1 March is St David’s Day, the Welsh national day. Since Wales is famous for its music and particularly its male voice choirs, what better way to celebrate than with a video of the national anthem sung by modern choir Only Men Aloud? The anthem, “Land of my Fathers” (Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau), was written … Continue reading “Celebrating Wales”
February 2021 sees the 200th anniversary of the untimely death of British Romantic poet John Keats. The author of “Ode to a Grecian Urn”, “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” and “To Autumn”, died of tuberculosis at the age of 25, convinced his literary career was a failure. Yet his poems became some of the best … Continue reading “Romantic Poetry: John Keats 200”
It’s changed names and format several times since 1924, but February is the month when schools, cultural institutions and the general public celebrate the African-Americans whose stories have often been left out of official history books. The celebration of black history is credited to Dr Carter G. Woodson, an African-American historian with a doctorate from … Continue reading “February is Black History Month”
When it was announced that its famous Mardi Gras parades were being cancelled because of Covid restrictions, New Orleans residents decided to find new ways to honour the tradition. Mardi Gras celebrations are an important part of Louisiana’s French heritage, and normally attract tourists from around the world. Mardi Gras kicks off King Day (Twelfth … Continue reading “Making Mardi Gras Covid-Safe in New Orleans”
Every 25 January, Scots and Scotophiles around the world celebrate Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. And since one of his famous poems is about the national dish, haggis, Burns Suppers are an occasion to taste haggis, recite poetry and enjoy Scottish music. You certainly won’t be able to go to celebrate in Scotland this year, … Continue reading “Celebrate Scotland’s Burns Night Online”
Assuming that anything happens as planned in this extraordinary election campaign, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and Kamala Harris as Vice-President, on Inauguration Day, 20 January, 2021. The ceremony and traditional celebrations that follow will be much smaller than in previous years because of the coronavirus … Continue reading “Inauguration Day”
The third Monday of January is a federal holiday in the U.S.A., in honour of Martin Luther King. In keeping with King’s philosophy, citizens are encouraged to treat it as a day of service to others by volunteering in their communities. As the slogan says, it is “a day on, not a day off”. Starting … Continue reading “Happy Birthday, MLK!”
As Boris Johnson said as he announced a new lockdown: “‘Tis the season to be jolly careful”. But it’s nice to know that some festive traditions have survived the pandemic. Friday 11 December is the ninth Christmas Jumper Day, organised by Save the Children U.K. Normally, people wear a Christmas-themed jumper to work or school … Continue reading “Ho, Ho, Ho, Christmas Jumper Day is Back!”
The First World War was so devastating, countries were at a loss to know how to commemorate their dead. A hundred years ago, two years after the Armistice, Britain’s King George V inaugurated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Cathedral, to honour all the anonymous fallen. Although the war had mobilised vast numbers … Continue reading “The Unknown Warrior 100 Years On”
19 November is Unicef’s annual World Children’s Day. This year, the UN organisation is highlighting how children have been impacted by the global pandemic. Although children are the group in society which is least affected by actual infection by Covid-19, many children are being negatively impacted by all the collateral affects. Loss of schooling and … Continue reading “Masked But Not Muted on World Children’s Day”