Brazil Brazil’s Famous Carnival Holiday – Renata Pauperio Bulgaria Legend of the Martenitsa – Rositsa Ruseva China Torch Day: A Festival of the Yu People – Anonymous Germany October Fest in Germany – Siggi Siebold Hong Kong Chung Yueng Festival – Tse-Kin (Pantium) Wong Ireland Saint Patrick’s Day – Cannelle and Ewa Japan Setsubun: Bean Throwing Festival – Jun Yoshizawa Shichi-Go San: … Read more
Many times I ask myself, “What is the most beautiful name?” “If I had a child, what name would I give to her/him?” “What is more important? How the name sounds or what it means?” In the past, people in my country gave names to their children because of the meanings. Up to the end of … Read more
After studying the Amish lifestyle in class in Japan, a Japanese girl has the opportunity to visit an Amish community in Pennsylvania. Wow! I was very impressed when I first visited an Amish family. I was visiting the family of my former sociology professor Vasantkumar who lives near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and they asked me if … Read more
Wishing for Luck, Eating Special Foods How do people around the world celebrate the coming of the New Year? There are many and varied customs from one country to another, ranging from watching fireworks to eating special foods. Some customs are very surprising or amusing, such as the Thai custom of throwing water on people … Read more
In each country, proverbs and sayings provide insights into simple truths and beliefs of the people. In this section, some learners of English share the meanings of proverbs from their own countries. Japanese Proverb about Practicality and Beauty In English: Dumplings are better than cherry blossoms “Hanami” means going to see the cherry blossoms. The cherry blossom … Read more
In my country, young people like tattoos very much. They have butterflies, flowers and hearts tattooed on parts of their bodies. Also, they choose very interesting zones to build marks of their youth. Almost all of them are trying to get our attention by doing it. It is just human. I’m self confident enough to … Read more
TOPICS: Could you tell us about the custom of eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day? John Davis: In Georgia, it’s a tradition to eat black-eyed peas and turnip greens. The peas represent copper and the greens are dollars. We say each pea you eat equals one dollar’s worth of earning, and each portion of turnip … Read more
“Mom. How can I protect myself from ghosts when I meet them?” my four-year-old daughter asked me. These days she is interested in ghosts because she enjoyed watching horror films on TV during the Halloween season. Even though she is scared of them, she still watched from under a blanket. I could see only her … Read more
Ngoc Dinh-Quang Pham from Vietnam Organizing a wedding is very important for a couple because it’s an event that happens once in their life. So, the prepare carefully for the marriage ceremony. One day before the ceremony, both families build a frame made from coconut leaves in front of their houses. On the top of … Read more
This is the story of a beautiful moon princess, but it is also a story about bamboo, a plant which was once believed to be sacred. Once upon a time there was an old man and his wife. One day he went to a bamboo grove to collect bamboo shoots, where he found a bamboo … Read more