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21 Jan

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is an annual seasonal celebration held in the Bankside area of London. It is a celebration of the New Year, mixing ancient seasonal customs with contemporary festivity. It is free, accessible to all and happens whatever the weather. January 6th is Epiphany and Twelfth Night: the traditional end of the Christmas festive season. By choosing this date for the celebration of the visit of the Magi, the Church was giving Christian significance to existing pagan midwinter festivities. It was the day before a general return to the rigours of work (Plough Monday), and therefore a last chance to make merry.

Traditions

·        The Green Man is deeply rooted in a whole host of customs and traditions. He is also known as the Wild Man, Jack-in-the-Green, the Green Knight, the May King and sometimes Robin Hood. He has emerged along the shore as Jack-in-the-Green at Hastings. Thirty pubs in London alone bear his name.

 

·       The Mummers, folk plays are performed at Midwinter all over England. They were generally referred to as "Mummings”. Records exist of such an entertainment at the court of Henry IV. There is enormous diversity of character and narrative but all  
contain death and resurrections: a theme which is at the heart of both the Christian Passion and pagan ceremony.

·       King Bean and Queen Pea are chosen at the end of the play - take a cake and see if you are one of the lucky pair! This King and Queen were crowned for the day as part of the general revelry, and 'Twelfth Cake' or 'King's Cake' (referring to the three Magi) was once very popular in London.

·        The Kissing Wishing Tree was made at Christmas before pine trees were introduced by Prince Albert in 1840. An evergreen bough was hung with apples, sweetmeats, candles and decked with ribbons representing wishes. Perhaps our kissing under the mistletoe is related to a tradition of kissing under this 'Kissing Tree'.




Information retrieved from http://www.thelionspart.co.uk/twelfthnight/, in 2011

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21 Jan

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome. However, with most countries now using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, New Year's Day is the closest thing to being the world's only truly global public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts.
National celebrations
    In the United Kingdom there are many celebrations across the towns and cities, particularly in Scotland. 
·         In London, England, thousands gather along the Embankment on the River Thames to watch the fireworks around the London Eye. The New Year officially starts when Big Ben strikes twelve. 
·         In Scotland, there are many special customs associated with the New Year. These are a part of the Scottish celebration Hogmanay, the Scots name for New Year's Eve. The famous street party in Princes Street in Edinburgh is one example.
·         In Greece and Cyprus, families and relatives switch off the lights at midnight, then celebrate by cutting the vassilopita (Basil's pie) which usually contains one coin or equivalent. Whoever wins expects luck for the whole year.  After the pie, a traditional game of cards called triantaena (31) follows. 
·         In the United States, it is traditional to spend this occasion together with loved ones. A toast is made to the New Year, with kisses, fireworks and parties among the customs. It is popular to make a New Year's resolution, although that is optional. In the country's most famous New Year celebration in New York City, the 11,875-pound (5,386-kg), 12-foot-diameter (3.7-m) Times Square Ball located high above One Times Square is lowered starting at 11:59 p.m., with a countdown from sixty seconds until one second, when it reaches the bottom of its tower. The arrival of the New Year is announced at the stroke of midnight with fireworks, music and a live celebration that is broadcast worldwide.
·         In France, some regard the weather as the prediction of that year: wind blowing east, fruit will yield; wind blowing west, fish and livestock will be bumper; wind blowing south, there will be good weather all year round and wind blowing north, there will be crop failure.
·         In Spain, it is customary to have 12 grapes at hand when the clock strikes 12 at midnight. One grape is eaten on each stroke. If all the grapes are eaten within the period of the strikes, it means good luck in the new year.


Information retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_Day, in 2011

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21 Jan

Author of the month: John Grisham


Born on February 8, 1955, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, John Grisham worked as an attorney and Mississippi legislator before becoming a best-selling novelist with works like The Firm, The Pelican Brief and A Time to Kill, all of which were turned into hit films. Grisham has continued to publish an array of titles, such as Bleachers and The Litigators, and has also worked in screenwriting, as seen with the 2003 baseball film Mickey.
He developed a love for books early on. Grisham studied accounting at Mississippi State University and then law at the University of Mississippi, graduating in 1981.
After starting his law career as a tax attorney, Grisham set up a practice doing personal injury and criminal defense work in Southaven, and in 1983 he earned a seat in the state legislature on the Democratic ticket, serving through the rest of the decade.
During a trial in 1984, Grisham heard the horrifying details of a young girl recounting her experience of surviving rape. This catalyzed the attorney to start writing a novel that examined the issue, focusing on the actions of a fictional father and an attorney. The finished book, A Time to Kill, would initially get a 5,000-copy printing from Wynwood Press.
After leaving politics in 1990 and closing his law practice, Grisham moved to Oxford, Mississippi with his family and devoted himself more completely to his new calling. The galley of his next novel, The Firm, ended up being circulated in Hollywood, and the film rights to the book were bought by Paramount for more than half a million dollars. The novel was sold to Doubleday. The Firm(1991) was on The New York Times best-seller list for nearly 50 weeks, becoming the top-selling book of the year. The film version was released in 1993 and starred Tom Cruise, Holly Hunter and Gene Hackman. A Time to Kill would later be picked up as a paperback by Dell Publishing and became a best seller as well.

