PRESENTATION VIDEO

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN SINGAPORE

As we’ve seen before in a previous entry, Singapore is home to a great multiculturalism. This has led to the recognition of several official festivities, 11, to be more specific. It happened in 1968, when Singapore’s Employment Act was signed. Each year, the Ministry of Manpower declares a schedule that contains all the days on which public holidays fall, by consulting different religious and community leaders. Let’s have a look at a list of some of those holidays:

• Chinese New Year: Also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, it is the most important event in the Chinese calendar. The date varies, since it follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, but usually, it falls somewhere between 21 January and 20 February. It is a very special day to be celebrated with the family and to attract good luck, usually by wearing something red.

• Vesak day: It is a buddhist celebration that commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Siddharta Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha. It also follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so the day of celebration varies. It is a very spiritual celebration. Some customs include praying, making offerings of candles and flowers, releasing captive animals…

• Hari Raya Puasa: It marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal. It is a festivity that symbolizes renewal and purification of oneself. It is celebrated by making special prayers, putting on new traditional clothes, visiting relatives and friends and eating traditional food.

• Hari Raya Aidil Adha: Celebrated on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar, it commemorates the sacrifice of Ishmael by Abraham. It is a major Muslim festival around the world. People use to wear new traditional clothes and exchange gifts.

• Deepavali: A Hindu holiday celebrated on the 15th day of Kartika in the Hindu calendar that marks the triumph of good (light) over evil (dark). A symbolic act is lighting an oil lamp, and exchanging gifts.

• National Day: The most important celebration. As its name indicates, it commemorates the independence of Singapore in 1965. It is celebrated on 9 August and the whole country becomes of a particular joy and shade of red and white.

Other festivities which are also very common in the western world include Good Friday, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Labour Day. Finally, but not less important, the days of general or presidential elections (Polling Day) are also considered a holiday.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Singapore
• http://www.yoursingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/chinese-new-year.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year
• http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/vesak-day-5-things-you-should-know-about-this-buddhist-celebration
• http://www.calendarlabs.com/holidays/singapore/hari-raya-puasa.php
• http://www.yoursingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/hari-raya-aidilfitri.html
• http://www.calendarlabs.com/holidays/singapore/hari-raya-haji.php
• http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/singapore/diwali
• http://www.yoursingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/deepavali.html
• http://www.yoursingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/national-day.html

UGANDA WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL SAFARIS

The Republic of Uganda is a country situated in East Africa and it is the second most populous landlocked country in the continent. Uganda is divided in 4 kingdoms, and the country takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which occupies a large portion of the South territory, which includes the country’s capital (Kampala). The official languages are Swahili and English, although many other unofficial languages are spoken across the whole country. Due to its cultural and natural richness, Uganda is one of the most visited countries in Africa, and tourists can find a great variety of alternatives for their trips.

 Let's start by talking about the wildlife safaris. These type of safaris give you the great opportunity of observing animals such as rhinos, elephants, big primates, etc. in their natural habitats. All these animals used to be of great interest for the hunters some time ago,  but fortunately, nowadays they are protected. In Uganda, you can find more than 10 National parks and reserves that can be visited during all the year. The largest and one of the most visited is Murchison Falls Park, one of Uganda's ancient conservation areas. It also comprises the Bugungu and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserves, where the river Nile and some of it's cascades are situated. The flora and the fauna of this zone are incredibly rich. If you're more of a water person, you may go on tour on Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake), on Lake Bunyonyi (Africa's second deepest Lake) or even on the Nile! 

 As for the cultural safaris, here we may find many alternatives too. You may visit the urban part of Uganda by going on a tour through the city of Kampala, which has many tourist attractions, such as buildings, monuments... But Uganda's cultural richness goes beyond that. As I've said before, Uganda is divided in 4 kingdoms. Each kingdom is home for many tribes who live in harmony. A great way of approaching their culture is by visiting spiritual sites, such as Kabaka's lake, or some royal tombs. Another way of approaching the culture is by music and dance, which have been crucial in every tribe's lifestyle. Their gastronomy is very rich as well and the diverse climate of the country offers great conditions to fruits and vegetables. Finally, their arts and crafts reflect their culture to perfection, with paintings and handmade utensils, music instruments and so on.

Sources:

• http://www.aboutuganda.com/uganda/arts_and_culture/culture
• http://www.travelhemispheres.com/cultural-safaris.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda
• http://www.aboutuganda.com/travel
• http://www.wildwhispersafrica.com/uganda/uganda-safari-wildlife-the-big-5-plus-two/
• www.murchisonfallsnationalpark.com

IRISH MYTHOLOGY

During its long history, Ireland has been filled with myths and folklore due to the fact that many ancient societies have lived in this country. Though the pre-Christian mythology didn't survive in its entirety, much of it was preserved in medieval Irish literature. We can distinguish 4 periods in Irish mythology: the Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle, the Fenian Cycle and the Historical Cycle. However, there are also mythological texts and folk tales that don't belong to any of these periods.

A CONVERSATION ABOUT ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

PRACTICE EXERCISES

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JAMAICAN EMANCIPATION AND INDEPENDENCE DAY

 The island country of Jamaica is situated in the Caribbean Sea, constituting the fifth largest island country from its zone. It is the third country in America with most Anglophone population, right after the United States and Canada.  We can find a large number of different nationalities and mixed-race citizens living in Jamaica, although most of them have African roots. This country's history has provided a very rich culture and tradition. At first, it was occupied by the Taíno indigenous people, up to 1494 when Christopher Columbus claimed the territory for Spain. It continued being under Spanish rule up to 1655, when the English took the control of the island, and it stayed under their domain until 1962, when their independence was finally declared. The two festivities we are going to talk about are a great proof for its cultural richness.

 First, we have the Emancipation Day. This holiday is hold each year on August 1^st since 1893 when it was officially introduced as a public holiday. It celebrates the abolition of