COMENIUS PROJECT 2011-2013

FRIENDS AROUND EUROPE

MELLISTE ALGKOOL-LASTEAED, TARTU, ESTONIA

ÉCOLES MATERNELLE ET ÉLÉMENTAIRE DE PONT, ÉCHENOZ LA MÉLINE, FRANCE

SZIVÁRVÁNY ÓVODA, SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR, HUNGARY

ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO DI ATRI, ATRI, ITALY

SZKOŁA PODSTAWOWA nr 199 im. JULIANA TUWIMA, ŁÓDŹ, POLAND

ESCOLA PAЇSOS CATALANS LLEIDA, CATALONIA, SPAIN

LLANDOGO PRIMARY SCHOOL, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1

International

Music Day

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

Castanyada

1st October - International Music Day

The teachers perform songs to children. They sing

the songs and play upon flute.

31st October - La castanyada

In Catalonia every autumn, we celebrate a traditional

holiday named “LA CASTANYADA”( = The chesnut

Day).

A long time ago, on 31st October night, families

gathered together by the fireplace and told dead

people stories, because the All Saints‟ Eve.

In this celebration we cook a kind of sweet little

cakes (PANELLETS) and toast chesnuts and sweet

potatoes.

In our school we participate in a Panellets workshop,

autumn crafts, and afternoon festival with dances and

songs. There are others schools that also cook

chesnuts.

This is our PANELLETS RECIPE.

Ingredients:

1 kg almond flour

1 kg (or 900gr) sugar.

200 gr boiled potatoe (with the skin).

2-3 lemon (grated).

Mix almond flour and sugar.

Add the potatoe peeled and a bit hot.

Mix again.

Add grated lemon to flavour and mix.

Make the little balls with your hands. Decorate them with a syrup cherry or almonds or coconut

or pine nuts or melted chocolate. Bake them in the over 10minutes, 180° C. Let cool.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1 2 3 4 5

Guy Fawkes

night

6

7 8 9 10

Martinmas

11

S.Martino

12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25

Saint

Catherine's

day

26 27

28

Advent

29

Andrzejki

30

5th November - Guy Fawkes Night

It is also known as Bonfire Night

and Firework Night. Its history

begins with the events of 5th

November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a

member of the Gunpowder Plot, was

arrested while guarding explosives

the plotters had placed beneath the

House of Lords. Celebrating the

fact that King James I had survived

the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London, and months later the

introduction of the Observance of 5th November of 5th November Act enforced an annual public day of thanksgiving for the plot‟s

failure.

10th November - St. Martin’s Day (Martinmas)

St. Martin‟s Day (Martinmas) is celebrated in Estonia on Nov. 10th. One of the most important and cherished days in Estonian

folk calendar. It celebrates the end of the field work and beginning of winter period. On Martinmas Eve, Nov. 9th, children

disguise themselves as men wearing dark clothing and masks and go from door to door in a similar way to Halloween trick-or-

treating, singing songs, telling jokes and distributing good wishes. In return, they are given small gifts such as nuts, candies,

apples, cookies and coins.

11 th November S.Martin In Italy 11th November there is a seasonal event in honour of Saint Martin Bishop of Tours. In the evening, after dinner, families

have toasted or boiled chestnuts with some new wine so as so to see if it is ready to drink or not. This event signes also the

coming of the winter; infact according to an old legend the last warm sunbites are those we can enjoy during 3 days before or

after 11th November. In some little villages in the Abruzzo region, in the evening people gather all together in the centre of the

village, usually a square, to cook chestnuts on a big and crackling fire singing and dancing old traditional songs accompanied by a

typical instrument called “organetto”. In our Infant school on 11th November we had a typical “castagnata” (chestnut party). The

children brought some chestnuts from home and the bus driver helped the teachers to cook them on the fire, in the school

garden, while the children were singing some autumnal songs and they were saying some typical poems in Italian and in out dialect.

This is our Taralli di San Martino receipe: 1 glass of white wine; 1 glass of olive oil; 1 glass of sugar; a certain amount of flour so

as to have a soft mixture.

Mix the ingredients all together in a bowl, and when the mixture is ready make some strips, then give them the shapes of big

rings. Spread some sugar on and under the big rings. Cook them into the oven for 10 minutes at 180°. After that let them cool.

