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miércoles, 31 de diciembre de 2014

NEW YEAR'S EVE IN SPAIN

In Spain, New Year is observed on the first date of the Georgian calendar. New Year’s Eve, ithe major day of celebrations, is also referred as ‘Nochevieja’. 

New Year’s Eve in Spain is more of a family affair. No one prefers to go out before midnight, till the time all traditions and traditional celebrations are concluded appropriately. Once, they are over, one can see the emerging crowd over the streets, and in the community parties organized in clubs and bars. 

Madrid, the capital and the largest city of Spain, is also credited as the best host of the New Year’s Eve celebrations for the evening. Thousands of people gather in the main square of Puerta del Sol in Madrid, to witness the best of the community celebrations of Spain. At the stroke of midnight, the sight of thousands of people eating grapes in concord with the ring of each bell does make one feel a part of a magical time. The further magical and spectacular show of fireworks filling the skies seemed to be put to action directly from heavens. 

New Year’s Eve is also a time to abide by the traditions and customs associated with the occasion. As far as that goes, people can remain pleasantly engaged in fulfilling traditions only, all through the New Year’s Eve as they are plenty in numbers. 



People usually stay back to their homes, along with their family members till the moment of the arrival of New Year occurs. At the stroke of twelve, there is a tradition of eating twelve grapes. It is a prominent and highly popular tradition, which is followed in many other countries, though with different beliefs and in different ways. In Spain, one has to eat one grape with each ring of the bell, and thus, has to complete one’s share of twelve grapes by the time the clock rings the last bell. Usually, people in Spain listen to the rings of the bell from the live telecast of the clock of Puerta del Sol in Madrid. 

There is another tradition of wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve, and that too must not be bought by you, but should be gifted or given by someone else. Wearing red colored underwear is believed to confer one with good luck in the coming year.



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martes, 30 de diciembre de 2014

NEW YEAR'S EVE IN NEW YORK



New Year's Eve

Saturday, December 31, 2014

Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31st, the eyes of the world turn once more to the dazzling lights and bustling energy of Times Square. Anticipation runs high. New Year's Eve at the symbolic center of New York City has become more than just a celebration - it's a global tradition.
The world holds its breath...and cheers as the clocks strike twelve.
As the famous New Year's Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square, an estimated one million people in Times Square, millions nationwide and over a billion watching throughout the world are united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and expressing our joy and hope for the year ahead.
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LONDON'S NEW YEAR'S DAY PARADE 2015

London's New Year's Day Parade started in 1987 and has raised or donated nearly a million pounds to a wide range of London based charities.
More than 10,000 performers representing several countries worldwide and more than half a million spectators line the 2 mile route making this the biggest event of its kind in the world. Around 200 million TV viewers watch The London New Year's Day Parade so it's a very popular event.

OFFICIAL WEB






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lunes, 29 de diciembre de 2014

NEW YEAR'S EVE IN LONDON

2014 was amazing.
2015 is going to be even better! 





New Year’s Eve in London is all about fun and celebration and we all want to have a great time.

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domingo, 28 de diciembre de 2014

28TH DECEMBER - DAY OF THE INNOCENT SAINTS


December 28 marks a day of celebration exclusively Spanish called the Day of the Innocents. Although the roots of this day are bloody, in modern times, the customs practiced on this day are very jovial and fun. The anniversary of the murder of many children committed by Herod in Judea, . On this day, people play inocentadas (pranks or practical jokes) on friends and relatives: people make jokes hoping that the victim believes the false thing. When people get caught, the joker says: "Inocente, inocente!" ("Innocent, innocent!"). The newspapers and other media are in on the joke as well, reporting false news for the people to figure out.



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viernes, 26 de diciembre de 2014

BOXING DAY IN ENGLAND



In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26 December.

Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means is it typically a non working day in the whole of Britain.

Tradicionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents to the poor.



WHAT HAPPENS ON BOXING DAY IN ENGLAND?

- Boxing Day hunts: tradicionally Boxing Day is a day for fox hunting.Horse riders dressed in red and white riding gear, accompanied by a number of dogs called foxhounds, chase de fox through the countryside in the hope of tiring it out.

- Family time:It is a day of watching sports and playing board games with the family.

- Shopping: In recent times,some shops have broken from tradition and started opening on Boxing Day to start the New Year sales.Hundreds of people spend Boxing Day morning in queues outside shops, waiting to be the first to dive for the sales racks as the doors opened.

jueves, 25 de diciembre de 2014

WORST CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!

