Issue 34 (Sept – Dec, 2019)

AUTUMN FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD

When you think of autumn in Belarus, it is appropriate to conjure images such as leaves turning gold and brown, a slight nip in the air as winter approaches and thick coats making a return. But as the daylight hours slowly dwindle here, there’s nothing wrong with looking overseas to find some illuminating festivals that will brighten up your season.

, GERMANY (12th – 4th )

Oktoberfest is now a worldwide phenomenon celebrating Bavarian culture and flowing pints of beer.

When is it? Oktoberfest normally runs for 16 days with the last day being the first Sunday in October. However, if that 16 days falls before Oct. 3, it will last 17 or 18 days.

Why is it celebrated? Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration more than 200 years ago when Bavaria‘s Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony- Hildburghausen on Oct. 12, 1810. The wedding was celebrated with multiple days of drinking, feasting and horse races. The celebration then became an annual event.

Where is it celebrated? Oktoberfest celebrations can be found all over the world, but the main event is in , Germany, where the first Oktoberfest was held.

How is it celebrated? Oktoberfest is often associated with beer, but the festival‘s traditions go beyond that. While the beer tents, of course, provide drinks, they also play only traditional Bavarian music. The original six Munich breweries still provide the beer. You can also catch people in traditional Bavarian clothing, and lederhosen. See more at https://time.com/4944930/what-is-oktoberfest/

 INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA, NEW MEXICO, USA (3rd – 11th October)

The state motto of New Mexico is ―Land of Enchantment.‖ This is especially true in the weather-perfect month of October when the city of Albuquerque comes alive with the sight of hundreds of colorful hot air balloons filling the deep blue sky.

Why is it celebrated? For the past 48 years, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been giving people both on and off the ground a visual feast of rare beauty. What began in 1972 with a modest launch of 13 balloons has evolved into the largest ballooning event in the world — and the world‘s most photographed event. Over the course of a nine-day celebration this year, about 800,000 visitors witnessed more than 550 balloons of all shapes and sizes float above the state‘s largest city. Balloon flows and glows In the evening, about 200 balloons lit up the sky with balloon glows followed by spectacular fireworks. It‘s a surreal experience to look around, above and below and see hundreds of multicolored balloons floating in the air with the scenic Rio Grande Valley as the backdrop. Balloon tsunami The highlight of the festival for most people is the stunning spectacle of Mass Ascension, when hundreds of balloons take to the skies at sunrise in a series of waves over the course of an hour or two.

The one-of-a-kind display is best seen from the massive 32-hectare grassy launch field where visitors have an opportunity to get close to the balloons.

See more at https://www.voanews.com/usa/albuquerque-balloon-festival-draws-massive- crowds

PARADE, NEW YORK, USA (31st October)

Why is it celebrated? The Village Halloween Parade is a New York institution, and was started back in 1974 by master puppeteer Ralph Lee as a festive Halloween celebration for friends and family in his New York City neighbourhood.

Over forty years later, the parade has become one of the largest annual Halloween parties in the city, attracting over 100,000 costumed participants and millions of spectators. The parade is packed full of musicians, dancers, artists and incredible large-scale puppets, for everyone‘s viewing pleasure. A fun alternative, or add-on, to trick or treating – this parade truly has something for everybody on Halloween night.

Where is it celebrated? The Village Halloween Parade is on October 31 and typically goes from 7pm– 10:30pm. The Parade runs up Sixth Ave from Spring St to 16th St in Manhattan. It is free to march in the parade, but costumes are mandatory, so make sure to bring it or you‘ll be left behind in civilian duds. See more at https://www.timeout.com/newyork/events-festivals/village-halloween-parade- nyc-guide

 DAY OF DEAD, MEXICO (31st October – 2nd November)

What is it? Día de los Muertos, or , is a celebration of life and death. While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons).

