British and American Festivities
(Gina D.B Clemen)

British and American Festivities is a step 1 reader from the Black Cat Green Apple Readers series for teenagers. It is a unique book that explores the origins of our festivities, their historical significance, and how we celebrate them today. Why do we celebrate Halloween? Do you want to surprise your sweetheart with a special Valentine card from Loveland, USA? Who invented the Christmas card? Find out the answers to these and other questions. The book covers Columbus Day, Halloween, Guy Fawkes Night, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Martin Luther King Day, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, May Day, Independence Day, and Notting Hill Carnival.

 Columbus Day

They remember Christopher Columbus’s. The first celebration of Columbus Day was on 12 October 1792 in New York City. This exhibition starting in May 1892 and finishing in October attracted twenty-eight million visitors.

 Halloween

Halloween is celebrated in the USA, and has become popular in Europe too. Many children and adults go to Halloween parties, wearing scary masks and costumes. Some typical Halloween costumes are witches, ghosts, skeletons, monsters and aliens.

It is a popular tradition in the USA to buy a big pumpkin and make a jack-o’-lantern. Halloween is not just for children. Many teenagers and adults wear costumes and go to parties on Halloween night.

  Guy Fawkes Night

Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. It is the celebration of the fact that Guy Fawkes was arrested just before attempting to kill the King.

 Thanksgiving

Americans of all religions celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. Children do not go to school, and most businesses close for four days. People in Canada also celebrate Thanksgiving, but they celebrate it on the second Monday in October.

Thanksgiving is a special day for families, and people travel great distances to be with their families for this occasion.

Today the traditional Thanksgiving meal is similar to the first. People eat roast turkey with cranberry sauce, potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie.

New Year

New Year is the time at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count is incremented. In many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner. The New Year of the Gregorian calendar, today in worldwide use, falls on 1 January, as was the case with the Roman calendar. There are numerous calendars that remain in regional use that calculate the New Year differently.

Martin Luther King Day

 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15.

 Chinese New Year

 Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Vietnam, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the lunar New Year celebrations of its geographic neighbors.

Valentine’s Day

Saint Valentine's Day, often simply Valentine's Day, is observed on February 14 each year. Today Valentine's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, mostly in the West, although it remains a working day in all of them.

 

The original "St. Valentine" was a liturgical celebration of one or earlier Christian saint named Valentinus. Modern romantic connotations were added several centuries later by poets

 

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Presidents’ Day

Washington's Birthday is a United States federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February in honor of George Washington, the first President of the United States. It is commonly but erroneously known as Presidents Day (sometimes spelled Presidents' Day or President's Day). As Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day, it is also the official name of a concurrent state holiday celebrated on the same day in a number of states.

Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick (c. AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The day is generally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing of green attire, public parades and processions, and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating, and drinking alcohol.

Easter

 Easter is a Christian feast and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament. Easter is preceded by Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains the days of the Easter Triduum, including Maundy Thursday, commemorating Maundy and the Last Supper, as well as Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus.

Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday. The festival is referred to in English by a variety of different names including Easter Day, Easter Sunday, Resurrection Day and Resurrection Sunday.

Independence Day

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States 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.

Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event in August, over two days (Sunday and the following bank holiday). It has continuously taken place since 1965. It is led by members of the Caribbean population, many of whom have lived in the area since the 1950s. The carnival has attracted up to 1.5 million people in the past, putting it among the largest street festivals in Europe.

Performance #4

Diwali

Festival of Lights.

Light is significant in Hinduism because it signifies goodness. So, during the Festival of Lights, 'deeps', or oil lamps, are burned throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil. 

The first day of five day long Diwali celebrations is of great importance to the rich community of western India. Houses and business premises are renovated and decorated. Designs to welcome Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

On second day there is a traditional practice specially in Maharashtra of taking bath before sunrise with oil and fragrant powders.

ON THIRD DAY Lakshmi-Puja is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits, devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Laxmi are sung and Naivedya of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. 

