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.

Valentine´s Day!

On the 14th of February is St. Valentine´s Day. It is the traditional day on which people express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards and giving flowers or chocolates.

What happens on Valentines day in Britain?

Each year in Britain, we spend around £503 million on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for Valentine's Day.

Today Valentine's cards are sent anonymously (without signing their name) by a 'secret admirer'.

Flowers are the most common gift given, a dozen red roses or just one red rose.

It is just as common for a woman to send a man a message of love, especially during a leap year´, and on Valentine's Day in a leap year it is the custom that the woman can ask a man to marry her!

Do you celebrate St. Valentine´s day in Spain? Do you have a special day when you can tell someone you love them? What do you think of this celebration?

These are some pictures from my holidays in England. There is a picture of my cat playing in the snow. My cat is one year old and has never seen snow before so he was very excited and nervous at first.
There is a picture of the road where I live and there is a picture of my garden.
This year there was a lot of snow in England!

What do you think of the pictures?

I know that it rarely snows in Seville and there has not been snow in Seville while you have lived here. Have you been somewhere where it had snow?
Do you like the weather in your region?
What is your favourite type of weather?

I will leave you with a picture of my mother sledging!!!