APRIL FOOLS DAY

1st April is known as April Fools Day in England. Sometimes it is named All fools Day; It is not a legal holiday. It is the day when we play pratical jokes on people but only before midday, after that it is considered unlucky, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool".
No one knows when this custom began but it has been kept for hundreds of years.
The First of April, somo do say
is set apart for All Fools Day;
But why the people call it so,
not I, nor they themselves do know.
A similar tradition is celebrated in Spain and Latin America, but it takes place on December the 28th and it´s called Día de los Santos Inocentes

ST, PATRICK'S DAY

Today, 17th of March, it is St. Patrick´s Day, the patron saint of Ireland. That means that everyone has to wear green and hold a shamrock. You can also try to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but be careful with the leprechaun! A leprechaun will be taking care of it and he is very clever. If you succeed in trapping one, them the pot of gold will be yours. That´s why many children prepare leprechaun´s traps on St. Patrick´s Day Eve. 
 Do you want to learn more about this Irish tradition? Do you want to prepare your trap? Have a look at these videos...

 In memory of the casualties in the 11-M terror attack in Madrid

CARNIVAL AROUND THE WORLD

CARNIVAL TIME

PANCAKE DAY

Pancake Day, also known as "Shrove Tuesday", "Mardi Gras" or "Fat Tuesday" is celebrated all over the world with fun, games, and of course a lot of eating. In 2011 Pancake Day is on Tuesday 8 March

In England, (and the rest of the UK) the Tuesday before Lent is known as Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday). On that day it is traditional to eat pancakes (recipe), toss pancakes and take part in pancake races.

An English pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan. A traditional English pancake is very thin and is served immediately from the frying pan. Some people put golden syrup or jam on their pancakes.

Lots of men, women and children from Britain participate in a special race: they run in skirts, aprons and headscarves holding a frying pan with a pancake on it, and they have to run while flipping the pancake! It´s really an opportunity for fun, for eating lots of pancakes and for raising money for charity.


If you want to know this british tradition, you can watch these two videos. The first one is a recipe, and the other one is a pancake race. I hope you like them.

THE NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

Carnival coming soon, so I think this year you can learn a little bit about  the Notting Hill Carnival.
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which since 1966 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, London. It is in AUGUST over two days and it is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe. Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe's biggest street festival. It is led by members of the British African-Caribbean community.
The Notting Hill Carnival usually gets under way on the Saturday with a steel band competition. Sunday is Children's Day, with a shorter parade route. Bank Holiday Monday sees the main parade.
Do you want to watch a video about this special carnival? O.K. Here, it is: Children's parade. Enjoy it!