Language and Culture newsletter Issue 3

Newsletter from the Hymers College MFL Department • Issue 3

This edition of the Language and Culture Newsletter will be focusing on festivals!

Celebrations provide a great insight into many cultures and allow us to learn more about the importance of traditions and how they are still relevant in today’s society. Once again we will have pupils from different years writing about festivals such as Diwali and Hanukkah. We hope you will gain an insight into the diversity of the student body by reading these articles!

Black History Month (October)

Day of the Dead (October/November)

Samhain (Irish Hallowe’en)

Christmas (25 December)

Diwali (4 November)

Saturnalia Festival (December)

Bonfire Night (5 November)

Hanukkah (28 Nov-6 Dec)

Thanksgiving 2021 (25 November)

Black History Month First celebrated in the UK in 1987, Krithi and Rhea tell us about Black History Month, an observance originating in the United States which is now celebrated in the United Kingdom in October every year.

Black History Month was marked all over the world in October by various events, with everyone from the smallest children to the most elderly learning and celebrating the black people who have shaped the world as we know it today. The History Department celebrated Black History Month by conducting a series of lunchtime seminars throughout the month of October.

Next it was Dr Smith’s turn to take up the mantle with his seminar on the Toussaint L’Ouverture and the Haitian revolution, one of the most successful slave revolts in History.

Toussaint L’Ouverture was a slave leader who took inspiration from the French revolution and used this to unite a multi-race, multi-tribal force in order to fight against the three most powerful military forces of the time: France; Spain; and England. He then went on to write the Haitian Constitution which abolished slavery, decades before the British Empire and the American Civil War.

Why is Black History Month important?

The first of these seminars was a seminar on African civilisation and the study of history

by Dr Denton. This covered the issue of the way that history courses tend to ignore our oldest ancestors, and how African civilisation is often overlooked, as well as how history is seen to start from the beginning of European civilisation, simply as a result of a lack of written material. This also explored how much evidence of ancient African civilisations was hidden or obscured systematically throughout the Western World and former colonies. It also gave insight on new techniques that have been developed in order to excavate a culture of oral history rather than the conventional culture of written records.

The series ended with a seminar on Women and the Civil rights movement by Miss Robinson. This seminar discussed the role of the mothers of prominent figures in the civil rights movement, such as MLK and Malcolm X. It also explored the true stories of many women’s pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movements that are often obscured by traditional textbooks.

The seminar also helps us to rethink the events of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and its repercussions on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, specifically the role of Rosa Parks. These seminars are also very important to the school community, as they help us to explore the topics that are so far removed from our textbooks, that often we are not even aware of their presence.

and not explored till very recently. Due to the racism that runs deep within today’s society black people have been systematically removed from our history books; even though black history is a big part of British history.

This month is a time to celebrate black history instead of hiding it. Learning about the contribution black people have made to our society is beneficial to people of every race.

For black children to finally see themselves reflected in the things they learn is excellent; and for others learning black history can help to dismantle the prejudice that society has implemented in us. Celebrating this month is a sign of progress in our journey to equality.

To answer this question, we must understand the importance of history as a subject and how it influences our life. History helps enrich an individual’s outlook on the world as well as developing a sense of identity and community.

Most importantly, learning about history can shape today’s society into a better place by learning from the mistakes of past civilisations.

These characteristics of history are what make Black History Month so important. Then why do we have a separate month for black history?

Black history has been hidden, neglected,

Krithi & Rhea

Black History Month is a relatively new practice; here are some things you may not have known about it...

1

The first official Black History Month event in Britain was celebrated on 1 October 1987 after the abolition of the GLC (Greater London Council) and the event has been celebrated every year since.

2

Black History Month is celebrated at different times around the world; for example, America celebrates Black History month in February and there are many other variations around the world.

Day of the Dead A day to celebrate the memory of those lost, Chris writes about ‘El Dia de los muertos’ and how it is celebrated in not just its place of origin, Mexico, but also throughout the world.

