Easter is recognized as a time of rebirth and renewal. The Christian celebration takes place on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. In 2010, the Vernal Equinox took place on March 20th. The full moon took place on March 29th. The first Sunday after the full moon is April 4th.
The original Easter took place at the end of the Hebrew celebration of the Passover. Early Christian churches often took over celebratory dates associated with other, older religions. Spring is a time of renewal in nature and the resurrection of Jesus Christ marks the ultimate renewal and rebirth for the Christian faith.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
Christmas, Holidays, and eCard Reminders
This year I subscribed to BlueMountain e-cards and am sending most of my Christmas cards--and the other cards I send throughout the year--through that service. They have some wonderful interactive cards for anyone on e-mail. (Most of the people on my mailing list are on e-mail.)
Here's a link to one of my favorite Christmas cards this year--for the readers of this blog.
It's nice to be able to send friends and families cards to remind them that we're thinking of them and e-cards are a great way for me to do that. For a few family members who won't make the family gathering this year (several cousins get together in the Wheaton, IL, area and my Mom joins us), I've also sent a one-month subscription to Netflix.
These little reminders are wonderful ways to treat and inspire without breaking the bank or paying lots for very little. I appreciate the vendors for their service, too.
Here's a link to one of my favorite Christmas cards this year--for the readers of this blog.
It's nice to be able to send friends and families cards to remind them that we're thinking of them and e-cards are a great way for me to do that. For a few family members who won't make the family gathering this year (several cousins get together in the Wheaton, IL, area and my Mom joins us), I've also sent a one-month subscription to Netflix.
These little reminders are wonderful ways to treat and inspire without breaking the bank or paying lots for very little. I appreciate the vendors for their service, too.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Movies, Culture, Language, Time, and New Perspectives, Tradition, Holidays
Movies provide amazing insights into time periods and cultures. Movies in different languages offer perspectives that are otherwise invisible. Turner Classic Movies provides a wealth of films that reflect some of the best America has had to offer. As a teacher, I used the movie It's a Wonderful Life to introduce ideas about American culture--the great depression, World War II, small-town life, the evolution of industry. The film is rich in all of these things. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington offers English language learners a glimpse into the history of politics in the United States.
While fiction, many movies have become traditions and capture much of the culture of their times. In my family, Thanksgiving (near the end of November) is the time for Miracle on 34th Street which begins with the Thanksgiving Day parade of Macy's department store in New York City. We also watch White Christmas and Holiday Inn (two versions of the same movie), and are sure to see It's a Wonderful Life before Christmas. Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol is also part of our holiday fare. I saw a delightful new version in "Real 3D" of Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey earlier this week.
When I was learning Italian, I lived in Italy as a graduate student for six months and went to lots of Italian re-runs. As the audience laughed themselves silly, I was struggling to keep up with the folow of the words. Before long my Italian improved and I laughed along with the rest of the audience. Many of the Italian films and much of the Italian humor differed greatly from what I was used to in American films. It was delightful to get to know the movies in Italian. One title I remember was very different in Italian and in English. I believe it was an Italian western. The Italian title was Giu la testa (keep your head down). The same movie's title in English was Duck, Stupid! later changed to Duck, You Sucker!
Recently, to bring back my French fluency, I began watching French films from Netflix. One movie is entitled Une hirondelle . . . a fait du printemps (The Girl from the Spring). The English title for the same movie is The Girl from Paris. The French title is much more in keeping with the theme of the movie though the girl does come from Paris. Another French movie I have recently watched and enjoyed was Priceless. Again, the culture and humor of the film is very different from typical American movies.
Watching familiar DVD's in other languages is also a great way to bring fluency back. Many DVD's have sound tracks and closed captions in multiple languages and it is a great way to review and refresh fluency by working with a combination of oral and written languages with viewing the DVD's. Some of my favorites to watch in multiple languages are Dave, French Kiss, One Fine Day, and Groundhog Day.
While fiction, many movies have become traditions and capture much of the culture of their times. In my family, Thanksgiving (near the end of November) is the time for Miracle on 34th Street which begins with the Thanksgiving Day parade of Macy's department store in New York City. We also watch White Christmas and Holiday Inn (two versions of the same movie), and are sure to see It's a Wonderful Life before Christmas. Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol is also part of our holiday fare. I saw a delightful new version in "Real 3D" of Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carey earlier this week.
When I was learning Italian, I lived in Italy as a graduate student for six months and went to lots of Italian re-runs. As the audience laughed themselves silly, I was struggling to keep up with the folow of the words. Before long my Italian improved and I laughed along with the rest of the audience. Many of the Italian films and much of the Italian humor differed greatly from what I was used to in American films. It was delightful to get to know the movies in Italian. One title I remember was very different in Italian and in English. I believe it was an Italian western. The Italian title was Giu la testa (keep your head down). The same movie's title in English was Duck, Stupid! later changed to Duck, You Sucker!
Recently, to bring back my French fluency, I began watching French films from Netflix. One movie is entitled Une hirondelle . . . a fait du printemps (The Girl from the Spring). The English title for the same movie is The Girl from Paris. The French title is much more in keeping with the theme of the movie though the girl does come from Paris. Another French movie I have recently watched and enjoyed was Priceless. Again, the culture and humor of the film is very different from typical American movies.
Watching familiar DVD's in other languages is also a great way to bring fluency back. Many DVD's have sound tracks and closed captions in multiple languages and it is a great way to review and refresh fluency by working with a combination of oral and written languages with viewing the DVD's. Some of my favorites to watch in multiple languages are Dave, French Kiss, One Fine Day, and Groundhog Day.
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