My Gap Year This year is my last year in secondary school, there is only a term and a half remaining. So I’ve decided to have a gap year in some countries with people I love, because I think a gap year could be good to gain some experience and discover the world. First of all I would like to take a break, to rest a little. I will go to Hawaii with my girlfriend or my parents, spend some time with them, just having some fun and no work at all. Then I will go to Germany, because
my aunt and my uncle live there and I miss them a lot. I’m a goalkeeper and I like German goalkeeping technics very much, so I’ll go to FC Bayern München’s academy to take a chance. I won’t forget if Manuel Neuer gives his gloves. I will go to the USA to do some volunteer work on the firemen department for approximately a month. Finally I will spend some time in Portugal with my best mates and help the firemen or the police. I will also play some football with my friends or even with my team. I hope it would be an excellent year, a very lucky year and I hope to gain some experience, make new friends, know some countries, improve my goalkeeper skills and the rest with my family. Pedro Dias, nº 21, 11º 3
Our gap year We never thought of taking a gap year, but, if we did, we would choose New York. Why New York? We want to choose New York because it’s the city that never sleeps, it’s the place for everything that we can imagine, where everything is possible. We would visit monuments, famous places, Central Park and most importantly find a job in the city to earn some money to save and to pay for our expenses. Of course we would go together and maybe take a friend or two with us, because this is the experience of a life time, something we will never forget. If we take a gap year it will be to understand what we want to do with our life and also to explore another part of the world, to share experiences and to have a lot of fun! Catarina Coelho nº 5, Catarina Lago nº 6, 11º 2
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The true story of Easter The name Easter came from the Hebrew word "pessach" ("Pass"), which for the Jews meant the end of slavery and the beginning of the liberation of the Jewish people. Even today the Jewish family gathers for the "Seder", a special dinner is done in family and lasts eight days. In addition to the dinner there are readings in synagogues. For Christians, Easter is the passage of Jesus Christ from death to life: the Resurrection. The move of God among us and our passage to God. It is considered the feast of feasts, the solemnity of solemnities, celebrated in joy. Easter egg In pagan cultures, the egg brought the idea of the beginning of life. People used to gift friends with eggs, wishing them good luck. The early Christians of the East were the first to give colorful Easter eggs symbolizing resurrection, birth into a new life. In European countries they used to write messages and dates on eggs and donate them to friends. In some countries, as in Germany, the custom was to give the eggs to children. In Armenia, hollow eggs are decorated with pictures of Jesus, Mary and other religious figures. The replacement of cooked and painted eggs by chocolate eggs can be justified by the prohibition of the consumption of animal flesh, by Christians during Lent. The Rabbit The tradition of the Easter Bunny was brought to America by German immigrants, between the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century. In Ancient Egypt, the rabbit symbolizes birth and new life. Some Ancient peoples regarded the rabbit as the symbol of the moon, so it is possible that he has become a Pascal symbol due to the fact that the moon determines when Easter is celebrated. What is certain is that rabbits are remarkable for their ability to reproduce, and Easter symbolizes resurrection, new life, both among Jews and Christians. There is also a legend according to which a poor woman colored some chicken eggs and hid them, to give them to their children as an Easter gift. When her children found the eggs, a rabbit fled. Hence spread the story that it was the rabbit that had brought the eggs. Catarina Lago nยบ 6, 11ยบ2
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Easter around the world Finland Children in Scandinavian countries go begging in the streets with sooty faces and scarves around their heads, carrying broomsticks, coffeepots and bunches of willow twigs. In some parts of Western Finland, people light bonfires on Easter Sunday, stemming from the belief that the flames ward off witches who fly around on brooms between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Poland Pouring water on one another is a tradition called Smingus-Dyngus. On Easter Monday, boys try to drench other people with buckets of water or squirt guns. Legend says girls who get soaked will marry within the year.
Haux, France Each year a giant omelet is served up in the town’s main square. The omelet uses more than 4,500 eggs and feeds up to 1,000 people. The story goes, when Napoleon and his army were travelling through the south of France, they stopped in a small town and ate omelets. Napoleon liked it so much that he ordered the townspeople to gather their eggs and make a giant omelet for his army the next day.
Corfu, Greece On the morning of Holy Saturday, the traditional “Pot Throwing” takes place on the Greek island of Corfu. People throw pots, pans and other earthenware out of their windows, smashing them on the street. Some believe the throwing of the pots welcomes spring, symbolizing the new crops that will be gathered in the new pots.
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Norway Easter is such a popular time for Norwegians to read crime novels that publishers actually come out with special “Easter Thrillers” known as Paaskekrimmen. The tradition is said to have started in 1923 when a book publisher promoted its new crime novel on the front pages of newspapers.
