Carnival

Now we are in February - the month of carnivals! Last weekend I traveled to Cadiz to see the carnival there. It was so much fun! There were lots of people wearing costumes, singing and dancing. We saw people dressed up as pirates, as soldiers, as the three musketeers...my friends and I dressed up as sheep. We looked very silly but we still had fun! I have some pictures that will upload soon so you can see.

Next week is Semana Blanca so we have a week off school. What are you going to do in the holidays? Are you going to go skiing? I'm not - I hate skiing! I'm not a very sporty person. I am going back to Scotland next week to see my family and friends. I can't wait!

I hope you enjoy the holidays. See you soon!

Lynsey x

Shrove Tuesday

Do you like pancakes? Today is the day to eat them because today is Pancake Tuesday. The official name of this celebration is Shrove Tuesday . Traditionally, special food was eaten in the day before Lent. People had to use up rich foodstuffs such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent begins. During this period of time, it was forbidden to eat any food that would give pleasure, people had to consume plainer food thus avoiding meat, dairy, or eggs.

There is an interesting activity that still takes place in many villages and towns across United Kingdom, specially in England, and it is pancake races. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air, catching them in the pan whilst running. A perfect excuse to eat lots of them today!



But Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France and other countries as Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. Different name but same tradition: eating richer, fatty foods the last night before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. 

 

Its origins go back to ancient times, some time in the Second Century, during mid-February (usually February 15 according to the Julian calendar), Romans would observe what they called the Lupercalia, a circus-type festival which was, in many respects, quite similar to the present day Mardi Gras. This festival honored the Roman deity, Lupercus, a pastoral God associated with Faunus or the Satyr. When Christianity arrived in Rome, the dignitaries of the early Church decided it would be more prudent to incorporate certain aspects of such rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. This granted a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom and the Carnival became a time of abandon and merriment which peceded the Lenten period (a symbolic Christian pentinence of 40 days commencing on Ash Wednesday and ending at Easter). During this time, there would be feasting which lasted several days and participants would indulge in voluntary madness by donning masks, clothing themselves in the likeness of spectres and generally giving themselves up to Bacchus and Venus. All aspects of pleasure were considered to be allowable during the Carnival celebration and today's modern festivites are thought by some to be more reminiscent of the Roman Saturnalia rather than Lupercalia, or be linked to even earlier Pagan festivals.

You know that here, in Málaga, we have been celebrating the Carnival over the last two weekends and that the name for our particular Mardi gras is El entierro del boquerón. Again, different words for similar traditions...

Eat plenty of pancakes and boquerones before Ash Wendneday, you're still on time!

Sierra Nevada, by Ángel Luis Díez López 4º ESO A

We are going on a trip to a ski resort: Sierra Nevada. I have been there many times and I think it is a fantastic place to visit. Do you know what is that? No? If you read this information, you will want to ski there!

Sierra Nevada is in the south of Europe so it is always sunny there. The ski resort is very near of the capital city: Granada. There are other towns near it: Málaga and Almería.

There are many hotels where you can spend your night and there is a very big development called Pradollano. Many houses are rented there. It was the first ski resort in Spain and now, it is the biggest one. You just have to rent your skis and start skiing! You can also learn snowboarding in the ski school. The chairlift helps you climb the mountain so you just have to enjoy while you are going down the mountain.

In summer, people go cycling, climb the mountain and go running. Do you know that you can see Africa from Veleta, the highest peak?

And, what can children do in Sierra Nevada? Don't worry! There is an amusement park with cars, slides... where they will have a great time.

Don't forget your sleigh because in the ski station there are many places where you can enjoy with it. At night, you can dance in the discos and practise night skiing. There are many restaurants but there is not a Mc Donald's.

A bus service connects the resort to the bus station in Granada, the journey takes approximately 45 minutes, and parking is not a problem!

Sierra Nevada is also one of the National Parks in Spain and there is an observatory in Veleta. It is a fantastic place to visit and you will have a great time.

Carnival, by Ángel Luis Díez López, 4º ESO A

Spain

In our country, Carnival is celebrated in many places. The most famous cities are Santa Cruz, Las Palmas, Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Tarragona, Solsona, Cádiz, Badajoz, Bielsa, Plan, San Juan de Plan, Laza, Verín, Viana and Xinzo de Limia. People disguises and go to the city center to watch the parades.

Andalusia 
The Carnival of Cádiz is one of the most famous carnivals in Spain and the world, and it has been recognized (together with the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife), as  an International Tourist Interest in Spain.

 

Every year, during the months of January and February, a Carnival Competition is held in the Teatro Falla.

The costumes worn by the groups are often related to recent news, such as the bird flu epidemic in 2006, during which many people were disguised as chickens.
The most famous groups are the chirigotas, choirs and comparsas.


 Canary Islands

Santa Cruz and Las Palmas are, together with Cadiz, the most important cities for the carnival festival in Spain. They are very important for Spanish tourism too, and have been declared an International Tourist  Interest in 1980 by the Secretary of State for the Tourism.

Every February, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, capital of the largest of the Canary Islands, hosts the event, attracting around a million people. Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife now aspires to become a World Heritage Site.

 In 1987 the Cuban singer Celia Cruz, together with the orchestra Billo's Caracas Boy, performed in the "Carnival Chicharrero". More than 250,000 people were there and it was registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest gathering of people in an outdoor plaza to attend a concert, a record it holds today. The Carnival of Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) has a Drag Queen's gala where a jury chooses a winner.

Mr Scrooge, Jacob Marley, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Samuel Pickwick, Uriah Heep...

Who has never heard about these characters? We all owe them hours of joy and examples for learning about human nature.

Two hundred years ago their creator, the British writer Charles John Huffam Dickens was born. He is considered one of the greatest authors of all time and his texts have been read by millions of people since they were first published.

You may have watched a film based on one of Dicken's novels, or perhaps you have read an adapted version of it once, but if you really want to enjoy what I call LITERATURE -yes, that's it, with capital letters- then you should find youself a nice cup of tea, a confortable armchair, and a complete version of one of the texts as Dickens wrote them.

You can start with an easy and short one like A Christmas Carol. After reading it, you will be longing to find out about the other characters too.