Christmas origins: some trivia facts that may actually surprise you

Hiya!

How are your Christmas hols going? Mine absolutely awesome, to be honest. Anyway, I keep writing about my favourite time of the year, yeah Christmas. As some of you may have noticed, I adore Christmas and every year I write several entries about this topic. If you're keen on knowing more about Christmas, do not hesitate to click on my entries on Christmas: New Year resolutions; Christmas-touching videos; Boxing Day; Christmas vocabulary; Christmas videos; Practise your listening at Christmas; Christmas carols; Christmas in Spain, the UK and the US; Christmas short stories; Christmas origins.

Today I will show you some Christmas-related facts that are quite interesting, are you ready?

1. Jesus Christ wasn't actually born on December, 25th: There's no consensus on when exactly he was born, so from the third century onwards they chose that date to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It was close to some pagan festivals like Saturnalia, a festival in honour of God Saturn and to celebrate the winter solstice. 

2. Christmas has its roots in Pagan rituals : It began to be celebrated as such from the eighth century onwards with wild parties. In fact, some Puritans opposed to Christmas celebrations due to its pagan origins. 

3. In the past, during a brief period of time, you would be fined if you were caught celebrating Christmas : Yes, you had to pay 5 shillings to celebrate Christmas. Can you believe it ?

4. Our way of celebrating Christmas began in the nineteenth century when prince Albert of Germany started decorating the pine tree himself : To celebrate his marriage to Queen Victoria, he had a photo taken of the royal family. In that photo, you could see an enormous decorated pine tree. After this photo publication, this fashion caught on and was imitated in other parts of the US. This also gave wings to the tradition of sending Christmas cards as well. 

5. The tradition of gift-giving is ancient, far more ancient than you can imagine, dating back to year 10 AD : At that time, the gift-giving ritual had a clear purpose: to remind people of the presents brought to Baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men. 

6. Christmas became a consumerist party thanks to the advent of the industrial revolution and the rise in advertising : Yes, obviously, with innovative breakthroughs such as chain production and the advent of the media, people started to spend a great deal of money on Christmas presents...

7. Santa Claus was, in fact, a Christian saint who used to give presents to people. He was known as Sinterklass, hence the popular name that caught on until today. 

8. Santa didn't officially dress in red and white until a Coca-Cola advert was released on TV. So, mass media and big companies have proved themselves outstandingly powerful. Santa wouldn't be the man we picture today, were it not for Coca-Cola or TV. Can you believe it ?

9. In 1990, very recently, a school board banned Christmas celebrations. Yes! Again due to its pagan rituals. Parents opposed and the court decided that Christmas was independent from religion. 

10. Christmasy plants like holly or mistletoe also date back to pagan origins...what a surprise! : People would place wreaths of holly top decorate places of worship in pagan rituals. Likewise, kissing under the mistletoe was a tradition first observed during Saturnalia on a night that involved alcohol and orgies...yap, you heard right. However, some people insist that holly has a religious meaning, its thorns representing Christ's crown at the cross and the red berries representing his blood. 

So, nowadays many people are upset because Spain is a secular state and they associate Christmas celebration with religion. However, without the shade of a doubt, Christmas origins are pagan and although it has something to do with Christian religion, Christmas today has an own entity. It is not religious or secular; it's a celebration for all kinds of citizens, regardless of their beliefs. If you are interested in getting to know more, click on the link below. You'll be redirected to a three-minute video  quickly summarizing everything I wrote.  http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas.

This will be the last entry of the year, so Happy New Year everyone!

Wanna keep reading this Christmas? Short Christmas stories that will keep you busy and... Christmasy

Merry Christmas everyone! 
Want it or not, Christmas is already here. Look around you: sparkling lights, presents, freezing cold weather, and the Christmas spirit. Well, in previous years I have devoted a great deal of entries to the Christmas season : New Year resolutions; Christmas-touching videos; Boxing Day ; Christmas vocabulary; Christmas videos; Practise your listening at Christmas; Christmas carols; Christmas in Spain, the UK and the US; Christmas short stories.

