участие в Межрегиональной сетевой викторине «Welcome to Britain»

Поздравляю своих учеников с успешным участием в Межрегиональной викторине "Welcome to Britain"

Победитель

Гореликова Анна (4 класс)

Призер

Арцыбасова Анастасия (4 класс)

Лауреаты

Имомов Назар (8 класс)

Мищенко Марина (9 класс)

the Earth Day

It may be a bit surprising yet the fact remains that the most important day dedicated to our planet is observed not once but twice.

The origin of Earth Day goes back more than four decades. But the reason of celebrating the occassion is much older. 

Post the invention of steam engine by James Watt and the Industrial Revolution, the western world witnessed thousands of industries being set up and large-scale uses of natural resources. With massive production of automobiles and increased combustion of fossil fuels, huge amount of pollutants began to be released into the air and the environment, and the world witnessed pollution like never before. The situation worsened with every passing decade. 

According to a recent study, the U.S emits 24% of the world's greenhouse gases, making it the world's most polluting country. Many see this as a natural consequence of the early decades of the 20th century when a lack of awareness of global pollution and natural resource limitations among general public of America resulted in the consumption of mass quantities of gas and coal. Thousands of factories across the continent frequently released pollutants into the air and water with nary a care for the environment. 

Since the '60s however, many citizens began to be conscious of the pollution of their surroundings and voiced their concerns about the environment. The awareness recieved its major impetus around 1962, when the famous Cuyahoga River of Cleveland actually burst into flames. This was attributed to the large-scale inflow of large amounts of oil and other toxic chemicals into the river waters from adjoining factories. Pollution was held to be the major cause of disease and death in New York City and Los Angeles. This was the time when the idea of Earth Day started evolving in the minds of climate-conscious citizens. 

Presently, the Earth Day is celebrated twice every year. The first one, known as the Equinoctial Earth Day or Equinox Earth Day, is celebrated on the Vernal Equinox(around March 20), the day Spring starts in the Northern Hemisphere. The tradition of Earth Day observance in spring was founded in 1969 by peace activist John McConnell. 

A second Earth Day is celebrated during autumn in the southern hemisphere. This was established by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as the direct result of an environmental conference that he attended in 1970. This Earth Day in April, better known as World Earth Day, is celebrated in many countries each year on April 22. 

Since their origin in the late 60s, both celebrations have become annual events of great significance for millions of people around the world. What began as the brainchild of two men has evolved into a unifying celebration involving nearly 175 nations.

Facts

Greetings

Earth Day Symbols

Earth Day Crafts

Earth Day Poems

Quiz

Easter

Католическую Пасху отмечают уже в эти выходные - 5 апреля (православную - 12 апреля).
Итак, немного о пасхальных традициях в Великобритании.

In the UK, schools close for two weeks at Easter time. Read on to find out more about how Easter is celebrated in Britain.

What does it mean?

Easter is a spring festival of new life. As a pagan tradition it is the beginning of growth and new life after the cold, winter months. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn and spring - Eostre. For Christians, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and practising Christians attend special church services at Easter time. Easter celebrates life and rebirth, which is why we see lots of symbols of new life and fertility at Easter, like eggs, chicks and rabbits.

When is it?

Unlike Christmas, Easter isn’t on the same date each year. It takes place on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Schoolchildren and students in the UK have a two-week holiday at Easter time which is almost as long as the Christmas holiday. It’s also the first public holiday after Christmas and everyone looks forward to their Easter break as a moment to relax, have a short holiday or visit family and friends.

Chocolate eggs

For most British children, Easter means chocolate Easter eggs. The shops are full of bright Easter displays decorated with chicks, rabbits and flowers, all with the objective of selling chocolate eggs in huge numbers. And it works! 90 million chocolate eggs are sold in the UK each year, and each child receives on average eight chocolate eggs. The eggs are sold in cardboard boxes and sometimes there’s more packaging than chocolate!  Some people believe that too much chocolate is eaten at Easter time and most doctors and dentists would advise people to eat Easter eggs in moderation.

Other 'egg-straordinary' traditions

In the UK, chocolate is definitely the most popular way to enjoy eggs at Easter. But there are some less sugary traditions, too. Chickens’ eggs are painted and decorated to give as presents, and eggs are also hidden for children to find as part of an 'egg hunt'. Some places even hold competitions to see who can roll an egg down a hill without it breaking! Hot cross buns are typical cakes that are made at Easter time. They are like spiced bread rolls with raisins and they always have a cross shape on top. They are delicious served hot with butter.

- Пасхальные британские традиции (текст+упражнения):http://bit.ly/1NMoWTy
- Как приготовить настоящие Easter eggs к празднику: http://bit.ly/1yKkJa9
- Английская лексика на пасхальную тему: http://bit.ly/1yKlCj2
- Hot Easter Buns от Джейми: http://bit.ly/Jamie_paska

Easter 2015 and 2016

2015 UK Bank Holidays & Special Occasions Calendar

Знакомство с Великобританией