This video asks people about the most bizarre electrical Christmas present they have ever received. Have you ever received a strange electrical gift? - 

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH

A traditional feature of Christmas afternoom is the Queen's Christmas Message. At three o'clock in the afternoon the Queen's gives her Christmas Message to the nation which is broadcast on radio and television. In 2007, the Queen launched her own channel on video-sharing website YouTube, which feature the message.


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miércoles, 24 de diciembre de 2014

THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS

It is not easy to pin-point the origins of the Christmas feast, today the more important feast of the Christmas season in most western Christian churches. One can only say for certain that the birth of Jesus Christ was being celebrated in Rome by the year 336 A.D.; afterwards the feast was celebrated in other Christian churches throughout the world.

SpacerWhy it was celebrated on December 25th is another question. No date for the birth of Jesus can be found in the New Testament, which is concerned more with the question "Who is Jesus?" than the date of his birth. Early Christian speculation about his birth date was influenced by the symbolism of the changing seasons, then popular in religious thought, which paid careful attention to the equinoxes and solstices of the sun. Christian scholars speculated that Jesus was conceived at the spring equinox (March 25th) and therefore was born on December 25th, the date of the winter solstice.

SpacerIn many of the Christian churches, March 25th is still the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus.

SpacerPossible impluse for the feast of Christmas may have came too from the establishment of the pagan feast of the "Unconquered Sun-God" by the Emperor Aurelian in 274 A.D. to be celebrated on December 25, the day of the winter solstice in Rome and throughout the empire. In response, Christians could celebrate the feast of the "Sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4, 2), Jesus Christ, who called himself " the light of the world." (John 8,12 )

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CHRISTMAS IN SPAIN

Christmas is a deeply religious holiday in Spain. The country's patron saint is the Virgin Mary and the Christmas season officially begins December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena or "the Good Night." It is a time for family members to gather together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present in nearly every home. A traditional Christmas treat is turron, a kind of almond candy.

December 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents. Young boys of a town or village light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to perform civic chores such as sweeping the streets. Refusal to comply results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration.

As in many European countries, the children of Spain receive gifts on the feast of the Epiphany. The Magi are particularly revered in Spain. It is believed that they travel through the countryside reenacting their journey to Bethlehem every year at this time. Children leave their shoes on the windowsills and fill them with straw, carrots, and barley or the horses of the Wise Men. Their favorite is Balthazar who rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

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martes, 23 de diciembre de 2014

THE STORY OF JESUS' BIRTH

Every year in December we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. That is why we call this time of year "Christmas" - we celebrate the MASS or church service, for CHRIST.



domingo, 21 de diciembre de 2014

CHRISTMAS: CUSTOMS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND CULTURES

Centuries ago Christians brought plants and flowers into the celebration of Christmas, for did not Christ come to uphold the dignity of all God's creation? The natural world, as well as humans, angels and animals, should have a part in welcoming him.


SpacerEvergreens, from ancient times symbols of life and eternity, have always had a prominent place in Christian celebrations. Holly, with its green leaves, its prickly points and red berries, suggested that the Child born in the manger would wear a crown of thorns and shed drops of blood. Mistletoe, long associated in the pre-Christian world with healing, became a symbol of the healing power of Christ.

The poinsettia, from Central America, with its bright, star-like flowers, is a natural reminder of the Star of Bethlehem. Other plants that bloom during this season are images also of the Root of David that flowered with new life.

SpacerMany nations have contributed a rich mosaic of Christmas customs. Among the Latin peoples, the Christmas novena, nine days of prayer before Christmas, is a popular tradition. The Christmas meal after midnight Mass, in which all the family participates, is traditional among the French. Among the Slavic peoples on Christmas eve, the father of the family breaks the feastday wafers of bread and gives them to the members of his household, while wishing all the peace of Christmas.

   From Ireland came the custom of placing lighted candles in the window during Christmastime. It originated in penal times when the Catholic religion was suppressed in Ireland and priests were forced into hiding. Irish families put a burning candle in their window and left their doors unlatched, hoping that a priest might come to their door and celebrate the Christmas Mass with them.
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SpacerOn the feast of the Epiphany, January 6th, the people of South America celebrate the coming of the Three Kings with colorful processions and give gifts on that day.
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SANTA, SANTA, HIGH IN THE SKY

In the United Kingdom children write letters to Santa, or Father Christmas. On Christmas Eve (December 24th), Santa travels with his sleigh and reindeer and takes presents to the children while they are asleep. Listen to a song about Santa.




jueves, 18 de diciembre de 2014

12 CHRISTMAS POEMS FOR KIDS

On Anita's poems page  you can get the printable pdf  versions for the 12 Christmas poems.

Enjoy them!





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