25th November - Saint Catherine's day

Saint Catherine's day in Vesoul is still a huge

traditional fair on 25th November which has

existed since 1295. At that time the

peasants used to come and sell one part of

their harvest and to buy the little pig they

would feed during the winter time. This fair,

which used to be an agriculture occasion at

first, is still popular nowadays with a huge

market and a lot of little pigs made of

gingerbread with chocolate and a

handwritten name on it. You can see some young ladies with incredible hand made blue and

yellow hats, 25 and single, who take part in a competition. It's also the recommended time to buy a tree because a french idiom said “On Saint

Catherine's day all trees grow well”.

28th November – Advent

Emotional preparation for Christmas. The candle burns every week

from 1 to 4. This period creates warm atmosphere - we beautify the

kindergarten with children, and organize playhouse with parents this

is handicraft afternoon. After the 4th candle the children get toys

as present – this present is not personal this is for group, it will be

stay in kindergarten.

29th November – Andrzejki

In autumn, on the eve of St. Andrew‟s Day (November 29th), we

celebrate ANDRZEJKI (Andrews). In Poland we believe, that the night

before St Andrew‟s Day is the night of magic. Young women can learn

who their future husband is going to be, or, with a little help of magic,

they can bind a husband to them.

So, on the night of November 29th, young women put pieces of paper

(on which they have written the name of the boys they like) under the

pillow and first thing in the morning, they take one out. The boy whose

name they take out on the morning of St.Andrew‟s Day, is going to be

their husband.

In the evening people throw parties, during which they:

pour hot wax from a candle through a key hole into cold water. The

shape of the resulting piece is going to be the girl‟s future husband‟s

job

eat special cakes, inside which they hide names of boys written on slips

of paper. The name of the boy a girl gets in a cake, is the name of her

future husband.

dance, play and have fun!

ANDRZEJKI is one of our favourite national celebrations!

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1 2 3 4

5 6

Santa Claus

7

8

Faugni

9 10 11

12 13

Saint Llúcia

Fair

14 15 16 17 18

19

Advent

20 21

St. Thomas’

day

22 23 24

Wigilia

25

Christmas

26 27 28 29 30 31

6th December - Santa Claus

Santa Claus puts present at the window. The present is a

pocket of chocolate. The children sing songs and say nursery

rhymes for him.

8th December - The Faugni

The Faugni (from the Latin “ign is fauns” Faun‟s fire) has a Pagan origin . In ancient time farmers, before the

winter solstice, lit fires in honour of Faunuus, the protector of the earth, animals and agriculture. After, with the

advent of Christianity, the festival became Catholic, that is the fire meant to purify people from sins.

Today in Atri, on December 7th in the evening the priest of the cathedral blesses the fire which will serve to lit

the faugni (long burning canes). At dawn on 8th December, the burning canes will be carried along the streets of

Atri. The tour will end in the beautiful Piazza Duomo (The Dome Square), where the canes will form a huge

bonfire.

21st December - St. Thomas’ Day

In the Estonian folk calendar St. Thomas‟ Day marks the beginning of Yuletide. Traditionally, on St. Thomas‟ Day

Estonians did a thorough pre-Christmas cleaning of their homes and also killed a pig for Christmas feast. Men started to

brew Christmas beer and women started to cook Christmas dishes.

Cleaning chores included cleaning hearths and making the whole house tidy. It was called driving Sooty Thomas out. On

that occasion in some places a doll was made from old clothes and filled with straw and rags. Then under the cover of

night it was carried into another household. If the appearance of Sooty Thomas was not noticed and it was not taken

away, then it meant that filth, untidiness and other bad things would befall the household.

13th December - Saint Llúcia Fair

People start to prepare Christmas

and buy ornaments, trees,

mistletoe, holly, wreaths, nativity

figures and the “Tió” (a log).

Christmas in…

…Catalonia

…Estonia

At Christmas, in Catalonia, the main events are:

the preparation of “El Pessebre” (The Nativity), “El

Tió” (The Log) and the preparation of the

Christmas meal.

In December all children in Estonia put their slippers

on the window sill. At night the little dwarfs put a

sweet in it. The Christmas tree is in every

household. On Christmas Eve people go to church ,

have a big Christmas meal (potatoes, meat, black

pudding, pickled cabbages, pumpkin salad). In some

places Santa Claus comes, to get the present

children have to read a poem or sing a song.

