THE DAY OF ANDALUSIA - 28th FEBRUARY

The Day of Andalusia (Día de Andalucía), also known as Andalusia Day, marks the anniversary of a referendum held on February 28, 1980. A large majority of voters supported this referendum for Andalucía to become an autonomous community in Spain. A public holiday is held to remember this event in the autonomous community Andalucía (also spelled as Andalusia), Spain, on February 28 each year.

Many people spend the day quietly with family or close friends. However, some people organize or attend private parties with traditional music, dancing, food and drink. Some municipalities hold communal meals with traditional foods, drinks and entertainment. Local politicians may present people with certificates or medals for service to the community.

The Day of Andalucía is a public holiday in the autonomous community of Andalucía on February 28. Public life is generally quiet and many businesses and other organizations are closed. Many stores are closed but some bakers and food stores may be open. Public transport services generally run to a reduced schedule but there may be no services in rural areas.

If February 28 falls on a Sunday, regional or local authorities may move the public holiday to a different date. If February 28 falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many businesses and organizations are also closed on Monday, February 27, or Friday, February 29 or March 1. The Day of Andalucía is not a public holiday in the rest of Spain on February 28.

Andalucía's flag is widely displayed on the Day of Andalucía. It consists of three equal horizontal bars. The top and lower bars are dark green and the middle bar is white. Andalucía's coat of arms is at the center of the flag. Andalucía's coat of arms consists of an image of the mythical Greek hero Heracles between two columns. The columns represent the Pillars of Heracles. These are the rocks on either side of the Straits of Gibraltar.

 You can listen and read in Spanish Andalusia hymn:

WORLD THINKING DAY - 22nd FEBRUARY

Each year on February 22, World Thinking Day, girls participate in activities and projects with global themes to honor their sister Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in other countries. World Thinking Day is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Global Action Theme (GAT) based on the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to improve the lives of the world's poorest people. The theme for World Thinking Day 2014 is girls worldwide say "education opens doors for all girls and boys."

This theme is based on United Nation's Millennium Development Goal 2, to achieve universal primary education, and is especially focused on making sure girls have access to education. Educating girls is one of the most powerful and effective ways to reduce global poverty.

Read about the history of World Thinking Day

INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY_ 22nd FEBRUARY

2016 International Mother Language Day

The theme of the 2016 International Mother Language Day is “Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning outcomes.”

This underlines the importance of mother languages for quality education and linguistic diversity, to take forward the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 (30C/62).

On 16 May 2009 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world". By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The date represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, as one of the two national languages of the then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is now Bangladesh.

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.

PRESIDENTS' DAY QUOTES_ 15TH FEBRUARY 2016

Originally established in 1885 to recognize President George Washington's birthday on Feb. 22, Presidents Day later became a popular holiday in 1971 when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed to create more long weekends for workers.

Celebrated on the third Monday in February, Presidents Day was created with the provision to combine both Washington and President Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, which fall a few days apart in February.

To commemorate U.S. presidents past and present, below are 14 quotes to share on the national holiday:

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” – George Washington

“Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -- John Quincy Adams

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."  – Abraham Lincoln

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. In this life we get nothing save by effort.” -- Theodore Roosevelt

“I not only use all the brains that I have but all that I can borrow.” -- Woodrow Wilson

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.” -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination.” -- Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Let us resolve to be masters, not the victims, of our history, controlling our own destiny without giving way to blind suspicions and emotions.” -- John F. Kennedy

“Peace is a journey of a thousand miles, and it must be taken one step at a time.” -- Lyndon B. Johnson

“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” -- Jimmy Carter

“Think about every problem, every challenge, we face. The solution to each starts with education.” – George H.W. Bush

“We must teach our children to resolve their conflicts with words, not weapons.” -- Bill Clinton

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” -- Barack Obama

ST. VALENTINE'S STORY _ 14TH FEBRUARY

February 14th is traditionally a celebration of love, so how do people in the UK mark the occasion?

