Irish culture :)

The culture of Ireland includes customs and traditions, language, music, art, literature, folklore, cuisine and sports. Ireland's culture has been primarily Gaelic, also been influenced by Anglo-Norman, English and Scottish culture. Much of the Irish calendar still today reflects the old pagan customs, with later Christian traditions also having significant influence. Christmas in Ireland has several local traditions, some in no way connected with Christianity. The national holiday in the Republic of Ireland is Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March and is marked by parades and festivals in cities and towns across the island of Ireland, and by the Irish diaspora around the world. The festival is in remembrance to Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The early history of Irish visual art is generally considered to begin with early carvings found at sites such as Newgrange and is traced through Bronze age artefacts, particularly ornamental gold objects, and the Celtic brooches and illuminated manuscripts of the "Insular" Early Medieval period. 

The more spoken languages in Ireland are: Irish Gaelic and English. Celtic languages are most commonly spoken on the north-western edge of Europe: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall. Is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people.
These languages descend from a common ancestor, spoken in Ireland in the late first millennium BC and early first millennium AD. From about the first century AD the Gaels started to come to Scotland from Ireland . The first Irish Gaels, the Scots, arrived in Scotland around 450 AD from Scoti across the Sea of Moyle settling in Argyll which they called Dal Riata .
In 523 AD, St Columba came from Ulster and settled in the Isle of Iona bringing Christianity to Scotland , England and parts of Europe . The consolidation of the kingdom of Dál Riata and the ancient province of Ulster around the 4th century, linked the north of Ireland and western Scotland together, this of course accelerated the expansion of Gaelic, as did the success of the Gaelic-speaking church establishment . This is an argument which has been hotly debated in recent years, with suggestions of the possibility that Gaelic evolved as a language simultaneously in Argyll and in Ireland has been advanced. 

Celtic knots are perhaps the most notorious and recognizable artwork in Celtic history.They started appearing in history after about 450 AD; the Celtic knots meaning is sketchy at best.


The Celtic Cross, or Ionic cross, has it's roots in a pre-Christian variation of the Solar Cross. Examples of the Celtic cross date back as far as 5000 years BCE. It's origins are not known, but it was known to be an early symbol of the sun god Taranis.



The Triskele of Triple Spiral is a complex Celtic symbol – the triple spiral or triskele is also referred to as a triskelion is one of the most convoluted to decipher as symbolists believe it is reflective of many areas.


A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief.Some folk traditions hold that the leprechauns are descended from the Tuatha de Danann. When the Milesians came to Ireland they conquered the Tuatha de Danann and forced them to live under ground. When Christianity took religious precedence, this may have brought about the decline of importanceof the leprechauns. The leprechaun is said to be a solitary creature, whose principal occupation is making and mending shoes, and who enjoys practical jokes. 

Nicole Kidman goes mad!

Nicole Kidman's career started in 1990 with the movie "Days of Thunder". In this film starred also Tom Cruise which she is both married and divorced. In Nicole's latest film "Stoker" take part also Mia Wasikowska.

'I play Mia's mother, but she's kind of really very hard to read, she's fragile, yet she's kind of needy, yet she has got and elegance, you know, 'cause she speaks fluent French, and knows everything about wine and has been raised with this sort of very... good education and good upbringing, yet she's trapped in this house with this daughter who she has a very complicated relationship with, and that's great way to start a film!

We both said "Next time we'll be nicer to each other in a film!" 'cause it's a mother-daughter relationship that very, very fraught with resentment and anger all of those things that, as a daughter and as a mother, there's tiny little bits of it I can understeand, but it's so foreign for me, si it's like I can kind of act it, but now I want to go and be the mother that nurtures her and is kind to her!" 

The story is about the mysterious Uncle Charlie, who has relationships with the mother and the daughter. Charlie is played by a British actor: Matthew Goode.

● Black History Month ●

Black history month, in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. From the event's initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of American blacks in the nation's public schools. The expansion of Black History Week to Black History Month was first proposed by the leaders of the Black United Students. The first celebration of the Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, in February 1970. Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black history month." 

What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books.

Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that “the negro was in vogue” which was later paraphrased as “when Harlem was in vogue."

