Wednesday 25 March 2009

Let's to learn about Ireland!

• Full country name: Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland (part of the UK)
• Population: 4.125.000
• Capital city: Dublin (Republic Ireland), Belfast (Nothern Ireland)
• Religion: Catholic
• National Holiday: St Patrick's Day (17th March)
• Government:
• Official languages: Irish and English
• Flag: green, white and orange
• Climate: maritime, a lot of precipitacions
• Major Rivers: Foyle, Mourne, Boyne, Slaney...
• Highest Point:
• An Irish saying:
• A common social custom: red hat, black jacket, white trousers
• Famous musicians/bands: The Corrs
• Symbols: Harp
• Landscape: Hills, rivers, sea... green landscapes
• Traditional values: cathedral, dolmens
• A popular drink: coffee
• Famous writer: George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney
• A Traditional dish: corned beef
• Sports: cycling
• Leisure/Hobbies: drinking

A TEST OF IRELAND!

1. Which of these statements is true?
a) Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
b) Ireland is part of Scotland.
c) Ireland is an independent country. <---

2. Which colour is associated with Ireland?
a) green <---
b) red
c) blue

3. What is the approximate population of Ireland?
a) 4.3 million <---
b) 21.5 million
c) 43 million

4. Which two sports are both very popular in Ireland?
a) football and American football
b) football and Gaelic football <---
c) golf and baseball

5. What is ‘Guinness’?
a) a kind of beer
b) the capital of Ireland
c) a kind of Irish music

6. Which of these has not increased in Ireland since the 1990s?
a) the number of immigrants
b) foreign investment
c) the number of people leaving the country to live abroad

7. Which of these statements is true?
a) Irish people have a reputation for being talkative. <---
b) Ireland’s national day is called Saint Rafael’s Day.
c) It doesn’t rain very often in Ireland.

8. What is ‘Gaelic’?
a) a language <---
b) a kind of food
c) the capital of Ireland

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Thursday 15 January 2009

Activities

ACTIVITY 1: What are your New Year’s Resolutions?:
1. Peace in the world
2. Pass my exams
3. Funky academy
4. Travel to Russia on holidays
5. Happines for my friends and family.


ACTIVITY 2: LANGUAGES
Happy New year is a universal wish which is expressed in many languages. Can you fill in the table with some of them?
Dutch: Frohes neues Jahr
Finnish: hyvää uuttavuotta
French: bonne année
Gaelic:
German: Frohes neues Jahr
Greek: ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος
Italian: buon anno
Polish: szczęśliwego nowego roku
Portuguese: feliz ano novo
Russian: с новым годом
Spanish: Feliz Año Nuevo
Welsh:

Tuesday 16 December 2008

The Christmas in the world

In India, what type of tree is decorated for Christmas?
Instead of having traditional Christmas Trees. Sometimes people use mango leaves to decorate their homes.

Russians celebrate Christmas eating kutya. What is it and what does it symbolize?
This plate is done of berries of wheat and other grains,and symbolize the hope and the life talks, and the honey and the seeds of poppy that assure the happiness, the success, and the rest without worries.
The celebration of the New Year must will include a toast with champagne and revelry with the family and the friends.


Mexicans celebrate Christmas with posadas. What is a posada?
It's a nine-day celebration with origins in Mexico (beginning in December 16th and ending in December 24th).
It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic Mexicans and some other Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born, based on the passage in the New Testament

In Rome, Italy, capitone is served on Christmas Eve. What is capitone?
Is a large female eel, roasted, baked or fried. Fish dishes are also popular throughout Italy on Christmas Eve.

In Venezuela people listen to aguinaldos. What are aguinaldos?
The traditional songs of Christmas are known as Aguinaldos. Aguinalderos go from home to home singing and playing traditional instruments.

In Provence, France, people put santons in a crèche. What are santons and what is a crèche?
Literally it means the "little saints," colourful carved wooden or clay figures of the Christmas story.
It means a three-dimensional commercial or folk art depiction of the birth or birthplace of Jesus


In Japan, people are visited by Hoteiosho. Who is he, and why is he special?
They have a Buddhist monk called Hotei-osho who acts like Santa Claus. He brings presents to each house and leaves them for the children.

In Greece people have to protect themselves from Killantzaroi. What are Killantzaroi and how can you keep them away?
Killantzaroi are like goblins or sprites who appears only during the 12-day period from Christmas to the Epiphany (January 6).
These creatures are believed to emerge from the center of the earth and to sleep into people's house through the chimney.
More mischievous than actually evil, the Killantzaroi do things like extinguish fires, ride astride people's backs, braid horses' tails, and sour the milk.
To further repel the undesirable sprites, the hearth is kept burning day and night throughout the twelve days.

Germans call Christmas Eve Dickbauch. Why is Christmas Eve called Dickbauch?
“Dickbauch" means "fat stomach" because the tradition says: who don't eat well on Christmas Eve will be haunted by demons during the night

In China, a very important person is named Dun Che Lao Ren. Who is it?
It's Santa Claus

Thursday 11 December 2008

My Christimas

Try to answer these questions or tell us something about the way YOU celebrate Christmas ( a very short composition about your feelings about it)

What is the weather like in your native country at Christmas?
In Cantabria the weather is very cold in Christmas.
Are you a religious person? What religion do you have? Does your religion celebrate Christmas?
I'm not a religious person. I'm catolic but I don't believe in it.
Do you celebrate Christmas in your native town? What does your town do for this holiday?
I celebrate Christmas with my family. On 24th December we went to my grandmother's house, on 25th we went to my aunt's house and on 31st we have dinner in my house. Others days I meet with my friends.
Do you like this celebration?
Yes, I really like it.
Is it a family celebration for you?
Yes, I like meeting with my family.
Do you celebrate Christmas Eve, lunch or dinner?
Dinner
Do you attend any special religious ceremonies?
No, I don't
Which are the main Christmas dates in your Country?
24th, 25th and 31st December
Do you buy presents at Christmas?
Yes, I buy presents for my best friends
Traditionally, who brings the presents in your country?
The magic three kings
What kind of presents do you usually get at Christmas?
I usually get a lot of presents ^^
Does your town get decorated at Christmas?
Yes, houses are very decorated every year
Do you usually decorate your home?
Every year I decorate my home. I put the lights, the Nativity scene, the Christmas tree...
Do you put up a Christmas tree or a Nativity?
The two
Do you have any traditional meals for this celebration?
No, I don't
Do you have any special food and cakes?
No, I don't
Do you drink any special drinks at Christmas?
No I don't
Do you celebrate New Year's Eve?
Yes, I do
What do you usually do on New Year's Eve? Do you have any special customs in your country on this day?
No, I have lunch with my family but I don't wear special customs
Tell us about anything that you think is special or different in you country or region at Christmas time?
I think that families are more friendly, and they love more themselves
What special things are you doing this Christmas?
I'm not doing something special
Make a wish for something you really want this Christmas
It's a secret! Ha-ha-ha
Do you think Christmas is still a traditional holiday?
Yes, I do
Do you think Christmas has changed a lot since you were a child?
Yes, I do. Now, publicity influde a lot in the people
In what sense? Do you miss anything?
Now there isn't any hopes...