The Topic of the Month
October
Hallowe'en
Do you know the origins of Hallowe'en?
Halloween is the one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. It's one of the most popular holidays, second only to Christmas. While millions of people celebrate Halloween without knowing its origins and myths, the history and facts of Halloween make the holiday more fascinating.
Some people view Halloween as a time for fun, putting on costumes, trick-or-treating, and having theme parties. Others view it as a time of superstitions, ghosts, goblins and evil spirits that should be avoided at all costs.
Halloween History
Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
All Hallows Eve is the evening before All Saints Day, which was created by Christians to convert pagans, and is celebrated on November 1st. The Catholic church honored saints on this designated day.
Origin of Halloween
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition.
The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.
February
Why do we hold Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate hot romance, in the middle of coldsnowy February?
The answer is that the climate we are experiencing today is not necessarily the original weather people were experiencing when they created a romantic tradition for Valentine’s Day.
Saint Valentine’s Day was established in an attempt to overshadow a distasteful Roman fertility festival – Lupercalia. Priests would sacrifice two male goats and a dog. Two of the priests would get dabbed in blood, make strips of the sacrifices’ skins, and dip the strips in blood. They would then run around town smacking women with the bloody strips. (Supposedly this made the ladies fertile.) No wonder it was replaced with flowers and chocolate! In 496 AD Pope Gelasius I suggested replacing the whole mess with a nice saint’s day.
April
Spring
Spring is the season of new beginnings. Fresh buds bloom, animals awaken and the earth seems to come to life again. Farmers and gardeners plant their seeds and temperatures slowly rise. The timing of these changes varies depending upon location.
What most people call spring relies on the astronomical definition of the word. Spring is generally considered the period between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Defined by the angle of Earth's tilt toward the sun, astronomical spring relies on equinoxes and solstices to define it.
Equinoxes are special days during the year when day and night are almost equal. There are two equinoxes, one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring, or vernal, equinox occurs around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere and around September 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.
Many cultures celebrate the return of spring, the closing of nature or the rise of the vernal equinox. In Japan, the annual blossoming of cherry trees has become a significant national event. Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, is a time for festivals and gatherings at parks and temples, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Cherry blossoms, or sakura, symbolize the transience of life, which is a major theme in Buddhism.
People of the Jewish faith celebrate Passover, which commemorates when the Jewish people were freed from slavery to Egypt, according to History. The day falls on the first full moon after the northern spring equinox and lasts for seven days.
Spring in many countries with a strong Christian tradition is marked by Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his triumph over physical death. However, it has roots in older traditions. "Easter is derived from a much older celebration of fertility and rebirth, the Celtic festival of Ostara," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science. "The bunnies and the eggs are symbolic of fertility and reproduction."
Albania celebrates "Dita e Verës" on March 14th, which also stems from pagan roots. Pilgrimages were once made to the peaks of the Albanian mountains, where prayers were offered to the Sun God for a prosperous year.
Mayday celebrations are common around Europe. The Maypole dance is a popular folk festival, particularly in parts of Germany and the United Kingdom. The pole symbolizes sacred trees, the world axis, growth and regeneration.
Spring saying and quotes
It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want — oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!
— Mark Twain
Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes.
— Carl Friedrich Gauss
Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
— Robin Williams
Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!
— Sitting Bull
O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?
— Percy Bysshe Shelley
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
— Margaret Atwood
Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!'
— Robert Orben
Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, a box where sweets compacted lie.
— George Herbert
Autumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day.
— Elizabeth Bowen
Sweet April showers do spring May flowers.
— Thomas Tusser
January
New Year's Resolutions
The New Year is a great time to reflect on the changes we want to or need to make. If you’re a student looking at ways to improve yourself think about some resolutions you might want to add to your list.
1. Stop procrastinating.
2. Commit yourself to getting good grades.
3. Don’t do it all. It’s better to concentrate on a few things and excel in them than trying to do many and be unable to complete them.
4. Keep a calendar. Deadlines creep up quickly. And the closer the date, the more you’ll feel the pressure.
5. Study for tests early.
6. Always do your homework.
7. If you are not successful, try something new.
8. Go to school feeling happy. Try to be positive, positive people find easier to do their best..
9. Go to your college counselor if necessary.
10. Banish the self-doubt. Doubting your own abilities only holds you back from achieving what you want to achieve. Just say no to these thoughts.