The Day of the Dead, or ‘el día de los muertos’ is a festival originating from Mexico and celebrated from 31 October up until 2 November. Whilst it began in Mexico, and is commonly known as a Mexican festival, it is celebrated globally, with processions in Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Philippines, and the United States alone.

These countries all celebrate some form of festival very similar to the Day of the Dead, however all with their own unique twist. Despite the seemingly morbid name, the celebrations revolve around life rather than death. In homes, people make what is known as an ‘ofrenda’, and place gifts and photos on these ofrendas to honor the memory of loved ones and celebrate their lives.

El día de los muertos is celebrated with community, with children knocking on their neighbours’ doors asking for ‘calaveritas’ (little skulls), which are little gifts of sweets, similar to that of Halloween. As well, it is not uncommon for entire towns to visit graveyards to make offerings to the dead, and every town will do the day of the dead slightly differently, allowing for a festival that brings together communities, as well as give Mexico global recognition with iconic symbols such as the skulls (calaveras) and marigolds (cempasúchiles).

Chris

Samhain (Irish Hallowe’en) Historically a festival celebrating the end of summer and the harvest season and the start ofthe Celtic new year, James writes about Samhain which occurs from 31 October to 1 November.

Samhain is Celtic Pagan festival, celebrated by Gaels in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, as well as in Gaelic communities, for example in Massachusetts. It overlaps with similar, and more well-known, festivals, such as Hallowe’en and the Day of the Dead, being celebrated from October 31st to November 1st to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter.

Samhain is in fact the predecessor to Hallowe’en, with many of its activities originating from Samhain. For example, pumpkin carving originated from Ireland’s turnip carving; as Samhain was believed to have been the time when the souls of the dead would walk the earth, and so carving grotesque faces into a pumpkin would ward these spirits off. During Samhain, some people

would dress in a disguise and go out to other people’s houses, singing or reciting poetry in return for food. Sound familiar? Bonfires were also lit, as a magical form of imitating the Sun’s power, hoping to hold back the death and decay that comes with winter, and to burn up harmful spirits.

In Great Britain and Ireland, traditional aspects of the Gaelic Pagan festival Samhain bled into the Catholic holiday of All Hallows’ Day and in particular All Hallow’s Eve, celebrated on 31 October. These borrowed traditions then slowly spread to other Christian lands such as France, Bavaria and Austria, and they spread even further with the colonisation of the Americas, where Anglicans and Catholics alike brought their religious festivals and the Irish and Scottish diaspora brought their inherited culture. It’s from there where Samhain’s Christian cousin grew into a widely-celebrated and highly-commercialised festival.

James

Diwali Having recently been celebrated, Guruguhan tells us about Diwali and how it is celebrated by Hindus globally, exploring the link between all of these celebrations of light in relation to the return of Lord Rama from his exile.

Diwali is an event of celebration.

Many Hindus who are predominantly Indian celebrate Diwali. It is usually celebrated on the darkest day of the Hindu lunar month, Kartik( Hindus use an ancient time calendar called the Panchanga or lunar calendar to determine the time of festivals). This day happens to be 5 November in 2021 until 9 November.

On the third day a puja for Lakshmi is performed and candles are lit around the house. On padva, people create a makeshift statue symbolising Lord Krishna and worship it as he defeated another god called Indra.

Finally, on Bhai Dooj, fireworks and crackers are set off and gifts are exchanged.

How is it celebrated? Well there are 5 days of Diwali, each of significance. It starts with “Dhanteras”, the day where Lakshmi,a the goddess of wealth and beauty is worshipped and people decorate homes with special substances in beautiful patterns known as Rangoli. Then, on Naraka Chaturdashi people “wash their sins away” by taking a bath and wearing new clothes.

