Irish Christmas

In Ireland, people put a candle in the window on Christmas Eve because it was a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter. The candle also is used for other things. The traditional Christmas dinner consist of turkey or goose and ham with some vegetables and roast potatoes. For the dessert they eat pudding, cake, yule log (picture) and mince pies.

Music of Ireland

Irish Folk Music dates back thousands of years, but collections only date as far back as the 18th century.  It is believed that Irish folk music survived more strongly than that of other European countries because Ireland was not a battlefield during either world war and because the country’s economy is derived mostly from agriculture. The music was preserved for collectors such as: George Petrie, Edward Bunting, Francis O’Neill, and Canon James Goodman. An example of Irish Folk song is “Danny Boy” is considered by many to be an Irish anthem. Written in 1910, the song has many interpretations including from a woman to a man and from a father to his son going off to war. It has been covered by many artists including Connie Francis, Seamus Kennedy...

Now I'm going to talk about Irish Musical Istruments:



- Concertina: In the early 19th century, Charles Wheatstone invented the symphonium, a brass-reeded instrument that was a precursor of the harmonica. In 1844 he modified it so th
at the air that powered the instrument was provided by a bellows, and the concertina was born. The concertina is often use in Irish folk music.



- Harp: it is an ancient instrument that has always been connected to Celtic music (it's one symbol of Ireland), above all in the most aristocratic environment. Celtic harps are generally smaller and can be played over one's knees.











Ireland has too, famous singers and bands. For example:


- Enya: She born on 17th of May in 1961 in Gweedore, Donegal, she's an Irish singer. She sing songs of new age.


- U2: are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr.

Today is St. Patrick

Happy day of St. Patrick, if you know all about it click here!

Ireland in Hollywood

I going talking about three famous actors from Ireland. They're successful in Hollywood:


- Collin Farrell: He born on 31of May in 1976. He is an Irish actor, who has appeared in some films as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander, S.W.A.T...  In 2008 he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges. He was born in Dublin, the son of Rita, a housewife, and Eamon Farrell, a footballer who played for Shamrock Rovers F.C. and owned a company importing and exporting canned goods in Dublin City. He has two children.

- Pierce Brosnan: He born on16 of May in 1953. He's an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the television series Remington Steele (1982-87), after that he made a lot of movies as Mamma Mia (2008), Evelyn (2002)...

- Jonathan Rhys Meyers: He born on 27 of July in 1977. He is an Irish actor and model.
He is best known for his roles in the films Velvet Goldmine, Mission Impossible III, Bend It Like Beckham, Match Point and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis, but I think the character more important of him was as King Henry VII in the historical drama The Tudors, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor. He has been the face of several advertising campaigns for Hugo Boss fragrances.

International Women's Day

 First of all, we most know two questions about it:

- Why does esxist?

Because , on that date in 1848, the Prussian King, faced whit an armed uprising, had promised many reforms, including an unfulfilled one of votes for women.

- What do we celebrate?

The right to vote.

Now, I going to write a list some important dates and/or event.

- 1909: in acoordance with SPA the first national dugmen's day was celebrate on 28 February.

- 1913-1914: women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sister.

Well, that's all but I want to talking about an Ireland woman, Mary Robinson.

 

Mary Robinson:  born 21 May 1944 served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic,barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate (1969–1989). She defeated Fianna Fáil's Brian Lenihan and Fine Gael's Austin Currie in the 1990 presidential election becoming, as an Independent candidate nominated by the Labour Party, the Workers' Party and independent senators, the first elected president in the office's history not to have had the support of Fianna Fáil

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated  on 17 March. It commemorates Saint Patrick the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion , the Eastern Orthodox Church and Lutheran Church. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official feast day in the early seventeenth century, and has gradually become a secular celebration of Irish culture in general.
The day is generally characterised by the attendance of church services, wearing of green clothes and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcoholic berverages.
St. Patrick's Day is held in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. Today, St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saint's day in the world.
Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.


Then I'm going to leave links of this day:
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions/videos#green (Why Green?)

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions/videos#corned-beef-cabbage (Corned beef and cabbage)


(You can see more in the same web.)

By Dulce & Laura