Why is it celebrated? Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful. For these cultures, death was a natural phase in life‘s long continuum. The dead were still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit—and during Día de los Muertos, they temporarily returned to Earth. Today‘s Día de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. It takes place on November 1 and 2—All Saints‘ Day and All Souls‘ Day on the Catholic calendar—around the time of the fall maize harvest. See more at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north- america/mexico/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico/

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

 Giant Lantern Festival, Philippines

The Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul Sampernandu) is held each year on the Saturday before Eve in the city of San Fernando – the ―Christmas Capital of the Philippines.‖ The festival attracts spectators from all over the country and across the globe. Eleven barangays (villages) take part in the festival and competition is fierce as everyone pitches in trying to build the most elaborate lantern. Originally, the lanterns were simple creations around half a metre in diameter, made from ‗papel de hapon‘ (Japanese origami paper) and lit by candle. Today, the lanterns are made from a variety of materials and have grown to around six metres in size. They are illuminated by electric bulbs that sparkle in a kaleidoscope of patterns.

 Gävle Goat, Sweden

Since 1966, a 13-metre-tall Goat has been built in the center of Gävle‘s Castle Square for the Advent, but this Swedish Christmas tradition has unwittingly led to another ―tradition‖ of sorts – people trying to burn it down. Since 1966 the Goat has been successfully burned down 29 times – the most recent destruction was in 2016.

 Kentucky Fried Christmas Dinner, Japan

Christmas has never been a big deal in Japan. Aside from a few small, secular traditions such as gift- giving and light displays, Christmas remains largely a novelty in the country. However, a new, quirky ―tradition‖ has emerged in recent years – a Christmas Day feast of the Colonel‘s very own Kentucky Fried Chicken. The festive menu will soon be advertized on the KFC Japan website and, even if you don‘t understand Japanese, the pictures sure will look delicious with everything from a Christmas-themed standard bucket to a premium roast-bird feast.  The Yule Lads, Iceland

In the 13 days leading up to Christmas, 13 tricksy troll-like characters come out to play in Iceland. The Yule Lads (jólasveinarnir or jólasveinar in Icelandic) visit the children across the country over the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. For each night of Yuletide, children place their best shoes by the window and a different Yule Lad visits leaving gifts for nice girls and boys and rotting potatoes for the naughty ones. Clad in traditional Icelandic costume, these fellas are pretty mischievous, and their names hint at the type of trouble they like to cause: Stekkjastaur (Sheep-Cote Clod), Giljagaur (Gully Gawk), Stúfur (Stubby), Þvörusleikir (Spoon-Licker), Pottaskefill (Pot-Scraper), Askasleikir (Bowl-Licker), Hurðaskellir (Door-Slammer), Skyrgámur (Skyr- Gobbler), Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage-Swiper), Gluggagægir (Window-Peeper), Gáttaþefur (Doorway-Sniffer), Ketkrókur (Meat-Hook) and Kertasníkir (Candle- Stealer). Visit Iceland this Christmas and catch them all!

 Norway Perhaps one of the most unorthodox traditions can be found in Norway, where people hide their brooms. It‘s a tradition that dates back centuries to when people believed that witches and evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride on. To this day, many people still hide their brooms in the safest place in the house to stop them from being stolen.  Saint Nicholas’ Day, Germany

Not to be confused with Father Christmas, Nikolaus travels by donkey in the middle of the night on December 6 (Nikolaus Tag) and leaves little treats like coins, chocolate, oranges and toys in the shoes of good children all over Germany, and particularly in the Bavarian region. St. Nicholas also visits children in schools or at home and in exchange for sweets or a small present each child must recite a poem, sing a song or draw a picture. In short, he‘s a great guy. But it isn‘t always fun and games. St. Nick often brings along Knecht Ruprecht (Farmhand Rupert). A devil- like character dressed in dark clothes covered with bells and a dirty beard, Knecht Ruprecht carries a stick or a small whip in hand to punish any children who misbehave.

See more at https://www.momondo.com/discover/article/christmas-traditions- around-the-world

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

What are the 12 days of Christmas?

The 12 days of Christmas is the period that in Christian theology marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6 (the , sometimes also called Three Kings' Day). The four weeks preceding Christmas are collectively known as Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on December 24.

"The 12 Days of Christmas" is also a Christmas carol in which the singer brags about all the cool gifts they received from their "true love" during the 12 days of Christmas. Each verse builds on the previous one, serving as a really effective way to annoy family members on road trips.