All of these celebrations are symbolic of the time that Lord Rama returned from his exile after 14 years after defeating an evil god Ravana and was welcomed with lights and fireworks with his wife Sita.

Guruguhan

Bonfire Night Originating from the Gunpower Plot of 1605, Emma tells us about Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, where every year on 5 November in Great Britain the sky fills with fireworks.

Bonfire Night or otherwise known as Guy Fawkes Day, is celebrated each year by the people of Great Britain, Northern Ireland (the non-Catholic communities) and other countries of the Commonwealth.

This event is celebrated on 5 November each year to commemorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The gunpowder plot was created by a group of Catholics who wanted to kill King James I and his parliament and replace them with a catholic head of state. Their plan was to blow up the houses of parliament, using lots of barrels of gunpowder that had been stashed under the Houses of Parliament, when it was next open. They did this hoping to kill everyone inside. Guy Fawkes job was to light the fuse of the gunpowder barrels on the morning of the fifth but a few days prior the King’s trusted guard received an anonymous letter talking about the gunpowder plot in detail and to warn everyone to get

out. In the early hours of 5 November 1605, the guard and his team arrested Guy Fawkes after he was found defending the Barrels of gunpowder. He was then taken away, tortured and then killed along with the remaining members of the plot.

Fun facts about bonfire night:

On Bonfire Night, fireworks and sparklers are lit and getting together with family and friends are ways to celebrate this event. Sometimes in certain towns or villages there will be big displays put on including these ways of celebrating but in other cases many just buy sparklers and fireworks to light in their gardens.

• In the UK, it was illegal not to celebrate bonfire night up until 1959!

I think bonfire night is important to celebrate due to the fact it is a tradition through Great Britain, Northern Ireland and other countries in the Commonwealth. It has been tradition since 5 November 1605 after King James I ordered families across the countries to light bonfires to celebrate his survival, the day Guy Fawkes was caught. It’s also a day to remember the Failure of the Gunpowder plot and a fun excuse to get together with family and friends.

• Guy Fawkes was nearly caught a couple days before the fifth as when the guard received the letter he went down to check straight away but Guy Fawkes hid and managed to go unseen!

• The word ‘Bonfire’ is derived from the words ‘bone fire’ because these types of fires used to be used for burning bones!

• If Guy Fawkes had managed to set alight those barrels of gunpowder, it would have caused damage within a radius of around 500 metres!

Emma

Thanksgiving Celebrated on 25 November this year, Sophie has looked into the history behind the well known Thanksgiving Day and the importance that this day holds for many households in America.

Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada that celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year with a banquet. In the United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving being celebrated on a Thursday began during George Washington’s presidency however was only solidified in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation which designated the last Thursday of every November to be Thanksgiving Day.

Massachusetts. The Pilgrims celebrated their first bountiful harvest after a year of sickness and scarcity with the Wampanoag Native Americans, as they were the ones who taught them how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees and catch fish. The meal said

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 by a meal between the Plymouth colonists, also known as the pilgrims, and the Wampanoag Native Americans in Plymouth,

to be at the first Thanksgiving consisted of deer, wildfowl, cod, bass and corn, however modernly the traditional Thanksgiving dinner is made up of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy,

beans, corn and pumpkin pie. The turkey gained traction as being the centrepiece of the Thanksgiving dinner as it was thought to have been the “wildfowl” at the first Thanksgiving since turkeys were native to Plymouth, Massachusetts. It is estimated that 45 million turkeys are served every year at Thanksgiving.

As well as a luxurious meal, Thanksgiving is also celebrated by parades, the largest and most famous being the ‘Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade’ in New York. The parade has giant balloons, floats, a marching band and even clowns. The Thanksgiving holiday period is an important time for modern Americans as it is a time to express gratitude, positive thinking and for family. It is also a time to think of others in need, for this reason turkey drives are set up in community buildings and churches and many choose to volunteer at food banks over the holiday period, making it one of the most beloved holidays in America.