…France

…Italy

On Christmas Eve, after "Le reveillon" which is

a very late supper, the children leave their

shoes by the fireplace or under the popular

Christmas tree to be filled with gifts from

“Père Noel”. Nearly every French home at

Christmastime displays a Nativity scene or

crèche which is often peopled with little clay

figures called santons or "little saints.

At Christmas, in Italy, the main traditions are:

the crib, the Chirstmas tree, the Christmas

Mass; after the Mass, families gather to eat the

Christmas meal.

…Hungary

…Poland

We have PLAYHOUSE – children, parents and

teachers together make handmade things for

Christmas. The “Bird Christmas” it is special

activity for animal protection. The children

decorate pinewood with eatable ornaments.

We are waiting for upcoming Christmas with

songs, and nursery rhymes. The children get

presents for their class at 4th candle.

On the last day before Christmas break (22nd

December) Polish children come to school to

decorate a Christmas table together, then we

share a holy wafer while wishing each other

merry Christmas, get presents from Santa

Claus and have Christmas lunch together.

Finally we watch Nativity play prepared by our

Drama Group.

…Wales

Christmas for us is a very busy time of year. We celebrate in many different ways. Some events

have a Christian ethos and other events are traditional. The youngest children usually perform

the nativity in front of the rest of the school and parents. We have at least two Carol Services,

where the children sing in the local community. The school year ends with a whole school party

and a visit from „Father Christmas.‟

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

2 3

4

5 6

La Fête des

rois

Epiphany

Dia de Reis

7 1

9 10 11 12 13 14 8

WOŚP

16 17

St. Anthony’s

day

18 19 20 21 15

23 24 25 26 27 28 22

30

Peace

Day

31 29

6th January - Epiphany, La fête des Rois

Epiphany (la fête des Rois) is the 6th of January, but in France it isn't a bank holiday

so we usually celebrated the first Sunday after

January 1st. In France people eat gâteau des Rois in

Provence (made of brioche) or the galette des Rois

(puff pastry with almond cream) in the northern

half of France . This is a kind of king cake, with a

charm, usually a porcelain figurine hidden inside.

This year, Epiphany falls on Friday, January 6, 2012.

At school, we made the special cakes called “

galettes des rois” for the king's celebration. Those cakes are round, flat and

golden brown. One of the children went under a table and I asked him” Whose part is it?”He gave each first-name of

the pupils. The child who gets the piece of cake with the charm becomes "king" for the day; he or she choose a king

or a queen. Everybody get a hand made krone with golden drawings.

6th January - Epiphany,

In Italy, on January 6th, we celebrate

Epiohany. Catholic Church remembers the

visit of the Magi to the Holy Child. On

Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5th)the

Befana, an old woman who looks like a witch,

delivers gifts to children throughout Italy in

a similar way to Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus

.

6th January – Dia de Reis – The Wise Men Parade

All the towns and villages, the 3 Wise Men arrive on 5th January. Children give them the present list and they

get a lot of sweets during the Parade. The Mayor of the town gives them the key to open all house doors in order

to leave the presents that night. Children leave water for their camels and food for the Kings in the balconies.

Families open their presents that night or next morning and we celebrate The Epiphany, we eat a typical cake “el

tortell de Reis” with a hidden bean and a little king inside.

8th January - WOŚP

In winter, on the first or second Sunday of January, Polish people celebrate

WIELKA ORKIESTRA ŚWIĄTECZNEJ POMOCY - WOŚP for short. The English

name of this celebration is The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. it is a one-

day long, nationwide, money-raising event. Volunteers from all around Poland go out

on the streets and collect money in special cans which are labeled with a red heart

and text: Wielka Orkiestra

Świątecznej Pomocy Everyone who

gives the volunteers any money, gets

a red heart sticker in return. During this one day, huge parties are

thrown around the country (and at other places where Polish people live).

These are organized by volunteers. At 8 p.m. firework show is set in

every city as so called 'light to heaven'. Throughout twenty Grand

Finales, the Foundation collected over $160 million for cardio-surgery,

neonatology, pediatric oncology, kidney diseases, congenital defects,

newborns and children under 5 years of age. Wielka Orkiestra

Świątecznej Pomocy was founded in 1993 by Jurek Owsiak, who has been

its conductor ever since. Jurek is the most famous conductor in Poland. Every year, he plays for WOŚP wearing red

trousers, a yellow shirt and red glasses. Thanks to this great man and his wonderful ideas, Poland has become a great

power in treating ill children. Jurek says, that his orchestra is going to play till the end of the world and one day

longer! And we believe him.

