Halloween

 What is Halloween?

Halloween is a very popular Irish festival (not American) which can be dated back over 2500 years. However back then, the festival looked a bit different. For example, it was a pagan festival called ‘Samhain’ which was celebrated to mark the change of the seasons, from the harvest season to the cold season. The Celtic people that celebrated Samhain believed that their dead could visit them on this day. Similar to ‘Dia de los Muertos’ in Mexico.

 

How did they Celebrate?

The Celts use to light huge bonfires in celebration of Samhain. They would use these bonfires for many different rituals, including divination and spiritual cleansing. They would also have feasts with family and friends to celebrate.

When did Samhain become Halloween?

Samhain became Halloween around 1200 years ago. When Christianity arrived in Ireland, the early church did not like the pagan festival, so they decided to christianize it. They called November 1st ‘All Saints Day’ with Halloween being the vigil. It became a day to remember our loved ones instead of believing they came back. 

How is it celebrated today?

Just like the Celts did years ago, Irish people love to celebrate Halloween and every year there are huge celebrations around the country. Some modern traditions include dressing up in costumes, trick-or-treating, games, fireworks, decorating, bonfires and celebrating with friends and family.

P.E. ACTIVITIES

Our language assisstant is having fun with P.E. students and teachers.

Hello I.E.S Diego Rodríguez Estrada!

Hello to all! Thank you for giving me such a warm welcome over the past few weeks. Some of you may have met me already but if you haven’t my name is Ciarán Fox. 

A few things about me: 

- I am currently 21 years old and I am in my third year of studying Business with Languages. 

- In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, travelling and exercising.

- A fun fact about me is that I lived in the United States for two months last summer. I worked at a kids summer camp there called camp IHC.

I have come from a town in Ireland called Greystones. My town is just 30 minutes away from Dublin (the capital city of Ireland). 

                                                                          Ireland

                                                                      Greystones

                                                                          Dublin 

I am delighted to be working here at IES Diego Rodriguez Estrada. I am very excited to share my language and culture with you and help you to improve your English Language skills. Please don’t hesitate to speak with me (in English of course) if you see me around the school!

WELCOME TO SAN JUAN DEL PUERTO

Last week, our language assisstant Ciaran Fox came to our school from Dublin, Ireland. To welcome him, we invited him to a traditional Spanish breakfast. Enjoy this school year!!

Halloween Traditions in the United States

Halloween originated in Europe, but it was introduced to Northern America by migrants in the nineteenth century. Since then, Halloween has become one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States. Starting October, people begin with the Halloween traditions, which I will further explain below. 

Costumes

As Halloween approaches, businesses that are completely dedicated to Halloween spring up. They provide a wide range of costumes to pick from, including costumes for children, adults, and even pets. They range from characters from a television show to frightening outfits. Others, on the other hand, would rather create their own.

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Going to the Pumpkin Patch

Starting at the beginning of October families tend to go to the closest farm where they get to choose out a freshly grown pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. At the pumpkin patch, they also have activities such as a corn mazes.

Pumpkin Carving

People begin carving their pumpkins once they have picked one. Pumpkin carving is one task that the whole family likes to participate in. The great thing is, whatever is leftover from the pumpkins is then utilized to make products like pumpkin pie.

House Decorations

Families usually start to decorate their houses at the beginning of October from Halloween. They use decorations such as spider webs, fake blood, lights, and skeletons.

Trick or Treat

Kids and adults knock on doors and ask for treats from house to house (candy). When knocking on the door, it is expected to say "Trick or Treat" so the homeowners can give them candy. This activity lasts from sunset until late at night.

My Hometown of San Francisco

 San Francisco, California

Grime Music

Grime is a genre of electronic music that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed from UK garage and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. In the beginning it was first played on UK pirate radio stations (illegal/unlicensed stations). Some of the original grime artists are Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Lethal Bizzle, and Wiley. Grime never received the same attention worldwide that it did in the UK.

The popularity of grime music began to decline in the late 2000's, but it made a comeback in 2015. A wave of new successful young grime MC's also began to emerge, such as Skepta, Stormzy, AJ Tracey, Novelist, Jammz, and Lady Leshurr. In February 2017, Stormzy's Gang Signs & Prayer was the first grime album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPuj6UISMhs - Blinded by your Grace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFOErVWlsxg  - Big for your Boots

As grime became more popular in the UK, it spread out of London to other major British cities. In 2019, Stormzy became the first grime artist and black British artist to headline Glastonbury Festival.

Grime is also known for its “battles”, different artists would release diss-tracks aimed at other grime artists.