Information retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/john-grisham, in December 2016
Image retrieved from https://mysteryscenemag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89:john-grisham-testifies&catid=46:feature&Itemid =191, in December 2016

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17 Jan

Landmarks

Learning about culture is a very important part of learning new languages. This part is dedicated to landmarks in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Universidad Central de Venezuela (as CEAPUCV is part of the UCV). 




Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London built in 1886–1894. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and has become an iconic symbol of London. 
Tower Bridge is one of five London bridges now owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates Plans for the Tower Bridge were devised around 1876 when the east of London became extremely crowded and a bridge across the Thames in that area of the city seemed a necessity. 
Taking photographs of the Tower Bridge is a favorite London tourist activity, but you can also go inside the bridge, where you'll have a magnificent view over London from the walkway between the two bridge towers. 

Information and image retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge and  http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/towerbridge.htm, on December 2016
cities.com/london/towerbridge.htm, on December 2016





The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km), three-mile-long (4.8 km) channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the American city of San Francisco, California to Marin County. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, California, and the United States. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. 
Information and image retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Bridge, on December 2016
 

Pastor de nubes, also known as nube broncificada, is a standing cloud located in front of the Aula Magna in Plaza Cubierta.  It is very famous among graduating students because it represents that they have accomplished their dream: graduating from the UCV. Every graduate takes pictures with their diplomas next to this amazing sculpture. 

 Image retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_City_of_Caracas

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11 Jan

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th and it is so-called because it’s a time when tradespeople receive a ‘Christmas Box’ - some money in appreciation of the work they’ve carried out all year. Traditionally a time for visiting family and friends and indulging in more feasting, Boxing Day is a popular day for football matches and other sporting fixtures. The day is a public holiday, so shops and banks are closed. More recently, some shops have broken with tradition and now open on Boxing Day to encourage shoppers who can’t wait to spend their Christmas money!

Information retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day 

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11 Jan

Christmas Day


Christmas is one of the most popular holidays. Its traditions and early ceremonies were rooted in pagan beliefs and date back hundreds of years. They are still part of contemporary Christmas celebrations.
The Druids, for example, honored the mistletoe in their religion and sacrificial rites. The red berry of the holly was believed to protect one against witchcraft. Ivy symbolized immortality. The Vikings introduced the Yule log which used to be burnt in honor of God Thor. The English adapted this practice for Christmas and today's (electric) Christmas candle is a holdover from baronial days.
The custom of sending Christmas cards to friends and family originated in Britain, too. In 1843 John Calcott Horsley designed the first one for Sir Henry Cole. Thus began a real spread of sending Christmas cards and this practice soon became an established tradition. Favored designs were Christmas feasts, church bells, plum and turkey as well as religious themes. Every year more than a billion Christmas cards are now sent in the United Kingdom. Many of them are sold in aid for charities.
Since 1840 the decorated and illuminated Christmas tree has gained popularity in England, and around 1850 in Canada and the United States. The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern Germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th century. It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century Each year giant Christmas trees are set up and decorated in important places such as Trafalgar Square in London, the Rockefeller Center in New York and at Victoria Square in Adelaide.
On Christmas Eve carols are often sung by groups of singers walking from house to house, and children hang a stocking on the fireplace or at the foot of their bed for Father Christmas to fill. Caroling dates back to the Middle Ages when beggars were seeking for money, food or drink wandering the streets singing holiday songs.
On Christmas Day gifts are opened in the morning. Later the family will gather for the traditional Christmas dinner consisting of Brussels sprouts, fried potatoes with roast turkey, roast beef or goose. Sweet mince pie or Christmas pudding is served for dessert.

The pudding might contain coins or lucky charms for children. It is rich baked fruit cake with marzipan and icing. A party favorite are Christmas crackers. There will be one to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. A Christmas cracker is a brightly colored paper tube, twisted on both ends and filled with a party hat, a riddle and a toy.

Information retrieved from: https://es.scribd.com/document/26502618/Christmas-is-Britain

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11 Jan

Human Rights Day

The United Nations' (UN) Human Rights Day is annually observed December 10 to mark the anniversary of the presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted between January 1947 and December 1948. It aimed to form a basis for human rights all over the world and represented a significant change of direction from events during World War II and the continuing colonialism that was rife in the world at the time. 
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered as the most translated document in modern history. It is available in more than 360 languages and new translations are still being added. The UN General Assembly adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France, on the December 10, 1948. 
Each year Human Rights Day has a theme. Some of these themes have focused on people knowing their human rights or the importance of human rights education.

Information retrieved from: http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/ on December 2011

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