EUROPEAN UNION REGIONS IN OUR PUPILS’ EYES
This calendar is one of the products of the cooperation among 10 EU schools who joined a LLP - Comenius project lasted from 2013 to 2015. The project’s name is “E.U.R.O.P.E.”: and such acronym stands for “European Union Regions in Our Pupils’ Eyes”. With a special focus on preventing the construction of stereotypes and prejudices against other culture, we tried to move beyond any cultural difference, searching for what we had in common, finding out that after all there were much more similarities than we initially expected to find among us. 10 Countries participated to the project: Poland, Latvia, Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Turkey and Italy. One of our project’s aim was precisely to promote understanding and mutual exchange between pupils,
teachers and parents of the different countries to prevent or prevent the formation of stereotypes and prejudices against other cultures, very urgent topic in education, especially at a time - such as now - in which the social fabric is gradually turning into a multicultural one. Pupils had the possibility to travel across Countries together with their parents and teachers, to experience what actually everyday life is in those countries: they met new friends, participated to school activities, played traditional games, tasted local food, were hosted by local families, understanding how is living in that country. Every time we had to go back home it was always a very sad goodbye and very often families kept connected by mail or other ICT tools beyond the project. On the following pages you can read what are the major holidays of each country grouped by month.
Many of the designs and drawings were made by children and portray them in different moments of the school year. We thank our partners and colleagues who have collaborated on the project activities and for providing us with the material that has enabled us to realize this book.
INVOLVED SCHOOLS PUBLICZNE PRZEDSZKOLE NR 2 IM. JANUSZA KORCZAKA W RADOMSKU Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) www.przedszkole2.radomsko.pl Targowa 7 - 97-500 RADOMSKO PL11 Lodzkie - PL - POLAND ÖZEL TUZLA FEN ANAOKULLARI Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) http://www.fenanaokullari.com/ Cami Mahallesi Şehitler Caddesi Saffet Sokak No:5 Tuzla 34940 İSTANBUL - TR1 - ISTANBUL TR - TURKEY CDG №2 “YUNSKO VASTANIE” Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) 41 Sergey Rumyantsev Str. 5 800 - Pleven - BG32 - Severen tsentralen BG - BULGARIA CEIP SAN BARTOLOME Primary school (EDU-SCHPrm) MIGUEL DELIBES ,17 03314 ORIHUELA-SAN BARTOLOME - ES52 - Comunidad Valenciana ES - SPAIN 11TH NIPIAGOGIO CHANION Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) Profiti Ilia, Froudia Chalepas 731 33 Chania - GR43 - Kriti EL - GREECE
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DAUGAVPILS PILSETAS 13.PIRMSSKOLAS IZGLITIBAS IESTADE Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) 18.novembra 85 LV-5404 Daugavpils - LV00 - Latvija LV - LATVIA SCOALA GIMNAZIALA OCNA SIBIULUI Primary school (EDU-SCHPrm) Piata Traian, 15 555600 Ocna Sibiului - RO12 - Centru RO - ROMANIA ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO “ANZIO III” Other type of educational organisation (EDU-OTH) Via Niccolò Machiavelli 42 00042 Anzio (RM) ITE4 - Lazio - IT - ITALY UNDER THE RAINBOW PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN ANGOL NYELVŰ ÓVODA Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) www.undertherainbow.hu 20 Feketerigó street H-1029 Budapest - HU10 - Kozep-Magyarorszag HU - HUNGARY PFARRKINDERGARTEN EIBISWALD-WEST Pre-primary school (EDU-SCHNur) Eibiswald 234 8552 Ebiswald - AT22 - Steiermark AT - AUSTRIA
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JANUARY / 10 FEBRUARY / 28 MARCH / 46 APRIL / 60 MAY / 76 6
JUNE / 88 JULY / 98 AUGUST / 108 SEPTEMBER / 122 OCTOBER / 134 NOVEMBER / 148 DECEMBER / 158 7
BULGARIA 1
New Year, Survaki New Year is one of the favorite holidays of children. With many songs, dances and poems they meet white-bearded old man who brings many gifts. On 1 January, and custom sourvakne. With decorated cornel stick slightly hitting on the back and say good wishes for health and prosperity.
GREECE Good luck, prosperity, good health and longevity are the best and most important wishes marking the first day of the New Year among family members, and friends in Greece. Just before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the lights are shut down to say farewell to the previous year and welcome the new one full of promises and hope for a better life.
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According to tradition, it is believed that the first person to enter the house on New Year’s Eve brings either good luck or bad luck. To have a lucky and good year, this person that enters the house first, must be a loving and lucky one. The best one for the “podariko” would be a little child, since they are considered to be the best omen, with their innocence, pure hearts and honesty. Holding the ancient symbol of fertility, regeneration and prosperity, the pomegranate, the child must roll the fruit against the door of the house to smash and reveal its red seeds as a sign of welcoming the New Year and breaking loose its positive prospects. The more seeds scattered on the floor, the luckier the year will be. His/her “first step” into the house and into the New Year must be made with the right foot, so as for happiness and prosperity to bless the house and its owners.
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EPIPHANY Epiphany or Theophany is when Eastern Christians commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God. In Greece, January 6 is traditionally known as Phota (“lights”) and customs revolve around the Great Blessing of the Waters: a cross is thrown into the water and people try to retrieve it in order to receive good luck and blessings.
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The day before, children sing Epiphany carols, and the following day, January 7, marks John the Baptist’s feast.
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HUNGARY 1st of January is a holiday in our country when most of the people are staying with and visiting around the family members. Just like in other countries there are plenty of superstitions connected to the first day of the year in Hungary.
According to the Hungarian traditions housewives cook lentil soup or creamed lentil for lunch which brings fortune, luck and beauty for the year. We often put a ‘New Year’s pork’ on the table as it helps to trough your luck from the soil. Another superstition states that you must not bring your garbage out from your house because you pour your luck out with it. In our little kindergarten we have set up our unique tradition for January. As no one likes cold, dark winter days we have decided to bring fun and laughter to our kids, and organize our ‘Pyjama Party’ every mid January. On this special day children and teachers are wearing pyjamas, having party in the gym. After the party time the children can enjoy a ‘shadow theatre’ made by one of our teachers. It’s a real big hit each year!
The longest month of the year January is more or less a quiet and long, cold month in Hungary. We often refer to it as the ‘longest month of the year’.
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POLAND
Faworki or angel wings
INGREDIENTS: 300 G FLOUR 6 EGG YOLKS 2 TABLESPOONS OF POWDERED SUGAR 3 TABLESPOONS OF SOUR CREAM 2 TABLESPOONS OF BUTTER 1 TABLESPOON OF ALCOHOL SALT LARD OR OIL FOR FRYING POWDERED SUGAR FOR DUSTING 14
PREPARATION MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS, KNEAD THE DOUGH INTO A HOMOGENEOUS MASS AND KNOCK THEM ROLL. ROLL OUT THE DOUGH THINLY, CUT INTO STRIPS WITH A LENGTH OF 10 CM AND A WIDTH OF ABOUT 3 CM. IN THE MIDDLE OF EACH STRIP TO MAKE SEVERAL CM INCISION, ONE END OF THE STRIP OF FAST TO GIVE THE SHAPE OF BOWS. FRY IN HOT FAT BRUSH ON BOTH SIDES UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. PULL OUT, DRAIN ON A PAPER TOWEL AND SPRINKLE WITH POWDERED SUGAR. FAWORKI SHOULD BE LIGHT AND FRAGILE. Faworki or angel wings
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21/22 GRANDPARENTS’ DAYS Each year we celebrate Grandmothers’ Day (21st January) and Grandfathers’ Day (22nd January). Grandparents’ Days are really important time in our kindergarten life. We love our Grandmothers and Grandfathers the most in the world! That’s why we work hard on the meeting with them in our kindergarten. Firstly with our teachers we choose some wishes, poems and songs. We learn them by heart. In the same time we make presents ourselves. This year we have prepared, among other things, congratulatory scrolls and our photos in the frames. When all is ready, we invite our Grandparents to our kindergarten groups. Every year - apart from the festive performance and presents - we have a really wonderful time dancing and playing together with our Grandparents. We also talk and laugh, taste the fantastic cakes baked by our kindergarten cooks and drink tea with lemon or coffee. The Grandparent’s Day celebration is one of the many traditions in our kindergarten.
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LA CUCARACHA One of the tradition in our kindergarten are music meetings with many different music surprises. In January extraordinary guests visited our kindergarten. They are musicians from South America. Our pupils could see unusual clothes and fantastic hats. They listened to different kind of music. They got to know some music instruments too. Like usually, some of our students - who took part in that meeting - could also feel themselves like the real musicians by playing different instruments and making a common appearance with foreign guests for their teachers and colleagues. Children from our kindergarten like our music meetings very much. They can learn much more by playing and laughing.
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ROMANIA NEw Year’s Traditions New Year’s traditions in Romania consist of a series of Pre-Christian rituals with magic character combined with Christian faith traditions and celebrations. These traditions are ancient but they are still preserved and passed on to the next generation, especially in rural communities.The coming of the New Year is announced by two different traditions: “Plugusorul” and “Sorcova”. “Plugusorul” meaning the plough takes place on the evening of 31st December. A group of young men have a symbolic plough, the go to each house in the village and wish them to have good crops, healthy animals and good health in the new Year. It is a tradition linked with agriculture. “Sorcova” takes place on 1st of January. A group of children make a stick decorated with colourful paper flowers. The name SORCOVA
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comes from the Burgarian word “surov” (soft green), because originally it was a flowery branch of a tree. It acts as a magic wand endowed with the power to give health, wealth, good luck and joy to every household and person touched with the stick. The children visit each house and wish the people to be healthy and prosperous. In both traditions the carolers are rewarded with apples, pretzels, cakes or sweets. It is said that those who do not open the door to the carolers will have trouble and poverty in the coming year. On the first day of the New Year, St. Basil is celebrated (“Vasile” in Romania), a name day for many people. It is believed that the heavens open, that prayers are heard and that the animals talk in a human voice. Children going caroling on Christmas Eve. The costumes are specific for the north of Romania, a county called Maramures. Here traditions are preserved better. In 2013 the tradition of carol singing from Romania was introduced on the list of UNESCO values.Another New Year tradition is “CAPRA”
or The Goat. The goat’s head is carved in wood, with or without horns, and the body of the goat is made of coloured paper or a woven blanket. Inside there is a man who makes the goat snap its mouth. The goat is accompanied by young men, who make a lot of noise, playing music using drums and bells to chase away evil and who wish everybody good health and prosperity. They are rewarded for their wishing with cakes and wine, rarely with money.
SORCOVA
PLUGUSORUL
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6
EPIPHANY or The Baptism of Christ (BOBOTEAZA) On the 6th of January, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Baptism of Jesus Christ It is one of the most important holidays in Romania. Usually it is very cold this time of the year, it is said that around this date it is the harshest of cold weather in the year. In every church in the country there are special prayers to make the water holy. People take some of this water to drink each morning for good health and prosperity. Before this day the priest visits each house in his parish and sprinkles the house and its occupants with holy water. A bunch of basil is used to sprinkle water. In villages located on the banks of the Danube or on the seashore, it is customary for the priest to throw a wooden cross into the water and a few brave young men jump in the freezing water to bring it back. The one who finds the cross is said to be healthy and lucky all year. He also receives an icon and a small sum of money from the priest.
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SAINT JOHN On the 7th of January , the Orthodox celebrate Saint John the Baptist, and this day brings a number of popular customs and traditions. He is known as the “Forerunner” that announced the coming of Christ. St. John’s Day is a day of joy and a name day for more than one million Romanians. It is said that the people who do not celebrate Saint John’s Day will be sad all year. In some villages the people called John or Joanna are taken to the river by a group of friends and are sprinkled with water as a baptism.
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SPAIN Peace day In San Bartolome school we celebrate every year the day of peace and non-violence at the end of January. This day was established in 1964 to commemorate the death of Gandhi and it was recognized by UNESCO in 1993. At this time the need for education for tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace is remembered. The slogan of the day is: ‘universal love, non-violence and peace. Universal Love is better than egoism, Non-violence is better than violence and peace is better than war’. Our action this year was especially dedicated to the education given to solidarity because of the time of crisis that we are living. Besides the work and reflection in class about the importance of nonviolence or peace we worked these aspects transversely in all the subjects and throughout the
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school year. Our main celebration took place in the playground where we built the word Peace with non-perishable food provided by students and their families and then they were donated to “Caritas” in order to give them to the poor people in town.
Sayings for January “En Enero enciende la abuela el brasero”. In January grandmother lit the brazier. “En Enero bufanda, abrigo y sombrero”. In January, scarf, coat and hat. “No hay luna como la de Enero , ni amor como el primero”. No moon as January, no love like the first. “Por San Antón , son las cinco y con sol”. For San Anton, it’s five and sunny.
