The word Advent comes from the Latin word for “arrival”: adventus. The celebration of Advent, whether with wreaths in church or calendars at home, marks the beginning of the Christmas period. It’s one of the major seasons celebrated by most Christian churches in the Western tradition: Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and many additional Protestant churches mark the roughly month-long period with special observance.
Most Advent calendars start on December 1st, but the actual first day of the Advent season changes every year.In 2023, that day is Sunday 3rd December. The final day is the same every year: December 24th, Christmas Eve — though many calendars run through Christmas Day.
The reason for the shifting start date is somewhat straightforward: as celebrated by Christian churches in the Western tradition (as opposed to Eastern Orthodox churches, which keep a different calendar), the season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and is celebrated on each successive Sunday leading up to Christmas.
Once Advent finishes, the 12 days of Christmas start... It is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6th (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).
International Men’s Day is recognised on the 19th November, it is marked in around 80 countries worldwide and provides an opportunity to consider some of the issues that may affect men in particular and the ways in which we can support their wellbeing. It also focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models, and promoting positive expressions of masculinity. It’s also an opportunity to recognize men who don’t fall into traditional manifestations of masculinity,
It’s generally accepted that men can find it more difficult than women to address issues relating to their physical or mental wellbeing and are less likely to seek help. For example, men are less likely to visit their GP or pharmacy than women (www.menshealthforum.org.uk) and research shows that only 50% of men feel comfortable discussing mental health issues (BITC, Mental Health at Work Report 2017).
He used to style himself as ‘the man from Madrid’, but with his hymn for Celta de Vigo, the bestselling star is also winning new fans in Galicia.
When Celta de Vigo start the new season this summer in La Liga, Spain’s top football tier, their fans will have a new club anthem to shake the foundations of their Balaídos stadium: Oliveira Dos Cen Anos by C Tangana, a rapper and singer whose El Madrileño was the bestselling album of 2021 in his native Spain.
From You’ll Never Walk Alone to Seven Nation Army, the crossover between football and popular music is well established. But the new Celta anthem is far from the Three Lions template of big choruses and simple singalongs. The song is the result of intense research and modern pop nous, fusing tradition and modernity to create what might be the most artistically ambitious football anthem ever.
Tangana, real name Antón Álvarez Alfaro, doesn’t actually sing on it, ceding the spotlight to Vigo’s Coral Casablanca choir, tambourine-wielding female vocal group Lagharteiras and Celta supporters’ club Tropas de Breogán. What’s more, the song leans heavily on the folklore of Galicia, the north-western region of Spain where Vigo is located. The song is in Galician – its title loosely translates as “100-year-old olive tree” – and uses the traditional rhythms and lyrics of Galician folk music. The song’s video, meanwhile, highlights the landscape of the Vigo estuary, including the island of San Simón and the Rande Bridge.
Tangana says he saw the song as an opportunity to create something that could transcend popular culture. “What cultural objects can you create that will change – or endure in – our culture?” he asks. “Although this is something local, around a city, that feeling of belonging to the club and the institution it represents, makes it a really strong opportunity for you to influence a lot of people.”
The origins of Celta’s new anthem – a himno in Spanish – were simple. In 2021 Celta used Twitter to ask supporters if anyone would like to compose a new anthem to celebrate the team’s 2023 centennial. Tangana, born in Madrid to a Celta-supporting Galician father and Andalusian mother, replied and the wheels were put in motion.
Composing the new anthem, however, was far from straightforward. Before putting pen to paper, Tangana carried out research with important figures in Galician culture, including writer Pedro Feijoo and folk musicians Rodrigo Romaní and Alfredo Dourado. Tangana says that the opportunity to immerse himself in Galician folklore “was like a gift to myself as an artist”.
“It is an anthem for a centennial,” he says. “Each element has to have the same weight: a centennial weight.”
From the various traditional ideas incorporated into the song, Tangana highlights the importance of the pandeireteiras and cantareiras (both groups of female singers, with the former, such as Lagharteiras, using tambourines). “This combination of female voices, always in a choir, almost never as soloists, playing percussion, all together, for me is the most moving thing there is musically in the whole world,” he says.
