SAINT PATRICK'S DAY 2014

Once again it's Saint Patrick's Day, the Patron Saint of Ireland and as Irish people are all over the world, this day is celebrated in many places... Here are links to more information about this day:

- Previous St PATRICK'S DAYS @ ClickOnEnglish.

- Official St PATRICK'S DAY webpage.

Video "St PATRICK'S 2014":

St Patrick's Day 2014 #IrelandInspires highlighting the qualities that makes Ireland a special place will be played for audiences gathering for Irish Embassy events across the globe this St Patrick's Day.
Video "GO GREEN FOR St PATRICK'S DAY":


Video "CHICAGO: Greening the river on St Patrick's Day 2014":

Coruña goes green again in 2014 on St Patrick's Eve:

The Hercules Tower Lighthouse (above) & Cuatro Caminos Fountain (below)

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!

IT'S CARNIVAL TIME HERE... BUT NOT IN NOTTING HILL (LONDON)

These days we're about to celebrate Carnival, like in Cádiz, Tenerife, Venice, Rio de Janeiro and many other places... In Britain Carnival is also celebrated, but not now. Bad weather could be the reason, Britain celebrates Carnival in summer, more exactly during August, and Britain's most famous Carnival celebrations are held in Notting Hill (London).

Before we go to Notting Hill, let's check up with some basic Carnival vocabulary in this first video:

The Notting Hill Carnival taking place in West London each year is Europe's biggest street festival. For two days at the end of the month of August, the members of the West Indian community flock the streets of Notting Hill in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea for one of the biggest celebration on the planet. The carnival has lived in the area since the 60s and is today attracting over a million people a year. If you are looking for a vibrant celebration, with plenty of sound systems for street dancing and numerous Caribbean food stalls serving up jerk chicken, then the Notting Hill Carnival is the place to be.

Video:

Link to more about Carnival on previous posts in this blog:

- IT'S CARNIVAL TIME (2010)

- MARDI GRAS OR FAT TUESDAY (2011)

- CARNIVAL AROUND THE WORLD (2013)

- SHROVE TUESDAY-PANCAKE DAY (2013)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

ALL THE BEST OF LUCK IN THIS NEW YEAR FOR EVERYONE!

WORLD TEACHER'S DAY 2013

Once again, it's Teachers' Day. We remember previous post of this day in our blog.
- 2012.
- 2011.
- 2010.
- 2009.

Link to the official UNESCO website: WORLD TEACHER' DAY.
Link to unesco.org.

EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES 2013

The European Day of Languages is celebrated today, 26th September, as proclaimed by the Council of Europe on 6 December 2001, at the end of the European Year of Languages (2001), which had been jointly organised by the Council of Europe and the European Union. Its aim is to encourage language learning across Europe.

The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to:

• alert the public to the importance of language learning and diversify the range of languages learned in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;
• promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;
• encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

In keeping with these rules, people, young and old, are encouraged to take up a language, or take special pride in their existing language skills. Also, those responsible for providing access to language learning are encouraged to make it easier for people to learn a range of languages, and to support policy initiatives to promote languages.

There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe – roughly 3% of the world's total. Most of the European languages are of Indo-European origin. Since the end of the 18th century, the most widespread language of Europe (both in terms of geography and the number of native speakers) has been Russian, which replaced French. Counting only native speakers, approximately 150 million Europeans speak Russian on a daily basis, followed by German (approx. 95 mil.), Turkish (approx. 80 mil.), English and French (each by 65 mil.), Italian (60 mil.), Spanish and Polish (40 mil. each), Ukrainian (30 mil.) and Romanian (26 mil.). As far as foreign language studies are concerned, English is currently the most popular foreign language in Europe, followed by German, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

Video "European Day of Languages":

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

HAPPY EASTER, HAVE A NICE HOLIDAY!

HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAYS

FROM 23rd MARCH TILL 1st APRIL

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS & THE BEGINNING OF SPRING

In 2012, the United Nations (UN) declared March 20 to be observed as the International Day of Happiness.

Aim

The day recognizes that happiness is a fundamental human goal, and calls upon countries to approach public policies in ways that improve the well being of all peoples.

By designating a special day for happiness, the UN aims to focus world attention on the idea that economic growth must be inclusive, equitable, and balanced, such that it promotes sustainable development, and alleviates poverty. Additionally the UN acknowledges that in order to attain global happiness, economic development must be accompanied by social and environmental well being.

