Hello everyone,

It’s unseasonably warm today. 17 degrees! I’m enjoying the change from the cold weather we usually have in February. It won’t be long until spring! Then, we can look forward to warmer weather and cherry blossoms. We have something else to look forward to this week. It’s Japan’s favorite birthday, the emperor’s birthday! It’s such a special day that we get a national holiday. I think I’m working on my own birthday, but I’m glad to celebrate the emperor’s birthday this Thursday. It changed from December 23rd a few years ago when the new Emperor, Naruhito, took over. It isn’t the only holiday that celebrates a birthday. Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birthday, for example. However, the Irish holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day, is celebrated on the date he died. There is also a holiday in Ireland for the date Jesus died, which is called “Good Friday”. It takes place two days before Easter Sunday, usually in April. Until 2018, there was an interesting law on this day. It was the only day of the year when shops and bars couldn’t sell alcohol. So, shops all over Ireland had to put away their alcoholic drinks, and the bars all closed for the day. That rule was set up in 1927, when the Catholic church had a lot of power in the country. In 2018, people decided it was a strange law to have, so they got rid of it. A few weeks before that, we have pancake Tuesday, which is tomorrow! People all over the world eat pancakes, because the next day is the start of “Lent”, which is a 40 day period of giving up something you enjoy. It could be anything, such as chocolate, or coffee. People do this to show their willpower until Easter. I’m not religious, but when I was young, I was asked to give something up for lent. I always chose a food I didn’t really like anyway. It made to 40 days go by very easily! What national traditions do you follow?

Alan

Hello everyone,

It’s unseasonably warm today. 17 degrees! I’m enjoying the change from the cold weather we usually have in February. It won’t be long until spring! Then, we can look forward to warmer weather and cherry blossoms. We have something else to look forward to this week. It’s Japan’s favorite birthday, the emperor’s birthday! It’s such a special day that we get a national holiday. I think I’m working on my own birthday, but I’m glad to celebrate the emperor’s birthday this Thursday. It changed from December 23rd a few years ago when the new Emperor, Naruhito, took over. It isn’t the only holiday that celebrates a birthday. Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birthday, for example. However, the Irish holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day, is celebrated on the date he died. There is also a holiday in Ireland for the date Jesus died, which is called “Good Friday”. It takes place two days before Easter Sunday, usually in April. Until 2018, there was an interesting law on this day. It was the only day of the year when shops and bars couldn’t sell alcohol. So, shops all over Ireland had to put away their alcoholic drinks, and the bars all closed for the day. That rule was set up in 1927, when the Catholic church had a lot of power in the country. In 2018, people decided it was a strange law to have, so they got rid of it. A few weeks before that, we have pancake Tuesday, which is tomorrow! People all over the world eat pancakes, because the next day is the start of “Lent”, which is a 40 day period of giving up something you enjoy. It could be anything, such as chocolate, or coffee. People do this to show their willpower until Easter. I’m not religious, but when I was young, I was asked to give something up for lent. I always chose a food I didn’t really like anyway. It made to 40 days go by very easily! What national traditions do you follow?

Alan

 

 

みなさんこんにちは

アランです

 

今日はとても暖かいですね🌞まだ3月にもなっていないのに17度もあります。

2月はまだ寒いので嬉しいです

 

春までもう少しとなり、桜が咲くのが待ちきれませんよね🌸

そして今週は日本の天皇の誕生です！！祝日になっていて嬉しいですよね

 

僕自身の誕生日は恐らく仕事をしていることと思いますが、日本の天皇の誕生日を祝えることが嬉しく感じます。

数年前に天皇が変わった際に、天皇誕生日の祝日も変わりました。

 

世界中には色々な祝日がありますが、誕生日を祝う祝日は他にもありますね例えばクリスマスはイエスキリストの誕生日なんですよ。

アイルランドのセントパトリックデーはというと、クリスマスの逆でイエスが死んだ日なんです

 

そして、イエスが死んだ日の祝日はもう一つあって”Good Friday”（良い金曜日）と言います。

 

こちらは４月のイースター前の日曜日に行われるお祝いです。2018年までは、この日に関する面白い法律があったんです

一年を通して唯一この日だけどのお店やバーもお酒を販売することができませんでした

なので、この日はお店の棚からお酒をどかしたり、バーが閉店したりする必要がありました。

 

この法律は1927年にカトリック教会が力を持っていた時代に制定されました。ですが2018年になると、人々がこの法律のおかしさに気が付き、みんなで無くしました。

 

そして、本日はパンケーキの火曜日です！！

明日からは”Lent”と呼ばれる、人々が好きなものを選んで食べないようにしなくてはならない過酷な40日間が始まるので、

その前日に栄養価が高い食べ物を食べるという意味があります。

チョコやコーヒーなどなんでも構わないので、その期間は食べないようにするんです。

 

私は特に信仰している訳ではありませんが、若いころはよく断食を強いられたものでした

なのでいつもわざとそんなに好きではない食べ物を選んでいました

（なので楽勝な40日間を過ごしていたんですね）

 

みなさんはどんな伝統を行っていますか？？

 

アラン

 

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