17th January - Sant’Antony’s day

January 17 Italians celebrate the Festa di Sant‟ Antonio Abate, feast day of Saint

Anthony the abbot. This festival is celebrated

throughout Italy but is especially colourful in

southern and central Italy. The focus of Saint

Anthony's day is usually a huge bonfire,

probably because this saint is supposed to

protect against skin diseases like shingles,

called fuoco di Sant‟Antonio or fire of Saint Anthony in Italy. He's also patron

saint of domestic animals so there's usually a mass that includes pets and farm

animals. As with most Italian festivals, there may be music and processions, too. The typical pastries are

“Uccelletii” that is small birds, they are crisp pastry puffs with a soft filling of grape jam. Their name derives from

their shape which resembles a small bird. A sheet of puff pastry is rolled out to a thickness of about half a

centimetre, before being cut into squares and spoonful of jam is placed in the centre of each one, the pastry is then

folded over to make a triangle. The two opposite corners form the bird‟s head and tail, then the pastries are baked

at 160° C for about 20 minutes.

30th January – The Peace Day

Every 30th January we celebrate the International

Peace and non Violence Day. At school we work on

the importance of living in peace and the way we can

build a better world. We remember Gandhi and his

message. Every year we have a different theme , this

year we are learning a song to help us think and share

ideas about peace (“Tenim veu”–We have a voice- by

Jordi Tonietti). We ask our parents to participate

and fill out a questionnaire. The question was about

What families can teach at home in order to build a

better and more just world. The answers were read during the celebration by parents and

children.Then we listened to Pau Casals‟ music piece and danced. We finished by releasing a white balloon. After the

celebration, our messages were attached to umbrellas and hung in the corridors.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1 2 3 4 5

6 7

8

9 10 11 12

13 14

St.

Valentine’s

day

15 16 17

18 19

20 21

Carnival

Shrove

Tuesday

22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29

14th February - Saint Valentine‟s Day

Saint Valentine‟s Day - is an annual commemoration celebrating love and affection.

The day is named after one or more early

Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was

established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is

traditionally a day on which lovers express their

love for each other by presenting flowers,

offering confectionery, and sending greeting

cards (known as "valentines"). The day first

became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the

High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

21st February – Carnival

Carnevale, also known as carnival or mardi gras, is celebrated in Italy and many places around the world 40 days

before Easter, a final party before Ash Wednesday and the restrictions of Lents. In Italy is a huge winter festival

celebrated with parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties.

Children throw confetti at each other. Mischief and pranks are also common during

Carnevale, hence the saying “A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo Vale”, anything goes at

carnival.

Carnevale comes with an arrays of sweets to be

made just for the occasion. Each region has his own

recipe and name for it. The typical Abruzzi sweet

for Carnival is called Chiacchere,

Ingredients: 200 g (7oz) all-purpose flour plus

extra for dusting 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 50 g (1

3/4 oz) sugar 1 small glass of dry white wine Oil for frying Powdered .

21st February - Carnival in Hungary

In Hungary Carnival as known is “Farsang”. Hungarians celebrate this festivals with food, special carnival doughnuts,

as well as with parties and costumes. Carnival season is bringing the fun time

for children with masks, rhymes and songs.

We decorate the classes with colourful and

fun festoons. The teachers organize very

playfully programs, and dance house with

traditional Hungarian folk music adaptation

for children. The children show their fancy

dresses to the classmates.

Shrove Tuesday (between February 3 and March 9).

Shrove Tuesday is a moving holiday. Since during Lent amusements and rich food

were forbidden, people used Shrove Tuesday as their last chance to have a proper

feast and to have some fun. The traditional Shrove Tuesday food in Estonia is pea

or bean soup and pig‟s feet and at more recent times,

buns with whipped cream. Estonian Shrove Tuesday

traditions include sledging and sliding down the hill.

In old times people went on sleigh-rides with horses

and rode down the hill on big sleighs. Nowadays

pretty much everything is used – plastic bags, all

kinds of sledges, slide boards. On this day everybody tries to go down the hill to get

the longest slide. In the 19th and 20th century it was supposed to provide you with

great growth and harvest of flax, nowadays it is just a saying

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1

Dydd Gwyl

Dewi

2 3 4

5 6

7

8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19

Father’s

day

20 21

The Drowing

of Marzanna

Spring

green-branch

walk

22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

1st March- Dydd Gwyl Dewi – [English -Saint David‟s Day]

It is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. The date of 1 March was chosen in remembrance of the death of

Saint David. Tradition holds that he died on that day in 589. The date was declared a

national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century. Children in Wales take part

in school concerts or Eisteddfod, with recitation and singing being the main activities.