Background

The initiative to declare a day of happiness came from Bhutan – a country whose citizens are considered to be some of the happiest people in the world. The Himalayan Kingdom has championed an alternative measure of national and societal prosperity, called the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH). The GNH rejects the sole use of economic and material wealth as an indicator of development, and instead adopts a more holistic outlook, where spiritual well being of citizens and communities is given as much importance as their material well being.

Did you know?

The March Equinox, also known as the Spring Equinox, often falls on March 20th as well, Spring starts today so that may bring us happiness.

MORE ON BEING HAPPY @ BEHAPPYDAY.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days, like here in Spain where it's today March, 19th.

Audio+lyrics "COUNT ON ME", Bruno Mars:

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY 2013, IRELAND!

Torre de Hercules became green on 17th March 2013, too.

LINK TO A St. PATRICK'S e-card.

Everything's GREEN on Saint Patrick's Day, the Patron Saint of Ireland. This year even Coruña's Hercules Tower turned green (see photos above).

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. 

On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast--on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish. From leprechauns to the color green, find out how symbols we now associate with St. Patrick's Day came to be, and learn about a few that are purely American invention.

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Irish Music

Music is often associated with St. Patrick's Day—and Irish culture in general. From ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs. Today, traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem are gaining worldwide popularity. Their music is produced with instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass or aluminum) and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare rather than music).

The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow."Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill, the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.

More than 100 St. Patrick's Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.

At the annual New York City St. Patrick's Day parade, participants march up 5th Avenue from 44th Street to 86th Street. Each year, between 150,000 and 250,000 marchers take part in the parade, which does not allow automobiles or floats.

Video "10 FACTS ABOUT St. PATRICK'S DAY":

Video traditional Irish music:

INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY 2013: "A PROMISE IS A PROMISE: TIME FOR ACTION TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN"

Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women's Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.

 International Women's Day was first observed as a popular event after 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.

The UN theme for International Women's Day 2013 is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women," while International Women's Day 2013 has declared the year's theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.

TODAY'S SHROVE TUESDAY & IT'S PANCAKE DAY

Today's 12th February and it's Shorve Tuesday or also Pancake Day. It's the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent starts. It's the day when pancakes are cooked and eaten here in Galicia and in England, too. In England, they also hold pancake races where you have to run and arrive first to the finishing line while flipping a pancake in a frying pan.

Video  PANCAKE DAY & PANCAKE RACE:

Links to more info on Shrove Tuesday and Pancake Day:

- SHROVE TUESDAY OR PANCAKE DAY.

- BRITANNICA ACTIVITIES ON PANCAKES.

- GAME: FLIP-A-PANCAKE.

CARNIVAL 2013. CARNIVAL AROUND THE WORLD

It's Carnival time once again. This year is quite early, beginning of February. Enjoy it!

[Here's information taken from publicholiday.org]

What is Carnaval or Mardi Gras?

Carnaval or Mardi Gras is a festive season typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.

The festival culminates in Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday, which is the day before Ash Wednesday. The date is dependent on that of Easter, and thus can vary from as early as 3 February to as late as 9 March.

Carnaval is a popular festival in Brazil and many other Catholic countries. While in recent years Carnaval has grown in popularity as a raucous, hedonistic event, its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the “last hurrah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.

Origins of The Name

Origins of the word Carnaval or Carnival is disputed, but many believes it comes from the Italian words “carne levare”, literally means “to remove meat”, since meat is prohibited during Lent.

Mardi Gras literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French. The name comes from the tradition of slaughtering and feasting upon a fattened calf on the last day of Carnival.

When is Carnaval 2013 / Mardi Gras 2013?

Date of Carnaval 2013 / Mardi Gras 2013

The culmination of Carnaval 2013 / Mardi Gras 2013 / Carnival 2013 is on Fat Tuesday, 12 February 2012 . Carnaval celebrations are usually started from days or even weeks before, with celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago start from as early as December.

Date of Carnaval 2012 / Mardi Gras 2012

The culmination of Carnaval 2012 / Mardi Gras 2012 / Carnival 2012 is on Fat Tuesday, 21 February 2012 .

Carnivals Around The World

Best & Most Popular Carnivals / Carnaval in The World

Some of the most popular Carnaval in the world are Mardi Gras of New Orleans, the Carnival of Venice, Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, Caribana in Canada and The Carnival in the Caribbean in Trinidad & Tobago. The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Christian Lent season every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.