Sophie

Hanukkah With its many religious rituals, Annabel writes about the origins of Hanukkah, which is celebrated from 28 November to 6 December this year, and how a miracle that occurred continues to inspire Jews today.

Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights is an eight day Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where a group of Jews stood up to their Greek-Syrian oppressors during the Maccabean Revolt. The Talmud, one of the central texts of Judaism, teaches that a miracle occurred after the revolt. In order to rededicate the temple, the menorah candle had to be lit and kept alight for eight days straight but there was only enough untainted olive oil for the menorah candles to burn for one day.

Despite the lack of oil, the candle stayed alight for eight nights, allowing the temple to be reclaimed by the Jews. This phenomenon inspired the Jewish sages to create a yearly eight day holiday.

The Festival of Lights is celebrated on the 25th Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls in November or December. Jews all over the world will celebrate Hanukkah, but in predominantly Jewish countries, like Israel, Hanukkah is a national holiday so all schools close and people have time off work so that they can celebrate. Children put on plays, sing songs and have parties as well as taking part in religious celebrations.

Every day a candle on the menorah is lit to commemorate the eight days that the candle stayed alight in the temple. There are also many religious rituals that take place, including daily readings from Scripture, the recitation of Psalms, almsgiving and hymn singing. In addition to the religious rituals, there are other non-religious traditions associated with the celebration of Hanukkah. These include eating treats that have been fried in oil (the miracle oil), giving children money (known as Hanukkah gelt), and playing with a dreidel (a four sided spinning top). On each side of the

dreidel there is a Hebrew letter, which forms the initials of the words nes gadol haya sham, meaning “a great miracle happened there.”

This game helps to teach Jewish children about the events of Hanukkah and the importance of the holiday.

Although Hanukkah is an important holiday, it is not mentioned in the Torah. This is because the events that lead to the creation of Hanukkah happened after the Torah was written. However, it is mentioned in the New Testament as it describes Jesus attending a “Feast of Dedication”.

Hanukkah is a very important celebration as it reminds Jews of their fight for freedom and their success over their oppressors. The miracle that happened in the temple also symbolizes hope and shows Jews that God is always there in hard times. During the dark winter months it is important to remember the light in our lives and to keep hope.

Annabel

Christmas Some of our students have recently been looking into how Christmas is celebrated in Europe, and it has been celebrated in the past, showing us the variety of traditions and foods each country will enjoy around this time of year. In Spain, as Pablo writes about, we will learn about some of the most unique Spanish traditions! Isabelle and Lucy are looking into the Saturnalia Festival and whether this Ancient Roman celebration directly influenced some of the Christmas customs we see now. In addition, Marie will explore the multitude of delicacies and practices associated with Christmas in Germany and the ever present influence of religion.

Christmas in Spain Christmas is a world known celebration with many variations and celebrations centered around it. In Spain Christmas is a very deeply rooted tradition with each region having a slightly different perspective on how to celebrate it.

Christmas is celebrated on 25 December as usual but what many people do not know is that on 6 January there is a day celebrating the three Kings (who brought presents to baby Jesus) acting like a mini Christmas. As many

people know on 26 Boxing Day is celebrated but in Spain 26th is known for the Premier league as Boxing Day isn’t celebrated there.

In Spain one of the weirdest traditions is for children to make a ‘caga tio’ which translates to ‘poo-ing logging english! In the weeks before Christmas children will decorate a log with a face and limbs covering it with a red blanket after. In the city of Zaragoza the plaza in front of the pillar boasts the largest outdoor nativity scene in the whole of Spain and also a large market full of ice rinks stalls and other popular attractions.

Pablo

Christmas in France Christmas is a holiday known throughout the whole world that is celebrated by Christians and others.

Christmas is celebrated all over the world but more noticeably in countries where the religion was or mainly is Christianity.

