Pancake Day

What is Pancake Day?

Pancake Day is the last day before Lent and is also known as Shrove Tuesday. Pancakes are traditionally eaten on this day to use up the eggs and fat which were not eaten during the fasting period.

Why are pancakes eaten on Pancake Day?
Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving thins up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last time to use up the foods that aren’t allowed in Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which were forbidden during Lent.

 When is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)?
Shrove Tuesday is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday and is therefore the final day before the beginning of Lent, a Christian festival leading up to Easter Sunday. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between 3 February and 9 March.
 In 2012 Pancake Day was 21 February
 In 2013 Pancake Day will be 12 February 


 Why do Christians call the day “Shrove Tuesday”?
The name Shrove comes from the old word “shrive” which means to confess. On Shrove Tuesday, in the Middle Ages, people used to confess their sins so that they were forgiven before the season of Lent began.

 What happens on Pancake Day in England?

On that day it is traditional to eat pancakes, toss pancakes and take part in pancake races. A Great Pancake Race takes place on Pancake day each year in London on Tower Hill Terrace, in front of the church of All Hallows by the Tower. This is a great fun event and is mirrored in thousands of smaller pancake races around the globe.




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quote

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

Albert Einstein

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day



             Valentine's Day (Saint Valentine's Day) is an occasion celebrated on February 14. It is the traditional day on which people express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.

    Who is St Valentine?

             There were many Christians names Valentine. According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia, at least three Saint Valentines are mentioned who are associated with 14 February. One is described as a priest at Rome, another as a Bishop of Interamna (now Terni in Italy) and the other lived and died in Africa.
The Valentine that most experts believe is the actual one remembered on St. Valentine's Day was a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity.

     What happens on Valentine's Day in Great Britain?

             Each year in Britain, we spend around £503m on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for Valentine's Day. Traditionally these were sent anonymously, but nowadays we often make it clear who is sending each 'Valentine'.

      Valentine's Day superstitions and traditions

             Traditionally, spring begins on St Valentine's Day (February 14th), the day on which birds chose their mates. In parts of Sussex Valentines Day was called 'the Birds' Wedding Day'.

             There are many other traditions and superstitions associated with romance activities on Valentine's day including:

                     the first man an unmarried woman saw on 14th February would be her future husband;
if the names of all a girl's suitors were written on paper and wrapped in clay and the clay put into water, the piece that rose to the surface first would contain the name of her husband-to-be.

                     if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a rich person.

                     in the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week.

                     in Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"
Back to Folklore and Sayings about February

GROUNDHOG DAY

Groundhog day.
         The legend of Groundhog Day is based on an old Scottish couplet: "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year."

         Every February 2, people gather at Gobbler's Knob, a wooded knoll just outside of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
         Residents contend that the groundhog has never been wrong.
         The ceremony in Punxsutawney was held in secret until 1966, and only Phil's prediction was revealed to the public. Since then, Phil's fearless forecast has been a national media event.

         The groundhog comes out of his electrically heated burrow, looks for his shadow and utters his prediction to a Groundhog Club representative in "groundhogese." The representative then translates the prediction for the general public.
         If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, it means spring is just around the corner.
         Approximately 90% of the time, Phil sees his shadow.
         Phil started making predictions in 1887 and has become an American institution

Charles Dickens 200th anniversary

Charles Dickens is one of the most important English writers of all times.
He was born in Portsmouth on 7 February 1812 and he was a Victorian writer who best depicted characters, settings such as  London, Victorian culture and ideology and the English language varities of the time.

If you want to know more about his life and his works, you can visit the following websites :

 Biography

Here you have some descriptions of his famous characters, heroes and villains and the city he lived in.

Characters  and  Characters' names

He was also well-known for his quotes in some of his works. You can learn more about him in the next link.

Quotes

Due to this celebration, an official website has been designed in order to celebrate the bicentenary of his birth.

DICKENS 2012

In this webiste there is a calendar of events that you can check.