He himself is not fluent in Galician and writing a song in the language was a challenge. But he says it was important to stretch himself. “In the globalised world in which we live, with this obsession that everyone has to be the same, express ourselves in the same ways, make the same gestures […] cultural expressions that are very local for me have great value,” he says.
Tangana’s decision to write an anthem for RC Celta de Vigo initially caused confusion in Spain, with the artist closely linked to Madrid – El Madrileño translates as “the man from Madrid” – but the club’s fans were won round after the rapper explained his links to the club. What’s more, Tangana says he sees writing Oliveira Dos Cen Anos as part of the same process of fusing folk culture with modern production that he explored on El Madrileño, where flamenco music met Latin folk, rock, hip-hop and R&B, and on his hugely successful 2021 Tiny Desk performance for National Public Radio in the US, where he was joined by family members and musical collaborators for a performance that buzzed with the raw energy of a flamenco show.
“When I started to do international tours, spending a lot of time in the US and Latin America, I started to realise that I was missing something,” he says. “That made me turn towards the culture of Spain, towards cultural elements that had shaped my childhood and adolescence, and that I had given up on because I was looking at a screen or listening to music that came from other places.”
Galician vocal group Lagharteiras, who feature on Oliveira Dos Cen Anos. Photograph: Rocío Aguirre
In this, Tangana’s music is part of a wider trend in Spanish culture, where musicians are combining elements of musical folklore – from Rosalía’s use of the flamenco palmas to Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés’ take on Catalan folk – with 21st-century production. “The music I listened to as a child, the records that my parents liked and my family listened to, who was singing at a fiesta, what you eat in a normal day in Spain, where you hang out, the way you interact with alcohol, parties, family, all that helped to shape El Madrileño,” Tangana says. “Finally I feel like I have an artistic identity that is related to me.”
Oliveira Dos Cen Anos is also firmly in the Spanish football tradition, whereby clubs commission local musicians to create bespoke anthems – such as FC Barcelona’s Cant del Barça – which are then taken up by fans.
Tangana says it is for RC Celta supporters to decide whether they want to sing Oliveira Dos Cen Anos on the terraces but the response so far has been very warm. And if they do sing his song when the first game of the new season kicks off in August? “I am a bit nervous,” Tangana says with a smile. “But to hear it in the stadium, in front of so many people, will be incredibly powerful.”
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries, in British English, and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.
When DST starts in central Europe, clocks advance from 02:00 CET to 03:00 CEST.
Though mentioned by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the modern idea of daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by and it was first implemented during the First World War. Many countries have used it at various times since then.
St. Patrick's Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around 17th March. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland's patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish communities and organizations. Many people wear an item of green clothing on the day. Parties featuring Irish food and drinks that are dyed in green food colour are part of this celebration.
It is a time when children can indulge in sweets and adults can enjoy a "pint" of beer at a local pub. Many restaurants and pubs offer Irish food or drink.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
The International Day of Mathematics (IDM), a project led by the International Mathematical Union, is a worldwide celebration. Each year on 14th March (14-3: Pi Day) all countries will be invited to participate through activities for both students and the general public in schools, museums, libraries and other spaces.
As the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic, mathematics provides its models and tools to help us understand, monitor, and control the spread of the virus. It is also used to create weather forecasts and prepare for natural disasters. It warns us of climate change and helps us to anticipate and mitigate its consequences.
Mathematics is central to the efficient organization of societies for the benefit of all citizens. It optimizes transportation and communication networks and enables smart planning and management of health, economic, and social systems. Science and mathematics have a crucial role in steering decisions to promote peace and social justice.
As a common language to the planet, mathematics is an essential part of humankind’s cultural heritage. It is present in arts, music, and games, for human enjoyment and well-being.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only..
Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, masque and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life.
February 18th, International Asperger's Day. Can you feel it (too)?
