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Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. St Patrick's Day is March 17 . How much do you know about this celebration?. Have a look at some of these websites and find out more... http://edition.cnn.com/EVENTS/1996/st_patrick/history/index.html http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/saint-patrick.htm http://www.infoplease.com/spot/irishflag1.html http://www.irishabroad.com/stpatrick/life/factfantasy.asp http://www.irishabroad.com/StPatrick/IrishQuiz/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5X5IrA0zEs&feature=related (Danny Boy by The Pogues) COMPLETE THESE STATEMENTS:  1.   St. Patrick’s Day is a ___________________ of spring. 2.   It’s a celebration of the ____________________ patron saint. 3.   In the 5th. century, a boy, Marwin Sagat was ________. 4.   He worked as a ________________ for 6 years. 5.   Years later, he had a visión and became _______________ and adopted the name Patrick. 6.   He con...

Watch the video and answer these questions: 1-When did Mardi Gras celebrations start in New Orleans? What's the most popular type of entertainment? 2-What is the origin of the term 'carnival'? Can you explain the origin of the celebration? 3-Why do people in Venice cover their faces with masks? 4-Apart from the European, what other cultures have influenced Carnival in Brazil? 5- What does Mardi Gras mean?

Pamela Gail Johnson discusses Valentine's Day by the numbers on television in Fargo, North Dakota.

A little history lesson Hogmanay is Scottish New Year, a celebration providing a unique combination of both traditional and modern customs. The exact origins of Hogmanay are unknown, but it is thought that it was introduced in the 8 th  or 9 th  century by invading Vikings. The Vikings originated from further north, so it is possible that they paid more attention to celebrating the winter solstice than to Christmas. The shortest day was a good reason for them to have a party. For nearly 400 years, from the 17 th  Century until the 1950’s, Christmas wasn’t celebrated at all in Scotland. Christmas day therefore was just a normal working day and the big celebrations were saved for winter solstice holiday, which became Hogmanay. There is a lot of debate over the origins of the word “Hogmanay”. Some linguists say it comes from the Scandinavian word “Hoggo-nott”, which was the name of the feast before the mid-winter Yule festival. Other people believe it might origin...

From explosives at the dinner table to burning letters to Santa, Siobhan Thompson looks at 10 ways Christmas differs in Britain. (Notably, they don't call them the holidays.) 1.     What do British and American people do with their letters to Father Christmas? 2. Where do British and American people put their stockings? 3. What do they leave for Father Christmas? 4. What’s a Christmas cracker? 5. What does a typical Christmas dinner in the UK include? 6. Typical desserts for Christmas in America and the UK. 7. When is Boxing Day? 8. Nowadays Boxing Day is similar to_____________. 9. What are pantomimes? 10. When is the Christmas tree taken down in the UK? Why?

For three decades, the  Butterball Turkey Talk-Line  has answered the desperate pleas of hundreds of thousands of holiday cooks. As you can imagine, in that time the staff of 50-plus experts has heard some pretty outlandish tales of Turkey Day mishaps and fielded some truly bewildering questions. Following are a few favorite conversations from the Butterball hotline operators. And if you need help this holiday season with your bird, don’t forget to call 1-800-BUTTERBALL. Double duty iStock/Jodi Jacobson A father in charge of thawing the turkey and bathing his toddler twins decided to hit two birds with one stone. “We could hear water splashing in the background, and turns out he has his kids and the turkey in the tub all at the same time,” says Nicole Johnson, Talk-Line co-director. The man was calling to find out if the bath water would be an acceptable method for thawing the turkey. READ MORE...

Everyone knows the story of the first Thanksgiving, when a small group of Massachusetts's settlers celebrated making it through the year by feasting with their Native-American neighbors. But the story of Thanksgiving goes back much further, to ancient harvest festivals, and the holiday has been transformed over time into today's celebration marked by family, food and football. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a warm look at this particularly American celebration. Discover how New York was the first state to officially declare a day of Thanksgiving, and how President Lincoln first made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. Explore period accounts and art that bring Thanksgiving celebrations through the centuries to life, and find out the origins of traditions like the Macy's parade. And why do we serve turkey on Thanksgiving anyway? It's an intriguing look at the sometimes surprising tales behind one of America's most beloved holidays.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States honouring the achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. - the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement to end racial segregation. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is close to January 15, the King's birthday. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most influential of African American civil rights leaders during the 1960s, he was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The bill established the holiday was signed by the President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983. The first observance nationwide was in 1986, but some states opposed to observe it as a paid holiday for state employees. As of the year 2000 all of the states officially re...

In most countries, Christmas begins and ends on 25th December. But in England and other Commonwealth nations, the good times  roll on  into  the next day,  known as  Boxing Day. Writer Cat Allen shares some traditions and  memories  from her  childhood .  CLICK HERE TO READ AND LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE.

Discover how and when Americans celebrated Independence Day in the past. Although Benjamin Franklin thought we'd celebrate the 2nd of July; the 4th of July is closest to our hearts. Did you know New York City has the biggest fireworks display in the United States and that three U.S. presidents died on July 4?

Planning a holiday : Text with interesting vocabulary A listening on Ecotourism Listening on Bournemouth Listening on Ethical travel Videos and listenings on different British towns Listenings on travelling Difference between hiking and trekking THAI COOKING HOLIDAY: Thank you Ruth for sharing your pictures.  This is the blog where you can get more information about this activity: suwanneethaicookingclasschiangrai.blogspot.com.es  The kitchen Tom Yum Kung Enjoying cooking Papaya Salad Papaya Salad Steam Banana Tom yun kung

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States of America commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

This is a very good video activity from this blog   http://mythatsenglish.blogspot.com.es/  . You can find more video activities there. You also have the transcript to check your answers. Today we celebrate in Spain and in some other European countries Labour [ Labor  in American English] Day. The same holiday is observed in the US on the first Monday in September. 1 What was imposed in the work place in Canada and US in the 19th century? 2 Why was 1872 important for unions? 3 Why was September 5th chosen to celebrate a workers parade in New York City? 4 What activities did workers do on September 5th 1882 in Reservoir Park? 5 What did workers have to choose when the parade was moved to the first Monday in September? 6 What happened in 1887? 7 What happened in 1894? 8 What three things happened in the second half of the 20th century? 9 What significance does Labour Day have in US today? TRANSCRIPT The Industrial Revolution modernized the United States and Canada duri...

Boxing Day is widely celebrated in countries that are part of the British Commonwealth. It's origins are obscure, but they date back centuries.