Christmas is a very old holiday but many of the traditions that are practiced today are quite modern with the earliest dating back to the 19th century. Christmas is always celebrated on the 25th of December however the run up to Christmas is filled with festivities. Christmas is celebrated differently everywhere across the world though one common celebration is the hanging of lights and in France it is clear that they take this to heart. From the end of November, cities and towns in France are adorned with festive lights. There is also the classic tradition of giving gifts (and receiving them from Santa) to close and loved ones which is also hugely present in France.

Christmas is celebrated for a number of reasons in France. Firstly because of the fact that Christmas is a Christian celebration that remembers the birth of Jesus Christ in

kidnapped them.

Luckily St Nicholas stepped in and saved the children and returned them to their parents.

Saint Nicholas in Eastern France is known as the protector of children because of this.

Bethlehem. Another reason that Christmas is celebrated in France is to remember the story of St Nicholas. In the North eastern regions of France, Christmas celebrations start on the 6th of December which is St Nicholas day. These celebrations happen because once upon a time there were three children who became lost in the countryside. An evil butcher then

Some fun facts about Christmas in France: In France Christmas is mainly seen as a children’s holiday. Children will open their small gifts on Christmas eve and the remaining gifts and cards will be exchanged on New Year’s Day. Adults would open their presents on Christmas Day. On 5 December (St Nicholas Day Eve), French children would put an empty shoe next to the fireplace in the hope that St Nicholas would put presents in them during the night.

Father Christmas has a helper called Father Spanker or Le Père Fouettard. Father Spanker is the helper to Father Christmas and decides if a child has been good or bad. Father Spanker as the name implies will spank (or just give coal) to children who have been bad.

Elijah

Christmas in Germany From its Christmas markets and unique decorations to its delicious Christmas delicacies, Germany is fairly renowned for its Christmas celebrations. ‘Weihnachten’, meaning Christmas, is typically celebrated by all Germans and it still embodies a strong religious element. Whilst there are similarities between German and English traditions and festivities at Christmas time, Germany tends to have some differences in their celebrations.

On ‘heilige abend’ (Christmas Eve) the presents are given and opened unlike in England. These gifts would be delivered by the ‘Weihnachtsmann’ or ‘Christkind’. Additionally, on 6 December, ‘NiklousTag’, children will traditionally place a pair of boots outside their doorstep and eventually, these boots will usually be filled with sweets and chocolates by St. Niklaus.

Germans take on their own festivities. Advent calendars for example have their own, more traditional adaptation in Germany. Rather than chocolates and sweets being in each window, a window in the advent calendar is opened to reveal a poem, Christmas picture or parts of a story. Another festivity in Germany is the ‘Weihnachtsmarkt’. Granted, the Christmas markets have spread to many other countries and continents, but the origins of Christmas markets can be traced back to Germany in the Middle Ages. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year .

Endless stalls selling ‘Gluhwein’ (mulled wine), christmas stollen, platzchen (german cookies) and lebkuchen fill the isles of the market.

These traditional delicacies are extremely popular. Lebkuchen, for example, resembles gingerbread and is often decorated with colourful icing and little messages on them

and filled with delicious spices. The markets are beautiful and picturesque, covered with Christmas lights. With more than 250 twinkling stalls, Leipzig Christmas market is not only one of the oldest but also one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany.

When decorating for Christmas in Germany, they have many unique items such as the ‘weihnachtsengel’ (christmas angeles). These Christmas ornaments are the most loved in Germany and are put on trees or scattered around households. The Christmas angels are most commonly made of wood, as are most German Christmas decorations, and are often seen playing their musical instruments. Expect to see thousands of these in any Christmas market in Germany.