Asperger is a show that visualizes the emotions of people with Asperger, a condition of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Krister Palo is a 15-year-old student at the International School of the Hague who just happens to have Asperger's syndrome. In his talk, he shares misconceptions about people with Asperger's syndrome, and breaks down some of these popular stereotypes and assumptions.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
Saint
Valentine's Day is observed on 14th February each year. It is celebrated in many
countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them.
Next 16th will be Monday, not just any Monday, but... Blue Monday!
Blue Monday is a name given to the third Monday in January, thought to be the most depressing day of the year as part of a 2005 publicity campaign by Sky Travel.
The concept is considered pseudoscience with its formula derided by scientists as nonsensical.
Tonight, from 18:00 to 19:00 and next Thursday 22nd and Tuesday 27th RC Celta are organizing free English workshops at their head office "A Sede" on Príncipe Street.You can join by clicking here.
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.
The word Advent comes from the Latin word for “arrival”: adventus. The celebration of Advent, whether with wreaths in church or calendars at home, marks the beginning of the Christmas period. It’s one of the major seasons celebrated by most Christian churches in the Western tradition: Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and many additional Protestant churches mark the roughly month-long period with special observance.
Most Advent calendars start on December 1st, but the actual first day of the Advent season changes every year.In 2022, that day is Sunday November 27th. The final day is the same every year: December 24th, Christmas Eve — though many calendars run through Christmas Day.
The reason for the shifting start date is somewhat straightforward: as celebrated by Christian churches in the Western tradition (as opposed to Eastern Orthodox churches, which keep a different calendar), the season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and is celebrated on each successive Sunday leading up to Christmas.
Once Advent finishes, the 12 days of Christmas start... It is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6th (the Epiphany, sometimes also called Three Kings' Day).
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. While it may have been religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday. It is sometimes casually referred to as Turkey Day.
In Canada, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October, which is Columbus Day in the United States. In the United States, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November. Since being fixed at the fourth Thursday in November by law in 1941, the holiday in the United States can occur on any date from November 22 to November 28. When it falls on November 22 or 23, it is not the last Thursday, but the penultimate Thursday in November. As it is a Federal holiday, all United States government offices are closed and employees are paid for that day. It is also a holiday for the New York Stock Exchange and most other financial markets and financial services companies.
International Men’s Day is recognised on the 19th November, it is marked in around 80 countries worldwide and provides an opportunity to consider some of the issues that may affect men in particular and the ways in which we can support their wellbeing. It also focuses on men’s health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models, and promoting positive expressions of masculinity. It’s also an opportunity to recognize men who don’t fall into traditional manifestations of masculinity,
It’s generally accepted that men can find it more difficult than women to address issues relating to their physical or mental wellbeing and are less likely to seek help. For example, men are less likely to visit their GP or pharmacy than women (www.menshealthforum.org.uk) and research shows that only 50% of men feel comfortable discussing mental health issues (BITC, Mental Health at Work Report 2017).
Men’s health is in crisis. Men are dying on average 5 years earlier than women, and for largely preventable reasons.
A growing number of men – around 10.8M globally – are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. And across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 69% of all suicides.
Movember is uniquely placed to address this crisis on a global scale.
Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.
It is a portmanteau of the Australian-English diminutive word for moustache, "mo", and "November". The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com. The goal of Movember is to "change the face of men's health."
By encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as "Mo Bros") to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Using the moustache as the driving symbol of the movement, Movember focuses on the three key areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health & suicide prevention. Since inception, the Movember Foundation has raised $837 million and funded over 1,200 projects in more than 20 countries.
Turn this coloured wheel (click on the image to download it or to see it enlarged) and find the right adjective to express and describe your feelings and emotions accurately:
No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial pursposes only.
Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries, in British English, and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.
When DST starts in central Europe, clocks advance from 02:00 CET to 03:00 CEST.
Though mentioned by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the modern idea of daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by and it was first implemented during the First World War. Many countries have used it at various times since then.
Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries, in British English, and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.
When DST starts in central Europe, clocks advance from 02:00 CET to 03:00 CEST.
Though mentioned by Benjamin Franklin in 1784, the modern idea of daylight saving was first proposed in 1895 by and it was first implemented during the First World War. Many countries have used it at various times since then.
