Easter

Easter is the most important festival in the Christian Church year. For us in the UK it starts with Maundy Thursday when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.

On Maundy Thursday in Britain, the Queen takes part in a ceremony of the Royal Maundy, which was started by Richard I.
Maundy Money is given to deserving senior citizens (old people) that are chosen because they have done a good deed or service for the community.
They receive the coins in special red and white purses. The white purse has the coins and the red purse has money for the poor.



On Good Friday, the day Jesus died, many people go to mass. When people go to the church they wear their best clothes.
A traditional caked called a 'hot cross bun' is made on Good Friday. It is a bun with spices, currants and raisins inside and a white icing cross on top.
The cross is the symbol of Christianity.

There is a famous song that children sing about hot cross buns.

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny, two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

On Easter Sunday we go to mass again and we send some Easter cards which are often green or yellow and show baby animals because lots of animals are born in spring. We give our friends and family Easter Eggs. They used to be decorated eggs but now they are made of chocolate. Young children believe that the Easter Bunny hides the Easter Eggs. The British children hunt for Easter Eggs which are hidden around the house or in the garden by the 'Easter Bunny'.










For Easter, schools are on holiday for 2 weeks.

The traditional Easter meal is Roast lamb for dinner. It will be served with spring vegetables and potatoes, and gravy, a sauce made from the juices of the meat and stock.



Easter is a time when hat parades are very common. Many schools and clubs have Easter Bonnet parades.

The children make their own hats and have a parade wearing their hats marching to music. They have prizes for the best hats. There are many Easter parades in Britain and the most popular one is in Battersea Park in London.

In some areas 'Egg Rolling' is very popular. People takes eggs to the top of a hill and roll them down and the first egg to reach the bottom is the winner.
In England, special springtime dances are performed. These are called Morris dances and it is a very old tradition. They wear very strange outfits with bells attached to their legs!

Easter Monday is a favourite day for funfairs with rides and roundabouts, the oldest is traditionally held on Hamstead Heath in London.

During Easter time, a special cake is made, called Simnel cake. It is a fruit cake covered in marzipan then toasted. On the top of the cake are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus, but Judas is not included. Sometimes Christ is also included by a ball in the middle of the cake.The cake is made from flour, sugar, butter, eggs, spices, dried fruit and zest and peel from the fruit.

It is Semana Santa next week. Last year I was in Madrid for Semana Santa and I enjoyed it very much, so I am very excited to see it here.
I love to tell people about Easter in Britain! Please tell me about Holy Week for you!

Mother's day

Yesterday was Mothering Sunday.
Mother's day is also called Mothering Sunday in the UK. Mothering Sunday (Mother's Day) is always the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Mothering Sunday is a time when children pay respect to their Mothers. Children often give their Mothers a gift and a card.

Many churches give the children in the congregation a little bunch of spring flowers to give to their Mothers as a thank you for all their care and love throughout the year.

This year, as I was not with my mother, I sent her a big bunch of flowers and a card with a special message to say thankyou to my mum.


Do you celebrate mother's day in Spain? Do you think it is good? Tell me about your traditions.

Saint Patrick´s day

As some of you may remember, I was born in Ireland.

On the 17th of March the Irish people celebrate St. Patrick´s Day. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

A symbol of Ireland is the Leprechaun. This is a type of Irish fairy who looks like an old man and is very badly behaved. He likes to play tricks on people. The legends say that they hide a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. If they are caught by a person, the leprechaun can give the person 3 wishes.

Another symbol of Ireland is the shamrock. This a
St. Patrick used it to explain the holy trinity to the people of Ireland when he brought Christianity to the country.

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

Do you know what a patron saint is? Can you tell me about the special saints to your region or town or country? Or maybe you have a saint that is special to your family. Some people in England wear a bracelet with a symbol of their saint to keep them safe.

Shrove Tuesday

Yesterday, Tuesday March 8th, was Shrove Tuesday in England. It is more commonly known as pancake day!

Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. It is traditional on this day to eat pancakes. It is the day before Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the chance to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which used to be forbidden during Lent.

A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a pan. They can be thin like a crepe or thicker ones called Scotch pancakes.
Sugar is sprinkled over the top and a dash of fresh lemon juice added. The pancake is then rolled. Some people add golden syrup, chocolate spread or jam.

Do you do anything special like this? Do you like pancakes? Can you tell me what Lent is?
In England it is usual for people to give something up for Lent, for example this year my friend has given up chocolate. This means she won't eat chocolate until Easter Sunday. Do you give anything up for Lent?

Greeting guests

In preparation for the guests we will receive, we have been looking at some useful expressions we might need.

To revise and maybe see some new expressions, read this.

Greeting a Guest

If you are the host and your guest has arrived at your house, what can you say to welcome them? Here are some common expressions:

Welcoming a Guest

· I'm so glad to have you here.

· I'm so glad you could come.

· I'm so glad you could visit.

· We're delighted to have you here.

· Delighted to have you here.

Expressions which can be used to make our guests feel at home and comfortable.

Asking a Guest to Come Inside the House

· Come on in.

· Please come in.

· Please do come in. (formal)

Making a Visitor Feel at Home

· Make yourself at home.

· Make yourself comfortable.

· Would you like to take off your coat?

· Here, let me take your coat.

Offering a Visitor a Seat

· Please have a seat.

· Please sit down.

· Would you like to sit over here?

Offering a Visitor Something to Drink

· Would you like some coffee or tea?

· Let me get you something to drink. What would you like?

· Can I get you something to drink?

Saying Goodbye

· It's been a delightful visit. (formal)

· Thank you for coming.

· Glad you could come.

· Come back soon.

· We have to do this again sometime.

· We have to do this more often.

· It's been our pleasure to have you here. (formal)

How do you introduce your friend to someone else? Below are some useful expressions.

· Introducing Paul to Fred

· Fred, I'd like you to meet Paul.

· Fred, this is my friend Paul.

· Fred, (this is) Ichiro. Paul, Fred.

· Fred, have you met Paul?

What to Say When You've Just Been Introduced

· Good to meet you.

· Nice to meet you.

· What a pleasure to meet you. (formal)

· A pleasure. (formal)

What to Say When You Didn't Catch Someone's Name

· I'm sorry. What's your name again?

· Sorry, I didn't catch your name.

· I'm sorry, could you tell me your name again?

Black History Month

This month is Black history month. Click here to see some information on the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, including Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr who you have studied in your citizenship lessons.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

From the "I Have a Dream" speech, Aug. 28, 1963

Singing love

Do you like love songs? What's your favourite?
This is one that I enjoy singing: You and I by Wilco.



I hope you like it (and sing along) too.