December
Christmas around the world
Do you know the origins of Christmas celebration? It is not clear where and when it originated. If you want to discover more about the origins of Christmas and its traditions watch these videos from History.com.
Christmas is celebrated in many different ways around the world.
Most people in Spain go to Midnight Mass or 'La Misa Del Gallo'. Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service. New Year's Eve is called 'Nochevieja' and people eat 12 grapes with the 12 strokes of the clock at Midnight!
In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents! Most families have a Christmas tree in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion. Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are also sometimes used to decorate homes or other buildings. Children believe in Father Christmas or Santa Claus who leaves presents in stockings which are normally hung up by the fireplace or by the children's beds.
In China, only about 1% of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas. It is only celebrated in major cities with Christmas trees, lights and other decorations on the streets and department stores. Santa Claus is called "Shen Dan Lao Ren" and has grottos in shops. A tradition that's becoming popular, on Christmas Eve, is giving apples.
If you want to know about more countries, go to the next link and discover everything you need.
Christmas videos
A Christmas Carol
November
Autumn
In terms of seasons, the period from summer to winter had the weakest credentials and it was called "Autumn," a Latin word which first appears in English in the late 14th century. It's related to "harvest." In the 17th century, "fall" came into use, almost certainly as a poetic complement to "spring".
The season was once referred to simply as “harvest” to reflect the time when farmers gathered their crops for winter storage, roughly between August and November. Astronomically, the season lasts from the end of the September until December, between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
The term "fall" was originated when city dwellers began to use the phrase “fall of the leaf” to refer to the third season of the year when trees lose their leaves. It comes from the Old English word 'feallan' which means “to fall or to die.” Over time, the phrase was shortened to fall.
Surprisingly, we don’t really know where the word "autumn" comes from. It was used as far back at the 1300s (by Chaucer), and Shakespeare often used the word, as in Midsummer Night’s Dream when one character describes the cycle of the year, “The spring, the summer, the childing autumn, angry winter.” However, etymologists have not determined its precise origin. As English spread to the New World, the common season names split as well.
The use of the word fall fell out of favor in England. Today, American English uses the word fall while British English uses autumn almost exclusively. Fall provides a nice foil to its opposite season, spring, and gives us the helpful reminder, “Spring ahead, fall back,” when we get confused about our clocks on daylight savings.
July 2016
Summertime
Summertime is a special moment for everyone. We don't have classes, we do these things which are impossible during the school year and we travel to interesting places.
Everything is funnier and everyone is happier in summer. Everyone loves summertime!
Let's have a look at some summer quotes:
Summer: Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker. Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder. Music gets louder. Nights get longer. Life gets better.
Unknown
Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
Sam Keen
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
John Lubbock
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
Albert Camus
Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something. To lie in the grass and count the stars. To sit on a branch and study the clouds.
Regina Brett
Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.
Henry James
It will not always be summer; build barns.
Hesiod
People take pictures of the Summer, just in case someone thought they had missed it, and to proved that it really existed.
Ray Davies
June 2016
Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Championship, known as UEFA Euro 2016 or simply Euro 2016, is the 15th edition of the UEFA European Championship, which is held each four years. It is currently being held in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016. Spain are the two-time defending champions, having won the 2008 and 2012 editions.
For the first time, the European Championship final tournament will be contested by 24 teams, having been expanded from the 16-team format used since 1996. Under this new format, the finalists will contest a group stage consisting of six groups of four teams, followed by a knockout stage including three rounds and the final. Nineteen teams – the top two from each of the nine qualifying groups and the best third-placed team – joined France, who qualified automatically as hosts; a series of two-legged play-off ties between the remaining third-placed teams in November 2015 decided the last four spots at the final tournament.
May 2016
The Titanic revisited
In the silent of a cold night on the 14th of April 1912 the biggest transatlantic cruise in the world, RMS Titanic sank into the deep waters of New England Coast. Thousands of lives were lost and the history of sea travel was changed forever. Men's ambition to build a superb cruiseliner was smashed by nature's power in a lesson never experienced before. However, hand in hand with the tragedy many ordinary heroes appeared.
Let's get on board and discovered more things about this unique story.
The age of the liners
The era of the Titanic marked the apogee of transatlantic luxury cruising. In the 1900s, the grand ocean liner was the most impressive and luxurious form of transportation in the world. But, at the same time, these ships were the result of a fierce competition for financial profits.