Rome, Italy On Good Friday, the Pope commemorates the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) at the Colosseum. A huge cross with burning torches illuminates the sky as the 14 Stations of the Cross are described in several languages. Mass is celebrated on the evening of Holy Saturday, and on Easter Sunday, thousands of visitors congregate in St. Peter’s Square to await the Pope’s blessing from the church’s balcony, known as “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and to the World”).
Czech Republic and Slovakia There’s an Easter Monday tradition in which men spank women with handmade whips made of willow and decorated with ribbons. According to legend, the willow is the first tree to bloom in the spring, so the branches are supposed to transfer the tree’s vitality and fertility to the women. This playful spanking is all in good fun and isn’t meant to cause pain.
Verges, Spain On Holy Thursday, in the Medieval town of Verges, Spain, the traditional “dansa de la mort” (“death dance”) is performed. To reenact scenes from The Passion, everyone dresses in skeleton costumes and parades through the streets. The procession ends with frightening skeletons carrying boxes of ashes. The dance begins at midnight and continues for three hours into the early morning.
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Washington, DC For 130 years, the White House has hosted the Easter Egg Roll on its South Lawn. The main activity involves rolling a colored hard-boiled egg with a large serving spoon, but now the event boasts many more amusements, like musical groups, egg hunt, sports and crafts.
Hungary “Sprinkling”/“Ducking Monday” is observed on Easter Monday. Boys playfully sprinkle perfume or perfumed water on girls. Young men used to pour buckets of water over young women's heads, but now they spray perfume, cologne or just plain water, and ask for a kiss. People used to believe that water had a cleaning, healing and fertilityinducing effect.
England Christians gather together on Easter Sunday for a Sunrise Service. The Paschal candle, decorated with studs to celebrate Christ's wounds, may be lit from the fire and carried into the church where it is used to light the candles of the worshippers. It is a popular time for baptisms. Some churches have an Easter Garden. A stone is placed across the mouth of a tomb before Easter, then rolled away on Easter morning. The traditional Easter gift is a chocolate egg. Small chocolate eggs are hidden for the children to find on the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. Easter day is associated with special food: Boiled eggs are traditionally served at breakfast. Roast lamb is the traditional meat for the main meal on Easter Day. It is served with mint sauce and vegetables. The traditional pudding is custard tarts sprinkled with currants and flat Easter biscuits. Easter Biscuits are sometimes called "Cakes", and are eaten on Easter Sunday. They contain spices, currants and sometimes grated lemon rind. Simnel cake is baked for tea. The Simnel cake is a rich fruitcake covered with a thick layer of almond paste (marzipan). A layer of marzipan is also traditionally baked into the middle of the cake. Beatriz Silvestre, nº 4, 11º5
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Valentine’s Day around the world Italy Originally, Italians celebrated Valentine’s Day as the Spring Festival. The young and amorous gathered outside in gardens and tree arbors to enjoy poetry readings and music before taking a stroll with their beloved. Today on Valentine’s Day Italians prefer having romantic dinners and exchanging gifts. Also, there is a tradition of giving chocolate to loved ones. France Restaurants famously do a roaring trade on February 14, a day also considered the best time for a marriage proposal. United Kingdom Valentine’s cards are often sent anonymously in the UK. Various parts of the country have their own ways of celebrating. For example, in Norfolk, in the west, a mysterious Jack Valentine knocks on people’s doors and vanishes, leaving sweets for children. Saudi Arabia Perhaps the only country in the world where Valentine’s day is banned. In 2008 Saudi officials told florists and gift shops to remove all red items until after Valentine’s Day,
calling the celebration of such a holiday a sin as it “encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women”. Estonia Valentine’s Day celebrations in Estonia have their own twist: February 14 is called “Friend’s Day”, so single, lovelorn people don’t feel left out. That means everyone’s a winner thanks to nice presents offered between friends and family members. Shops, restaurants and streets are decorated with hearts and other symbols of love. On this day single people also get the chance to take a ride on a special “love bus” where they can meet others looking for love. Beatriz Silvestre, nº 4, 11º5
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A man was pulled over for driving too fast, even though he thought he was driving just fine. Officer: You were speeding. Man: No, I wasn't. Officer: Yes, you were. I'm giving you a ticket. Man: But I wasn't speeding. Officer: Tell that to the judge! (The officer gives man the ticket.) Man: Would I get another ticket if I called you a jerk? Officer: Yes, you would. Man: What if I just thought that you were? Officer: I can't give you a ticket for what you think. Man: Fine, I think you're a jerk! *Boy whispers to his mom during a wedding* Boy: "Mommy?" Mom: "What?" Boy: "Why is the girl dressed in white?" Mom: "Because this is the happiest day of her life." Boy: "... so why is the boy dressed in black?" Beatriz Silvestre, nยบ 4, 11ยบ5
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