Carnaval de Uruguay 2013

The Carnival in Uruguay is the longest carnival in the world, with more than 40 days of celebration, with celebrations in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, being the largest and brightest.

During the forty days of festival, popular theaters called tablados are built in throughout the cities, especially in Montevideo. Traditionally formed by men but now are also open to women, the different Carnival groups called mainly Murgas, Lubolos or Parodistas perform a kind of popular opera at the tablados, singing and dancing songs that generally relate to social reality and political situation in the country.

Carnival in Uruguay is performed in the European parade style with elements from Bantu and Angolan Benguela cultures imported with slaves in colonial times. The main attractions of Uruguayan Carnival include two colorful parades called Desfile de Carnaval (Carnival Parade) and Desfile de Llamadas (Calls Parade – re-enactment of what happened during the colonial period).

Mardi Gras 2013 in New Orleans, USA

New Orleans is Mardi Gras capital of the United States. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is music, parades, picnics, floats, excitement and one big holiday. Everyone is wearing purple, green, and gold; and adorned with long beads caught from the beautiful floats. They sit on the ground throwing balls, playing music, having a picnic, and watching the crowds walk by between parades.

All of the businesses and roads are practically shut down. People dressed in colorful & fancy costumes are walking everywhere and meeting new friends. Kids are everywhere, and they love it!

New Orleans Mardi Gras 2013 will start from late January till Tuesday, 12 February 2013. 

2013 Carnaval in Brazil

Carnival is the biggest and most famous event in Brazil. The whole country stops completely for almost a week. Festivities and celebrations are intense, day and night, in the whole country. It is reported that the consumption of beer during carnival accounts for 80% of Brazil’s annual consumption and Brazil tourism receives 70% of annual visitors during and around the carnival.

Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another. In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, huge organized parades are led by samba schools. Those official parades are watched by the public, while minor parades (“blocos”) allowing public participation can be found in other cities.

The northeastern cities of Salvador, Porto Seguro and Recife have organized groups parading through streets, and public interacts directly with them. Also in northeast, Olinda carnival features unique characteristics, part influenced by Venice Carnival mixed with cultural depictions of local folklore.

The Carnival in Rio is the biggest Carnival in Brazil and is a very interesting one. It is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings are much more expensive during the carnival period. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.

Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2013 dates: Friday, 8 February 2013 until Tuesday, 12 February 2013.

Carnival in Italy

Of of the most famous carnival in Italy and Europe is held in Venice. The main characteristics of Venice’s Venetian Carnival is the emphasis on distinctive masks, with one of the most important events is the contest for the best mask.

Venice Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Marted? Grasso), the day before Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras in France

In France, the most popular Carnival is the Mardi Gras Parade of Place Massena in Nice. The event attracts over a million visitors to Nice every year. The Carnival spans a two week period with the final day on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), each year carrying a different theme, displayed in papier mache figures.

Often dressed in masks and big headed caricature costumes, the people of Nice take the time of the Mardi Gras to enjoy themselves, lighten up and taking part in the feasts, drinks, dancing and parades across the city of Nice.

Carnival in Netherland / Nederland

In the Netherlands, the Carnivals is also called “Vastenavond” or “Vastelaovend”, mostly celebrated in Catholic regions likethe southern provinces North Brabant and Limburg. Carnival in the Netherlands is officially celebrated from Sunday to Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Typical Dutch Carnivals include a parade, a “prince” plus cortege, a farmer’s wedding (boerenbruiloft), and eating herring (haring happen) on Ash Wednesday. However, there are also some variants to the Carnival like Rijnlandsche Carnival in the province of Limburg with a street carnival featuring samba bands and elaborate costumes resembling South American and Venetian influences.

Carnaval in Spain

Spain has famous carnivals in many areas. Some of the most famous carnivals are in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas De Gran Canaria, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltru, Tarragona, Solsona, Cadiz, Badajoz, Bielsa (an ancestral carnival celebration), Plan, San Juan de Plan, Laza, Verin, Viana and Xinzo de Limia. Every February, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the largest of the Canary Islands, hosts the Carnival, attracting around a million spectators. The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered the second most popular and internationally known carnival after Rio Carnival.

Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife starts on the Friday before Ash Wednesday with a spectacular opening parade, which continues to the night, with thousands of people in fancy costumes dance until next morning. The street party and dance continues every day and night until Fat Tuesday. On that day, people of Santa Cruz de Tenerife celebrate the “entierro de la sardina” (burial of the sardine) and with it the Carnival is officially over.