You can listen to the song here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyEyMjdD2uk

The lyrics to "The 12 Days of Christmas" have changed over the years. The version most people are familiar with today begins with this verse: On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree.

The song then adds a gift for each day, building on the verse before it, until you're reciting all 12 gifts together: Day 2: two turtle doves Day 3: three French hens Day 4: four calling birds Day 5: five gold rings Day 6: six geese a-laying Day 7: seven swans a-swimming Day 8: eight maids a-milking Day 9: nine ladies dancing Day 10: 10 lords a-leaping Day 11: 11 pipers piping Day 12: 12 drummers drumming

The history of the carol is somewhat murky. The earliest known version first appeared in a 1780 children's book called Mirth With-out Mischief. Some historians think the song could be French in origin, but most agree it was designed as a "memory and forfeits" game, in which singers tested their recall of the lyrics and had to award their opponents a "forfeit" — a kiss or a favour of some kind — if they made a mistake. In any case, the song most of the British are familiar with today comes from an English composer named Frederic Austin; in 1909, he set the melody and lyrics (including changing "colly" to "calling") and added as his own flourish the drawn-out cadence of "five go-old rings."

A popular theory that's made the internet rounds is that the lyrics to "The 12 Days of Christmas" are coded references to Christianity; it posits that the song was written to help Christians learn and pass on the tenets of their faith while avoiding persecution. Under that theory, the various gifts break down as follows:

2 Turtle Doves = the Old and New Testaments 3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues 4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists 5 Golden Rings = the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch," which gives the history of man's fall from grace. 6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation 7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments 8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes 9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit 10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments 11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles 12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed The partridge in the pear tree, naturally, represents Jesus Christ.

It‘s pretty unlikely that anyone ever received all of the gifts proposed in the song–if so, however, they would have been costly. Today, if someone wished to replicate the list, they‘d be looking at more than $30,000.

It has been parodied numerous times Like most Christmas carols (―Jingle Bells,‖ anyone?) ―The Twelve Days of Christmas‖ has been parodied on numerous occasions. From comedian and Las Vegas performer Fay McKay‘s boozy version ―The Twelve Daze of Christmas‖ to ―The Twelve Days of Starcrafts,‖ you‘ll find a parody out there to suit every festive mood.

Nevertheless, the song is a nice opportunity to make a Christmas lesson funny and festive. You may just sing it to the music with your young pupils, or listen to an EngVID video that explains the history of the carol and the meaning of the song to your senior students.

Here is the link to the video lesson: https://www.engvid.com/the-12- days-of-christmas-sing-and-learn- english/

The lesson also contains the quiz about the song. Enjoy your Christmas classes with it.

SCOUTS' VISIT 2019

This year a totally new group of scouts from the 21st Aberdeen Scout Cults (group) came to Gomel together with their three leaders. They spent an unforgettable week here in the city, visiting Gomel gymnasiums, schools, colleges and social organizations. The students of Gymnasium 10 had three days (October 11 – 13) to show the foreign teenagers their school and to get acquainted with the

guests. A lot of work was done to make the programme of the visit exciting and catching. The guests took part in the round-table meeting in the International Friendship Club with the gymnasium principal and the clubbers and teachers of English. During the meeting both scouts and our students spoke about their schools, daily routine, places of interest in Gomel and Aberdeen. On Friday Gymnasium 10 organized the excursion to the Spartak Factory for the guests, where they not only watched the process of producing confectionary but could taste the chocolates and waffles just inside the factory workshops. After lunch the scout group was lucky to get to the Gomel Regional War Museum in the city centre. They were greatly impressed by the exhibition and bout some souvenirs. The scouts mentioned that they don‘t have a museum of such kind in Scotland where the visitor can watch and touch the guns and military machinery.

Fortunately, at the time of their visit to the museum the head manager met the delegation and let them get inside the battle plane which is usually open to the public once a year on Victory Day (9th May). It was an awesome adventure! During the weekend the guests visited the local market, had a spots competition in the gymnasium, played bowling together with our students and even could draw a painting during the lesson in drawing at the ―AIR Drawing Studio‖. But the best memories, of course, all the participants of the project have from the evening walks and informal talks they had together. They enjoyed their stay in Gomel so much that when having come to Scotland they gave an interview in the local newspaper about the visit! And we know that almost all of they are looking forward to meeting their new friends form Gomel in the following October 2020.