Many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to

celebrate St. David: the daffodil or the leek on this day. The association between leeks

and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh,

Cenhinen (leek) and Cenhinen

Pedr (daffodil, literally "Peter's

leek"). Younger girls sometimes

wear traditional Welsh costumes to

school. This costume consists of a

long woollen skirt, white blouse, woollen shawl and a Welsh hat

19th March - Father‟s day

In Italy Father‟s day is on 19th March, which is also St Joseph‟s, Jesus‟ father, the saint of the poor, the orphans, the carpenters

and the single women. At first it was a public holiday, today it doesn‟t happen anymore, but we continue to celebrate it with

greetings cards and gifts. In kindergarten and primary school children make gifts which

contain a letter with a poem for their dads, they also

learn some songs. In the morning of the festivity the

children say the poem to their dads and give them the

gift. In some regions, for example in Abruzzi, there is

a typical cake called “zeppola di San Giuseppe” (St

Joseph‟s donut), it is similar to a large cream puff

filled with cream pastry. It can be baked or fried with

a cherry on top of it. Families eat the donuts in the

midday lunch or dinner.

21st March - The drowing of Marzanna.

In Poland, on 21st March, children (usually at school) prepare an effigy of Marzanna.

Marzanna is the name of a Slavic goddess associated with death, winter and nightmares.

The figure is prepared from various rags and bits of clothing. When the effigy is ready,

children carry her to the riverside. Along the way she is dipped in every puddle and pond!

After reaching the riverside,

children throw Marzanna into

the water. This ritual

symbolizes the end of winter

and the welcoming of spring. Of

course, there are a lot of

superstitions connected with Marzanna, like for example:

You cannot touch Marzanna once she is in the water,

You cannot look back at her,

If you fall down on your way back home, you‟ll have bad luck!

And one more thing! If you don‟t have access to water, you can also burn Marzanna. If you don‟t burn or drown her, spring may not

come…

21st March - Spring green-branch walk

The” green branch walking” is a parade, with singing and dancing, which was playing before

Easter, to welcome the Spring.

The children were marching, and singing, 2 children made a gate from green branch and

the others got through below this gate.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1

A fool day

2 3

4

5 6 7 8

Easter

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16

Saint

Reparata

17 18 19 20 21 22

23

Saint

George’s

Day

24 25

The

Independence

Day

26 27 28 29

30

1st April - A fool day Let's fool people. On that special day, in a very serious way, you can try to fool others in believing big or small lies. Newspapers, radio are also playing the game. And for the little ones, hanging a beautiful paper fish they made in the back of their teachers, their parents, their friends without them noticing it is great fun.

16th April - Saint Reparata In Atri, on “Monday in Albis”(the first Monday after the Monday of

Easter) people celebrate Saint Reparata, the Saint Patron who, in ancient times, saved the town of Atri from an earthquake. This feast is very loved by children, because, on this day, in the centre of Atri, there is a funfair with a lot of attractions. In the morning a mass is held to honour the Saint. In the afternoon, a procession with the silver statue of Saint

Reparata starts from the cathedral and crosses the centre of Atri, it is accompanied by a musical band. Later, on midnight, wonderful fireworks take place.

23st April - Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George‟s Day) St. George's Day ,April 23rd, has been celebrated since 1436. St. George is the patron Saint of Catalonia. In Catalonia St. George's day coincides with the Fair of the Book and the Rose. On this day every man offers a rose to his loved one (wife or fiancée), and in return she gives him a book. The book is in memory of Cervantes (author of "Don Quixote"). And the rose as a symbol of love and the arrival of Spring. On 23rd April, books are sold in the streets on stalls prepared specially for this occasion. Many people take advantage of this day, even though they may not normally be regular readers to buy and enjoy a book. It is one way of encouraging people to read. This is also popular date to launch new novels onto

the market and many authors take advantage of the fact in order to promote their latest book. The 23rd April is a date that has been linked to literature and popular traditions. The legend that was born is infamous: St. George fighting the wicked dragon that held the princess captive. Finally St. George kills the dragon and on the spot where the dragons blood was spilled a rose grew as a symbol of love and friendship. It is a day for dancing our traditional dance called “La Sardana”. In our school, during Saint George‟s week we celebrate our cultural week, with activities related to reading, listening stories, talks to parents, Saint‟s George legend plays, roses workshops… On Saint George‟s afternoon, school is open for parents. Children give them a book made of themselves, like a present, afterwards they can read nice books altogether, also they can exchange personal books. 25th April – Italy Indipendence Day

