CARNIVAL. SHROVE TUESDAY OR MARDI GRAS

By Celso Simón, Cesar Muñíz and Lydia Feijóo.

• CARNIVAL. ORIGIN AND FESTIVAL

The word Carnival may come from the Latin expression 'carne levale' which means 'farewell to meat'.

Carnival is a public festival held in Roman Catholic countries during the week before Lent. During Lent people cannot eat meat or have fun, so Carnival is a period of time to enjoy everything that will not be allowed later in Lent.

It is thought that Carnival started in Italy and spread to France, Spain and Portugal. When these countries colonized America, they brought their traditions to this continent.

When Carnival first began, it was celebrated from December 26th until the day before Ash Wednesday. Nowadays it lasts three days and people celebrate it with street parties or parades and they also dress up and cook all kind of nice dishes.

• SHROVE TUESDAY OR MARDI GRAS

Shrove Tuesday(Martes de carnaval) This is the day before Lent and it is a day for people to eat the food that is forbbiden to eat during Lent. (See Pancake Day)

Mardi Gras. In some non-Roman Catholic countries this day is called Mardi Gras, and it is celebrated with a Carnival. In the US, the city of New Orleans celebrates the most famous Mardi Gras. There is drinking, dancing and a parade. Some historians think that Mardi Gras has its roots in ancient British rituals of fertility which celebrated that spring was coming.

SHROVE TUESDAY OR PANCAKE DAY

By Ana Feijóo, Lorena Domingos and Martín Cid

Martes de Carnaval

16th February, 2010

Shrove Tuesday is the day before the beginning of Lent, when Christians stop eating some food. On Shrove Tuesday, because it is the last day before Lent, people eat a lot, specially cakes and nice food that they cannot eat again until Easter.

Vocabulary: translation and definition.

Lent: cuaresma. The period of 40 days before Easter, when Christians fast.

Easter: Semana Santa. The period of time in April or March when Christians remember the death of Jesus and celebrate his resurrection.

Fast: ayunar; ayuno. It commemorates the forty days Jesus spent in the desert.

Ash Wednesday: miércoles de ceniza. The first day of Lent.

PANCAKE DAY (UK)

• 
  
  Tradition. In Britain it is a tradition eating pancakes. This began when people had to use all the milk, butter and eggs because they couldn't eat this food during Lent.


• 
  
  Pancake races. On Shrove Tuesday there are pancake races in which people run carrying a pancake in a frying pan. The runner have to get the finishing line after throwing the pancake into the air from the pan and catching it again. They have to do this a pre-decided number of times.


• 
  
  The pancake recipe.

( the pancakes are similar to the Galician 'filloas'. You need the same ingredients)

Vocabulary.

Add: añadir; cook: cocinar; heat: calentar; let stand: dejar reposar; melt: derretir; mix: mezclar; put: poner; turn it over: dale la vuelta; whisk: batir

Bowl: cuenco; batter: mezcla; frying pan: sartén; ladle: cucharón; plate: plato; smooth: suave; spoonfuls: cucharadas.

Ingredients.

8 oz plain flour .................... 200/220 g harina sin levadura

2 eggs ..................... 2 huevos

1 pint of milk ...................... 1/2 litro de leche

2 oz butter ...................... 50 g mantequilla

A pinch of salt ...................... una pizca de sal

Preparation.

Put the flour and salt into a bowl.

Add the eggs, then andd the milk and whisk until the batter is smooth.

Melt the butter

Add two spoonfuls of this butter into the batter and whisk it.

Let this stans for 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat the frying pan and add the batter with a ladle.

When it is brown, turn it over.

Then put the pancake on a plate. Now you can add golden syrup, jam, honey or caster sugar!

14th FEBRUARY: ST VALENTINE'S DAY

By Paula Sastre.

St Valentine's day is celebrated on 14th February. On this day people celebrate romantic love all over the world.

This tradition was born when St Valentine, while in prison, fell in love with a young girl who it is believed to be his warder's daughter. She visited him everyday during his confinement. Before his death he wrote her a love letter and signed 'from your Valentine'. Now people send Valentine's cards and use this expression to sign them. People also give presents to the person they love: jewels, flowers and/or chocolates.

2nd FEBRUARY PREDICTS THE WEATHER

By Ana Cabido, Luis Pérez, Maeloc Valdés, Iñigo Santos and Camila Lucía Chavez.

• Groundhog Day



• Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria

The groundhog is an animal from North America. It is a small animal of the marmot family. It lives in holes in the ground, it eats wild grasses, berries, crops and insects. It enters into hibernation and lives from two to three years. It’s 40 cm to 60 cm long and it has got thick hair, small ears and a long tail.

The cult of Our Lady of Candelaria (Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), popularly called La Morenita, celebrates the apparition of the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. She is the patron saint of the Islands and her feast is celebrated on 2nd February.

Groundhog Day. In the U.S.A. The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator. According to the old stories the groundhog comes out of its hole on 2nd February for the first time since its hibernation (since winter began). If the groundhog sees its shadow, it is frightened and goes back to its hole. This means that there will be six more weeks of winter. If it is cloudy, it can’t see its shadow and there will be an early spring.

Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. Our Lady of Candelaria. In Spain. There is a Galician proverb which says: ‘Se a Candelaria chora, o inverno vai fora. Se a Candelaria ri o inverno está por vir’. If Candelaria cries, winter is finishing. If Candelaria smiles, winter is coming.

La Candelaria in Spain and the Groundhog Day in U.S.A are both celebrated on February 2nd and both festivities involves weather prognostication. So, now you know: if it is cloudy or rainy on this day, spring is coming, but if it is sunny, cold winter days will come!

