Ireland Has a New Holiday

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 06 February 2023 > Celebrate

Ireland has a new bank holiday: St Brigid’s Day, the first to be in honour of  a woman. From 2023, it will be marked on the first Monday in February. St Brigid is one of Ireland’s three patron saints, alongside St Colmcille and St Patrick. Like so many Irish celebrations, the Catholic saint’s day on … Continue reading “Ireland Has a New Holiday”

Ireland: Home of Halloween

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 27 October 2022 > Celebrate

Although these days people tend to think of Halloween as an American holiday, its origins are Celtic (brought to the U.S. by Irish and Scottish immigrants). Ireland wants to make sure that people know about its Celtic roots, and these videos and recipes are a great way to have your pupils discuss Halloween from a … Continue reading “Ireland: Home of Halloween”

Trick or Treat to Do Good

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 October 2021 > Celebrate

Halloween is an important fundraiser for UNICEF U.S.A. Trick or Treat for UNICEF was started in 1947 and 31 October was declared UNICEF Day by President Lyndon B. Johnson 20 years later. It allows kids “put some meaning in their Halloweening” by collecting money for the United Nations Childrens’ Fund.  The campaign was started by … Continue reading “Trick or Treat to Do Good”

Halloween with Unicef Videos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 19 October 2021 > Webpicks

Halloween is a popular celebration with pupils, and it can be a great way to introduce some English-speaking culture. In the U.S.A., a major Halloween tradition is Trick or Treat for Unicef, a  fundraising campaign for the United Nations children’s fund. Unicef has lots of teaching resources about the campaign. This is Unicef U.S.A.’s main … Continue reading “Halloween with Unicef Videos”

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 18 October 2021 > Ready to Use

This Netflix adaptation of a book for teenagers uses all the Halloween paraphernalia: pumpkins, witches and monsters, among which the vile Grand Guignol is planning to steal children’s nightmares to unleash them upon the world. But the members of the Order of Babysitters are determined to stop him. When young Jacob is kidnapped by the … Continue reading “A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting”

Create a Poster: Halloween

Posted by Speakeasy News > Saturday 09 October 2021 > Celebrate

We have a teacher recommendation for a site for creating posters for your classroom, and an example of a poster on the theme of Halloween to use in collège to work on the BE+ing present and reading comprehension around this celebration. Plus a worksheet on Halloween celebrations from A2, with a focus on the plastic … Continue reading “Create a Poster: Halloween”

Halloween: Out of This World!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 05 October 2021 > Celebrate

Halloween is celebrated by kids and adults all over the U.S.A…. even in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Every year, teams of space scientists take an hour off from pushing the boundaries of space to compete in the annual pumpkin carving contest. The winners are of course… over the Moon! The Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the … Continue reading “Halloween: Out of This World!”