New Year's Resolutions

April Fools' Day

I'm sure all of you have heard of pranks, jokes and the rest, but most of you don't really know where it comes from. 

First, do the following quizz to check how much do you know about jokes and vocabulary related to it. CLICK ON THIS PUN TO FIND OUT.

Watch the clip from ASK HISTORY and answer the questions. click here

So, do you have similar celebrations in your country? When do they take place?

In Spain, the 28th December, we celebrate the Innocents' Day, in which people play tricks on the rest. 

Ex. 

Happy international Women's Day

Everyday Sexism isn’t so subtle when it happens to men...

Christmas is coming!

 

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

I love Christmas. It’s one of the __________ times of the year. It’s such a great time for everyone – kids and adults __________. The thing I like most about it is everyone getting together and eating and giving presents. When I was a __________, Christmas was an amazing occasion. We’d spend weeks at school __________ decorations, singing Christmas carols and practising to perform in the nativity play. As I got older, I __________ giving presents more than receiving them. Even though Xmas shopping is __________, it can be fun trying to find the perfect present for my children. One thing that has __________ with me since I was a child is my love of Christmas dinner. It has to be my favourite meal ever. Christmas just isn’t Christmas __________ roast turkey.
I’m sure Christmas __________ the same happy feelings wherever it is celebrated. I hope it continues to keep its message of love and __________. The Christmas spirit is very important. Nowadays it seems to get a bit __________. Everyone is so busy buying presents they forget the true meaning of Christmas. I spent __________ a few Christmases in Japan, which was interesting. Everything looked as Christmassy as in England. The stores __________ had Frosty the Snowman playing. People bought presents and had a party, but then they went for a Kentucky Fried Chicken dinner. One __________ I would like to experience is Christmas on the beach in Australia. I can’t __________ Christmas being so hot. But then I __________ it wasn’t that cold in Bethlehem when Jesus was born.
 

stayed	kid	best	stressful
enjoyed	alike	without	making
even	peace	quite	imagine
brings	thing	suppose	lost

Now, check your answers by listening to the audio.

Let's sing!!!

Black Friday is coming!

Have a look at the two pictures above and describe them.

• What's happening?

• What are the people doing?

• How do they feel?

• Why do you think there're so many people in the shops?

Thanksgiving day

 

"This ship belonged to Cristopher Columbus" -- Christopher Columbus lived from 1451 to 1506. He died over 100 years before the Mayflower. The earliest record historians have of the Mayflower ship is from 1609. It certainly did not belong to Cristopher Columbus. Its Captain was Christopher Jones.

Have you ever heard about Bonfire Night?

 

 

Watch the video and answer the questions below:

1) Who was the King? 

2) Why did they want to kill the king?

3) Did they kill the king?

4) What century was it?

5) Where was Guy Fawkes from?

6) What's the name of the night of the 5th of November in England? 

7) What and how do they celebrate it?

8) What do they say? 

9) Where does this celebration take place?

10) How do you say "bonfire" and "fireworks" in your language? 

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Let's see if you are right...

Four hundred years ago, the 5th of November 1605 (in the 17th century), a man called Guy Fawkes from York and a group of friends try to kill the King James I by blowing up the Houses of Parliament. 

1) WHO WAS THE KING?

James I was the king at that time.

2) WHY DID THEY WANT TO KILL THE KING?

Because the king was the president of England, but people hadn't voted for him. Also, the main religion was the Protestant religion. Guy Fawkes was a catholic and he wanted more rights for catholics, but James I didn't want to give them any more rights.

3) DID THEY KILL THE KING?

No, they didn't. Guy Fawkes was discovered and taken to the Tower of London. There, he was tortured and they cut his head off.

4) What century was it?

It was the 17th century.

5) Where was Guy Fawkes from?

He was from York. 

6) What's the name of the night of the 5th of November in England? 

Its name is Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes night.

7) What and how do they celebrate it?

People celebrate it with bonfires and fireworks.

8) What do they say? 

    They say a rhyme that says:

"Remember Remember

the 5th of November

The gunpowder treason and plot

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot"

9) Where does this celebration take place?

It takes place all over Britain.

10) How do you say "bonfire" and "fireworks" in your language? 

Bonfire means sute, su, sutzar in Basque. It means fogata, hoguera, pira in Spanish.

BONFIRE NIGHT or GUY FAWKES NIGHT

Nowadays, people celebrate that Guy Fawkes didn't kill the King with bonfires and fireworks on the 5th of November. They make "Guys" to burn them on the bonfires. 

They say a rhyme that says:

"Remember Remember the 5th of November

The gunpowder treason and plot
 
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot"

 

Task 1

Let's go through this celebration's hightlights:

Slideshow

Task 2

Now let's revise the Bonfire-Night-related vocabulary

Task 3

Discuss these questions in groups of 3.

• Which festivals in your country remember historical events? The Conmemoration of the battle in Las Navas de Tolosa, in Jaén and Moors and Christians, in Alcoy (Alicante)...

• Do you have any festivals that are similar to Bonfire Night in your country? Yes, we do. The most similar ones are las Fallas, in March in Valencia, and Saint John's Eve, on June the23rd in every town.

• When do you have firework displays in your country? We usually have them during the Festivals.

• Do you think you would like Bonfire Night? Why/ why not? Yes, because it's a bank holiday and people celebrate it outside: they eat, sing and see the firework display.

• Do you think festivals are a good way to remember historical event? Yes, because there are a funny way to remind people of historical events. In fact, it's a way of bringing the past to the present and make the people live the History of their people.

Happy Halloween!