ITALY 22
Every year on 22nd January, Anzio celebrates the landing of the Anglo-American allied troops that reached the Tyrrenian coast to release the town from the German siege and to arrive in Rome during the Second World War. Every year, in occasion of the anniversary of the landing, many initiatives took place in the town, such as concerts, films, exhibitions. Many veterans, coming from USA and England, visited the war cemeteries where lots of their friends were buried. Some of them, when interviewed, remembered the warm welcome of the people and the following bloody fights against the Germans. Many students of our school, in occasion of the anniversary, went to Anzio to visit the beach-head museum where there are war relics: American and German uniforms, military equipments, newspapers and letters from that period. They also saw the statue of Angelita,symbol of all child casualties of the war. Once in class, pupils produced works such as compositions and drawings in which they voiced their feelings about the war.
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6
LA BEFANA An Italian tradition La Befana is an old woman who, during the night between 5th and Jan. 6th, riding a broom and holding on his back a sack full of sweets, gifts and coal. She flies over the houses’s roofs and, sliding down the chimney, fills the stockings left by the children with sweets and candies if the child had a good behavior during the year, or coal if his behavior was bad. La Befana is wearing rags clothes, a large dark skirt, a shawl, a scarf and a pair of old and broken shoes. The Epiphany celebration has very ancient origins, like many other Italian festivals and traditions, and it’s related to the nature and field working. Later it was integrated with Christian elements: the Befana brings gifts in memory of those offered Jesus by the Magi Kings. Formerly, the twelfth night after Christmas, that is after the winter solstice, the death and rebirth of nature were celebrated by the pagan figure of Mother Nature. On January 6th night, in fact, Mother Nature, tired for having given all his energies during the year, appeared in the guise of an old and good-natured witch, flying in the sky on a broom. Mother Nature was so ready to be burnt as a dry branch so that we she could reborn as a young Nature, full of energy. In some regions of Italy straw puppets with the likeness of an old lady are made and burned in the night between January 5th and 6th. Before dying, the old woman went to distribute gifts, planting the seeds that are going to germinate during the next year. The Epiphany is celebrated on Epiphany Day, a religious holiday that occurs on January 6th, commemorating the visit of the Magi Kings to the baby Jesus.
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Legend says the Magi Kings were going to Bethlehem to welcome Jesus. Once near a little house they decided to stop to ask indications about the direction to take. They knocked at the door and little old came to open it. The Magi Kings asked her how to get to Bethlehem, but the woman could not give them any indication. The Magi asked the old lady to join them but she refused. After they were gone, the old woman knew he had made a mistake and decided to follow them to visit the Baby Jesus, but, unable to find them, she stopped and gave each child a gift in the hope that this was the Child Jesus. So every year, on the Epiphany night, the old woman is looking for Jesus and stops at every house where there is a child to leave him a gift. January 6 is also the last day of feast, the last day when you hold the Christmas tree at home.
“La Befana comes by night with allbroken shoes, wearing a Roman style dress, viva viva la Befana!�
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APOKRIES The Carnival is called “Apokries” in Greek and it is expressed by three weeks of feasting and dancing. The tradition of Apokries started so that the Christian people could celebrate and indulge before the great 40 day Lent of Easter. It lasts for three weeks before this period of fasting begins. The Carnival takes place three weeks before Lent Monday. Important Carnival Parades take place in Patra, Xanthi, Corfu island and Rethymno of Crete with wonderful parties. The exact dates of the Carnival vary, depending on the Easter. Actually, the Carnival finishes 7 weeks before Easter. The last Sunday, before the Ash Monday when the the 40day long Lenten Fast begins. However the festivities have their origins in ancient Greece and the celebrations in nour
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of Dionysus (Bachus), the god of wine and joy, that used to take place to celebrate the end of Winter. Children almost universally follow the tradition of dressing up but Apokries is a good excuse for fun for the grown ups too. The celebrations differ around Greece depending on the particular local traditions. Patras in the Peloponese, claims to be the carnival capital. A huge parade of thousands of dancing people and kitsch carnival floats ends up with the burning up of the ‘king of the carnival’ Ash Monday (“Clean Monday” or “Kathari Deftera”) is a national holiday and and traditionally it is a day when people head outdoors to fly kites. It’s the actually the first day of Lent. While a holiday atmosphere still prevails, the foods consumed are all “pure”, without the shedding of blood. But this allows cuttlefish and squid, fish roe, and other items. “Lagana” is a flat bread traditionally served on this day.
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HUNGARY ‘Busójárás’ The Busójárás is one of the most if not the most interesting event in Hungary during the Carneval season in February. It is an annual celebration of the Šokci (Croats) living in the town of Mohács, Hungary, held at the end of the „Farsang” (Carneval) season, ending on the day before Ash Wednesday. The celebration features Busós (people wearing traditional masks) and includes folk music, masquerading, parades and dancing. Busójárás lasts six days, usually during February. It starts on a Thursday, followed by the Kisfarsang (Little Farsang) carnival on Friday, with the biggest celebration, Farsang vasárnap (Farsang Sunday) on the seventh Sunday before Easter Sunday; the celebration then ends with Farsangtemetés (Burial of Farsang) on the following
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Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras). These traditional festivities have been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UNESCO in 2009. Locals explain the Carnival with two related but different legends. According to the most popular legend, during the Ottoman times of the territory, people from Mohács fled the town and started living in the nearby swamps and woods to avoid Ottoman (Turkish) troops. One night, while they were sitting and talking around the fire an old man appeared suddenly from nowhere, and said to them: “Don’t be afraid, your lives will soon turn to good and you’ll return to your homes. Until that time, prepare for the battle, carve various weapons and scary masks for yourselves, and wait for a stormy night when a masked knight will come to you.” He disappeared as suddenly as he arrived. The refugees followed his orders, and some days later, on a stormy night, the knight arrived. He ordered them to put on their masks and go back to Mohács, making as much noise
as possible. They followed his lead. The Turks were so frightened by the noise, the masks, and the storm in the night that they thought demons were attacking them; and they ran away from the town before sunrise. In the older, less popular story, the bus贸s are scaring away not the Turks but Winter itself. In kindergartens children are also enjoying making these scary masks, just like our children did the previous years.bus贸s are scaring away not the Turks but Winter itself. In kindergartens children are also enjoying making these scary masks, just like our children did the previous years.
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POLAND FANCY BAL CARNIVAL Carnival and Valentine’s Day is the perfect combination for those who love to have fun. There is no doubt that children are the best. They love to dress up, paint, dance, sing and compete in contests. Movement and laughter are in their nature... On Friday, 14th February, children from our kindergarten waited in their facility a great attraction: carnival and valentine ball. No wonder then that day kindergarten teeming with fairy-tale characters. Not to mention all the amazing guests, among whom were kings and princesses, gypsies, fairies, witches, angels, red caps, dwarfs, and the knights, supermen, pirates, devils and monsters, which, however, no one was afraid. Despite this diversity, all the time they were happy and participated in contests, prepared by teachers from all groups.
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14th February is St. Valentine’s Day then on the hall hearts dominated - paper and chocolate ones. There were also opportunities to test childrens’ vocal and dance skills. During the ball disco music and the latest music hits dominated. However, the host of the event have not forgotten about so loved by children songs, such as „We are dwarfs”, „We dance labada”, „Ducks” or „Narrow path”. After the ball all preschoolers in their carnival costumes have taken photos in their groups.
FAT THURSDAY In Poland, the last Thursday of the carnival - before the Ash Wednesday - is traditionally celebrated as the Fat Thursday. On this day, everybody must eat at least one donut - that makes our tradition. But really, you can eat them as many as you want, because - as rumour has it - donuts eaten on Fat Tuesday do not have any calories! Moreover, they augur prosperity and happiness in your life! So you can not miss this opportunity... In our kindergarten for all children our cooks baked donuts. They cannot be compared with those from the shop or patisserie, because they are simply delicious!!! The children ate it with the biggest appetite - as you can see in the pictures.
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DOUGHNUTS Ingredients: 1 kg of flour 100 g yeast 100 g of sugar 500 ml of milk 6 egg yolks 1 egg 5 tablespoons oil vanilla sugar 40 ml of spirits juice and grated rind of 1 lemon half a teaspoon of salt moreover: fat for frying, jam, powdered sugar Preparation: Sift the flour, mix with yeast. Add the remaining ingredients at the end of fat. Develop the dough, put into the bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place. After about 1,5 h the roll to a thickness of 1 cm. Trim donuts with a glass, set aside to rise. Fry in deep fat, at a temperature of 175C, with both sides until golden brown. Remove, drain on paper towel. Stuff jam, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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BULGARIA 14
VALENTINE’S DAY
On this day in Catholic countries observe Valentine’s Day or as is more commonly known, the day of lovers. Are exchanged cards and small treats called Valentines. Children of Bulgaria greet their friends from other countries to this day.
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ITALY 14
VALENTINE’S DAY Valentine Day is an international holiday celebrated on the 14 th of February, especially in Europe, in the USA and in the Far East. This festivity originates Xfrom the Catholic Church attempt to put end to a popular pagan ritual for the fertility and to revalue the coniugal love. In fact, it was called after S.Valentino from Terni, the Italian bishop and Christian martyr but, it was during the early Middle Ages that this tradition became very popular with the exchange of greeting cards and presents among people in love. Nowadays, people, as well as exchange love texts, flowers, chocolates, valentines and jewels, have S. Valentino party in a disco or in a romantic castle. In Italy there are more than seven hundred!
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CARNIVAL JOKE How you can do a carnival joke? 1 Ask to mum for an old white sheet. “Could you give me an old sheet, mum?” 2 Cut two holes on the sheet 3 Wear the sheet and...howl! 4 Chase your sister who believes in ghosts! Sorry! it was just a joke!
CARNIVAL IN ITALY Carnival means “carnem upbeat”, ie remove the meat referred to the religious precept prescribing a diet lean after the party (Lent). The mask (from the Arabic “mascharà”), joke, satire has always been a key feature and indispensable in the costumes of the actors. The masks were part of the most famous Italian Commedia dell’arte excelled where the servants as Arlecchino, Colombina, Pulcinella, Brighella; all wore a mask that covered his face. Then there were the “old”, Dr. Balanzone and Pantalone. Even today, these ancient masks, brighten our Carnival because they represent what is most dear to the Italian cities, had the heart, the domestic traditions, the folk speech and the spirit of the old things.
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SPAIN Carnival We usually celebrate Carnival in San Bartolomé School in the month of February. All groups participate in the designing and making of the different costumes they will dress in this celebration and we have the parents collaboration, which is a very important sector in the education of our students and we always ask them for help. It is traditional to eat chocolate “mona” to celebrate Carnival.
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EASTER “MONA” RECIPE The “mona” is a sweet bun, similar to the milk bread, typical in Alicante. It is perfect for both, breakfast and snack, especially with a good hot chocolate. It can be flavoured by adding lemon zest or orange or orange blossom water, ... The recipe is simple but, like all dough, it needs time, so we have to do it slowly. It have two levied, one on the glass and another once we have shaped it and between the two levied requires a minimum of 2 hours. You will have a very, very spongy mass that I recommend trying, You can´t stop eating! Hope you like it!
Ingredients: (for 2 units) - 4 EGGS - 100 GR. OF MILK - 30 GR. OF FRESH COMPRESSED YEAST - 500 GR. BREAD FLOUR - 100 GR. SUGAR AND A LITTLE MORE FOR DUSTING - 5 G. SALT - 70 GR. LARD
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Preparation: We beat 1 egg in a bowl and put half of it in the glass of the Thermomix. We keep the other half for brushing the “monas” before baking. We add to the glass the other 3 eggs, milk, yeast, flour, 70 gr. sugar and salt. We knead for 5 minutes, closed glass and pin speed, without putting the cup in order to be well air the mass. On the top of the glass we put a bowl or a glass, press the “balance” button and we pour the lard up weighing 70 gr. Then we take it. We program again 2 minutes, closed glass and pin speed and we add the butter in pieces by the vowel. Let rest in the glass for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in volume and lift the cup (I always cover my Thermomix with a blanket to heat up before). We sprinkle the work surface with flour, we dump the dough, knead and divide into 2 or 4 balls. We place each ball on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or 2 balls if we have 4) and we let it rise for 1 hour or until supporting a finger on the surface, the remaining gap is recovered and filled again, in a warm place, free from drafts. We preheat the oven to 220 degrees. We paint the surface of the “monas” with the half beaten egg we had booked and we sprinkle it with sugar. We bake them in batches for 12-15 minutes at 220 degrees or until they are golden brown. We take them from oven and let cool on a rack. Tip: they can be flavoured with orange blossom water and / or lemon or orange zest.
ROMANIA 14
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VALENTINE’S DAY There are no religious events during February in Romania. Valentine’s Day, the 14th of February is celebrated by more and more people although it is an imported holiday. People exchange gifts like flowers and chocolate and send cards. It is popular especially with young people and it is advertised on TV. At school pupils draw cards with messages in English and French. The most beautiful cards are displayed in an exhibition. There is a contest and students receive diplomas.
CARNIVALS People named Valentine can celebrate their name day on the 16th of February. There is a traditional Romanian
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holiday celebrating love and lovers, called “Dragobete”. It consists of traditional folk dances, superstitions and legends. It was more popular in the south of the country, but it fades away against the more commercial Valentine’s Day. Carnivals are organized in February, even if Lent doesn’t start in March. They are more popular with students up to 15 years old, older people rarely organize carnivals. At school we organize 3 different carnivals: one for the kindergarten, one for the primary school and one for the secondary school. This is because there are so many students in our school. Carnivals have themes, students rent or create their costumes. Diplomas are given to the best costumes. Students present their masks, dance, play party games, eat snacks and have fun.