Langston Hughes is widely regarded as “the Bard of Harlem” for vividly capturing the literary ethos and artistic spirit of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. He was one of the most prolific black writers of the twentieth century and possibly the first to earn his living entirely by means of his craft.  Although he wrote in nearly every genre, he was primarily a poet and two of Hughes’s poems, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I, Too (Sing America)” have become important parts of the American literary canon.  For his poems, plays, essays, novels, and short stories that together number in the hundreds, Langston Hughes stands as one of the most important American writers of the last century.

Here's one of his poems: I, too.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes,

But I laugh,

And eat well,

And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table

When company comes.

Nobody’ll dare

Say to me,

“Eat in the kitchen,”

Then.

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful I am

And be ashamed.

I, too, am America.

♥ Pancake day ♥

Shrove Tuesday in the United Kingdom is commonly known as Pancake Tuesday. It is a time for people to eat pancakes or participate in pancake races. Pancakes in the United Kingdom have some variations. For example, Welshcakes or light cakes are eaten in Wales while many pancakes in Gloucester are made with suet.People who take part in the pancake races carry thin pancakes in frying pans and must race to the finish, flipping pancakes as they go. The winner is the first to the finish line with a pancake that is not burnt. Some people may take time off work to participate in the pancake races.

The Olney Pancake Race is held at Olney in Buckinghamshire on Shrove Tuesday. It is one of the best known pancake races in the United Kingdom. The course for the Olney Pancake Race is about 415 yards long (about 379 meters). Competitors must wear traditional costumes that include a skirt, apron and head covering to run the race. Official Olney and Liberal prizes are then presented at a Shriving service in the parish church after the race is finished.

In Olney, England, the Pancake Race tradition dates back more than 500 years to 1445. A woman engrossed in using up cooking fats (forbidden during Lent) was making pancakes. Hearing the church bells ring calling everyone to the shriving service, she grabbed her head scarf (required in church) and ran to the church, skillet and pancake in hand and still apron-clad. In following years, neighbors got into the act and it became a race to see who could reach the church first and collect a "Kiss of Peace" from the verger (bell-ringer.) 

Magic Mike. ☺♥

In 1989, a director called Steven Soderbergh suddently became famous for his movie "Sex, Lies and Videotapes". His next films were about something different, but in 2013 he returned to the subject of sex with the film "Magic Mike" starring Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer.
Channing Tatum said that Soderbergh is a fantastic director. It's a person that is really smart and empowers the actors. 

"He's quick, the way he shoots is phenomenal" said Alex Pettyfer. 

Soderbergh is loved by everyone, even by an actor as Matthew McConaughey, infact he said that he doesn't say much, just what's needed. The film is about male strippers, but especially about Mike, the best one.

Birdy ♥

Jasmine van den Bogaerde commonly known by her stage name Birdy, is an English musician, songwriter and singer. She won the music competition Open Mic UK in 2008, at the age of 12. Her début single, a version of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", was her breakthrough, charting all across Europe and being certified six times platinum in Australia. Her self-titled début album Birdy was released on 7 November 2011 to similar success, peaking at number 1 in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Her second studio album Fire Whitin was released 23 September 2013 in the UK and other surrounding countries.
Her stage name comes from the nickname her parents gave her as a baby, because she opened her mouth like a little bird when fed. Her family and friends call her Birdy while only teachers call her Jasmine, her given name.
In 2008, as a 12-year-old, Birdy won the UK talent contest Open Mic UK, a spinoff of the Live and Unsigned competition. She won both the under-18s category and the Grand Prize, against 10,000 other competitors. She performed her own song at the competition called "So Be Free" in front of 2,000 people.

ABC of friendship ♥

"One who seeks no friends is his own enemy."

"Chi non cerca amici è nemico di se stesso"
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"True friendship is like sound health;

 the value of it is seldom known until it be lost."




"La vera amicizia è come la buona salute;

 a quando è persa.

il suo valore è raramento conosciuto fino a quando non andrà perso."

_

"Your wealth is where your friends are."


"La tua ricchezza è dove sono i tuoi amici."

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies."

"L'amicizia è una singola anima che dimora in due corpi."

_

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."




"Gli amci sono la ricetta più importante nella ricetta della vita"

_





"One who looks for a friend without faults will have none." 




"Chi cerca unamico senza difetti non ne avrà nessuno."