In Italy, on 25th April, people commemorate the liberation of the country by allied troops in the Second World War. The holiday is meant to honour all those who died during the war, in particular, we commemorate the memory of the Italian partisans who have contributed significantly to the liberation of our nation. Every year, In the town of Atri, the City Council organizes a parade that usually starts from our Primary School, it crosses the center of the city and gets to the Memorial Church where a mass is held to honor the fallen of World War II and of the heroic partisans killed. At the end of the Mass, the Mayor gives a speech, recalling the importance of freedom and commemorating the citizens of Atri who fought for freedom in Italy.

Easter in …

…Wales

In school the children join in a variety of activities Easter bonnet parade, egg rolling competition and a egg hunt. The children also make Easter cards. Some children celebrate Easter as a Christian celebration, but most children just enjoy the occasion.

…Poland

For Polish people Easter is the most important public holiday. Among typical Polish Easter traditions you can find: WRITTEN EGGS, which we call PISANKI. We decorate eggs with Polish Easter symbols, then on Easter Saturday we take them to church, where the priest blesses them, and we eat them on Easter Sunday wishing each

other happy Easter. WET MONDAY (LANY PONIEDZIAŁEK). On this day we sprinkle each other with water. It brings good luck throughout the year.

…Italy

Like all holidays in Italy, Easter, Pasqua in Italian, has its rituals and traditions. The Monday following Easter, “Pasquetta” is also a holiday throughout Italy. While the days before Easter in Italy include solemn processions and masses, Easter is a joyous celebration. Solemn religious processions are held in many towns on the Friday or Saturday before Easter and sometimes on Easter Sunday. At school we make Easter cards, we decorate eggs and the windows of our classrooms. We prepare little gifts for our families.

…Hungary

Easter in Szivárvány Kindergarten The Easter is one of the favourite feast of children. After a long winter we can wait for blooming spring, and for pleasant weather. We follow the tradition of colouring hard-boiled eggs and giving basket of candy. The kindergarten teachers teach songs and nursary rhymes for this celebrate in advance. So the children are singing, drawing about bunny and Easter all week. The elder pupils can paint eggs, or make the other handicraft things. The children are waiting for the Easter Bunny and they are finding eggs and chocolates in the garden of our kindergarten.

…France

Easter in Echenoz la Méline preschool. Usually, the day before the Easter Week-end, the pupils took part in an Easter egg hunt. They are looking for small chocolate eggs in the playground, they collected them in a basket and then, they shared them very equitably , one by one. They also made some Easter kraft or Spring decoration for their house.

…Estonia

In the Estonian folk calendar Easter is celebrated not only as a great church holiday but also as a Spring holiday to welcome the arrival of the lighter and warmer season. Easter decorations: growing grass in pots on the windowsills and using it as the table decoration for Easter dinner; willow catkins in a vase; coloured eggs and chicks. Traditionally eggs are dyed by boiling them wrapped in the dry outer skin of onions. In every family there is “egg knocking” competition: family members and friends are invited to join a competition: each has an egg and whoever breaks the shell of the competitor‟s egg without cracking his, will be the winner.

…Catalonia

In Catalonia like in the rest of Spain celebrate “La Pasqua” (Easter), but we have diferent vacation days. Children have 8 days holidays and the parents that work have 4 days. The important days are Palm Sunday. Saint Friday, ,Easter Sunday and Bank holiday (Dia de la Mona). With the passage of time Easter traditions have changed, however, we still continue to hold chanters, „romeries‟ [pilgrimages] and „aplecs‟ [gatherings] which celebrate the return of the good weather. The main religious Easter event of Catalonia is the blessing of the palms on diumenge de rams (Palm Sunday). Boys carry long wafting palmons, while girls have graceful palmes woven into intricate designs. Once home, the palms are hung on balconies to ward off evil. Nowadays this

tradition isn‟t been followed for the new generations. Also people doesn‟t go too much to the different religious acts excepte the traditional processions along the streets. One of the Easter traditions in Catalonia is that on Easter Sunday the Godfather gives his Godchild "La Mona" a special cake decorate it with , an Easter chocolate Egg (symbol of life and fertility) or other chocolate figure and feathers. In our school the week before Easter holidays, we celebrate the spring day, doing different activities like planting new flowers in our playground, games... From the English classroom we learn Easter poems and decorate the corridor with eggs, chicks , bunnies and flowers. In some schools children learn how to do the Easter cake “La Mona”,

