>>>>>>culture+&+trends


 * I N THIS SPACE WE WILL PRESENT SOME CULTURAL ASPECTS OF TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ENGLISH SPEAKING SOCIETIES. **

All this and much more can be found here !
INDEX: - Mother´s Day - April Fools´Day -The Earth Day Global Initiative -St. Patrick´s Day -Red Nose Day -Preface to //__How to Be An Alien__, by Geoge Mikes.//


 * MOTHER´S DAY . It´s the 1st Sunday of May in Spain, but it is the 2nd Sunday of that month in the States. A little tribute to the person who deserves it the most. **



IMPORTANT : Yesterday it was April Fools´Day as many students from Scotland 97 and USA 98 noticed. They were played little tricks but I want to make something clear for Scotland 97. The trick was NOT doing the exam. The trick was making you think-at the end of the lesson- that the test was not going to be marked. Yes, of course it will be marked and I have to say .... GOTCHA!! ( I have fooled you)

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 * warning: APRIL FOOLS´ DAY. **


 * April the 1st is a special day in which you must beware of tricks. It is the equivalent to Spanish "Día de los santos Inocentes" **

DID YOU KNOW?
 *  The origins of April Fool's Day are a bit unclear, but it seems that the fun may have started in 1582 in France. In that year, King Charles IX decreed that France would switch to the Gregorian calendar, thereby moving "New Year's Day" from March 25 to January 1. Those people that about, or chose to ignore, the date change were sent foolish gifts and invited to imaginary parties. The butt of these jokes was called a "poisson d'avril" or "April Fish". So, mind your backs!! **


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 * THE EARTH DAY ** IS A WORLDWIDE INITIATIVE TO SHOW WE CARE ABOUT THE WORLD AND WE CAN MAKE THINGS CHANGE IF WE ACT TOGETHER.
 * SWITCH ALL LIGHTS OFF FROM 8:30 PM TO 9:30 PM on SATURDAY, 26th OF MARCH ** AND JOIN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE EARTH -OUR PLANET- WILL THANK YOU.

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If you want to know more things about this, follow this link: Earth Hour 2011
** ST. PATRICK´S DAY: ** ** Wherever there´s an Irishman, Irishwoman or Irish lover there is sure a St. Patrick´s Celebration on March, 17th. **



=The History of St. Patrick's Day =

 [|Send a St. Patrick's eCard!] = St. Patrick's Day, celebrated every year on March 17, is a holiday honoring Saint Patrick, the Christian missionary whoconverted the Irish to Christianity in the A.D. 400s. Saint Patrick's real name was Maewyn Succat. For his first 16 years, Maewyn lived a normal life as the son of a wealthy landowner and magistrate in Britain. = = At 16, Maewyn was captured and sold into slavery by a group of pirates who raided his village. After six years as a shepherd, Maewyn escaped, went to France and became a priest, adopting the name Patrick. = = During his training, Patrick discovered that his calling was to convert Irish pagans to Christianity. He returned to Ireland, established monasteries across the country, set up schools and churches, and converted many with his winning personality. Patrick carried on a very successful mission for thirty years. When he died on March 17, that day was commemorated as St. Patrick's Day. = = Originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. In America, in fact, St. Patrick's Day is basically a time when everyone becomes Irish, wears green and goes out to party. = = Fun Facts. Did you know... =
 * = That green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it's the color of spring? =
 * = That the shamrock is a traditional symbol because Saint Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to represent how the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit could exist as separate elements in the same entity? =
 * = That the first St. Patrick's Day in America was celebrated in Boston in 1737? =
 * = That the following things on St. Patrick's Day will bring you good luck? Finding a four-leaf clover, wearing green and kissing the Blarney Stone. =

** Why on earth do they do this at school ? **
On Friday 18th March schools all around Britain are asked to do something funny for money and help those poor people in Africa and the UK. Since the first Red Nose Day in 1988, schools have made a massive contribution to the incredible success of Red Nose Day. What can you do? On that day, you can come to school dressed in a funny way -a red nose or a strange hat is enough. Then you can do something funny -miming, singing, acting...whatever - in order to collect some money and send it like a donation for this good cause. At last an occassion when playing the fool can be good for others!!

Here you can listen to a song they have composed for this day.
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And you can watch this video to understand it´s not just about playing the fool for nothing. It can really make a difference for people not as fortunate as us. It is the story of Francis.
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**Geoge Mikes** (pronounced /mi´kes/) was a Hungarian writer who emigrated to England in the 1940s. He found the English and some of their customs difficult to understand. He wrote this book to take revenge of them and their country. But, instead of feeling offended, the English public turned the book into a literary success. Nowadays, the book is a classic of English literature. This is the way Mikes complained about his failing plan in the preface of the 24th edition.