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BULGARIA 1
Grandmother Marta Martenitsa is a Bulgarian tradition related to March 1, which has its origin in the establishment of the Bulgarian state in 681 AD. Baba Marta is the name of a mythical figure who brings with her the end of the cold winter and the beginning of the spring. Her holiday of the same name is celebrated in Bulgaria on March 1 with the exchange and wearing of martenitsi. “Martenitsi� are red and white coloured bands or figurines that symbolise health and happiness, a lucky charm against evil spirits. They are given away to friends and family and are worn around the wrist or on clothes. In the small villages in the mountains people decorate their houses, kids and domestic animals.
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GREECE 21
The second phase of the year, spring, is dedicated to the rebirth of nature and hosts a deluge of country festivals. Ritualistic customs like the helidonismata seek to ensure a good crop by magical means, proclaiming the coming of the ‘Sower’ and the new light. On March 1st or on March 21st, on the vernal equinox, children, carrying a jointed effigy of a swallow, the “helidona”, sing a type of carols, the “helidonismata”, proclaiming that spring has come and wishing a good fruitful year. In return for the good news that they bear, they are awarded various gifts (in ancient times it was eggs or money, today it’s usually candies, sweets and sometimes money). This custom comes from ancient Greece and survives to the present day. The “helidonistes”, who are mostly children but also adults in some cases, go from house to house singing about the return of the swallows. In the old days, the housewives would give children oil, wine, flour, wheat, eggs and, in rare cases, money. Some of the “helidonismata” carols welcome the spring and
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include lyrics to drive away the winter or its last month, February. In earlier years, a woman’s beauty was defined by her white soft skin. Many grandmothers would not let their daughters or granddaughters spend much time under the sun unprotected. The tradition says that girls should wear a red and white twisted thread around their writs from the first day of spring (1st of March). This is called a “martaki” or “the little March” and is worn to protect the young girls from the burning sun. The “martaki” is worn until the end of March, and then the red and white threaded bracelet is to be hung on roses. They say that by hanging the thread on red roses will redden the young girl’s cheeks and will then be taken by birds to build their nests.
HUNGARY “Sándor, József, Benedek zsákban hoznak meleget.” This Hungarian proverb is so well known that each little preschooler
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knows it by heart. The exact translation would be: “Alexander, Joseph, Benedict are bringing the warm weather in a sack.” March being also the month of Lent and preparation for Easter, is the time when springs officially starts. March the 19th is the name day for József (Joseph) which is marked as the first real day of spring in the countryside. This is the day when the storks are expected to appear on the top of the chimneys again. Up until today it is an important event in the country, and the TV channels and radio stations are all reporting about the first stork who arrives back.
ROMANIA 1
On the 1st of March there is the tradition for boys to give girls a “MĂRŢIŞOR”. It is a symbol of spring. It has a white and red thread twisted together and a figure. The thread reminds of a legend and represents love, sacrifice and purity. The figure can be made of clay, plastic, paper, metal or recycled materials. The figure may be a flower, an animal, a red heart, a four-leaved clover, a chimney sweep, a horse shoe. They all bring good wishes for the new awakening of nature, they are supposed to symbolise good luck, love, admiration, affection, beauty and happiness. The “MĂRŢIŞOR” is worn by girls and women pinned to their clothes above the heart between the 1st and the 8th of March. The “MĂRŢIŞOR” is usually handmade by artisans and sold in shops and markets. At school, children make these symbols using different materials and their
imagination. We display them in exhibitions. Parents and students can buy them to offer them to friends. The money resulted is used to buy materials for the next year or to organise parties. On the 8th of March we celebrate Mother’s Day. Younger children prepare small shows where they sing songs and recite poems for the mothers invited. They create cards and small gifts for their mothers. Older students write essays or poem, draw cards, organise exhibitions and give their cards to their mothers. Adults participate at parties organised in restaurants or go to special concerts. Mothers receive flowers and gifts from husbands and children. In March there are no religious events, only celebrations of spring.
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ITALY 8
Woman’s Day March 8 International Women’s Day is a day in which we remember the social and political achievements of women. But where does this anniversary come from? A very popular legend says that Women’s Day was established in 1908 in memory of the workers died in the fire in a factory in New York, named “Cotton”. Though we believe it is just a legend born in the years following the Second World War on the base of a real event: “Triangle” factory in New York developed a fire and 146 workers (mo-stly immigrant women) lost their lives. This is probably the episode from which was born the legend of the Cotton Factory. From that point on, the demonstrations held by women increased a lot. Demonstrations asking uni-versal suffrage joined those asking a wage increase and an improvement of working conditions. In Italy Women’s Day began to be celebrated in 1922 with the same political and social connota-tion.On 8 March 1946, for the first time, all Italy recalled the Women’s Day and the mimosa flower was chosen as a symbol of such anniversary. In the following years the day has become the occasion and symbolic moment of vindication of women’s rights (the divorce until the legalization of abor-tion to contraception) and defense of women’s achievements.
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Unity of Italy Day On march 7, we celebrate the Unity of Italy. Since the end of the Roman Empire (in 476) and up to over half of the nineteenth century (1800), our country was no longer united, but divided into many small states: the Lombardo-Veneto kingdom (practically two-thirds of the northern regions under Austrian dominium), the Sardinia Kingdom (ruled by Vittorio Emanuele I and comprising also Piedmont region), the State of the Church (in central Italy, ruled by the Pope), the Kingdom of two Sicilies (south, ruled by the Bourbon dynasty) and then the duchies of Modena, of Massa and
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Carrara, of Lucca and Parma, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany ... in short, a real headache! Austrian domina-tion had no interest in developing the occupied territories, while the other small states did not have resources to promote it: thus, our Peninsula was far behind the major European countries at that ti-me. During those years, some enlightened patriots felt the need to join the whole nation, so they gave start to the historical phase called Risorgimento, characterized by revolutionary movements organi-zed by groups called “Secret Societies�. Our country gained its independence after a series of revo-lutionary movements, which became real wars against the foreign occupiers. Unity of Italy were achieved after three Indipendence Wars: the first in 1848 and the second in 1859 against Austrian domination; To achieve unity
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in Italy were fought three wars of independence: the first (1848) and the second (1859) against Austrian domination, and the third (1860) against the domination of the southern and center Italy. On march 17, 1861 was declared the Italy Kingdom, with its capital in Turin, and ten years later (1871) Rome finally became the capital of Italy Kingdom, finally united and extended throughout the Peninsula.
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Father’s DaY Father’s Day is celebrated all over the world but not in the same day. In Italy it officially falls on March 19: the reason for which was chosen this date is that it coincides with the day of St. Joseph, husband of Mary and father of Jesus. Father’s Day, was firstly celebrated around the beginning of ‘900, after the Mother’s Day. It was on July 19, 1910 that the Governor of the State of Washington proclaimed the first “Father Day”. It seems, however, that the very first Father’s Day was celebrated in a church in Virginia (USA) in 1908, to commemorate the 362 men and Dad died following a mine collapse. In any case, despite the change of date, the latitudes and origins, Father’s day is a day to remind us how lucky we are to have next to a figure important and fundamental as that of the father.
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POLand THE GREEN DAY In The Green Day preschoolers came dressed in green. All our classes were associated with this beautiful color, which is a symbol of hope. It is also associated with life, harmony and close contact with nature. Green colour has a good effect on the human’s nervous system. It allows you to fight with stress and gives relaxing effects.
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THE FIRST DAY OF THE SPRING 21st March is a special day for each kindergarten pupil. On that day, the spring comes to us. Calendar (astronomical) spring every year begins 21st March. That day, day and night are of equal length. In our latitude at this time of year, nature
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wakes up from hibernation. The lawns becomes green, flowers and new buds sprout on the branches of trees, it gets warmer. This is also the time of sowing and waiting for the harvest. People believed that the ceremony of Marzanna drowning can speed it up, it also symbolizes prosperity in the coming year. One of the old Polish customs (already described in the fifteenth century) is a rite of Marzanna drowning. Traditional puppet was usually made of straw, haulm or hemp, which symbolize death and stillness; sometimes with a branch or rags. She is wearing a white dress. It is adorned with ribbons, beads and flowers. Marzanna puppet is set fire, and then thrown into a nearby river or the other water reservoir, which symbolizes the end of the winter and the beginning of the spring.
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Cottage cheese with radish and chives
Ingredients: 250 g cottage cheese curd a bunch of radishes a bunch of chives plain yogurt salt pepper a tomato Preparation: Wash the radishes and cut into small cubes. Chop the chives. Cottage cheese mash with a fork, then stir in the yoghurt, salt and pepper until smooth. Add chives and radish. Decorate with a tomato. Serve with brown bread and butter. 56
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TURKEY 23 National
sovereignity and Children’s Day The Great National Assembly opened on 23rd April 1920 and The Sovereignity of Turkish people was declared on that date.Atatürk decided to celebrate 23rd April as the feast day on 23rd April 1924. Atatürk gifted 23rd April to the children. In 1929, 23rd April began to be celebrated as ‘’Children’s Day’’. In 1979, with the participation of six countries, we moved ‘’Children’s Day’’ into international dimension and each year from over forty countries children participate the ‘’Children’s Day’’ and they are hosted by Turkish children.The only country is Turkey which gifted a feast to the children in the world. 23rd April National Sovereignity And Children’s Day is celebrated in our country
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and in our embassies abroad, in all our institutions, in schools and in each house with various activities and it also represents our national unity’s clamped expression. Great Leader Atatürk thought the children are the future of the nation. As an expression of unshakable confidenceand great love Atatürk gifted 23rd april to the children. 23rd april which is celebrated each year is very important as it helps young generation in learning the pages of our history with full of pride and it is also very important since the new republic guards of the Turkish Republic are raised in this awareness.
Atatürk says: ‘’It must be known by the universe that there is no power at the top of the state and the nation but there is just one power it is ‘’National Sovereignity’’. There is is just one Office which represents the hearts, conscience and availability.
BULGARIA Lazaritsa, Tsvetnitsa Children from kindergarden ,,Iunsko vastanie “ recreated folk traditions associated with holidays Lazarus, Day flowers, Easter. Lazarus is a Christian holiday that bears the name of St. Lazarus. Lazarus name is a symbol of health and longevity. On this day perform ritual Lazaruvane. Young women called “ lazarki “ pick flowers for garlands that will embroil the Feast of flowers ( the next day). They go from house to house singing songs and blessings for health, happiness and fertility. Householder gave them eggs, money, fruit and small gifts. Day flowers is one of the most eagerly anticipated spring holidays. Always noted on the Sunday after St. Lazarus, a week before Easter. Usually the feast of the flowers perform observance - kumichene. Before noon all the girls get to the river Every girl has a willow wreath.
Girls are arranged along the shore or on the bridge over the river and together place their crowns. That girl whose crown emerge quickly from the water and left first, then choose a bride’s maid or godmother of the girls. Easter is the day that Christians celebrate the Resurrection of the Son of God Jesus Christ.
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GREECE Easter is the most important holiday of the year for the people of Greece. In the Orthodox Church the feast of Easter is officially called Pascha, the word which means the Passover. It is the eternal Passover from death to life and from earth to heaven.It begins on the Saturday of Lazarus (the Saturday before Palm Sunday). People gather in church every evening throughout Holy Week. On Holy Saturday evening, the Resurrection mass takes place. One hour before midnight everybody goes to the church, each carrying an unlit candle. During the mass, all lights in the church will be turned off and then the priest will exit the altar with a candle lit by the Holy Light. The Holy Light is transferred by plane from Jerusalem, where it appears in a miraculous way in the Holy Sepulchre (Tomb of Christ). A few minutes before midnight everybody together with the priest exits the church and, exactly at midnight, the priest announces
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the resurrection of Christ (Christos Anesti). Fireworks and crackers go off and the dark night is filled with light and colourful explosions. Families and relatives kiss each other and wish “Hronia Polla�. This is the time that Judas is burned. A human-sized doll made of old clothes is burned symbolizing the burning of Judas. After this, everybody goes home for the traditional diner that includes the mageiritsa soup. On Easter Sunday friends and family gather in homes, eating lamb on the spit, kokoretsi and kalitsounia. Red eggs are cracked. It is a big feast followed by dancing.
HUNGARY Easter Fun in Hungary Hungarian children do not only enjoy Easter because of the Easter Bunny and all the eggs and chocolates he brings, but also because of a special tradition Hungary has on Easter Monday. On this special day Hungarian boys and men visit girls and ladies to pour a bucket of cold water on them! Young ones still follow this funny-for-the-boys and not-so-funny-for-the-girls tradition, while adults and the older ones are using just a little bit of perfume on the ladies’ head. How much nicer than the bucket of cold water!
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LATVIA “PIks and Pika” Each year in the end of April we have a competition for young singers in our city –„PIKS and PKA” festival. The purpose of this competition is to develop and innovate children’s vocal performance and to improve the musical and aesthetic taste of music.This year children took part in this competition as well, won 1st place and were invited to take part in the city’s Family day festival.