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7 8

9

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21 22

Saint Rita

23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

22nd May - Saint Rita

In Atri, Saint Rita‟s feast (19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd May) is very

loved by people, because this Saint, in ancient times, did a lot of

miracles, giving the health to people seriously ill. On 22nd May,

people usually go to the Holy Spirit‟s Church to honor the statue of

Saint Rita settled in a gold casket. In this church, a mass is held

to honor Saint Rita, moreover it takes place the ceremony of the

blessing of roses,

flowers dear to

Saint Rita. In the

evening a procession

with the statue of

the saint crosses

the center of Atri

accompanied by three musical bands. On this day

musical shows usually take place (with bands). Like

Saint Reparata‟s feast, this celebration is very

loved by children, because of the funfair hold in

the centre of the town and the midnight

fireworks.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

1

Sport Day

2

Republic

Day

3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23

Kupala

Night

24

Saint

John’s Day

25 26 27 28 29 30

1st June - Sports day

It is an event staged by schools which people take

part in competitive sporting activities, with the aim

of winning trophies or prizes.

Schools use a house system where all the children are

divided up into 3 or 4 teams. The competition is

inter-school, between houses. Games that are played

on school sports days can be wide and varied. There

are straight forward sprints and longer races for all

age groups as well as egg and spoon races. Three legged races are run

as well as sack races and parent and child races.

2nd June – Republic Day

2nd June is the Republic Day in Italy. It is a public

holiday to commemorate the 2nd June 1946, when

Italians chose, by referendum, they wanted to be a

republic rather than to remain a monarchy. A grand

military parade is held in central Rome, presided

over by the President of the Italian Republici, the

Prime Minister and other high officers of state

also attend. The protocol of official celebrations provides for the ceremonial laying of a wreath on

the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Vittoriano. The ceremony continues in the afternoon with the

opening of the gardens of the Quirinale Palace, seat of the President of the Republic and with musical

performances by the band ensembles of the Italian Army, Italian Navy, Italian Air Force, the "Arma dei

Carabinieri", State Police, the "Guardia di Finanza", the Penitentiary Police Corps and the State Forestry

Corps.

23rd June - Kupala night

In Poland, on the night of 23rd / 24th June people celebrate KUPALA NIGHT, known as NOC KUPAŁY,

NOC ŚWIĘTOJAŃSKA or SOBÓTKA. On this night, young men jump over the flames

of bonfires to prove that they are brave and faithful. Girls float wreaths of flowers

often lit with candles on rivers and men capture the wreaths, in the hope of

capturing the interest of the woman who floated them. There is an ancient Kupala

belief, that the eve of Ivan Kupala is the only

time of the year when ferns bloom. Prosperity,

luck, discernment and power would befall on

whoever finds a fern flower. Therefore, on that

night village folks would roam through the forests

in search of magical herbs and especially the

elusive fern flower. Traditionally, unmarried

women, signified by their garlands on their hair, would be the first to

enter the forests. They are followed by young men. Therefore,

consequent to the quest in finding herbs and the fern flower may be the blooming of relationships

between pairs of men and women within the forest.

24th June - Sant Joan (Saint John‟s Day)

Since pre-Roman times, the arrival of the summer solstice has

been a motive for celebration. We mark this astronomical

phenomenon by lighting magical bonfires that “give strength to the sun” and to keep away the spirits that come out in the shortest night

of the year. We finish school the 22nd of June ,so we celebrate this

festivity with our family and friends in the streets, squares and

homes. In Catalonia, the first day of summer (23rd June) it‟s

the Festival of Saint John. La “Revetlla de Sant Joan”, also known as

la” Nit del Foc I de les Bruixes” (Night of Fire and Witches) is a

popular and magical celebration that evokes ancient festivals that honored the sun. We celebrate parties