BEAST IN BLACK

"Beast in Black" is a Finnish heavy metal band that was founded in 2015 in Helsinki by guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen after he left "Battle Beast" band.

The band name is tribute to the Japanese manga series "Berserk".

"Beast in Black" signed with the "Nuclear Blast" label and released the first album, "Berserker" on November 3, 2017, and posted it on the internet. They received lots of positive response worldwide and became famous.

The band's second album "From Hell With Love" was released on February 8, 2019. After the release of the album, the band had a tour around Europe together with the Finnish industrial metal band "Turmion Kätilöt".

If you want to listen some of their songs, I advise you to start with "Crazy, Mad, Insane", "From Hell With Love", "Sweet True Lies" and "Blind and Frozen" songs. I consider them the best of the group.

I am greatly impressed by the music of the band. It makes me feel energetic and ready to fight all the troubles and issues of the day. I do hope that someday I‘ll be able to visit their concert and enjoy live performance.

Pavel Zhakin, 11A

ELZA’S OCEAN

Elza‘s ocean was found in 1991 by 2 classmates in Lyvov. Before being discovered they played their gigs at schools and students‘ festivals. The name of the band is known to have an interesting history. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was extremely inspired by a very popular serial ―The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau‖. And what concerns Elza, musicians searched for a female name that sounds the same in Ukrainian, Russian and English. Finally, the name Elza‘s Ocean appeared. Since then musicians have been on an international tour and shared their music with listeners from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, , France, Greece, Canada, Portugal, the USA and what‘s not. They even supported Ukrainian football team during the World‘s championship in Germany. They have got signed to a record label ―Key- Communіcatіon‖. Elza‘s Ocean even had a film made about them. Besides popularity on the stage, they became known as soundtrack makers. The song «Коли тебе нема» appeared in «Brother-2». In addition this band is the first Ukrainian group that had a solo concert in ―Luzhniki‖ stadium in Moskow. As regards the plans of the band, they are pretty vague. The thing is that Svyatoslav Vakarchuk started a political career and now has become a deputy. That‘s why there has been the rumour over the news. Fans are very worried about the future of their favourites, but the soloist calms them down and promises:‖Onwards and upwards!‖ So… I can‘t put a full stop in Elza‘s Ocean biography, that‘s only a comma. I am personally looking forward to releasing new hits, excellent albums and amazing concerts! Zhenya Anokhina, 11A

LERA LYNN

Lera Lynn (was born at December 5, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress.

Born in Houston, Texas, Lynn was raised in Georgia. Before she became famous, she had studied at the University of Georgia. At the same time Lera began attending guitar classes and started performing in bars, pubs, and other small venues. She got a bachelor's degree in anthropology at the University of Georgia. During her studies at the university, she started posting her first songs on popular online music platforms like iTunes, SoundCloud and Spotify, the users rated her work well and she began working on her first album.

Lynn's first album ‗Have You Met Lera Lynn‘ was released in 2011. In 2014, she released an EP entitled ‗Lying in the Sun‘ and also began creating music for the second season of the HBO crime drama series ‗True Detective‘. The fans of the series loved her music, and started supporting her at the iTunes, after the first great success.

Then she started a small American tour named ―My least favorite life‖ and sales results shocked her, and after that successful tour last year she announced a new big world tour which includes many countries from all over the world such as Denmark, Finland, Russia, Belarus and many others countries.

I recommend you to enjoy her songs. I‘m sure you‘ll love her creativity and the harmony of the music she creates.

Artiom Masyuk, 11A

HAPPY TO WORK FOR YOU!

Winter has come, have you noticed?  The staff of our newspaper congratulates you with coming holidays and wishes you good luck and all the happiness in the coming year!!! We hope you’ll have a lot of fun reading the new issue and stay with us during the whole school year. You can become a reporter of our newspaper and you’re always welcome with your creative works! Please, send your articles and materials to [email protected]

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