On fourth day Govardhan-Puja is also performed in the North on the fourth day. This day is also observed as Annakoot meaning 'mountain of f 

On fifth day newly married daughters with their husbands are invited for special meals and given presents. Diwali celebration is a very happy occasion for all.

Diwali  also means the worship of the Indian Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi and the god of good fortune, lord ganesha who brings wealth and properity to the home. Is is believed that lord ram chose this auspicious day to return home from his long exile, after defeating the demon lord ravan in a long drawn battle. Diwali is also the time for families to get together and this is one time in the year when even scattered families try and make it home to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones. Every family member from the young to the old in an enthusiastic participant in the festival as crackers are burst and the sky illuminated with thousands of fireworks. New clothes are bought, gifts exchanged and sumptuous feasts are laid out in every household, this is one occasion where the distribution and exchange of sweets is a must in in every household and piles and piles of sweets are cooked or bought for this purpose. Diwali is also a handy excuse to really gorge on food as people visit each others homes and are plied with food and sweets.

This unique festival is all about light, noise, mirth, ebullience, joy and giving to the less fortune. It is the most awaited festival in india and along with its religious connotations Diwali is a time for unshackled revelry and fun. The festival of Diwali (aka: Diwali, Dewali, Deepavali) is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hindu month of Ashwin / kartika but on the Gregorian / western calendar the date for Diwali varies.

While the festival is always celebrated in October or November,  there is a difference of opinion abouth exactly when, since there is not universally accepted hindy calendar

The Origins of the Hindu Festival of Diwali

The biggest ok all Hindu Festivals; Diwali is known in India as the Festival of Lights. This multi-day festival, whose name literally means “row of lighted lamps”, is celebrated during the Hindu month of Kartika.

For five days, the country is illuminated in the glow of dazzling- from modest oil lamps and candles to spectacular fireworks.

Diwali most likely began as a harvest festival, although there are numerous legends about the festival’s origins. For example, some believe Diwali marks the anniversary of the marriage ceremony between Lakshmi, the Buddha. In Indian culture, wealth is viewed as a reward for person who has done good deeds in a past life. This is karmic understanding of wealth therefore makes Lakshmi a key figure in the Hindu faith.

Because there are so many regions in India, each with its own language and other cultural features, there are equally numerous traditions for the celebration of Diwali.

In fact, even the Gregorian date for Diwali varies around the country. The festival is always celebrated in October or November, but there is a difference of opinion about exactly when, since there is not one universally accepted Hindu calendar.

There are certain traditions, however, which are universal. For example, families light candles or oil lamps, and exchange gifts with family and friends. As finances will allow, most families host lavish festive meals, as well.

And many families will completely clean their homes and throw open their windows, as a way of welcoming in the Lakshmi goddess.

Performance #3
National Park Santa Rosa

Performance #2

Store One Dollar

Flor:       How can I help you?

Ariana:  Yes, I need a lot of jewelry.

Flor:       We have earrings ,brazalet, rings and scarf.

Ariana:  Can I look the earrings?

Flor:       Of course

(Telephone) Ring  ring

Flor:       Hello, Store One Dollar

Ana:      Hi,  where are you located?  I’m in front of the Sophya Drugstore.

Flor:       Just  walk two blocks and turn left at the corner. In front of Walmart.

Ana:      Ok, thanks.

Flor:       You Welcome

Flor:       I’m sorry, we have

Ariana:  I like the pink, the white and the two purple ones.  How much cost each one?

Flor:       $1 dollar plus 0.25 cents of taxes. A total of $5.

Ariana:  Do you accept credit cards?

Flor:       Sure

Ana :     Good evening.

Flor:       Welcome. How can I help you?

Ana :     I need a gift for my daughter ‘s birthday.

Ariana:  Hi Ana Yancy! How are you?

(Ariana gives credit card to Flor)

Ana:      Well hello Ariana! Very well thank you and you?