3th Kindergarten’s children are safe and knowledgeable on the road In summer when children spend most of their time playing outside in the fresh air, in the open playgrounds and in the yards it is very important to pay extra attention to
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children’s safety and behavior on the road. The purpose of the road and traffic safety task is to give children an idea and knowledge about the traffic and safety basic questions, build the skills and knowledge for the practical use, so children could stay safe on the roads. Practical lessons are very important which help strengthen theoretical knowledge learnt and create better skills on traffic rules and safety. During the month of the road and traffic safety “Safe behaviour on the road” we had an event in our kindergarten “Be safe on the road” with the special guests cat Rudis and beaver Bruno.
This event was organized together with Daugavpils road police and it is dedicated for the safety of children in the streets. Police workers told children about traffic and safety rules. Children could show knowledge in this area by telling about the traffic lights, zebra crossings and road signs which they know of. Practical part also took place, playing around and studying the police car. Even the youngest children of the kindergarten were watching with interest and got candy from the cat Rudis and beaver Bruno.
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POLAND HOW NOT TO GET LOST IN THE FOREST? Children from MOOMINS group decided to learn how to behave in the forest and how not to get lost in it. For this purpose, preschoolers have chosen to take a trip to Strzałków, a village near Radomsko. There they met with Mrs. Iza who works in the Forest Inspectorate in Radomsko. The forester showed the children the forest and told them about how to behave in the forest and why. Preschoolers saw nesting boxes for birds, and by the way learned how to build booths and where to put them. They saw the anthill and the „paśnik”, that is a place where forest animals are fed in the winter. Our pupils also carefully looked at the plants growing in the Polish forests.
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They learned to recognize them by the shape of tree leaves and the fruit. The forester also explained preschoolers how not to get lost in the forest - how to behave, what to pay special attention to and what to look for, if someone losts his way. The children also took part in the art workshops on nature. Six-year-old pupils prepared souvenirs - postcards from the forest. At the end of the meeting we made a fire and all participants delicious roasted sausages.
HOW TO MOVE SAFELY ON THE ROAD? The youngest children from THE DWARFS group learn safe behavior on the road. It is not easy for small children to walk hand in hand with another colleague. The colourful snake helps children in maintaining discipline. Firstly, three-year-old pupils practice in our kindergarten corridors. Secondly, they improve their skills during walks in the open air.
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ITALY 1
APRIL FOOL’s DAY There are so many possibilities about the birth of the Celebration of “April Fool’s”. One of true possibility is the changement of the date of the New Year’s Eve Celebration. When the Christians introduced the Gregorian Calendar, they changed the date from the first of April to the first day of January. Pagan people continued to celebrate the New year in April and for this reason they got laughed. In France instead, people continued the tradition to send gift bags, but when the day of celebration changed, they started to send empty bags! In Italy the first joke is dated 1878!
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Christmas of Rome Christmas of Rome, is a secular festivities linked to the founding of the city of Rome, annually celebrated on April 21. The legend says that once upon a time, Mars and Rhea Silvia met and fell in love with each other. After nine months, she gave birth two twins, who were strong and robust as their father. But the very bad Amulio, uncle of the twins and king of the city of Alba Longa, imprisoned Rea Silvia and ordered his servants to place those children in a basket and thrown into the river Tiber, so that the current dragged them away for ever. Amulio was afraid that the two adult children could rule in his place. On that day, the Tiber was overflowed and, when the waters of the river receded, the basket ran aground the bushes under the Palatine Hill. Fortunately, a wolf was passing
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near the river found the two children, approached them and began to reheat and feed them with her milk. After a while, Faustolo, a shepherd li-ving around there, saw the she-wolf with the twins and decided to take the two children at home to adopt them. The pastor named his sons Romulus and Remus and raised them with much love. When they had the proper age to understand it, Faustolo told them the truth about their infancy and after hearing that, Romulus and Remus went to kill the wicked Amulius and freed their mother, Rhea Silvia. they also decided to found a city right on the hill where the wolf breastfed them. They asked to the fortuneteller who between them schooled have chosen the name of the city and who would have been its king, and the fortune teller replied that Romulus had to go to Palatine hill, while Remus on the Aventine hill. From there they should have carefully observed the sky and birds to discover what gods
had de-cided. Remo was the first to see a large number of birds: six vultures with immense wings flying right over his head. But shortly after, Rumulus referred he saw twelve birds, and the two brothers began to quarrel: - I was the first to see the birds! Remo said. But I saw many more birds! Romulus replied - thus I’m going to be the king of the new city and I will call it “Rome”. Then Romulus picked up a stick and drew a large square on the ground, saying: - Here is the bor-ders of my city. No one can overcome them without my permission. Remo, angry, didn’t listen to the brother and trampled the line drawn by his brother. Romulus then drew his sword and said: - Who will cross the border without my permission, will die - and killed Remus. Thus Romulus became the first king of Rome and ruled with wisdom, helped by a hundred senators. And his city became the largest and most beautiful cities of the ancient world, the capital of a vast empire.
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23 BookS and Roses Day The World “Book and copyright Day”, also known as the “Book and Roses” Day is an event sponsored by UNESCO to promote reading and publishing books, under the protection of intellectual property by copyright. Started in 1996, this Day annually takes places on April 23 with numerous events all around the world. The Day’s aim is to encourage people to discover the pleasure of reading and to enhance the contribution that authors can give to social and cultural progress of humanity. In our school we celebrate this feast in different ways involving the children’s families as well.
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25 Liberation Day The “Liberation Day� commemorates the end of the Nazi-fascist period, the liberation of Italy from the dictatorship of Mussolini (an ally of Hitler) and the victory of anti-fascist Partisans who organized the resistance to regain freedom and democracy. Just 25 April 1945 the Partisans (with the help and support of the American and British Allies) victoriously entered in most cities, freeing Italy and laying the foundations for a new democracy. The Partisans were men, women, children, soldiers, priests, workers, laborers, peasants, socialists, Catholics, commu-nists: in short, people of different political views or religious beliefs, and different social classes, who anyway decided to engage themselves (even risking their lives) to put an end to fascism in Italy and to establish a democracy based on respect for human rights and freedom of the individual regardless of race, ideas, sex and religion.
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BULGARIA 2
Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture On this day in Bulgaria celebrates Bulgarian Education and Culture and the creation of the alphabet by Cyril and Methodius, also known as Thessalonica brothers. On the occasion kindergarten held a marathon reading, which involved parents, grandparents, students of pedagogical college to University,, St.Cyril and Methodius”.   
  GREece
Maios (May), the last month of Spring took its name from the Goddess Maja which goddess took her name from the ancient word Maia, the nurse and mother. May according to the popular cognizance has two meanings, the good and the bad, rebirth and death.
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The custom celebration of the final victory of the summer against winter as the victory of the life against death go back at the ancient years and accumulated at the first day of May. Anthestiria, a celebration in honor of Dionysos the God of wine, theatre and parties were also the festivals of souls, plants and flowers, celebrating the rebirth of man and nature. May the first is the day that Greeks use to collect flowers and prepare the May flower wreath which hang outside their home door and keep it there until June 24th. This feast is called Protomagia (meaning first day of May) and it is a urban holiday when people traditionally go to the countryside for picnic. The 1st May is most commonly associated as a commemoration of the achievements of the labor movement. The holiday may also be known as May day or Worker’s Day.
AUSTRIA Mother’s Day In May we celebrate Mother’s Day in Austria. The children learn a poem and a song for the mother. We provide color from red beet. With this color, shopping bags are dyed. The shopping bags are Mother’s Day gifts.
HUNGARY
In most countries may is connected to ‘Mothers’ Day’, which is also the case in Hungary. We celebrate mothers on the first Sunday of the month. The very first ‘Mothers’ Day’ celebration was held in 1925 by the Hungarian Youth Red Cross organization, but by 1928 it was stated to be an independent event in public schools. The celebration of mothers quickly became very popular and the tradition of giving hand made presents for mothers were set up basically in every institutions. Nowadays children not only make small gifts for their mommies, but they also prepare short performances with songs and dances to show to their parents in the school. Besides the school performance kindergarten and school teachers often teach the kids short poems that they can tell to their mothers at home The event is really one of the most special ones during the school year.
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May is also a month of a nice old tradition in Hungary. On the 1st of May boys are placing a ‘Májusfa’ (May tree) in front of the house where the girl lives whom they would like to propose to. Most of the times they decorate the tree with ribbons, balloons, flowers and other little presents. The tree must be placed out during the night or just before dawn. They also used to tie up the gate so that the girl will not be able to escape. Up until today many ‘májusfa’ can be seen in the gardens at the countryside. At the end of the month these decorated trees are pushed/tipped over by the boys which is then followed by a village celebration or ball in the streets. 
LATVIA The city of “Sun Bunny” In summer when children spend most of their time playing outside in the fresh air, in the open playgrounds and in the yards
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it is very important to pay extra attention to children’s safety and behavior on the road. Practical lessons are very important which help strengthen theoretical knowledge learnt and create better skills on traffic rules and safety. On May we hold a „Sun bunny city opening” event in our kindergarten. It helps children learn traffic safety rules for both pedestrians and cyclists in the area of our kindergarten. We have special guests of a cat called Rudis and a beaver called Bruno. Police workers check children for the knowledge of traffic rules and safety. Children can show knowledge in this area by telling about the traffic lights, zebra crossings and road signs which they know of. Practical lessons are held as well where children can pretend to be either pedestrians or cyclists. Little drivers get special „Sun Bunny” city drivers licence and high visibility vests from cat Rudis and beaver Bruno.
TURKEY MAY 19 THE COMMEMORATION OF ATATÜRK, YOUTH AND SPORTS DAY May 19, 1919 is one of the red-letter days for the Turkish nation. The first step on the path towardsindependence was taken on that day. Turkish War of Independence began with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s landing in Samsun on May 19, 1919. Believingthat the nation’s independence would only realize with resolution and determination, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lit the first torch of the struggle for freedom in Samsun on May 19, 1919. The journey Atatürkmade so as to realize the national unity and solidarity gave the country spirit and made the Anatolian people be like one fist. In the war fought
in order to provide a dignified life for the Turkish nation, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk took strength from his confidence in this nation. In one of his speeches, Atatürk declared that he considers his birthday as May 19. Atatürk’s declaration of May 19 as his birthday ideally shows the importance of this date in the Turkish history as it was the first step to a happy future. From its preparation phase to great victory, War of Independence is our historic epic of bravery in which snowballing hopes for liberation resulted in victory. After the War of Independence
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which ended up in victory, the republic was officially proclaimed on October 19, 1923. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk presented the republic to the Turkish youth and we have been celebrating this important date, May 19, as the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day which marks the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence.
POLAND 
KITES AND DREAMS
One of the traditions cultivated in our kindergarten is the Kite Festival. The Janusz Korczak Public Kindergarten No. 2 in Radomsko is affiliated to the Janusz Korczak Polish Association. One of the traditions is the celebration of the International Kite Festival called „Kites and dreams”. In our kindergarten, we combine this event with the celebration of
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Family Day (Mother’s Day, Dad’s Day, Children’s Day).
THE FAMILY FEAST
Mother’s Day is celebrated annually as an expression of love and respect for all mothers. In various countries it is celebrated on different dates - the earliest in Norway (second Sunday of February), at the latest in Indonesia (22nd December). In Poland the Mother’s Day falls on 26th May. On this day all mothers receive from their children presents: congratulatory scrolls, flowers and various handmade gifts. This festival aims to show all mothers respect, love and gratitude for their efforts in education. In our kindergarten we combine a celebration of the Mother’s Day with the celebration of Father’s Day, that falls on 23rd June, as well as with the Children’s Day, celebrated on 1st June. We organize the festivities for the whole family - with lots of contests
and activities for everyone. This is an excellent way to spend free time together by children and their parents. In Poland, Mother’s Day was celebrated for the first time in 1914, Father’s Day in 1965, and the Children’s Day - in 1950.
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THE POLISH FLAG DAY
 The Republic of Poland Flag Day - Polish public holiday celebrated 2nd May - between the Labour Day (1st May) and the Feast of the Constitution of 3rd May (3rd May). The Polish National Flag Day is celebrated since 2004. There are organized various stocks and patriotic demonstrations. In our kindergarten all children created a white-red flag with strips of paper.
Potato pancakes Ingredients: 6 large potatoes onion 1-2 eggs 3-4 tablespoons of flour salt pepper oil  Preparation: Wash potatoes, peel. Grate with large holes. Mix with the flour, egg, salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan with oil. Fritters fry on both sides. Serve with meat or mushroom sauce or as a sweet one with sugar. 83
ITALy Mother’s Day In Italy Mother’s Day was celebrated for the first time in 1957 by Don Othello Migliosi Assisi. Its true origins are more distant in time. In centuries past were performed pagan rites that lasted several days, to celebrate the return of spring and fertility of women. They were called the day “THE GREAT MOTHER” symbol of birth and renewal. Even in ‘the days of ancient Greece were dedicated to the goddess Rhea, the mother of all the gods, while the ancient Romans used to celebrate for a whole week deity Cybele, which symbolized Mother Nature. His symbols are the red, rose, more than any other flower represents love and beauty and knows how to bear witness to the affection and gratitude of the children. In Italy, on the second Sunday of May is preparing the cake of roses to indicate the importance of the mother and give prosperity to future generations.
