World Theatre Day

All over the world artists will spend part of their day honouring the larger community of the art form they share in. Designated "World Theatre Day" by the International Theatre Institute, the event is described as "an opportunity to celebrate together an art form and a way of life that binds us, regardless of borders, language or political differences. It's a day of communion".

Theatre is a branch of the performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience using combinations of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound and spectacle — indeed any one or more elements of the other performing arts. ...

Spring 21st March

World Poetry Day is on March 21, and was declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1999. The purpose of the day is to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world

Poetry is a form of dialogue among cultures. Through it we can express our feelings.

To celebrate this date bring your favourite poem to the English class.

This date is also associated with Spring. To celebrate this season enjoy this lovely poem.

A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

St. Patrick's Day - 17 th March

The Irish tradtional religious feast day of Saint Patrick takes place each year on March 17.

Who was Saint Patrick?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D.

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

And the Oscar goes to ...... ‘Slumdog Millionaire’

Slumdog ended up with eight Oscars in all, including Best Picture and Best Director for Danny Boyle. In the acting categories, Kate Winslet won Best Actress for The Reader, her first win after six nominations, while Sean Penn's performance in Milk netted him his second Best Actor statue. As expected, Heath Ledger was honored posthumously as Best Supporting Actor for his iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight; Penelope Cruz won her first Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, her second nomination.
The night of triumph sealed the Mumbai-set British film’s unlikely dominance of Hollywood’s glittering award season.

Origins of Carnival

The origins of Carnival are largely unknown, but it seems to have been part of a pagan celebration of the new year or the start of spring in Ancient Italy, marked by the mixing of social classes in a large outdoor festival. At the start of the Christian Age, celebration was restricted to before Lent as a kind of "flesh abuse," a time to purge oneself of such Pagan practice prior to the remembrance of Christ's death.

Carnival was introduced to Portugal, the mother country of Brazil, in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. It took on a violent turn with the advent of the "Entrudo," or introduction to Lent. During the Entrudo, entertaining and often cruel practical jokes were played. It was this kind of Carnaval that first arrived in Brazil. The Entrudo did not last long as it was suppressed by the police.

In the mid-19^th century, Carnival split into two parts: the Ballroom Carnival (attended mostly by the rich) and the Street Carnival. Mask Balls in the São João Theater continued weekly throughout the year, keeping up the spirit of Carnaval. To make Carnaval more affordable, it was moved into the streets, and sub-deputies were authorized to freely distribute masks to anyone who wanted to join. This format was adopted by tradespeople as it meant more profit.

Carnival had finally come into its own, no longer overshadowed by the Entrudo. Mask balls were organized a year in advance, families and groups competed to decided who was the most elegant and refined as class lines were allowed to blur in a fun party atmosphere.

http://student.bard.edu/clubs/laso/carnaval.htm

Saint Valentine

The History of Saint Valentine

Every February, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.

But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

Love quotes

"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own home.
Give love to your children, to a wife or husband, to a next-door neighbor." ( Mother Teresa )

"A kiss is something you cannot give without taking and cannot take without giving."

(Anonymous )

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." (Aristotle)

"Love is the greatest refreshment in life." ( Picasso )

'Viva La Vida' is Grammy Song of the Year

The Grammy Awards

(originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony.
The award ceremony is generally held in February. This year,the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 8, 2009, and was held at Los Angeles' Staples Center for the sixth consecutive year.

The band Coldplay won the priorizes for song and rock album of the year.

Barack Obama's Inauguration Is One for the History Books

"A New Birth of Freedom" was the theme for Barack Obama's inauguration today—a reference to one of Abraham Lincoln's most memorable lines from the Gettysburg Address. It was part of Obama's sustained effort to link himself with the memory of one of America's greatest leaders and to give Americans reassurance that today, as in Lincoln's time, the country would find its way through any crisis.
Obama, the first African-American president, has often emphasized his bonds with Lincoln, who waged war to preserve the Union and end slavery. Obama, the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas, was raised amid the cultural diversity of Hawaii and Indonesia, and he went out of his way to involve many different kinds of people in his inauguration. Nearly every major segment of the population seemed represented in some way—whites and blacks, men and women, straights and gays, the old, the young, the middle-aged.
Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C., which became the capital in 1801. After his second inauguration, Jefferson rode on horseback from the Capitol to the president's house surrounded by mechanics from the Navy Yard—the forerunner of the inaugural parade.

One year in 40 seconds

You are going to watch images from the same spot through one year. You will feel the sensation of how days pass quicly.

So, be hapy and enjoy life!