Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The History of Saint Patrick's Day
March 17th is when we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. Once only an Irish religious celebration, it changed though times and became a funny and happy holiday that celebrates the Irish culture and heritage in different parts of the world. Read the article bellow and learn more about it! And, of course, have a happy St. Patrcik's Day you all!
Who was Saint Patrick?
The patron saint and national apostle of Ireland, Saint Patrick has been historically credited with formalizing the presence of Christianity in Ireland during the 5th century AD. He is said to have abolished the Druid's pagan rites and converted and baptized their warrior chiefs.
The Shamrock
Legend tells that the Irish apostle used the shamrock to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity to potential converts. The three leaves of the shamrock, which today is a popular symbol of the St. Patrick's Day holiday, were used to represent the father, the son, and the holy spirit.
St. Patrick's death
There are multiple accounts of the location and events leading to Saint Patrick's death. One fact is unanimously accepted, however: Saint Patrick died on March 17. Since that day, Irish Catholics have celebrated March 17th as a religious holiday.
Food & drink
Because St. Patrick's Day occurs during the Christian Lent period, religious families would have been prohibited from consuming meat and alcohol. However, these prohibitions were waived on St. Patty's Day, allowing even the most pious to celebrate the day with a traditional feast of Irish bacon and cabbage and some spirits.
St. Patrick's Day today
Unlike in Ireland, the United States has always had secular celebrations of St. Patrick's Day, dating back as far as 1737 when Boston held its first St. Patrick's Day parade. Today, people of all denominations and religious backgrounds celebrate the holiday by drinking green beer, wearing green clothing, adorning shamrock pins and attending parades.
Some of the most famous U.S. celebrations include the St. Patty's Day parades in Boston, New York and Chicago, which are attended by close to a million people each year - with many millions more enjoying them on TV.
St. Patrick's Day History - Video
Now that you know a few facts about St. Patrick, check out this funny animation telling his history:
To learn more: Saint Patrick's Day (Wikipedia article)
You may also like:
Marcadores:
celebration dates,
culture,
Ireland,
Saint Patrick's Day,
UK,
USA
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentine's Day
Origins
There are many versions for its origin. The
most well-known says that once there was a Priest named Valentine who secretly
helped young couples to get married in a time single men were considered better
soldiers.
A variation of the tale says that Valentine was
taken to prison for helping Christians to escape from Romans. Imprisoned and condemned
to death, he fell in love for a young girl (probably a jailor’s daughter) and
just before his death he sent he a letter which finished with the expression ‘from
your Valentine”. This is considered by many the first Valentine greeting card,
and even today the word “Valentine” is a synonym for a person who is loved by
other.
But Valentine's Day is not just about lovers, so it's also common to send greeting cards to friends or family.
History
There were at least three Catholic
saints named Valentine that could have inspired the legend and some people
claims that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February because Valentine’s
birthday or death.
But its true origin was probably a pagan fertility festival
called Lupercalia, which was celebrated in February 15th in honor of
Faunus (or Pan), the god of agriculture. As many other festivities it was later Christianized
and replaced by a Catholic celebration by Pope Gelasius at the end of the 5th
century AD.
Valentine's Day in Brazil?
In Brazil we don’t celebrate the ‘Valentine’s
Day’ in February. Actually, I’m not sure if Saint Valentine is a popular saint
around here. But we do have ‘Santo Antonio’ (or "Saint Anthony”), who is
considered the protector of lovers. The “Santo
Antonio’s day” is celebrated in June 12th. The idea is basically the same, with lots of
heart-shaped chocolates, greeting cards and romance, and it's 'commercial' name is "Dia dos Namorados" (something like "the Sweethearts' Day"). There’s a popular belief
that Santo Antonio can help single women to find husbands, what makes him a
very popular Catholic Saint.
To learn more:
Marcadores:
celebration dates,
culture,
USA,
Valentine's Day
Monday, January 21, 2013
American Holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
On the third Monday of January, the U.S. celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (officially called Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.), in honor of this important Human Rights activist.
During his life, Martin Luther King, Jr. protested against racial discrimination. He is considered one of the greatest orators in American History and in 1963 he delivered his most famous speech "I have a dream" (read it here or watch it bellow).
Although he always promoted his ideas in a non-violent manner, he was assassinated in 1968.
Just after his death, the American Congress passed The Civil Rights Act of 1968, that prohibited discrimination in housing and housing-related transactions on the basis of race, religion, or national origin (later expanded to include sex, familial status, and disability). The Civil Rights Act is considered a result of Martin Luther King, Jr. struggle, but his legacy goes beyond that and his words still echo on those who fight for equality and justice around the globe. (you can learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. and this holiday by clicking here and here).
The video bellow shows a brief biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Check it out:
Marcadores:
culture,
English,
holidays,
Martin Luther king,
USA
Friday, January 11, 2013
Soccer or Football?
The question seems obvious, but it can be a bit tricky. And the answer is: it depends where you are!
If you're in the U.S.A, so Football is a game for strong men that have to cross a field carrying the ball with their hands and, yes, they can try a field goal by kicking the ball. A lot different from SOCCER the sport in which the players have to use their feet and only the goalkeeper can hold the ball with his hands.
But in the U.K. and the rest of the English speaking world, FOOTBALL is the sport played by stars like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The British are considered the creators of modern FOOTBALL and they have traditional clubs, such as, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, although England has won the World Cup only once.
Football (or soccer in Brazil)
Talking about that, Brazil is the greatest World Cup champion and it is going to hold the next World Cup in 2014. The name of the sport in Portuguese is 'futebol', an adaptation of the English word 'football'.  |
| Charles Miller |
Football was brought to Brazil by an Englishmen named Charles Miller in 1984. In the beginning the word 'football' was used to refer to the game, and other English words were used to talk about the sport. And some early clubs that became very popular through the years incorporated English terms to their names, generating curious combinations, such as 'Sport Club Corinthians Paulista' and "Grêmio de Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense".
As you can see, English might be very different from Portuguese but it's influence is big even in Brazil's most popular sport.
You may also like:
Why is English is in the news in Brazil?
The Ducks go Gangnam Style
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)