and participate in festivals around a bonfire to commemorate the arrival of summer. The festival fills the

night with light, colour and sound, thanks to fireworks and firecrackers that children and adults launch

into the sky. Traditionally, the celebrations begin with the lighting of the flame of Canigó, a holy mountain

peak in the Pyrenees. From there, the flame spreads down to bonfires, fire pits, and candles throughout

the Catalonian regions of Spain and France. There are Some customs during this event. For example,

as fire symbolizes purity, and since it is such a big part of the

celebrations, it is said that those who burn items in a Sant Joan

fire will be cleansed of all past sins, also the brave people jump

across the fire. The water of “Sant Joan” is said to be symbolic of

healing, and to hold remedial powers which can cure all ailments

and illnesses, (a lot of people dip in the Mediterranean sea late

night) The “Coca de Sant Joan”, is a traditional Catalan cake, it can

be found on every table on 23rd June Eve, and June 24th, the actual

day of Sant Joan. It is a sweet flat bread, topped with pine nuts , candied fruits or cream.

24th June - Jaanipäev (St. John's Day)

….is an Important National Cultural Holiday Aside from Christmas

Midsummer Eve and St John's Day are the most important days

in the Estonian calendar. The short summers with brief nights

hold special significance for the people of Estonia. Jaanipäev

follows the longest day (21 June) of the year, or the Summer

Equinox, when night seems to be non-existent.

St. John's Day marks a change in the farming year, specifically

the break between the completion

of spring sowing and the hard work

of summer hay-making. Some of the rituals of Jaanipäev have very strong

folkloric roots. The best-known Jaanik or midsummer, ritual is the lighting

of the bonfire and the jumping over it. This is seen as a way of guaranteeing

prosperity and avoiding bad luck. The fire also frightened away mischievous

spirits who avoided it at all costs, thus ensuring a good harvest.

Midsummer's eve is important for lovers. In Estonian fairy tales there is

the tale of two lovers, Koit (dawn) and Hämarik (dusk). These two lovers see

each other only once a year and exchange the briefest of kisses on the

shortest night of the year. Earth-bound lovers go into the forest looking

for the flower of the fern which is said to bloom only on that night. Also on

this night, single people can follow a detailed set of instructions to see whom they are going to marry.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

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National

Holiday

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30 31

Le 14 Juillet: National Holiday

The national holiday of France takes place on July 14th.

It was established by the law in 1880, in reference to

double date, that of July 14th, 1789, date of the storming

of the Bastille, The royal jail in Paris , symbolic day of the

end of the Monarchy and that of July 14th, 1790, day of

national union during the Party of the Federation.

It is a holiday in France.

July 14th gives rise to a parade of the troops on Champs-

Elysées of Paris in front of a crowd very numerous and in

front of the president of the Republic. Military ceremonies

take place in most of the municipalities and in fireworks.

Balls or concerts are also organized on July 14th.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

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13 14 15

Ferragosto

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27 28 29 30 31

Ferragosto

Ferragosto is a typical Italian holiday celebrated on

August 15th. The term Ferragosto derives from the

Latin expression feriae Augusti (Augustus' rest)

indicating a festivity set up by the emperor

Augustus in 18 BC. The ancient Ferragosto had the

purpose of linking the main August festivities to

provide a suitable period of rest, also called

Augustali, necessary after the hard labour of the

previous weeks. During the Roman empire this

celebration was for Diana. The Catholic Church

celebrates this date to commemorate the

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the real physical elevation of Her sinless soul and

incorrupt body into Heaven.

Nowadays, Ferragosto is mainly a short holiday.

During Ferragosto Italian people have fun thanks to huge tables of “sharing food” they are able

to create on the beaches, in the mountains, on the boats with lasagne, grilled fish, mussels and,

naturally, a big slice of watermelon added to good company, wines, sun and relax, from moon until

midnight.

On Ferragosto afternoon, in Atri, people enjoy the

traditional parade of wagons, from the fourteenth-

century Dukes Acquaviva‟s Palace to the cathedral of

the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in Romanesque-

Gothic style. The wagons are painted, pulled by oxen

and laden with singing groups and dancers in costume.

This parade is one of the most famous summer events

of Teramo province and one of the oldest

expressions of the Abruzzi folklore.

Last but not least, fireworks on Ferragosto night!

Amazing!

So think about for next summer …

...Ferragosto, 15th August 2013 in Italy!

Buon Ferragosto!