Christmas in Germany undertakes a strong religious and superstitious element. Krampus Night, is where krampus, the devil, is a sidekick of St Nicholas. He is believed to accompany St Nicholas to teach naughty children a lesson. Sometimes, men in hideous Krampus costumes roam the streets on St Nicholas Night. This superstition is very similar to the British tradition of threatening naughty children with coal as their Christmas presents! Although Christmas may be over, on 6 January, the day of a religious feast known as Epiphany or ‘Das Drei Konigs Fest’, the three kings festival, is celebrated. Often, children go from house to house and sing songs, hence the term Sternsinger or ‘star singer’, requesting donations towards various children’s causes.

When it comes to the Christmas trees, “Tannenbaumen’, there are several theories and legends as to how the evergreen fir tree became a symbol of Christianity. Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it. One story says that some native Germans performed sacrifices in front of a mighty oak tree. Another belief is that in the 16th century, Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. The now worldwide incorporation of christmas trees

in christmas preparations reflects the historic German culture. Similarly, the tradition of Advent wreaths, ‘Adventskranzen’ was started

by Germans in the 16th century, and today the wreath is still an icon of Christmas in Germany.

The wreath consists of four candles in a bed of pine cones, berries, dried flowers and Christmas ornaments.

Now, for some quick facts about Christmas traditions in Germany: • “Silent night”, known in Germany as “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht”, is the most beloved Christmas song in Germany.”Silent Night” was performed the very first time in a small chapel in Salzburg on Christmas Eve 1818.

Closely following are “O du Fröhliche” and “O Tannenbaum”.

• The most popular Christmas Eve dinner in Germany is potato salad with wieners.

• Some 144 million chocolate Santas are produced each year in Germany.

• The world’s biggest stollen, consisting of a ton of flour, 675 kilos of butter, 180 kilos of sugar and 1.35 million raisins is made of many stollen pasted together with butter and sugar.

The traditional XXL cake is made in Dresden.

Marie

Saturnalia Festival In honour of the god Saturn, the Ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia, the most popular and jolliest holiday on the Roman calendar.

The poet Catullus even described it as “the best of times”. Everyone was involved, from slaves to children and even the wealthiest of Romans. During the Saturnalia everything was closed, including workplaces, schools and law courts.

It is rumoured that even slaves didn’t have to work during the festival, and in some cases, they sat at the head of the table while their masters served them! With this festival being so popular, it was expanded by the Late Republic (133-31BC) from one day to a week-long celebration, beginning on 17 December. Saturnalia was a bright and colourful celebration; streets were filled with carnivals of people and the greeting of the season, “io Saturnalia!” was chanted everywhere. As of its loudness and vividness, it is said that the author Pliny built a sound-proof room in order to continue working through the celebrations!

On this festival, the Romans gambled, sang, played music, feasted and socialised. In a number of Roman households, a mock king was chosen - usually a lowly member of the household - known as the “Saturnalicius princeps” or “leader of Saturnalia”. This individual had the role of causing chaos amongst the celebrations, such as chasing other celebrators and insulting guests. As for their role in making mischief, this mock king was sometimes called “Lord of Misrule”, with the principle that he ruled over mayhem rather than the normal Roman order. The last day of the festival was especially significant, and was known as the Sigillaria.

decorated their homes with greenery, such as wreaths, and exchanged their traditional togas in favour of colourful clothes known as Synthesis. Moreover, the cult statue of Saturn himself; which had traditionally been bound at the feet, was untied in order to allow it to join in on the celebrations.

On this day, the citizens exchanged gifts, with wax candles called Cerei being the most popular, and were given to signify light returning after solstice. As well as this, citizens

There is much debate over whether or not the Christian holiday of Christmas was a direct appropriation of the Saturnalia festival.

Some argue that Christmas owes many of its

traditions to this ancient Roman celebration, for instance given the time of year Christmas is celebrated. Moreover, the common holiday custom of hiding coins in a festive cake is one of many that dates back to Saturnalia, as well as the practice of decorating trees. Although many of the Saturnalian traditions are shared with Christmas, this does not necessarily mean that they are directly correlated.

Nevertheless, “Io Saturnalia!”

Isabelle and Lucy