Irish Culture

You might have an interest in knowing more about people from Ireland or our culture.In Ireland the people are very cultural orientated no matter what their interests might be. Here are some of things we’ve seen throughout Ireland.

 Wedding traditions
An Irish traditional wedding is a beautiful ceremony to see or take part in. Before Christianity found Ireland, couples who wished to show commitment to each other practised what was known as hand fasting. This ritual was most probably carried over from Pagan times. During the ritual the couple hold hands, right hand in right hand, and left hand in left with their wrists crossed. Ribbon or cord is then wrapped around the wrists in a figure eight to represent infinity.Since the birth of Christianity weddings were held in the home of a Priest or in a Church. Two candles burn separately during the ceremony which are then used to light one taller candle known as the Unity candle this is to signify two becoming one. The color of the bride's dress might determine how successful the marriage is,here there are some:

Marry in white everything’s right
Marry in blue lover be true
Marry in pink spirit’s will sink
Marry in red I wish you were dead

Leprechauns
Small enough for one to sit comfortable on your shoulder, they are very smartly dressed in small suites with waist coats, hats and buckled shoes. They are known to play the odd trick on farmers and local population of villages and towns. It is said that every Leprechaun has a pot of gold, hidden deep in the Irish countryside. To protect the leprechaun’s pot of gold the Irish fairies gave them magical powers to use if ever captured by a human or an animal. The leprechaun 'family' appears split into two distinct groups: leprechaun and cluricaun. Cluricauns may steal or borrow almost anything. The leprechaun has been described as Ireland's national fairy.

Celtic knots

Celtic knots are perhaps the most notorious and recognizable artwork in Celtic history. The more esoteric or spiritual meaning of this symbol eludes to beginnings and endings. In viewing these beautiful knots, we cannot see a beginning or and end, and therefore we are reminded of the timeless nature of our spirit. The Celtic knot can represent an uninterrupted life cycle. Some may use this symbol as a charm of sorts - warding against sickness or setbacks that might interfere with an otherwise calm and stable life. In ancient times, gifts adorned with mystic knots would be given with best wishes of longevity, or luck with new endeavors.

Celtic Triskele

The triskele, also called the spiral of life, the triple spiral and the triple goddess, is three equal spirals radiating from a common center.It is an ancient symbol with versions that have been found in a number of cultures around the world. The Celtic Triskele was found in the remnants of an ancient temple from the Bronze Age in Ireland. It is believed that it evolved from the triskellian, a symbol which looks like three legs running. Also, the Celts believed that the most important things in life came in threes: birth, death, rebirth; body, mind, spirit; earth, water, sky; past, present, future; father, son, holy ghost; and the triskele is believed to represents these tripartite meanings.









Crosses

Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated. With the Celtic Revival the shape,became popular for funerary monuments and other uses, and has remained so, spreading well beyond Ireland.
Most Irish Catholic priests believe that the Celtic cross is a symbol of eternity that reflects Christ's love.The Celtic Cross is one of the most recognized of all the Celtic symbols; however, there are many definitions. The circle is sometimes described as a halo or an eternity symbol. Many have also made comparisons to the pagan sun symbols.

Black History Month

In the USA, February is the month of black history. Every year many New York organizations prepare film showing and tour around the town, to celebrate Black History Month. For generations and generations, February pays tribute to the black popolation's contribution to the growth of the most powerful nation in the world.
Carter G. Woodson is the responsible for the celebration of black history month. Carter was born from a couple of former African slaves, he was able to escape poverty thanks to his efforts in the study. 

After being accepted to Harvard for his Ph.D., he realized that the story of his ancestors was not properly remebered.So in 1915 he founded The Association for the Study of Negro Life and later picked up the stories of millions of Afro-Americans in the Journal of Negro History, now known as the Journal of African American History. In the second week of February 1926, Woodson founded the first Annual Negro History Week with the aim of celebrating the history of blacks in America that coincided with the birthdays of U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford decided to extend the Negro History Week to the entire month of February, giving rise to what is now known as Black History Month.

Pancake Day!

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent. It takes place 47 days before Easter Sunday.
Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to eat rich foods, like eggs, sugar and milk, before the fasting season of the 40 days without eating. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: In many cultures, this means no meat, dairy, or eggs.

In Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand it is a common custom to eat pancakes as a meal.In England, as part of community celebration, many towns held traditional Shrove Tuesday games, some dating as far back as the 12th century. The practice mostly died out in the 19th century but a number of towns have maintained the tradition.On Pancake Day, pancake races are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bellsringing. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. The pancake race is now a common festive tradition in the UK, especially England, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan whilst running. Also politicians run in this race! 

St. Valentine

The story of Valentine's day starts a long time ago. There was an emperor who wanted a big army for his wars. Many people didn't want to join the army, because they didn't want to leave their families. So, he promulgated a law that prohibited weddings. Saint Valentine was a priest that married people in secret, whispering, so no one could hear them.

 Unfortunately, he was caught and made prisoner. People was very sad, they threw flowers and notes. A prison's guard had a daughter who became St.Valentine's friend. When he died, he left her a letter, signed at the end "From your Valentine". It was the 14th of February. Since then, the 14th February took St. Valentine's name. Every year on this day, people write cards to the person they love, and many times, they sign "From your Valentine", to stay anonimous. The famous sentence is "Will you be my Valentine?" This festival is celebrated with love cards, flowers, chocolate..and the symbol are hearts and Cupid. 

Describing a picture

That's a coulored photo, taken on the beach, that shows six girls. They are forming the word LOVE with particular positions. They are on the foreground, while on the background you can see the sea and the blue sky. The atmosphere is lovely and I like this photo because I think that is a pretty idea to portray the love that's in friendship.

ABC of friendship

A friend does most of these:
Accepts you as you are 
Believes in "you" 
Calls you just to say "HI" Doesn't give up on you! 
Envisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts) 
Forgives your mistakes 
Gives unconditionally 
Helps you 
Invites you over 
Just "be" with you 
Keeps you close at heart 
Loves you for who you are 
Makes a difference in your life 
Never Judges 
Offer support 
Picks you up 
Quiets your fears 
Raises your spirits 
Says nice things about you 
Tells you the truth when you need to hear it 
Understands you 
Values you 
Walks beside you 
X-plains thing you don't understand 
Yells when you won't listen and 
Zaps you back to reality


Friendship Quotes

"If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile... But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me."

"Se sei solo, sarò la tua ombra. Se vuoi piangere, sarò la tua spalla. Se vuoi un abbraccio, sarò il tuo cuscino. Se hai bisogno di essere felice, sarò il tuo sorriso...Ma ogni volta che avrai bisogno di un amico, sarò me stesso."



"Never explain youself. Your friend don't need it, and your enemies won't believe it."

"Non spiegarti mai. I tuoi amici non ne hanno bisogno, e i tuoi nemici non ci crederanno."



"Friendship isn't about who you've known the longest, it's about who came and never left your side."

"L'amicizia non riguarda chi conosci da più tempo, ma chi è venuto e non ha mai lasciato il tuo fianco.




"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them. I'd be at the bottom to catch them."

"Se tutti i miei amici saltassero da un ponte,non salterei con loro. Sarei al fondo per prenderli."




"A true friend sees the first tear, catches the second, and stops the third."

"Un vero amico vede la prima lacrima, cattura la seconda e ferma la terza."

Global Rock Challenge

The history of GRC1980
Global Rock Challenge started as "Rock'n'Roll Eisteddfod" in New South Wales, Australia, with a small number of local high schools. In 2006 over 400 schools and 40,000 students competed in 50 shows across Australia.
1993
The event opened in New Zeland, with 20 schools and 2000 participants. New Zeland now has 171 schools and over 16,000 participants.
1995
An English policeman visited Australia, and saw the Australia Eisteddfod Challenge. He liked it and decided to introduce it to the UK in 1996. It started in England with an event in Portsmouth. It is now a national 2-day event that takes place every year at the Hackney Empire Theatre in London.

2006
Tha African continent become a part of the GRC family! Over 2,000 South African students performed on stage in Johannesburg.

Today
The Global Rock Challenge takes place in 50 locations worldwide, including New Zeland, Germany, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
The GRC message
All Global Rock Challenge events promote a 100% smoke-free, alcohol-free and drug-free environment. The emphasis is to encourage young people to live in a healthy way, without cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.