TRIVIA GAME

Files: past simple of 'be'; the plural; some and any; prepositions on-in-at; time and date; possessive adjectives; describing people; the seasons.
Internet Project: Edgar Allan Poe, life and work.

Team A
File
Write in the past and use the singular: 'There are some shelves in the rooms'
General Knowlege
What's the season in which we celebrate Halloween? (BrE and AmE)
Internet Project
What's the black cat's name?
a) Pluto b) Bruto c) Luto
Team B
File
Complete with a preposition: The party is ..... November, ..... Friday, ...... 6 o'clock.
General Knowlege
Which national team does Messi play for?
Internet Project
Where and when was Edgar Allan Poe born?
a) New York, 5th October 1849 b) Boston, 19th January 1809 c) London, 19th January 1819
Team A
File
Complete with a possessive adjective: What's your brother's name? ..... name is Brais.
General Knowledge
Which are the spring months?
Internet Project
Apart from being a writer, what was Edgar Allan Poe's job?
a) captain in the Army b) barman c) journalist
Team B
File
Put into the interrogative form: There were some pencils in the bag.
General knowledge
What time is 'tea time'?
Internet Project
The Simpsons based an episode on a poem by Allan Poe, What's the title of the poem?
a) The Craw b) The Raven c) The Sparrow
Team A
File
Complete the description: The man is short and ....., he is about ..... and he's wearing a...... and .....
General Knowledge
Say in which film you can dance 'La vida loca'
Internet Project
What colour is the bug in the tale by Poe?
a) gold b) silver c) black
Team B
File
Complete with a possessive adjective: John and Ann have a new car. This is ....... new car!
General Knowledge
What's Hanna Montana's real name?
Internet Project
The Tell-tale Heart: what's the old man's part of the body which the writer hates?
a) his teeth b) his heart c) his eye
Team A
File
Correct the sentence: I born in August 28th at a half past three on the morning.
General Knowledge
Who sings "You can stand under my umbrella"?
Internet Project
What is 'Amontillado' in Poe's tale?
a) a barrel b) a wine c) a cave
Team B
File
What time is it? 12.00 and 24.00
General knowledge
What is 'The Union Jack'?
Internet Project
How many tales and novels did Edgar Allan Poe write?
a) 67 tales and one novel b) 67 novels and 10 tales c) 67 tales and no novels

THE RAVEN by the Simpsons

THE RAVEN by The Simpsons. Based on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered,

weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of

forgotten lore

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there

came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my

chamber door

"Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my

chamber door

Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak

December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost

upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow;-vainly I had sought

to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for

the lost Lenore

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels

name Lenore

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each

purple curtain

Thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors

never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I

stood repeating

''Tis some visiter entreating entrance at my

chamber door

This it is and nothing more.

" Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no

longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness

I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you

came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my

chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I

opened wide the door;

Darkness there and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within

me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than

before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my

window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is and this mystery

explore

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a

flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days

of yore; Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute

stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my

chamber door

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said,

"art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from

the Nightly shore

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's

Plutonian shore!

" Quoth the Raven "Nevermore."

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed

by an unseen censer

Swung by seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the

tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee-by

these angels he hath sent thee

Respite-respite and nepenthe from thy memories
of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this

lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore,"

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I

shrieked, upstarting

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's

Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy

soul hath spoken'

Leave my loneliness unbroken !--quit the bust

above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door''

Quoth the Raven "Nevermore,"

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber
door;
And this eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s
that is dreaming;
And the lamp-light over him streaming throws his
shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies
floating on the floor

shall be lifted-nevermore!

EL GATO NEGRO. RESUMEN

EL GATO NEGRO. RESUMEN

( The Black Cat)

By Camila Lucía Chavez, Paula Sastre, Sivia Daniela Fuentes.

Esta es la horrible historia de un hombre, su mujer y su gato.

Este hombre siempre había sido bueno, respetuoso con la naturaleza y amante de los animales. Estaba casado, quería a su mujer y sentía un especial cariño por su gato, al que llamaban Pluto.

Pluto era un gato grande, negro y muy cariñoso que acompañaba a su amo a todas partes. Pero poco a poco el carácter del hombre fue cambiando por culpa del alcohol. Se enfadaba por todo y se convirtió en un ser cruel. Tan cruel que un día cogió a Pluto y con un objeto punzante le quitó un ojo. Él sabía que su comportamiento era horrible y tenía remordimientos por lo que había hecho, sin embargo hacía maldades por hacer el mal y no lo podía evitar. Otro día irritado por la presencia de su gato negro sin un ojo lo cogió y lo ahorcó. Ese mismo día se incendió su casa y en la única pared que quedó en pié apareció como dibujada la figura negra del gato. Pasaron los días y el hombre pareció recobrar el buen sentido, hasta que encontró a otro gato y se lo llevó a su casa. Este gato también era grande y le faltaba un ojo pero no era totalmente negro: en su pecho tenía una gran mancha blanca. Al principio todo iba bien, pero finalmente comenzó a odiar a este otro gato que tanto le recordaba a Pluto. Al final de la historia, en un ataque de rabia y odio intentó matarlo con un hacha pero su mujer se metió en el medio y el hacha fue a parar a su cabeza matándola. Ocultó el cuerpo en el sótano dentro de una pared de ladrillos. De repente el gato desapareció. Pasaron cuatro días sin saber nada del gato. Pero llegó la policía, quien descubrió el cuerpo emparedado de la mujer ya que tras los ladrillos se oía na voz, un quejido o algo así. Allí, con la mujer, estaba el gran gato negro sin su ojo!