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Labour Day May 1 is a national holiday in our country celebrating all struggles the working class had to fight over centuries to have their rights recognized as: the eighthour maximum working time a day; children’s right to receive instruction and education ( because until not too many decades ago poor children instead of
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1
studying had to go to work instead of studying). The origin of this festival dates back to an event organized by the Knights of Labour (Knights of Labor, an association founded in 1869) in New York, USA, on September 5, 1882. Two years later, in 1884, it was decided that every year people could have demonstrated for their rights. In 1886 during one of these events in Chicago, around the first days of May, there were strong clashes that reached its peak on May 4 when police fired on the crowd. From that time, May 1 it became the symbolic date of the struggle of American workers. In Europe, the festivity of May was made official in 1889 and established in Italy two years later. So on May 1 is commemorated to remember all those who fought for the humane living conditions.
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MESI
BULGARIa 1
Children’s Day International Children’s Day is celebrated on 1 June 1949. Originated by the World Conference on Children’s Health, held in 1925 in Geneva (Switzerland). Tradition in all kindergartens to conduct holidays and fun with the kids
GREECE 23
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The Feast of Holy Pentecost is celebrated each year on the fiftieth day after the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha (Easter) and ten days after the Feast of the Ascension of Christ. The Feast is always celebrated on a Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost.The Feast is also seen as the culmination of the revelation of the Holy Trinity. It is the second biggest holiday of
the summer after the Panagia Name Day in August. Pentecost Monday is a public holiday in many European countries . The evening of 23 June, St. John’s Eve, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. Every year the eve of Saint John’s day (the celebration is on the day of his birth), some customs that date back millenniums are revived in neighbourhoods of Greece. As soon as dusk sets in, people start fires and burn May garlands along with firewood and dry logs. Back in time, in many villages people used to burn, along with the garlands, old scarecrows, old oregano, dead olive leaves and dry grass that had not become hay. This custom is clearly ancient Greek in origin since along with Saint John’s there
is an indirect celebration of the sun and the summer solstice. The purifying power of fire along with the seasonal shortening of nights are symbolically entwined in the rejection of darkness and in the hopes for a new beginning. The fact that the celebration is rich in symbolism is underlined by the fact that three successive fires are started and people have to jump over them three times. The throwing of oregano and salt in the fire is also symbolic.
AUSTRIA Since june 2014 our kindergarten is certified as an official “Kneipp”kindergarten. Kneipp means to include movement, herbs, water,
food and enjoying living into our daily activites. We are proud and happy about this award.
HUNGARY Medárd’s day The name day of Medárd is celebrated on the 8th of June which has been used as a special day for weather forecasting for the past few hundreds year. Many Hungarians who are working in the agriculture are still count on this tradition. According to the observations if it’s raining on Medard’s day, it will be raining for another 40 days. If it is sunny, than drought will follow.
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LATVIA
Graduation Graduation in the kindergarten is usually a very important event in child’s family which stays in the memory for a long time – it is a time of big changes, when a child who was guided by the tutors he grows into a pupil, who has to study hard and learn how to be independent. This special ceremony is usually celebrated in the last days of May. On this day in the hall of the kindergarten children are expected to see fairytale characters, different tests, relays, puzzles, a lot of beautiful and kind words and of course presents, but parents having beautiful moments spent with their children. In the end of the ceremony the main character of the kindergarten – Sunny Bunny is inviting everyone to let the balloons out in the air with a wish, which one day perhaps will turn into each child’s Happy Star!
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POLand TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL Our preschool children participated in very interesting educational activities. Educational activities called „Teddy Bear Hospital”, which were carried out by paramedics, covered a broad sense of security and the ability to behave in an emergency. Children got to know and consolidation emergency numbers: 997 - the police, 998 - the fire brigade, 999 - the ambulance service and also 112. They saw first aid kit professional equipment. With the help of a teddy bear learned to examine the health status of the patient, to measure the temperature and do injections. However, the most important skill was to provide emergency assistance to health or life. Preschoolers learned cardiac massage and artificial respiration principles on a special phantom.
Practical exercises are an excellent opportunity to learn through the play.
WORLD OF TORUN GINGERBREAD The Regional Museum in Radomsko opened the exhibition „World of Torun Gingerbread” with a company of a baking gingerbread workshops. Our preschool children participated in the opening of that extraordinary exhibition. First they
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heard the legend of the „katarzynka�, one of the most well-known shapes of gingerbread, and then got to know a short story of the famous from the 14th century Torun cakes. Gingerbread is not only a delicious cake. He was also known as an ornament, decoration or gift, which was brought from a long journey. Ingredients contained in it, very aromatic spices, gave him medicinal properties. It was used, among others, in the treatment of digestive problems. At the exhibition you could see the beautiful gingerbread molds. They present the rich symbolism of gingerbread, because for centuries not only the taste, but the shape was important. Hand-made gingerbread times ended in the 18th century.
THE ENGLISH RECITATION CONTEST In June, our kindergarten organizes the city Declamatory Contest in Foreign Languages for Kindergarteners. Each participant has to sing one song and recite a poem in their preferred language. Main prizes - the language courses - were founded by P.P.J.O. HORIZON in Radomsko.
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Gingerbread Ingredients: 125 g butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons plum jam 4 teaspoons of spice and gingerbread 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons bitter cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 tablespoons grain coffee 1 cup milk 2 eggs 2 cups flour
Preparation In a wide saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, add sugar and mix. Add honey, plum jam, spicy or gingerbread spice, cinnamon and cocoa. Heat for another minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat, wait a minute and add successively soda, coffee, cereal, milk and beaten eggs. Everything vigorously mix with a spoon. Put the mass into molds and bake for 45-50 minutes at 1700C. After cooling, slice and put plum jam. Pour chocolate.
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ITALY 2
Republic Day It is celebrated on june, 2. This date was chosen because in that day a referendum was held to let Italian people - after 85 years of reign of the Savoy dynasty - choosing between Republic or Monar-chy, which was abolished after votes’ results.
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Since 1948, Republic Day is a day of great events and official ceremonies: every year a military pa-rade is held along Via dei Fori Imperiali, in Rome, in the presence of the highest echelons of the State. One of the most spectacular moments of the parade is the exhibition of the “Frecce Tricolori”: ten aircrafts, nine of which are group and one is solo, composing the largest aerobatic team in the world. The celebrations in Rome continue
in the afternoon by: the opening to public of the gardens of the “Quirinale Palace�, seat of the Italian Presidence; concerts of the bands of the Italian Army, Italian Navy, Italian Air Force, dell ' Carabinieri, State Police, the Financial Police, the Penitentiary Police Corps and the State Forestry.
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ST. ANTONIO Each year, on 13 June, celebrates S. Antonio, an important anniversary to Anzio. But in reality it is celebrating the end of the month of June. During this event the whole citizenship and a sharer, parading through the streets of the city with the statue of the Saint. The procession also participates in a traditional group with the ancient clothes of the place, closely resembling the habit of the fishermen of the time. St. Antonio Day, Patron Saint of the city, is also an important moment for a meeting and prayer for the inhabitants of the neighboring countries . The statue of the Saint is carried a large vessel and navigated in the port to bless the city. In this way you can start your summer to Anzio.
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GREECE WINE FESTIVAL In July the town of Rethymnon in Crete has a wine festival while in mid July another wine festival is held in Heraklion at Peza village. Peza valley is a region that is located in the island of Crete hosting various wineries and vineyards too. Each year (July 17th -19th), Peza Union prepares a three day wine festival for the friends of fine quality wine. Guests can visit and have a tour around the region’s wineries and vineyards, meet the winemakers, taste the famous wines and participate in special cultural events organized by Nikos Kazantzakis Municipality. Peza valley holds a long vine tradition while its modern processing plants, mark the “New spring of excellent Cretan quality wine”. Visitors will have the chance to experience and taste the variety of flavored white and red wines including new and aged wines too. The wine tasting gives visitors the chance to learn the opportunities and the outlook of these charismatic wines in depth.
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LATVIA
Water party In the summer, when children spend most of their time outside in the fresh air, in the playgrounds, it is perfect time for the summer water party – this party can be organised both for those who have birthdays or just for everyone – invite both parents and children in one place and enjoy playing with water in the sun. The main points:: - outside territory where you can move freely, splash the water and not worry about anything; - main water attractions – small and big pools, different water volumes; - main activities – splashing the water, soap bubbles, making the foam, filling dishes, baloons, bottles and glasses with water and pouring; - of course, you can also buy, inflate and install other attractions.
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During the party children were visited by the Drop and she invited everyone to play with water. Wet relays took place. But soap is making bubbles, what can you do with them?Draw, blow and try different experiments. Everyone played the game called „Bubbles”, blew beautiful water lillies and did many fun and exciting things.
SPAIN
July is usually a month where our students have good feelings, since the school year just ended and begins a deserved rest period. These days they have had to say goodbye to their classmates and teachers. Some of them will not return to school because they go
to high school, others leave the kindergarten to join primary and they don´t known who will be their teacher the next year. This makes them start this summer season with many uncertainties but full of enthusiasm for the challenges that await them in the way. This month Orihuela celebrates its largest party, which are the Moors and Christians. This whole party revolves around the Oriol bird which is a symbol. We celebrate a representation of the victory of Christians over Muslims during the Reconquest. We have two generals parades, in the first one with the Moors and the second one with the Christians. We also represent when they gave the castle to the Muslims by the Christian side and a few days after a simulation of its return to the Christian side is done. We have an historic person “Armengola�. She was a Christian woman who fought for the
freedom of our city, Orihuela. The person who represent this woman is a very important person during the holidays and has an enormous responsibility.
Horchata Recipe The first thing to do is put the ground nuts in water, to hydrate and spring up. We have them 24 or 48 hours and changing the water several times to eliminate impurities from the fruit. After that, we put the hydrated ground nuts in a bowl with some water and we start to grind them slowly in a blender. Slowly it will drain the ground nut milk or the horchata. After what we put it in a colander to two things: take the impurities and to squeeze a little more the ground nuts. It is a hard task and requires patience and lots of manual force. Then we add sugar and the rest of the water to the bowl and mix vigorously. We put it into the refrigerator a couple of hours to make it cooler.
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TURKEY
Ramadan Feast Ramadan Feast is one the two most important religious festivals. After observation of a thirty day religious fasting, the first three days of Shawwal month, which is tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, are the feast days of the Muslims. After a thirty day fasting, Ramadan feastis a time of joy when people can consume food, drink liquids, and take the advantage of every kind of permissible blessings;have fun and visit each other; give presents to each other and make the children, the poor and the orphan happy by giving a helping hand, “zakat” which is obligatory, and “sadagah” which is a voluntary charity. In short, it is a time when Islamic brotherhood is actively observed in the all walks of the life. Along with these, people are conscious of being answerable to Allah
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and they gather to pray together. Since the Islamic (Hijri) calendaris a lunar calendar, when compared to the Gregorian calendar, the span of a year is shorter about eleven or twelve days. Thus, the Ramadan feast is celebrated eleven or twelve days earlier each following year. Approximately, once thirty-three years this festival corresponds with the same days. Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the lunar Islamic calendar, is of great importance in our religion and has a special place among the other months as our holy book the Quran was revealed from Allah to our prophet Muhammad for the first time in this month.Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny / Power) which is informed to be better than thousand months is also celebrated in Ramadan. Moreover, fasting which is one of the five pillars of Islam is observed in this month. Therefore, Ramadan is the most sacred month of the calendar and is called the Sultan of Eleven. During the Ramadan Feast, also known as the Sweet Festival, the young kiss the elders’ hands as a sign of respect and elder people give money or handkerchief in return. Children go door to door, kiss hands of the grownups and receive sweets. During the feast, when people visit others to celebrate their festival, they are treated with traditional desserts; especially baklava, baked semolina, small cakes with syrup, shredded wheat in syrup. The aim is both to celebrate each other’s festival and make the conversation sweet during their visits as a famous Turkish saying expresses “Eat Sugar, Speak Sweetly”
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POLAND ďżź
 SOUVENIRS FROM SUMMER HOLIDAYS The holidays are a great time for rest and relaxation. Children from our kindergarten spent their holidays in different parts of the Poland. The Baltic Sea is a favorite place for those who like the sunny beaches and swimming in salt
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water. Lake in the Warmia and Mazury is a treat for those who like to sail. The Polish mountains - the Carpathians, the Sudetes and the Holy Cross Mountains - a place for active people who like to climb and effort. From each of these places preschoolers brought some souvenirs.
SPORTS ACTIVITIES Sports activities are an opportunity to exercise, but also a lot of fun.
Our children are very happy because of kindergarten classes conducted by trainers from the Municipal Sports and Recreation Centre in Radomsko. Preschoolers not only gain new skills, but above all, learn the rules of fair play competition.
IN THE MUSEUM Holidays are especially fun time, but playing, you can also learn something. With a visit to the Regional Museum in Radomsko children could see an unusual scientific exhibition. By the way, they carried out several experiments and experiences, and also learnt new things.
