |
Observed annually | Celebrated every year |
Festive atmosphere | A joyful and celebratory mood |
Religious rituals | Ceremonial actions connected to faith |
Community bonding | Bringing people together socially |
Traditional attire | Clothes typically worn during festivals |
Symbolises prosperity | Represents wealth and growth |
Spiritual significance | Deeper religious or emotional meaning |
Harvest season | Time when crops are gathered |
Cultural heritage | Traditions passed down through generations |
Conclusion
Read responses in this IELTS speaking blog, to the IELTS Cue Card “Describe a traditional festival that is important in your country” to guide how you structure your answer. Working through a diverse array of cue cards can enhance your fluency, expand your vocabulary, and bolster your confidence. When seeking expert guidance, partner with Admissify—your trusted mentor in IELTS success and global admissions.
Related IELTS Cue Card topics
Here is a list of other IELTS Cue Card topics that you can follow and the IELTS speaking blog written on them, as a guide for how to structure your answer:
- Describe something you taught to your friend/relative
- Describe a Historical Building You Have Been To
- Describe a Book That You Read Many Times
- Describe an Item of Clothing Someone Gave You
- Describe an Invention That Is Useful In Daily Life
- Describe a Place Where There Was a Lot of Noise
FAQs
Diwali is commonly regarded as the foremost traditional festival in India, emblematic of the triumph of light over darkness.
Indians commemorate the celebrations through prayers, elaborate decorations, cultural rituals, family gatherings, and festive food.
They uphold cultural values, fortify social ties, and transmit traditions to future generations.
Certainly, religious festivals are perfectly acceptable—when you describe them respectfully, they signal cultural awareness.
Give its name, importance, the ways in which it’s commemorated, your own experience of it, and the reasons it holds significance for you.

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