The Great Christmas Pudding Race

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 30 November 2017 > Celebrate

It has all the ingredients of a great British event: tradition, wearing costumes, doing silly things and collecting money for charity! Every year at Covent Garden Market in London, teams of people participate in The Great Christmas Pudding race. They make their way through a series of obstacles while carrying a Christmas pudding on a … Continue reading “The Great Christmas Pudding Race”

Merry Christmas Jumper Day!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 13 November 2017 > Celebrate

Like Red Nose Day, Christmas Jumper Day is becoming a tradition for British people to do something silly – wear a kitschy Christmas jumper — to do some serious good, for the charity Save the Children. Christmas is of course a special time for children, which is why the charity wants people to donate to … Continue reading “Merry Christmas Jumper Day!”

Thanksgiving

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 14 October 2017 > Celebrate

Many in the U.S. consider Thanksgiving the most American of holidays. The feast appeals to every religious and ethnic group, honours a turning point in American history, and encourages a spirit of good will. Plus, Thanksgiving offers one of the best meals of the year! In 1620, a group of 102 British people men, women … Continue reading “Thanksgiving”

Happy English Language Day!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 13 October 2017 > Celebrate

On 13 October 1362 the English Parliament was opened for the first time in English rather than Latin or Norman French. Which is why The English Project charity promotes 13 October as English Language Day. Their aim is to celebrate English as a living, evolving language spoken as a first or second language by 2 … Continue reading “Happy English Language Day!”

My Kingdom for a GIF!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > Celebrate

What’s the link between a GIF and Game of Thrones? illustrator and animator Eran Mendel! Throughout Game of Thrones’ seven seasons, he has created GIFs, each focussing on an iconic moment of the show and it is really cool to watch. Today, the Internet loves using GIFs. 2017 marks the 30th birthday of this file … Continue reading “My Kingdom for a GIF!”

Little Rock School Integration, 1957

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 September 2017 > Celebrate

September 25, 2017, marks 60 years since the “Little Rock Nine”, a group of African American students managed to gain access to the all-white Central High School in Arkansas. It was a landmark moment in the civil-rights movement to obtain equal treatment for all citizens, irrespective of colour. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court had … Continue reading “Little Rock School Integration, 1957”

Freedom Poems for National Poetry Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 26 September 2017 > Celebrate

This year’s UK National Poetry Day is on 28 September. A great opportunity to get some poetry into your class, and to explore this year’s theme: Freedom. The National Poetry Day site shows the amazing variety of experiences that simple word can evoke, from “Invictus”, the poem that inspired Nelson Mandela in prison, to Edward … Continue reading “Freedom Poems for National Poetry Day”

Columbus Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 23 September 2017 > Celebrate

How did an Italian explorer working for the Spanish crown become an American hero? Columbus Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October and commemorates Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas on 12 October 1492. In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue Children’s … Continue reading “Columbus Day”

Jeans for Genes Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 13 September 2017 > Celebrate

On 21 September many people across the UK wear jeans to school or work to raise money and awareness of genetic disorders. More than half a million people in the UK live with a genetic disorder which can be incredibly debilitating. The concept of Jeans for Genes Day is incredibly simple. People wear jeans where … Continue reading “Jeans for Genes Day”