LINK

Reading Comprehension

Valentine's Day Superstitions

21 Reasons Why I Love You

WRITE YOUR LOVE POEM


St Valentine's Activity 3º and 4º ESO

Vocabulary

 Interactive Book

ASH WEDNESDAY 10th FEBRUARY 2016

The Christian season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday.

The date of Ash Wednesday varies each year according to the date of Easter. It is always six-and-a-half weeks before Easter. The earliest possible date of Ash Wednesday is 4 February and the latest possible date is 10 March.

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is a Christian festival. It marks the beginning of six and a half weeks of repentance, fasting and abstinence in preparation for the most important Christian festival of Easter.

When is Ash Wednesday?

In 2016 Ash Wednesday will be on 10th February.

2009 — 25 February 2010 — 17 February 2011 — 9 March 2012 — 22 February 2013 — 13 February

2014 — 5 March  2015 — 18 February  2016 — 10 February  2017 — 1 March  2018 — 14 February

Why is it called Ash Wednesday?

Ashes are something that are left when something is burned.

For Christians, ashes are a symbol of being sorry for things they have done wrong and want to get rid of forever. It is also a reminder to them that we all come from ashes, and to ashes we all will return.

Why are ashes marked on the forehead?

For Christians, the marking on the forehead with ash marks the commitment to Jesus Christ and God. They wanted to show God that they were sorry for the wrong things they had done in the past year.

Using a mark on the forehead as a sign of commitment is also used in many Middle Eastern cultures where a round, coloured circle is marked on the forehead.

 What happens on Ash Wednesday today?

Many Christians will attend a religious service where the ashes are blessed by the church leader, and placed on their forehead.

Christians believe this marks the physical and spiritual beginning of a personal Lent season in which 40 days of repentance will begin leading up to the celebration of Easter Sunday.

The actual moment when the forehead is marked initiates the beginning of lent for each individual person.

What are the ashes made from?

In churches the priest first burns the palm

that have been kept from last year's Palm Sunday and then mixes the ashes of these crosses with holy water (which has been blessed) to make a greyish paste. When people go to church on Ash Wednesday, the priest dips his thumb in the paste and uses it to make the sign of the cross on each person's forehead. 

 Why are last years Palm Crosses recycled?

Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, so when the crosses used in the last years Palm Sunday service are converted to ashes, worshippers are reminded that defeat and crucifixion swiftly followed triumph.

 What do the ashes symbolise?

Using ashes to mark the cross on the believer's forehead symbolises that through Christ's death and resurrection, all Christians can be free from sin.

LENT_ 10th February 2016

In 2016 Lent begins on 10th February What is Lent? Lent is a Christian Festival. In the past it was a long, strict religious fast when people gave up all rich food. The day before Lent starts is known as Shrove Tuesday. Lent is the time when Christians prepare for the greatest of the Christian festivals known as Easter, by thinking of things they have done wrong. It was a time for spring-cleaning lives, as well as homes. What happens during Lent today? The Christian church no longer imposes a strict fast. Lent is a time when some Christians try to overcome their own faults because they believe that it was man's sin which led Jesus to be crucified. Some Christians try to follow the example of Jesus in the desert by giving up luxuries and practising self-discipline. And they try to put aside more time to prayer and religious acts so that they can really let God into their lives. Bible Study Many churches hold special Lent services. In some towns the churches of different denominations join together in groups to discuss and share their Christian faith. When does Lent begin? Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts for six and a half weeks. Lent is a moveable feast which means the date changes from year to year.  In 2016 Ash Wednesday is on 10 February 2009 — 25 February 2010 — 17 February 2011 — 9 March 2012 — 22 February 2013 — 13 February 2014 — 5 March  2015 — 18 February 2016 — 10 February 2017 — 01 March 2018 — 14 February 2019 — 06 March 2020 — 26 February 2021 — 17 February 2022 — 02 March  When does Lent end? When is Lent over? Lent ends at Easter when Christians remember the execution of Jesus and then celebrate his rising from death. The last week of Lent begins with Palm Sunday, which celebrates the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people lay down palms at his feet. The last day of Lent is Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday (Easter Day) In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent officially ends at sundown on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), with the beginning of the mass of the Lord's Supper.