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The rice salad is a classic summer fresh recipe, full of tasty ingredients. Cook white rice (you’d bet-ter use plasmati rice that does not overcook), then put in the rice a tasty and colorful mix of ingre-dients: vegetables, cheese, and tuna wrustel. These are some of the most common ingredients but you can change them according to your taste: for example, you can replace wrustel with cubes of ham, Gruyère with another soft cheese like provolone or Emmentaler. You can have fun creating ever new combinations using different ingredients, just that they are all strictly tiny cut into cubes. Quick and easy to prepare, the rice salad is a perfect dish for your sum-mer menu, you can prepare in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve. Colorful and fresh, per-fect for your picnic by the sea, the classic rice salad brings a wave of joy to your table.
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Ingredients: Pitted black olives 80 gr Tomatoes 150g Gruyere 150 g Sausages 100 g Pepper 150 g Basmati rice 300 gr Pickled cucumbers 80 grams 80 grams shelled peas (fresh or frozen) Canned tuna 200 gr
PREPARATION Firstly prepare the ingredients which will compose the seasoning. Wash the peppers, remove the stems, seeds and filaments inside, cut them into strips and then into cubes and place them in a large bowl where you’ll collect all the other ingredients. Wash and cut the tomatoes in half, hollow out the flesh with a spoon and cut into cubes. Cut into cubes also gruyere.Cut the sausages into slices, and proceed in the same way with the pitted olives. Finally sliced pickles and add these to the rest of the ingredients. Now that the seasoning is ready think about preparing the rice: put it in a pot of salted water to boil, and after about 10 minutes add the shelled peas and cook them together for another 5 minu-tes.Drain the rice and peas. Add rice to the previously prepared condiment. Drain tuna from oil conservation and add it to the rice. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator, so that the rice can absorbs all the flavors. Enjoy your rice salad cold.
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GREECE 15
On August 15th – also a public holiday – Greeks all over the country will celebrate one of Christianity’s most significant days, the Dormition of Virgin Mary. Some call this day “the summer Easter” to show the importance of the celebration.  Virgin Mary is a holy figure for Greeks not only because she gave birth to Jesus but because worshippers have connected Her with the Greek nation’s freedom in many cases. As a
result, the mother of Jesus has been given several different names all over Greece as locals wanted to thank Virgin Mary for her aid in some of the woes they faced. Panaghia is the mother of all men, a source of protection. To mainlanders, she is mother earth and to islanders she is mother sea. Every city, town, village and hamlet around the country has a
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church or chapel dedicated to the Panaghia and in most she is given a last name indicating either the miracles she has performed or the graces she is endowed with. On the island of Tinos this day is celebrated like on no other. Pilgrims by the thousands come here to crawl on their knees up the steps to the church that holds the holy Icon. But this day is also celebrated in almost every town and village in Greece especially those with a church dedicated to the Panagia (Virgin Mary).
AUSTRIA Every we celebrate in the Kindergarten Eibiswald- West a summer fest. The topic this year was healthiness and movement. First the children had to do stations with different activities and finally they could make their own bread above a fire pit. The children and parents enjoyed the fest on this beautiful day.
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HUNGARY
20
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20th of August is one of the most important national holidays in Hungary. On this special day we are celebrating the foundation of our State back in 1000 when St. Stephan was our king. According to the tradition the ‘Bread of the Country’ is baked to which many farmer can offer flour made by themselves. There is a competition also among confectioneries for the title of the ‘Cake of the Country’. Many confectioners are working through the whole year in order to invent a special cake recipe that will win this title on the 20th of August. Having this price really gives a big recognition to its owner. Through the whole country there are many various family programs connected to Hungarian traditions. In Budapest every year a big airplane show is organized over the Danube which is always connected to an interesting ‘water show’ with motorboats, jet skis, etc. But the most important program on this special day is our firework at the bank of the Danube at 9 pm in Budapest. Thousands of families are walking down to the Danube to have a look and enjoy the view.
SPAIN
In august we have our bank holiday in the town, from the 17 to the 24. The holiday starts with the coronation of the queens; infantile, juvenile and of the third age. Every day at nine o’clock in the morning in the church of san Bartolomé we celebrate the typical roll over of the bells (it consists in that the bells are played for a long time) and the launch of the rockets bomb (they are rockets that sound louder). Every day at 11 am there are several activities organized for children as: drums party, water party, foam party... During the holidays it is celebrated the typical competition of petanque (champions of Spain). An activity that we celebrate is the following; we free first several hens and later a pork smeared with lard in the football field and they have to take it. It is very funny. Every day in the morning people go with a band of music doing a parade and distributing presents to the neighbours. Another activity that is celebrated
in the holidays is the multicoloured parade, which consists of the fact that people wear costumes and they do a parade. One night it is realized the typical floral offering, which consists of taking flowers to our saint, Saint Bartholomew. During the holidays people every night celebrate special dinners where they take their own food. Last day of holidays in the morning we have a mass in honour of our saint and in the night he is taken in procession. Once ended the holidays the mulberry dinner is celebrated, it is a dinner of brotherhood between our neighbours.
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Ingredients (2 people) 1 sheet of puff pastry 1-2 apples 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg beaten 2-3 tablespoons of apricot jam mint leaves Preparation of apple pie recipe Cut a rectangle with the pastry. Place it on the baking sheet and pinch the middle with a fork, leaving the edges without puncturing. Peel the apples, cut them in half, remove the hearts and cut into thin slices (half moons). Place the slices on the pastry sheet covering the entire central and smeared the edges with beaten egg. Place small pieces of butter over the apples and sprinkle with sugar. Enter the pastry in the oven at 170-180 ° C for 20-25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and smear the surface with apricot jam. Decorate with mint leaves. Serve apple pie.
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TURKEY 30 Victory Festal This is the feast of Turkish Republic and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 30th of August is celebrated every year. Feast of Victory is celebrated every year to commemorate the (Major Offensive) Supreme Pitched Battle in the command of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, resulted in victories. 30th August represents the day of the national territory, taken at back symbolically although the occupation forces left the country later on. Victory Feast was celebrated in Afyonkarahisar, Denizli, Kahramanmaraş, Ankara and İzmir fort he first time on 30th of August in 1923. 30th August is declared as ‘’Victory Day’’ in May 1935. Victory Day is celebrated with all the ceremony.Statesmen and citizens visit Anıtkabir in Ankara and in other cities people visit monuments and martyrdoms to offer their gratitude. In each locality troops attend the parade. Celebrations are also made in foreign missions. 30th of August is a public holiday in Turkey.
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POLAND ACTIVITIES IN THE SWIMMING POOL
Not every child can go on holiday in the mountains or at the seaside. However, this is not a reason for sadness. reschoolers who are at home with their parents can go to the pool. There - under the supervision of an instructor - for sure they learn to swim. Time spent in the water certainly will not be lost, and it will bring the kids a lot of joy.
EXTRAORDINARY MEETING
Children love animals, but every day mostly have to do with dogs, cats, hamsters and fish. The easiest it is to see exotic and wild animals in the zoo, but you have to be very careful of your behavior. Do not yell, tease animals, touch them or feed. Therefore attraction for preschoolers is the live meeting with a tortoise and an iguana, and the ability pats the animals. By the way, children much learn about the life and habits of these animals
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The end of the holidays
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After the holidays children returned to our kindergarten rested and happy. Â Preschoolers told his colleagues about where they were during the holidays and what they have seen. They presented their memories in a form of artistic works.
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Italy 15
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The ancient origins of this anniversary can be found in Consulalia, that is the name of a Roman fe-stivals in honor of Conso god, protector of the crop stored in barns. During these holidays, people were uses to exchange gifts, reciting the phrase “Bonas ferias consulales” and when the correspon-ding month in August was dedicated to the Emperor Augustus Caesar, such phrase turned to “Bonas Augustales feria!”, which meaning is very similar to our “Buon Ferragosto!” . In 18th A.C., Caesar Augustus decided to establish Ferragosto feast, calling it “feriae Augustii” or “feria Augustalis” (ie Augustus celebrations) to celebrate the harvest and the end of the field work. Connecting this feast to the other established holidays during the month of August, allowed the workers to rest, about a month, after a long year of hard work. During the festivities, all over the Roman Empire, they instituted horse, donkeys and mules racings, which were decorated with brightly and colored flowers. This tradition cis still alive, for example in the Palio of the Assump-tion, which is held in Siena on August 16th! From Christians times, across Europe this festival is called Mary Assumption (ie the time when the Virgin reaches heaven) because the date is coinci-ding with this Catholic holiday. Long time ago, spectacular nocturnal processions with torches and lights were carried out in honor of the Virgin. Today, the the fireworks are the most typical shows you can see on August 15th.
Chicken with Peppers (Traditional Recipe on 15 August) Ingredients: Peppers Chicken Tomatoes PREPARATION FlambĂŠ the chicken, wash and cut into pieces. Wash the peppers, clean the seeds and cut into small pieces. Put the oil in a pan and the chicken with salt and pepper, let it cook for fifteen minutes. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Once the wine is completely evaporated, add the peppers and chopped tomatoes and cook for about an hour and a half on low heat.
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BULGARia
15
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Opening of the school year
On September 15, officially opened the school year in Bulgaria. Tradition in our kindergarten on this day with singing, dancing and lots of flowers children to celebrate the holy day.
GREECE
Trygominas or Grape harvester.
The Byzantines were the first month of the official calendar for this and September 1 in many parts of Greece called “the New Year’s Day.” In many parts of the countryside, if not make “New Year’s Day”, do not start any agricultural work. Wine is a basic component of the Greek culture. The first Greek region evidenced to commercially promote and export its wine around the Mediterranean was Crete, around 2700 B.C. There are thousands references from the Minoan times to the cultivation of vineyards for wine making. Minoan varieties are still grown today, in the same fields and sometimes with the same methods. The wine-harvest season in September is called Trygos and is always accompanied by (smaller or larger) feasts on location, all over Greece. The folk name for September is Trygitis(vine-harvester).
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The social dimension of the grape-harvest gives us a characteristic aspect of agricultural life in Crete. From dawn friends and relatives collect and carry the grapes. When the grape-harvest ends, the grapes are pressed either with the feet or with machines and the grape juice is produced. The sunshine of Crete gives the juice a lot of sugars so we have several high-degree wines. When the pressing ends, the grape juice is placed in barrels or remains in the press for some hours to obtain colour and tannins. Then it’s time party time. Everybody sits around the rich table with the best wines of the house and gives wishes to the landlord. The fatigue of the day is transformed into song and dance.
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AUSTRIA
The first week of Kindergarten shows the children playing in different activities.
HUNGARY 1
September is all about going back to school the same way like almost everywhere else in Europe. Each year the 1st of September is the very first day of the given school year, the only exception if it falls on a weekend. To give each year a good start we have set up our own tradition in the kindergarten and organize our little ‘International Day’ during one of the afternoons on the last week of September. All the parents, siblings and grandparents are invited to a provide a great opportunity to meet and get to know each other, our old families and the newcomers. The families are bringing foods and drinks that are typical to their own
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country, and are also encouraged to participate in the various workshops, eg. baking, art and craft, etc.
LATVIA
Sunny bunny’s Birthday... Holiday is meant to be a time were we can relax after the daily routine, spend good time with your loved ones and get new impressions and emotions. Throughout the whole year there are so many holidays, however, the most important day of all is a Birthday. On this day everyone is feeling special. On 23rd September, all ready, a little bit nervous, but happy, big and small sunny bunnies were celebrating Daugavpils 13’th kindergarten’s Birthday. The most beautiful and most exciting bithday celebrations are in the childhood. Fun games, friends, tasty food, surprises, presents, smiles and neverending pleasant emotions! The children are all having high expectations
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and sparkling eyes for this special day. All of us big sunny bunnies were getting ready in our kindergarten, which name is „Sunny Bunny”, to create the anniversary. When getting ready for this anniversary we asked the children to prepare birthday cards and presents for Sunny Bunny and wish him something beautiful. When the day came we had a lot of fun with Sunny Bunny’s birthday celebrations, where he was honored, congratulated, was invited to dance and play, cherished and treated with with festive pretzel. Childrenwere working very hard together with teachers. Big thanks to all of our guests for warm greatings and kinds words. We feel truly at home in our kindergarten and wish that our children treat the kindergarten as their second home and time spent here will always stay in the memories.
SPAIN Â
Every year in September our students back to school with renewed spirit. after a well-deserved holidays. This is a day with many mixed feelings, because our students want to see their classmates and start the new year, but say goodbye to the habits acquired during this period of relax is complicated. In September we have continued journey because it is a very hot month and would be impossible to have classes in the afternoon. This month the children reacquire the lost habits during the summer and face the new aims of the new school year. They also meet their new teachers, new class, new and old classmates...Children of child 3 during this month are gradually coming to school every day and in a summative way. They come during the first week in groups of 4 or 5 students so, at the end of the week all students are in class. The first year students have a reduce schedule during this month to facilitate this adaptation. This is a week of many tears, because our new students have to adapt to the life in the center. In Spain the compulsory schooling begins with primary at 6 years and kindergarten is not mandatory, although some children go to nursery schools earlier. For this reason this is a time of many changes and very hard for them. Each year the center is rejuvenated because we have new teachers with illusion and different ways of facing our work.