Ariana: Not bad. Why don’t you buy her a dress? I know a store.

(Flor returns credit card)

Ana:      That’s amazing! Thanks Ariana.

(Both leave the store)

Flor Camacho Zamora
Performance #1

BOTSWANA

Localization  

Exact geographical location of the country is in southern  Africa, the climate is semiarid, with mild winters and warm summers.

Flag

The color blue represents the water
The bands black and white represent the racial harmony

 Shield

three blue stripes: in the water
Three wheels: they depict the industry
Bull: Cattle industry
Zebra and elephant tusk: wildlife and agriculture represent
Pula: Water is very important in the country.

People

People tend to have dark skin color, shaped like almond eyes,  high cheekbones, thin lips and curly hair

Culture

Official languages​​: Setswana (national) and English.
 Crafts : They produce colorful baskets of various sizes and for different uses.
Ceramic:  Another recognized artistic activity
The paintings found in southern Africa, more precisely  in the Kalahari Desert, show pictures of animals and hunters

Economic

Discovery of diamond mines,  hunting and harvesting of fruits

Food

It detacan meat dishes, fish and vegetables. Which are usually very tasty

Ana Yancy's Personal Information

My name is Ana Yancy Obando Barrantes. 

I was born on October 6th 1970.

I'm 41 years old but many people calculate I'm not older than 30 years old and that's ok with me.

I'm small and thin.

I have black eyes and a black, curly hair.

I work at Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones since 2009.
I'm also studiying Administración de Empresas in UMCA.
I live in Guadalupe, located at the North of San Jose. Specifically in Purral Abajo, famous because of the cold weather.










I am married with Orlando Rivera Fallas along 20 years and we both have two childrens.













The oldest one is my daughter Tracy Paola. She was born on October21. She is 17th years old and currently she's studiying Political Sciences in UCR.














Travis Orlando is the youngest one, he is 9 years old and was born on February 14th. He is at Saint Francis Primary in 3rd grade.

Performance 1 Ariana Castillo

My name is Ariana Castillo. I live in Curridabat with my son Gabriel and my boyfriend Manrique.

Gabriel is 5 years old and he goes to Kinder Tio Conejo. He has two small hamsters as pets. They are cute and noisy. They live inside their cage.

Gabriel goes to Taekwondo and swimming classes every week. He really enjoys both and is improving a lot lately.

Manrique is a construction engineer and works at a big construction company in San Jose.

The members of my family are my dad, my mom, my brother, my sister and my nephews.

My dad´s name is Rafael Castillo and he works at ICE. My mother´s name is Marlen Calero. My grandmother lives with my mom, dad and my brother Esteban.

Esteban has one son and one daughter, Jeydan of 5 years and Brianna of 3 years.

Jeimmy Castillo is my other sister and she lives in Alajuela. Luciana is her beautiful daughter and she is only 4 months old. She looks a lot to her dad.

My family is pretty close, we try to get together at least every Sunday at my parents’ house in Desamparados and have lunch. Sometimes my aunt, uncle and cousins join us.

Hello! My name is Ariana Castillo. I live in Curridabat with my boyfriend and son. I am average height, curly hair, my eyes are color green and I wear glasses. I have a string caracter but I am sweet, loving and caring. My parents live in Desamparados along with my brother and grandmother. My sister lives in Alajuela. I have three nephews. I like to read, watch television and listen to music. I also like to go out during the weekends. I do not like people who talk behind your back and then tell me that they´re my friends. I hate when my son leaves a disaster in his bedroom. My favorite food is Mc Donalds! jeje. Interesting fact, at least for me, I am learning how to drive and I am doing pretty well.

Hello, my name is Flor Camacho, I live in Patarra, I am short, white skin, face round , long straight hair and slanted eyes, I’m also honest and friendly.

I like being at home with my family, I’m married and I have a son , he is 6 years old, also I like plants and reading.

Patarra of 30 minutes in San Jose, is a rural place, full of trees and also very cold.