Thanksgiving Parade

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 21 November 2022 > Celebrate

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City is almost 100 years old, and is an integral part of the annual holiday for millions of Americans. Celebrating Thanksgiving and launching Christmas celebrations, it includes giant balloon figures, floats, and marching bands from schools around the country. This year it will take place on 24 November. Macy’s … Continue reading “Thanksgiving Parade”

Remembering All Who Served

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 28 October 2022 > Celebrate

Remember Together is a project that encourages British school children to research the history of their families or people in their community and the role they played in the World Wars, with a particular emphasis on unearthing the histories of those who are often forgotten in official Remembrance Day ceremonies, like the more than 3 … Continue reading “Remembering All Who Served”

Why Black Friday?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 23 November 2021 > Celebrate

As Black Friday approaches, we wonder why a specifically American date in the commercial calendar has taken over first the internet and now high-street shops around the world. Black Friday is the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving, which falls on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s a long weekend and approximately a month before Christmas. … Continue reading “Why Black Friday?”

A Native American View of Thanksgiving

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 21 November 2021 > Celebrate

Today, there is growing awareness that the “Thanksgiving story” told to young schoolchildren in the U.S.A., which provides much of the traditional imagery of the holiday, is just that: a story. Many Native Americans denounce the hypocrisy of portraying this origin story of the nation as a peaceful and cooperative meeting of peoples, when in … Continue reading “A Native American View of Thanksgiving”

Guy Fawkes: Man in a Mask

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 28 October 2021 > Celebrate

November 5, or Guy Fawkes Night, is when British people remember the failed “Gunpowder Plot” to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. Every November, British people light bonfires and set off fireworks to remember the day when the Houses of Parliament, and King James I, were almost blown up by terrorists. In a … Continue reading “Guy Fawkes: Man in a Mask”

Poppy Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 28 October 2021 > Celebrate

Any image of people in the UK, Canada and Australia in November is likely to include some who are wearing a red paper poppy in their lapel. The Poppy Appeal for war veterans in the run-up to Remembrance Day began in the aftermath of World War I. Today, as the British and Commonwealth armies commemorate … Continue reading “Poppy Day”

The Unknown Warrior 100 Years On

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 25 November 2020 > Celebrate Shine Bright Lycée

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”

Masked But Not Muted on World Children’s Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 20 November 2020 > Celebrate

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”

World Ballet Day

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 29 October 2020 > Celebrate

We all need a bit of beauty in these difficult times, and the inspiring example of dancers who are continuing to practise their art even in lockdown. And for a literary fix, see how the emotions of great classics like Jane Eyre and The Handmaid’s Tale can be expressed through ballet. Ballet companies from around … Continue reading “World Ballet Day”