Thanksgiving

Vamos conhecer nesse post um pouco sobre um feriado que para os Norte-Americanos é tão importante quanto o Natal, o dia de Ação de Graças.




Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is annual national holiday in the United States and Canada. It is to celebrate the harvest season and to give thanks for the food grown that year. In both countries, this holiday is a time to visit family and enjoy a Thanksgiving Day feast. 

The main difference between the holiday in Canada and the United States is the time. In Canada, Thanksgiving is in October, which means it is a time that summer is ending, the fall season is starting, and people are preparing for winter.

In the United States, the holiday is in November. Thanksgiving marks the start of the Christmas season, and the day after the holiday is the biggest shopping day of the year. This is called Black Friday.    When Thanksgiving ends, Christmas begins as Americans get ready for the holiday season in December.

The American holiday is particularly rich in legend and symbolism, and the traditional fare of the Thanksgiving meal typically includes turkey, bread stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. With respect to vehicular travel, the holiday is often the busiest of the year, as family members gather with one another.

In both countries, the holiday began with the European pioneers and their relations with the Native North Americans. This is why the image of the American Pilgrim is famous around Thanksgiving.

While the dates are not exactly known, Thanksgiving is believed to have started in 1578 in Canada and 1621 in The United States. In Canada, the explorer Martin Frobisher held a feast to give thanks for a successful passage to the Pacific Ocean. Later, famous French explorer Samuel de Champlain organized a celebration for the harvest. In the United States, it is believed that the first celebration occurred in 1578 at Plymouth Rock, in what is now Massachusetts.

Recent celebrations of Thanksgiving include spending time with family, eating traditional food, and watching football (American football). Considering it is a popular sport played during the fall and it is a traditional American sport, football is enjoyed by many Americans on Thanksgiving day. This includes both college and professional games around the country. In Canada, the professional Canadian Football League also holds two games. In the U.S., there is also a famous parade held in New York City.

Questions:

1.Which country celebrates Thanksgiving earlier in the year?
    a) United States
    b) Canada

2. What does the word “feast” most likely mean?
     a) A type of food
     b) A big meal
     c) A popular holiday
     d) A traditional dance

3. Which country is believed to have celebrated Thanksgiving first?
    a) Canada
    b) United States

4. What do many Americans buy after Thanksgiving?
    a) Footballs
    b) Pumpkin pies
    c) Christmas gifts

5. Which is true for both Canada and the U.S.?
    a) Thanksgiving is in the same month.
    b) Parades are common around the countries.
    c) Many people watch football.

Respostas:

1- a) 2- b) 3- a) 4- c) 5- c)

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St Patrick's Day

Um dos feriados mas cultuados no mundo é o dia de St.Patrick, não só pelos irlandeses católicos, mas por todos os simpatizantes da cultura Irlandesa. Essa data virou mais um ato patriota do que uma comemoração religiosa. 

St Patrick

St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He was born in the fourth century and is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is a very well known Irish national holiday, which is celebrated not only in Ireland but all around the world. It falls on the 17th of March. 

Patrick was born to wealthy parents in the late fourth century. Until the age of 16 years old, he thought of himself as a pagan. He was kidnapped and sold as a slave at this age by Irish marauders. It was during this capture that he turned to God. 

He managed to escape after being a slave for six years and then studied in a monastery in Gaul for 12 years. This was when he knew that his ‘calling’ was to try and convert all the pagans in Ireland into Christianity. 

St. Patrick went from monastery to monastery, successfully converting people to Christianity. The Celtic Druids were very unhappy with him and tried to arrest him several times but he always managed to escape. After 30 years of being a missionary in Ireland, he finally settled down in a place called County Down. He died on the 17th of March, AD 461. 

Shamrocks, leprechauns and the blarney stone are associated with St. Patrick’s Day. 

Shamrocks are threeleaved clovers found growing in patches on grass. Legend has it that St. Patrick used a three-leaf clover to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity  (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost) to pagans. You are thought to be lucky if you find a four-leaved clover, so do keep it if you ever come across one!

Leprechauns are little Irish fairies, and they are thought to work as shoe-makers for other fairies. The Irish say that if a leprechaun is caught by a human, he will reveal where he hides his pot of gold. 

On this day, pictures of shamrocks and leprechauns are hung everywhere. Some people even dress up as leprechauns complete with their big green hats! The village of Blarney is situated northwest of the Irish village of Cork. Blarney comes from the Irish word ‘An blarna’, meaning the plain. Blarney Castle is a very famous castle in this village and is 90 feet tall. The world famous Blarney Stone is on the top story. It is said that if one kisses this stone, one will be given the gift of eloquence, meaning to have beautiful speaking abilities.  Nowadays, the word blarney means the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without offending. 

Legend also says that St. Patrick could raise people from the dead. He is wellknown for driving the snakes out of Ireland, although many people dispute how true this is! 

 

What Do People Do on St. Patrick’s Day? 

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated world-wide with people dancing and singing in Irish pubs, watching St. Patrick’s Day parade, drinking ‘green’ beer, wearing green clothes and just generally having a good time. Children in Ireland have a tradition of pinching their friends who don’t wear green on this day! 

Traditional Food and Drink on St. Patrick’s Day Corned beef and cabbage is what most people have on this day. Another popular dish is Irish soda bread and potato pancakes. Irish pub owners go crazy on this day, putting green food colouring into their beers and traditional Irish Guinness Stout is a sell out in all Irish pubs! People also drink lots of Irish coffee, which is made with warm whiskey, sugar, coffee and topped off with whipped cream. Sounds delicious? It is!