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POLand CLEANING THE WORLD Every year in September the children from our kindergarten participate in ecological action “Clean Up the World”. “Clean up the World” is a social ecological campaign that inspires and stimulates communities from all corners of the globe to the activities aimed at maintaining cleanliness and maintenance of good environmental status or improve it. The children in our nursery every year in September to join this useful action. They clean environment around the nursery, the nearby housing estate and the park, learning the segregation of waste and environmental responsibility.
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Ingredients: 1 kg of potatoes 2 onions 2 cloves garlic (optional) 2-3 tablespoons of flour salt pepper oil for frying
POTATO PANCAKES
Preparation: Grate the peeled potatoes and onions for small holes grater. Mix the mass with eggs and flour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fry until golden-brown. Serve with sugar, meat or mushroom sauce, vegetables - to your liking and creativity. 129
italy GRAPE Harvest Grapes are delicious Mediterranean fruit, from the wine which is product is one of the prides of our tradition.The process leading to the wine-making is slow and complex and begins with the harvest, which re-presents the moment in which the fruit is picked up and treated to become must. As soon as they reach maturity - usually it happens between september and october - grapes are harvested.
Procedure The grapes are picked, put in large containers and brought inside in the cellars in which they are going to be processed. The grapes are placed and pressed by a a mechanical instrument, called press which has at its center a very long turning screw, pressing and crushing them to drain out all the juice. The name of the squeezed grape juice is “mosto”, it is poured into a glass container which can be a bottle or a carboy. Mosto is left there and it is left to ferment, leaving the glass container ope-ned in an airy place. During the fermentation you can see many bubbles appearing on this liquid surface: if we took a drop of wine, and we put it on a microscope slide, we’d see many tiny orga-nisms in constant motion. These microscopic organisms, not visible to the naked eye, called Saccharomyces, are living beings feeding themselves with the sugar content in the mosto. They transform the mosto into alcohol, releasing carbon dioxide, a toxic gas. The saccharomycetes are always working: the fermentation process is due to their work. Beware that fermentation emits harmful gases, that’s why the places must be ventilates, to guarantee air exchange. After about a month you can close the containers. At around mid-November, the mosto has turned to wine.
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BULGARia Welcome, Golden Autumn Long tradition of welcoming our children with joy of autumn - the richest season of colors, fruits and moods.      
GREECE
OCHI DAY Ochi Day is a national holiday in Greece related to the word ochi, which means “no’’. This holiday commemorates the day during World War II when Greeks said ochi to an attempted incursion ordered by Italy’s fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. On the morning of October 28, in 1940, the Italian ambassador to Greece called on Gen. Ioannis Metaxas, the self-appointed prime
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minister,to demand that Italian troops be allowed to occupy certain strategic areas in Greece. Metaxas curtly responded, “Ochi.” The Italians invaded,but were routed by the Greeks. That “No!” brought Greece into the war on the side of the Allies. Indeed, for a period, Greece was Britain’s only ally against Hitler. Had Metaxas not said “No!”, it’s arguable that the Second World War may have lasted much longer. One theory is that had Greece surrendered without any resistance, it would have enabled Hitler to have invaded Russia in the spring,
rather than his disastrous attempt to take it during winter. The small towns and villages have a parade with the school children dressed in blue and white, the colors of the Greek flag. In the bigger cities the parade of the school children is followed by the parade of the Greek Armed Forces. Government and local officials are there to watch these events with pride. The celebration does not stop within the country limits of Greece. Greek churches and organizations abroad also hold parades and festivities on this day. They remember the day that Greece said NO to fascism. They remember democracy, and proud of their inheritance, are transferring this message to the rest of the world.  
HUNGARY Halloween Being an international kindergarten the big hit in October is always Halloween on the 31st (or the closest Friday)! The children are getting more and more excited as the date is coming closer, they are busy making
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Halloween decorations, learning Halloween songs and rhymes and preparing their own little basket for the ‘Trick-or-treating’. Usually this is a special day when our teachers are preparing a little, short theatre for the children based on a story written by themselves! Children always enjoy these performances to a great extent, so they often join in. When the show is finished we all get dressed and go out to the street to do our short ‘trickor-treat’ walk through the neighborhood. Our friendly neighbors happily welcome the children and listen to their Halloween songs and rhymes. The great enthusiasm of children and parents are always rewarded by tons of sweeties and candies. However despite the amount not much is saved to be taken home…
LATVIA 15
World’s International Hand washing DaY On October 15th we celebrate International Hand Washing day in our kindergarten. From the early morning Sunny Bunny reminded
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children how important the personal hygiene is. Children were visited by a nurse and she reminded children how to correctly wash their hands and why you have to do this and those who had the cleanest washed hands got surprise presents. Teachers showed children the soap attributesthrough different activities, children played with soap bubbles and looked at the presentations made by groups for „Soap varieties� etc...and, of course, the horrible and dirty bacteria came to visit, who wanted to take children to her Microbe Kingdom.But children were fighting against it and prevented the horror, because they know how to wash hands correctly. Children got a lot of positive emotions and in an exciting way learnt something new and increased the skills!
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SPAIN 9
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In October our school celebrates the party of all Valencian, this party is celebrated on October 9, since we belong to the Valencian Community and in this day we commemorate the conquest of Muslims from the city of Valencia by King James I the Conqueror. At school we prepare several activities for this day. In the afternoon when we arrived at school we hoist the flags of Europe, Spain and Valencian Community. We hear their hymns and we sing all together. In the afternoon we perform an act in which the oldest students of the school give us a brief explanation of the meaning of this day and why we celebrate it. er the youngest students make us a typical parade of Moors and Christians where it is represented the conquest of the Kingdom of Valencia by James I the Conqueror.
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Ingredients: Â 1/2 liter of milk Enough amount of flour 3 eggs 1 packet of yeast Sugar 200 g Ground cinnamon 20 lemon leaves (tender and fragrant leaves, with stem) 1 pinch of salt Extra virgin olive oil Grated lemon peel Elaboration: -In a bowl we beat the eggs and we add the rest of the ingredients, gradually adding the amount of flour that admits. We have to get a homogeneous mass with a semi thick texture (it must cover a piece of lemon when we introduce it) Â We wash the leaves well and dry them with a cloth. Then we take each leaf by the stem and we impregnate them into the ough on both sides (leave the stem free of mass). Then we fry them in plenty of olive oil. Finally we do a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and smear the leaves well. 140
TURKEY KURBAN BAYRAMI SacrifIce Feast
The Sacrifice Feast is one of the oldest Islamic holidays in Turkey The Sacrifice Feast takes place in the four days following the 10th day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijja. The exact dates are determined using the Islamic calendar, whose months begin with the first sighting of a new moon. While Muslims all around the world celebrate this day, it has particular significance for the pilgrims performing the hajj. This festival also marks the end of Hajj, a Muslims’ pilgrimage to Mecca. It commemorates the story about Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who showed obedience to God by agreeing to sacrifice his son. God then sent him a ram to be sacrificed instead. neighbors, and the poor. Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham’s willingness to obey God, by sacrifice an animal such as sheep, camel or goat. This sacrifice is performed without suffering to the animal. Families share the animal’s meat with relatives It also symbolizes our willingness to help those who are in need and shows the strengthen ties of friendship. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up things that are important to us and can benefit us to share with others. 
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POLand THE VOW Unusual event in our kindergarten is the vow and the fit for to being a preschooler. In October, when tempers are lower, and the little ones understand that the kindergarten is a place for playing with their new colleagues, there is the vow and the fit for to being a preschooler celebration. The ceremony is designed for those children who attend the first year of our kindergarten. Six-year-old pupils prepared a magnificent art program in which they try to prove their younger colleagues that „the kindergarten is a great thing�. All groups presented a commemorative group costumes and sang songs. Next it was followed the vow and the fit for to being a preschooler. Children received commemorative stamps with the logo of the nursery. At the end we all sang the kindergarten hymn.
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The ceremony was attended by children’s parents and grandparents, as well as by the graduates of our kindergarten.
DAY OF THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY 17th October is celebrated as The World Day Of The Fight Against Poverty Every year our kindergarten children take part in an art competition and happening, organized by the Social Welfare Centre in Radomsko. This year, a summary of the events held at the Public Library in Radomsko.
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ITALY 2
Grandparents’ Day The Grandparents Day was introduced in the US in 1978 suggested by a housewife named Marian McQuade, mother of fifteen children and grandmother of forty grandchildren! Ms. McQuade belie-ved it was essential for the new generations to remember their grandparents, bearers of knowledge and experience! In Italy is celebrated on October 2nd, because it is the day in which the Church ce-lebrates the angels: it is a moment of meeting and gratitude to grandparents, who are real guardian angels! During this day people tries to spend some more time with their own grandparents, listening their stories and maybe giving them a small gift!
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4
St. FRANCesco On 4 October is St. Francesco d’Assisi Day, the Patron Saint of Italy. S. Francis was proclaimed in 1939 Patron of Italy by Pope Pius XII. Since then, the 4 October throughout Italy celebrates S. Francis “the holy of the Stigmata”. Also to Lavinium celebrates S. Francis and it is a time of prayer, devotion, and singing and joy aimed primarily at children.
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BULGARIA 1
Day of National Leaders Day of National Leaders is common Bulgarian holiday, commemorating the work of Bulgarian educators, writers, revolutionaries and holy Leaders of reviving the national spirit, striving for education and literature. Notes annually with torchlight processions. 1 November is a public holiday in the Republic of Bulgaria. On this day celebrate all teachers. 
GREECE
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The 17th of November is the anniversary of the student uprising at the Polytechnic University in Athens in 1973. The demonstrations against the military dictatorship gained momentum and was crushed when tanks crashed the gates
of the university killing many students. On November 14, 1973 students at the Athens Polytechnic (Polytechneion) went on strike and started protesting against the military regime (Regime of the Colonels). As the authorities stood by, the students, calling themselves the “Free Besieged” a reference to a poem by Greek national poet Dionysios
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Solomos inspired by the Ottoman siege of Mesolonghi), barricaded themselves in and constructed a radio station (using laboratory equipment) that repeatedly broadcast across Athens: Here is Polytechneion! People of Greece, the Polytechneion is the flag bearer of our struggle and your struggle, our common struggle against the dictatorship and for democracy! In the early hours of November 17, 1973, the transitional government sent a tank crashing through the gates of the Athens Polytechnic. Prior to the crackdown, the city lights had been shut down, and the area was only lit by the campus lights, powered by the university generators. November 17 is currently observed as a holiday in Greece for all educational establishments; commemorative services are held and students attend school only for these, while some schools and all universities stay closed during the day. The student uprising is hailed by many as a valiant act of resistance against the military dictatorship, and therefore as a symbol of resistance to tyranny.
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TURKEY Ashura Month Ashura day is the tenth day of Muharram.It is believed that many events occured on this day in the islamic faith and judgment is attributed to that day.Ashura is derived from the Arabic word Asarı which means ten. It is thought that the word is common among Semitic Language. Ashura was also celebrated as a great day of atonement in faith of Judaism.What happened in Ashura Day? Hussein bin Aliand accompaniying 72 people were killed by Yezid’s army in Karbala non the tenth day of Muharram. Acceptance of Hadrat Adam’s repentance after sin he commited. Hadrat Idris was raised up to sky as alive Prophet Noah’s Ark escaped the flood.Hadrat Jacob rejoined his son Joseph. Hadrat Abraham didn’t burn in the fire Healing of the diseases of Hadrat Ayyubid
Moses passed through the Red Sea and rescued sons of Israel from Pharaoh The birth of Jesus and raising the sky rescued from death.Ashura is a dessertb made by the tenth of the month of muharram according to the Hijri Calendar According to the Islamic belief Prophet Noah made Ashura fort he first time as soon as he stepped ashore with the remained ingredients.Basically Ashura ingredients are: water, wheat, chickpea, sugar, beans, rice. Walnut, pinon, almonds, pomegranate, sesame and cinnamon are used to decorate the dessrt Ashura. The recipe is vegetarian as there are no animal products in it.‘’Ashura’’ word comes from Arabic language. It is also in Armenian and Greek culture. Armanian people make ‘’Anus Abur’’ on 6th of January. Greek
people make ‘Koliva’’ (Ingredients are. Honey, wheat and raisins) They offer it to the people at the gate of the Church gate then they lit a candle in the middle of the dessert and they leave it at a head of a grave. In Alevi Culture On Ashura day, Hussein was killed at the battle of Karbala, They cook Ashura and they establish a connection between cooking Ashura and having no animal products in Ashura as they protest against violence on that day Each day Alevi people cook their Ashura and they share it with their neighbours and relatives and they never eat meat or animal products during the Ashure period (for twelve days) to protest against killing animals or human beings.They realize that killing of all formsa re violence including animals which are slaughtered for food.
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POLAND DAYS OF OUR KINDERGARTEN PATRON Every year in November we celebrate our Kindergarten Patron Days. This year it was the Janusz Korczak’s week. Janusz Korczak is a patron of our kindergarten - a doctor by profession, a writer by talent, the guardian and teacher by vocation. He devoted much attention to the rights of the child, that’s why he is considered to be their author. In the classrooms and in the corridor were formed occasional newsletters and children could learn some facts from the life of Janusz Korczak and his views on the rights of the child. There were workshops for children and parents about family life. Famous inhabitants of our town read excerpts from the book„ Kajtuś the wizard” written by Janusz Korczak. Children by themselves prepared paper crowns for the King Maciuś The First’s ball.