Carnaval in Portugal

Carnaval is celebrated throughout Portugal, most famously in Ovar, Madeira, Loule, Nazare, and Torres Vedras, with each region puts its own unique take on the festival. The carnivals in Podence and Lazarim incorporate pagan traditions of the Roman Saturnalias, while the Torres Vedras celebration is probably the most representative Portuguese carnival where the locals are the stars.

One of the most famous Carnaval events in Portugal is in the town Ovar near Porto. It is well known for its creative designs, which they display in the Carnaval Parade. Participants and their families work year-round to prepare their elaborate and humorous costumes, masks, decorations and floats. Its Carnaval parade features troupes with themed costumes and music, ranging from the traditional to modern pop culture.

Carnival in Philippines

The Ati-atihan Festival is also called as “The Filipino Mardi Gras”. The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January (on the second Sunday after Epiphany), and is held on Philippines island and town of Kalibo, Aklan. The festival celebrates the Santo Nino and is extremely colorful and spirited.

The festival consists of tribal dance, music, accompanied by indigenous costumes and weapons, and parade along the street. Christians, and non-Christians observe this day with religious processions.

Entroido in Galicia links:
- Entroido.
- Carnaval Galicia.

PEACE WEEK 2013. SONGS (&3): "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW-WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD"

To end our Peace Week 2013, we have chosen a medley of two classic American songs, which symbolise hope on a better world. We wanted to end the week with some optimism.

The songs are "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW" taken from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" and originally sung by actress Judy Garland, which has been joined together with 1967 Louis Armstrong's jazz classic "WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD". This medley version was performed by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole in 1993. Here's an audio of his version with lyrics in English and Spanish translation. Sing along.

Audio "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW-WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD", Israel Kamakawiwo'ole:

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

PEACE WEEK 2013. SONGS (2): "IMAGINE"

Today's officially the School Day of Peace and Non-Violence, and for such a day we could only choose a classic peace song by John Lennon "IMAGINE". Can you imagine all the things he says in the song? He says it's easy...doesn't seem so when we take a look at the real world, but lets try.

Video "IMAGINE", John Lennon:

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

PEACE WEEK 2013. SONGS (1): "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE"

The School Day of Non-violence and Peace (or DENIP, acronym from Catalan-Balearic: Dia Escolar de la No-violència i la Pau), is an observance founded by the Spanish poet Llorenç Vidal Vidal in Majorca in 1964 as a starting point and support for a pacifying and non-violent education of a permanent character. Celebrated on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi, in schools all over the world.

Our school's library is devoting this whole week to the celebration of peace, reading texts and listening to songs, among other activities. The library's blog will have a new post each day of this week with a song related to peace and human rights. ClickOnEnglish will share those which have songs in English.

Today's the first one, with a song by British singer Phil Collins "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE". The song is about homeless people, an issue which is relevant in Spain nowadays as many people are losing their houses because of the economic crisis. Peace cannot be reached without social justice.

Video "ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE", Phil Collins:

Galician version of this post @ ArquivosDoTrasno.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS: EVERYTHING ABOUT CHRISTMAS TIME

If you want to get completely into the spirit of Christmas, here are some links to webpages where you'll find everything about Christmas and even more... traditions, printables, games, songs, decorations, recipies, stories, cards... and all in English for you to practice. Browse around...

ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS.
CHRISTMAS SONGS IN ENGLISH.
CHRISTMAS VOCABULARY GAME
DIFFERENT NAMES FOR FATHER CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD.
A CHRISTMAS ADVENT CALENDAR.
THE BRITISH CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS ADVENT CALENDAR.

THANKSGIVING 2012 (Links to old posts + new activities & pages)

Today's the fourth Thursday in November, that means it's Thanksgiving Day in the USA (In Canada, it's on the second Monday of October), so here's a quick post to link you to:

- Posts in this blog from previous years devoted to THANKSGIVING: click on

1) 4th Thursday in November: Thanksgiving in the USA.

2) Black Friday: the day after Thanksgiving.

- This year's NEW LINKS on THANKSGIVING: click on

3) ACTIVITIES ON THANKSGIVING.

4) TEN INTERESTING THANKSGIVING FACTS.

5) TEN THANKSGIVING MYTHS DISPELLED.



WORLD TEACHER'S DAY 2012