Irish Proverbs 

The Irish have many proverbs but here are some favourites. 

Better the coldness of a friend than the sweetness of an enemy. 

Be nice to them on the way up. You might meet them all on the way down.

Let your anger set with the sun and not rise again with it.

Irish Humour 

The Irish are famous for their jokes and good nature.

Now that you know almost everything about St. Patrick’s Day, go out on March the 17th and enjoy yourselves! Why not try and spot a leprechaun or two to find your pot of gold…? 

Whatever it may be, don’t forget to wear green on this special day

Answer these questions

1 - When is St Patrick’s Day? 

2 - Why is this day celebrated as St Patrick’s Day?

 

3 - Where is it celebrated? 

4 - When was St Patrick born?

 

5 - What happened to St Patrick at the age of 16? 

6 - What did the saint see as his ‘calling’? 

7 - What is a shamrock? 

8 - What use did St Patrick make of the shamrock? 

9 - What is a leprechaun?

 

10 - What should you do if you meet a leprechaun? 

11 - Where is the blarney stone and what is special about it?

 

12 - What does the word ‘blarney’ mean today? 

13 - Did St Patrick drive all the snakes out of Ireland? 

14 - What should you wear on St Patrick’s Day? 

15 - What do children do on St Patrick’s Day? 

16 - What do people traditionally eat on St Patrick’s Day?

17 - What do pub owners do on St Patrick’s Day

Respostas:

1 - on the 17th of March;

2 - because this is the day of his death;

3 - Around the world;

4 - in the late fourth century

5 - He was kidnapped and sold as a slave at this age by Irish marauders.

6 -  his ‘calling’ was to try and convert all the pagans in Ireland into Christianity. 

7 -  threeleaved clovers 

8 -  to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to pagans. 

9 - are little Irish fairies

10 - I would ask  to him reveal where he hides his pot of gold. 

11 - In Blarney Castle.  It is said that if one kisses this stone, one will be given the gift of eloquence.

12 - the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without offending. 

13 - yes, he did.

14 - wearing green clothes

15 - Children in Ireland have a tradition of pinching their friends who don’t wear green on this day! 

16 - Corned beef and cabbage and soda bread and potato pancakes.

17 - they put green food colouring into their beers

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Halloween

Alguns feriados são comemorados em grande parte do mundo e outros que eram de apenas determinadas regiões estão invadindo outros países que, aos poucos, estão aderindo à essas tradições, graças à disseminação de outras culturas que a internet nos está possibilitando,  
O Halloween é um deles!
Separamos um texto contando como ele surgiu e um pequeno questionário para que você possa treinar a sua compreensão de texto em língua Inglesa.

Halloween (also spelled Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints.

Halloween has origins in the ancient festival known as Samhain, which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end". This was a Gaelic festival celebrated mainly in Ireland and Scotland.This festival celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year".The celebration has some elements of a festival of the dead. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Other world became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honored and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

But where does the origin of the name "halloween" come from? 

Well The term Halloween, originally spelled Hallowe’en, is shortened from All Hallows' Even – e'en is a shortening of evening. It is now known as "Eve of" All Saints' Day, which is November 1st. As Chritianity started to spread, the church tried to supplant these pagan festivities with the Christian holiday (All Saints' Day) by moving it from May 13 to November 1. Although All Saints' Day is now As Chritianity started to spread, the church tried to supplant these pagan festivities with the Christian holiday (All Saints' Day) by moving it from May 13 to November 1. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were once celebrated on the same day.

Halloween is also related to A jack-o'-lantern (sometimes also spelled Jack O'Lantern) which is typically a carved pumpkin. In a jack-o'-lantern, typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. At night, a light is placed inside to illuminate the effect.

Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Ireland and Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of show, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, in order to earn their treats.

Comprehension

1 - The word Halloween means:
      a. hallows' day
      b. hallows' evening 

2 - Why did people wear masks on Halloween? 
     a. They wanted to be unrecognizable.
     b. They wanted to frighten away evil spirits.
     c. They wanted to frighten their friends.

3 - When children ask "trick or treat?":
     a. They want you to give them candy
     b. They give you a treat in return of candy or money
     c. They let you in peace in return of candy or money

4 - During Samhain festivities:
     a. only evil spirits are present
     b. only good spirits are present
     c. both evil and good spirits are present 

5 - What country started the traditions that led to celebrating Halloween? 
     a) Ireland
     b) Mexico
     c) China

Respostas:

1 - b), 2 - b), 3 - c), 4 - c), 5 - a)

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HQ em Inglês

Hello, fellows!

Vamos ampliar nosso conhecimento de Inglês de forma mais divertida?

Você sabe o que é uma HQ?

História sequencial narrada em etapas/quadros. Em sua forma básica é uma mistura entre palavras e imagens, com elementos tipicamente da linguagem como, por exemplo, onomatopeias e os balões de fala e pensamentos.

Em português nós a conhecemos como Tirinhas ou Histórias em Quadrinhos.

O Cartum e a charge são apresentados em apenas um quadro, já um conjunto de cartuns formam uma tirinha, que tem introdução, desenvolvimento e desfecho.
História em Quadrinhos é uma tirinha maior que envolve mais personagens, mais conflitos e mais situações e como uma narrativa, tem introdução, desenvolvimento e desfecho. 

Sanada nossa curiosidade, vamos nos divertir com algumas tirinhas, ou melhor, HQs em Inglês?

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