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Vegetable salad
Ingredients: cooked vegetables (carrots, parsley root, celery, potatoes) 4-6 eggs pickled cucumbers 1-2 apples canned peas mayonnaise salt and pepper to taste 2-3 teaspoons of mustard Preparation: Wash and cook vegetables. Peel. Boil the eggs hard. Cut all components and apples into cubes. Add peas. Mix. Add mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Whole mix with mayonnaise. Garnish with greens 153
ITALY 13
St. Martino
On this day we “taste for the first time the new wine that can intoxicate because fresh, bubbly and so deceitful”. The already fermented mosto has now lost the bottom sweet grapes taste, taking a hint of wine, but until it becomes true wine you have to wait for the months of March or April.
On this day, we celebarte Martin of Tour, born from pagan parents in Pannonia -today Hungary- in 316, son of an officer. At the age of 15 years he was enrolled to military service in France, during which he had a vision, which was to going to become the most famous episode of his life. It was located just outside the city of Amiens with his soldiers, when he met a naked beggar. On impulse he cut his military cloak in two and shared it with the undressed poor. That night he dreamed that Jesus came to him and gave him back half of the coat. He heard Jesus saying to his angels: “Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized, he has clothed me.”Legend says that when Martin woke up his cloak was intact. The dream had such an impact on Martino, who was baptized the following day and became a Christian at the age of 22, that he decided to leave the arms and had a monastic life. He was ordained as a priest and later became bishop of Tours, played the model of the Good Shepherd, founding monasteries and parishes in the villages, educating and reconciling the clergy and preaching the peasants, and died in 397 at the age of 81 years. He’s revered as a saint by the Catholic Church, it is the first non-martyr saint recalled by the liturgy. For his evangelization mission, he became popular throughout Europe, and then in America, where thousands of villages and towns bear his name.
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SPAIN 22
From a few years ago in our school we celebrate the festival of Halloween. This week in class we work with this topic reading scary stories, studying about this tradition, singing songs, dancing, etc. Then on October 31st we celebrate a fancy dress party. This afternoon all children in the center come with their costumes. First in their class they do different types of activities, and later in the playground we do a costume parade and so we can enjoy a bit of socializing and recreation. nother important day in this month is November 22nd because we celebrate St. Cecilia and she is the patron saint of musicians. This day all the children who play an instrument bring it to school to show it to their classmates and enjoy listening and playing. This day the music band celebrates several concerts in the village. This is a great day for all musicians because is the day in which the young band musicians can join to the band.
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GREECE 24 THE BIRTH OF CHRIST The feast is of great importance, as it is celebrating the birth of Christ. In the past, people used to decorate wooden boats for Christmas, honouring the nautical tradition of Greece, but today people follow western traditions and decorate Christmas trees.  On December 24th, children traditionally sing Christmas carols (kalanda) from door to door with the accompaniment of a triangle and residents of the houses give them a small amount of money.  Christmas caroling is very popular. There are actually three “official” caroling days, on the mornings of Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and January 5, the Eve of the Epiphany. According to tradition, during the Greek 12 days of Christmas (December 25 to January 6),
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goblins named Kalikantzaroi, come out to tease people and eat their food. This tradition is based on the legend that the “waters aren’t christened” since Christ has not yet been baptized. The goblins are renowned for their ugliness and their impishness. They are not very intelligent and can’t really hurt anybody. It is said that they enter houses through chimneys, and this is the reason people, especially in villages, keep the fireplace lit during the 12 days of Christmas. Holiday meals are a big part of the overall Christmas tradition; Greeks make their sweets first of all, because in many areas sweets are associated with happiness and hospitality. The most common sweets are melomakarona and kourampiedes for Christmas. On Christmas day, during the family meal, Greeks usually eat roasted turkey with filling of chestnuts, pine seeds, meat and raisins. In some areas they also eat roasted piglet. Schools close on the 23rd of
December and open again on the 8th of January!!!
HuNGARY ’Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ Hungarian children are waiting for Santa’s visit during the night of 5th December, as according to our traditions the presents will
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surprise all the well-behaving children in the morning of 6th December. The previous night children are cleaning their boots and put them out into the window hoping that by the morning it will be full of treats, fruits, peanuts and other little surprises. However, those little ones who were not behaving well during the year will only receive a bunch of twigs. Schools and kindergartens are also celebrating the visit of Santa Claus. Mostly every of them is visited by a nice old Santa who is listening to the children’s songs and stories. Some of the schools are even gathering the letters written or drawn by the children and eagerly send them to Santa Claus. The tradition of Santa Claus does not differ in Hungary either compared to the other European countries. According to the legend Saint Nicholas who was a bishop wanted to help a poor man who had three daughters. As being very poor the daughters could not find anyone who was willing to marry them. Two nights the bishop threw a little bag of gold into the man’s window. On the third night the window was closed, so the bishop had to climb
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up onto the roof and he threw the bag down the chimney. In the 19. century catholic families started to set up the tradition of Santa Claus who is bring little presents for children, but by now all over the world children are waiting excitedly to meet Santa at Christmas time. Hungarian children are lucky as their Santa arrives almost three weeks before Christmas!
LATVIA Visiting the Christmas Tree... Christmas is coming soon... outside behind the windows the earth is covered with white snow... even though sun is not shining as bright and is not warming as in summer, we all know that there is that someone who can give the warmth and make hearts happy in the cold winter!It is Christmas time with miracles and Christmas
tree! With Christmas mood our children teacherstogether went for an excursion to the Christmas tree in the central city square and also went to see the performance in the theatre about pre-Christmas secrets. With the sound of Christmas carols christmas tree is waiting for it’s guests. Children are in a hurry to look at the green beauty, read a poem, show some fun games and make a bright wish for Christmas. The candle flames and happy children’s eyes!During this pre-Christmas time the theatre is also waiting for its little visitors. Children went to the theatre to see a play called „Fairytale seller”. The storyteller told children about different countries’ fairytales.When coming back to the kindergarten
the children had sparkling eyes from what they had seen. We will be waiting for a white Christmas and the green holiday beauty the Christmas tree!to look at the green beauty, read a poem, show some fun games and make a bright wish for Christmas. The candle flames and happy children’s eyes!During this pre-Christmas time the theatre is also waiting for its little visitors. Children went to the theatre to see a play called „Fairytale seller”. The storyteller told children about different countries’ fairytales.When coming back to the kindergarten the children had sparkling eyes from what they had seen. We will be waiting for a white Christmas and the green holiday beauty the Christmas tree!
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POLAND VISIT FATHER CHRISTMAS In December, our kindergarten children visited the headquarters of Father Christmas. A place where Father Christmas lives, is magical. There you can meet a lot of characters from various fairy tales, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel or a wicked witch. You can also ride a cable car to see the house, which stands upside down. In Father Christmas park you can see the huge Christmas trees with colorful baubles, gifts and other Christmas decorations. The most children liked art workshops. Each one painted Christmas bauble and took it home as a souvenir.
NATIVITY PLAY One of the traditions in our kindergarten is Christmas nativity play. This year, the performance was prepared and presented by children from a group SĹ ONECZKA. There were Christmas carols and songs. Beautiful costumes and the scenery were thanks adults - our teachers and parents.
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Ingredients 1 kg of white cheese 8 eggs 250 g of butter 1.5 cups sugar vanilla sugar aroma of rum 1/2 vanilla pudding powder 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 package of desiccated coconut sweetmeats
A method oF Preparing Cheese twice grind with butter. Whip egg yolks with sugar. Add to the weight of the cheese in small portions and continue to pound. Then add the vanilla sugar, flavoring, pudding, baking powder and chips. Egg whites lightly with salt and beat stiff. Make curd and mix. Add raisins.
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Bake on a crust at 1800 for about 45 minutes.
SPAIN In December we celebrate Christmas at school. We decorate all the corridors and the classrooms with the typical Christmas decoration usually made by the students with recycling materials such as plastics, boards, bricks or things like that. We used to make a big Christmas tree also with recycling materials. This year it is made of yoghurt’s glasses.
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ITALY THE FRANCIS OF ASSISI CRIB At Christmas time, a crib is made in every church and family celebrating Jesus’s birth. In 1223, St. Francis, also known as “the poor man of Assisi”, organized the representation of the birth of Jesus with the locals and animals in a city called Greccio (a village in the province of Rieti, Lazio Region). A newborn representing Baby Jesus was put in a manger full of hay, between an ox and a donkey. After San Francisco, this custom spread throughout Italy and gradually every family has been preparing the crib for Christmas, with wood, plaster or clay statuettes.
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TOMBOLA GAME The Italian tombola is a traditional board game which was born in the city of Naples in the eighteenth century. It’s often characterized by an association system between numbers and usually funny meanings. It is similar to the international game called Bingo. The Bingo is played in a family context and the amounts that are committed are purely symbolic. Our pupils realized the folders used for the game, and some of the folders represent the major Christmas events celebrated in Europe: December 6th Mos Nicolau (Romania), 13th December St. Lucia (all Europe), December 24th Christmas Eve, December 25th Christmas(Catholic Christian and Orthodox Church), January 1st New Year , 6th Epiphany, January 7th (Orthodox Christmas, Moldova).
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PANETTONE Panettone is typical of the city of Milan, the traditional recipe has as main ingredients butter, raisins and candied citron, although over time were also carried other variants with different types of creams, liqueurs, chocolate icings and decorations. One of the legends about the birth of the cake has it that during a Christmas lunch offered by the Count Sforza, the cake was burned in the oven. Toni, the assistant cook, proposed to offer the cake that he prepared with leftovers. It was a kind of sweet bread made with butter, candied fruit and pasta. The diners as they tasted the sweet were impressed and decided to baptize him as “Pan Toni” named as its inventor. Another legend says about a young falconer madly in love with a baker. Unfortunately for the girl, her business wasn’t good. The lover then decided to help her, preparing a cake with butter,
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sugar, eggs, raisins and flour, which was very successful among the customers of the bakery. After this event the two lovers could get married.
Pandoro It’s a typical cake of Verona city. Among the main ingredients of the recipe there are: flour, sugar, eggs, butter and yeast.
Torrone As panettone and pandoro, also the torrone is a Christmas cake. We attribute its origins to Cremona city, although a very similar product were originally from among Arab people who exported it to the Mediterranean regions, in particular Spain and Italy. According to the legend, it is said that this cake was produced for the first time towards the end of 1441, in honor of the wedding lunch of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti. The cake was made according to the shape of the Torrazzo (tower), the bell tower near the Cathedral of Cremona. Probably the name “Torrone” derives from “Torrazzo”. Main ingredients of the torrone are: egg whites, honey and sugar.
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CIAMBELLINE AL VINO INGREDIENTS 1kg of flour; 2 cups oil 2 glasses of red wine a bit of baking powder a sprinkling of cinnamon Execution Mix all ingredients until you get a soft dough. Model the dough and close them in the shape of a donut. Place the donuts on sugar. Arrange the buns in a baking dish side unsweetened. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
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MORZELLETTI Make an heap of flour. Put into: honey, dry fruita, black pepper Mix all tougether with a fork When the mixture is ready Work it with your hands At the last time, make little snakes, then cut a little rhomb shape. Put the pie pan into the over. At the end, wait
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the holly Holly is an evergreen plant with sharp leaves. Its fruits are small, red berries. In ancient times it was hanged at home, believing that its leaves could have kept away evil spirits. There is a legend linking the holly to the Nativity, saying the story of a young shepherd, who, after hearing the news started to walk to Bethlehem. During the way, he wove a wreath of laurel branches, but arrived in front of Jesus he burst into tears, ashamed to have prepared a so little precious gift. Then the Child Jesus touched the crown and turned its leaves shining of a bright green, and changed young shepherd tears in red berries. During Christmas holly is used to adorn houses as a wish of good luck. We also make small hollies to give to our loved ones.
St. NIcola The night between December 5 and 6 is called “St. Nicholas night�. According to custom, children (in northern Italy) leave socks and shoes on the windowsill waiting for the holy distributing them sweets and gifts. Tradition says that
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St. Nicholas heard the sad story of three poor children of his city, who were going to be sold as slaves, because their family could not give them a dowry with which as they grown up could have got married. So the bishop went alone near to the three girls’s house and left on the windowsill three bags full of gold. From that moment on, during that magic night, St. Nicholas is used to deliver gifts to good children.
CHRISTMAS TREE The Christmas tree is an old Germanic tradition, widespread in Italy at the end of 1800. In the occasion of Christmas Day, Margherita Queen, wife of Umberto I King, prepared in the halls of Quirinale (which was the royal residence) the first Christmas tree. Since then it is folk costume of the Italian tradition to prepare the Christmas tree on December 8th, day of the Immaculate, and remove on January 6th, during Epiphany Day.
THE LOG In ancient Italian families, at Christmas Eve people would burn put a large oak or chestnut log into the fireplace for the Christmas holidays . After Christmas Eve dinner, waiting to go to midnight mass , families would gather around the fireplace . and children would sing : “Ave Maria of the Log, angel blessed! The angel would answer: “My beautiful log, please bring me many things “
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Our thanks go to the pupils involved and to all the teachers who contributed to the making of this Special book
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