Press coverage
The day after the tragedy the press was covered with information about the ship wreck. Everyone was expectant to receive news about the survivors and endless lists of survivors and victims were published those days.
The Titanic in numbers
We can get a better idea of the dimensions of the Titanic if we have a closer look at its numbers. Let's read more about it.
Passengers & dimensions
- Passengers capacity: 3,500
- Passengers carried: 1,400
- Crew: 940
- Lifeboats: 16
- Lifeboats capacity: 50 people
- Life preservers: sufficient for all
- Tons: 46,328
- Length: 822 ft. 9 in.
Food:
- Fresh Meat: 75,000 lbs
- Potatoes: 40 tons
- Poultry: 25,000 lbs
- Fresh eggs: 35,000
- Fresh milk: 1,500 gals.
- Tea: 1,000 lbs
Videos on the Titanic
Videos on St Patrick's
Saint Patrick’s Day is a national Irish holiday that is celebrated on the 17th of March every year. It is a celebration of Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint, who died on that date. This day has now become an international festival dedicated to celebrating the Irish culture, with parades, Irish dancing, Irish traditional music, and everyone dressed in green. Every year across Ireland there are hundreds of parades, the largest being in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It is a very important cultural event for the Irish people as many tourists come to Ireland to celebrate the occasion.
The Irish people uphold a number of traditions on Saint Patrick’s Day. These include:
● Everyone must wear an item of green clothing; the tradition is to pinch the person who isn’t wearing green.
● Corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal eaten by many Irish families on this day.
● Many Irish people like to dress up on this occasion; the most popular costumes being a leprechaun or Saint Patrick himself.
● People wear Irish hats and scarves that are green, white and orange.
● Irish pub-goers will all have a pint of Guinness on this day.
● Lastly, many Irish people wear a shamrock on their clothing as it is the iconic symbol of Ireland.
Ireland is not the only country that celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day. Across the world there are many cities that also celebrate the 17th of March. In the United States of America alone there are a number of events, such as the huge Saint Patrick’s Day parade in New York, dyeing the Chicago River green for the occasion, and turning the lights on the Empire State Building green for the night. Elsewhere, the Sacré-Coeur in Paris and the London Eye in the UK will both have a green glow in honour of Saint Patrick.
January 2016
Collocations
What is a collocation?
A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound "right" to native English speakers. Other combinations may be unnatural and just sound "wrong".
How to learn collocations...
- Be aware of collocations, and try to recognize them when you see or hear them.
- Treat collocations as single blocks of language. Think of them as individual blocks or chunks.
- When you learn a new word, write down other words that collocate with it.
- Read as much as possible. Reading is an excellent way to learn vocabulary and collocations in context and naturally.
- Revise what you learn regularly.
- Practise using new collocations in context as soon as possible after learning them.
- You could learn them by topic (time, number, weather, money, family) or by a particular word (take action, take a chance, take an exam).
- You can find information on collocations in any good learner's dictionary. And you can also find specialized dictionaries of collocations.
Types of collocation
adverb + adjective: completely satisfied
adjective + noun: excruciating pain
noun + noun: a surge of anger
noun + verb: lions roar
verb + noun: commit suicide
verb + expression with preposition: burst into tears
verb + adverb: wave frantically
Videos on Collocations
November 2015
The man who never existed
Operation Mincemeat was a successful British disinformation plan during the Second World War. As part of Operation Barclay, the plan intended to cover the invasion of Italy from North Africa; Mincemeat helped to convince the German high command that the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia in 1943 instead of Sicily, the actual objective. This was accomplished by persuading the Germans that they had, by accident, intercepted "top secret" documents giving details of Allied war plans. The documents were attached to a corpse deliberately left on a beach in Punta Umbría in Spain.
Coincidentally, a similar story was used as a plot device by Duff Cooper in his 1950 novel Operation Heartbreak. The true story was revealed in 1953, in the book The Man Who Never Was. A film of the same name was made in 1956.
The identity card of "Major Martin" used a photo of MI5 Officer Ronnie Reed who, according to Montagu, "might have been the twin brother of the corpse".
The body of the man known as Major Martin was buried in the "Nuestra Señora de la Soledad" cemetery in Huelva. As Mincemeat became legend, the mystery around the identity of the person buried there has never stopped.
