Holy Week and Easter 2012

Dear students & readers of this blog,

Easter is coming. Most of us are happy because we have a few days off work or school, but Easter is much more than that. It is a blend of Christian and pagan traditions, but above all, it is the peak of the year for Christians, not only Catholic, but also Orthodox. It is also connected to an important Jewish celebration, Passover, which commemorates the time when God rescued the people of Israel from slavery, with Moses conducting them out of Egypt.

Here's a video on the story of Easter: 

(source: history.com)

But if the video is too difficult for you (there are no subtitles, sorry!), you can always read about the origin and meaning of Easter. Click HERE for an answer to all the questions below:

• What is Easter?
• What is the Easter story?
• Where does Easter come from?
• When is Easter?
• Why does the date of Easter move?
• When is the Easter season?
• What took place on Easter Sunday, about 2000 years ago?
• What happens on Easter Sunday today?
• What are the connections with Passover and Easter?
• What other names are there for Easter?
• Why do we have eggs at Easter?
• What foods are traditionally eaten at Easter?

As for the HOLY WEEK, which is the week leading to Easter Sunday, the most important days are:

• Palm Sunday: It's the day when Holy Week begins. It commemorates the day when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. Christians usually go to a religious service on this day, and carry palm branches.
• Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday: According to Christian faith, that was the day, or rather, the night, when the Last Supper was held and Jesus was betrayed by Judas.
• Good Friday: This was the day when, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified. So at this point, the natural question is: how come we call this day "Good Friday"? Excellent question indeed! It is said that the name comes from "God's Friday", and that it is "good" because it was the day when the barrier of sin was broken. (source: woodlands junior website)
• Easter Sunday: it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. It is the most important day of the Holy Week for Christians.

(source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/easter.shtml)

 

Other traditions connected to Easter in English-speaking countries are Easter Eggs and the Easter Egg hunt. And don't forget the Easter bunny, the one who brings children a basket full of coloured eggs as well as sweets and even toys!!

Watch the video below on how to make Easter Eggs:

And here's another video for the Easter Egg hunt:

HAVE A VERY HAPPY EASTER!!!

Olympic 2012 torch relay announced

Where is the Olympic Flame going?

The Olympic Flame will come within 10 miles of 95% of people in the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. It will enable local communities to shine a light on the best their area has to offer  - including celebrations of local culture, breathtaking landscapes and dynamic urgan areas. (source: www.london2012.com)

The Torch will journey for 70 days across the UK, carried by 8,000 inspirational torchbearers.

Check the INTERACTIVE MAP to see where the torch is going.

Click on "OLYMPIC TORCH" for a video where the designers of the Torch explain how it was designed and the significance of it. Sorry I couldn't embed the video. YOU CAN WATCH IT WITH OR WITHOUT SUBTITLES!!!

Click here to read about the history of the Olympic Torch Relay, which goes back to Ancient Greece, no less!!

NA 2 - History goes to the movies

Dear students & readers of this blog,
                                            
These days, at our Advanced level class, we are talking about history and movies. First of all, it might be interesting to distinguish between two concepts that are confusing for a Spanish speaker: "historical" and "historic"

• HISTORIC: Something that is important in history, or likely to be considered important at some time in the future. E.g. ...the historic changes in Eastern Europe.
• HISTORICAL: People, situations or things that existed in the past, or that are considered a part of history. E.g. ...an important historical figure.    (source: Collins cobuild dictionary)

What is it, then, that makes a film historical? According to some, a film can be considered as historical when it is based on a real event, or is set in a historical period. But the real issue here is accuracy. How accurate should film screenwiters and directors be? How faithful should films be to historical events? According to this, what historical films you know?

In class, we saw three clips corresponding to three wll-known historical films:

"They may take our lives, but they'll never take OUR FREEDOM!!!! - "Braveheart", Mel Gibson, 1995. Based on the Battle of Stirling (13th century) - The English rule Scotland. William Wallace, Scottish hero and leader of a rebellion against the English, speaks to the discouraged armies before the battle.

 "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again" - "Gone with the wind", Victor Fleming, 1939. Based on the American Civil War (1861-1865) . Scarlett O'Hara, starving and desperate, after almost being sick for eating a turnip she pulls from the ground, rises from the ground, and vows she'll do whatever it takes not to be hungry again.

 "I'm Spartacus!!!!" - "Spartacus", Stanley Kubrick, 1960. Based on the Rebellion of the slaves led by the gladiator Spartacus in the 1st century BC. - After the rebellion of the slaves is crashed, general Marcus Licinius Crassus promises the captives that they will not be punished if they will identify Spartacus. But the reaction of the slaves is somewhat unexpected: one by one, each or them stand out and shout "I'm Spartacus"

Here is a clip of one of my favourite historical film, not historically accurate at all, but fun just the same.

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius". The gladiator, and former general Maximus, whose family has been killed by emperor Commodus, finds himself at last in front of his enemy, whom he wants to take revenge on, and swears he will avenged his family. "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, leader of the Phoenix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or in the next" - "Gladiator", Ridley Scott, 2000.

Which is your favourite sequence of a historical film? Please click on COMMENTS to tell us about it, indicating the name of the film, the director and the year it was released, and briefly describing what happens in the scene and what historical event it is based on.

Come and learn about Scotland

Dearest students & readers of this blog,

Tomorrow, at our school, we will have the chance to learn about one of the countries that make the United Kingdom: Scotland.

Ms FIONA MILLER will tell us about...

SCOTLAND: MYTH AND REALITY

A brief overview of some of the well-known images and symbols of the Scots

So come and join us tomorrow at the AULA DE EXÁMENES DE LA UNED at 6:00 p.m. to learn about one of the most fascinating countries of the British Isles.

International Women's Day 2012

Dear students and readers of this blog,

Today, as you know, is 8 March, a significant day in our calendar. But to speak about it, let me use the words of Women Watch (United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality):

"International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.

In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. In adopting its resolution, the General Assembly recognized the role of women in peace efforts and development and urged an end to discrimination and an increase of support for women’s full and equal participation."

Please click here to read on about the history of the International Women's Day.

Watch this video on firsts at the White House, by First Ladies:

Now we've talked about American First Ladies, here you have a video that I think is quite interesting, and not too difficult. President Barack Obama and the First Lady speak about the achievements of women around the world at a reception at the White House marking International Women’s Day (transcript also available here.) A bit long, but worth watching.

From here, I would like to pay homage to all inspirational women in the world, the ones in the video below, the ones that are not there, and the anonymous ones, the ones no one knows anything about, the ones we do not see on TV or in the news.

PLEASE CLICK ON "COMMENTS" AND WRITE A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF A SIGNIFICANT WOMAN YOU ADMIRE. HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!