This year, I propose some very short readings involving Christmas. Here you have a fine selection of Christmasy short stories : 

a) "The Gift of the Magi"  It's a good story about generosity including:  Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar (the Three Wise Men). 

b) "The Little Match Girl   

c) "The Mail Coach Passengers" 

d) "The Twelve Months" 

e) "Dinah's New Year Present" 

f) "The Fairy's New Year Gift" 

g) "The Little New Year"

Well, everyone to practise their English now that you have no excuse, he he. 
See you around. Merry Christmas to all of you!

Contrast of idioms Spanish vs. English

Hiya !

The other day I was teaching my students of Avanzado 2 some idioms related to violence in English by playing a Kahoot game. Kahoot is a very engaging way to learn; it's a game that they can play on their mobiles. In my game, they had to choose the correct idiom and they received four options, one correct one and three distractors. In the distractors I often included, you know, some misleading Spanish idiom translated to English and they fell in the trap all over and that gave me an idea : why not write an entry on this ? I' I'm sure this entry is gonna be fun! Let's begin:

Idioms that are different in Spanish and English

1)                 SPANISH                                                  ENGLISH
 
Cuesta un ojo de la cara /                      It costs an arm and a leg
cuesta un riñón   

When something is outrageously expensive, Spaniards prefer to pay with an eye of their faces or with a kidney. However, English speakers pay with an arm and a leg.

2)                  SPANISH                                           ENGLISH
     
Al que madruga Dios le ayuda   The early bird catches the worm

This idiom says that the sooner you wake up, the better. Spaniards say that people who get up early are helped by God. In English, however, God is not involved. It simply points out the advantages of getting up early. 

3)        SPANISH                                     ENGLISH
  
Es agua pasada / Agua        It's water under the bridge
pasada no mueve molinos 

These expressions illustrate that you must forget past events. For Spanish people, that is water that has gone by, but for speakers of English, it's simply water that  is under the bridge. 

4)        SPANISH                                 ENGLISH
   
Tomar el pelo                                      Pull someone's leg

When you trick someone and tell a lie so that they believe it, you are taking someone's hair in Spanish, whereas in English you don't pull the hair but someone's leg. 

5)           SPANISH                                  ENGLISH
   
La gota que colmó el vaso       The last straw that broke
                                                  the camel's back

One person withstands a lot of horrible deeds patiently until one last thing ends with their patience. This situation is represented differently in English and Spanish. While in Spanish this is represented by a glass of water brimming with water, but the English speakers are way more cruel : a camel carrying straw until one last piece of straw breaks the camel's back. 

6)       SPANISH                               ENGLISH
       
Zapatero a tus zapatos              Horses for courses

These idioms are used to explain that a person is good at doing just one thing and not others. In Spanish, the idiom goes that the shoemaker must devote himself to his shoes, but in English they prefer an animal instead. According to them, horses are only good at running courses. 

7)          SPANISH                              ENGLISH
     
Matar dos pájaros de un          Kill two birds with one stone
tiro

When you do two good actions for you at the same time. It involves killing a bird both in Spanish and English. In Spanish, you do it with a shot, but in English you do it with a stone.

8)        SPANISH                                  ENGLISH
   
Llueve a cántaros                 It's raining cats and dogs

These are expressions to indicate that is pouring with rain. In Spanish this is pictured with big jugs of water. However, in English they prefer lovely pets, cats and dogs. This is because in cottages, cats and dogs were on top of the roof and the roofs were made of straw. When it was rainy they fell inside the houses. Interesting, isn't it ?

9)   SPANISH                            ENGLISH
    
Aprender algo de                 Learn something by heart
memoria

When you memorise something, Spaniards are more literal since they use their memory; English speakers, however, are more romantic since they use their hearts. 

10)    SPANISH                         ENGLISH

Hincar los codos                       Hit the books

When you have to study hard, English speakers hit the books (they seem too violent he he). Nonetheless, the Spanish scenario seems more dramatic since they have to hammer their elbows.

Well, what do you think about English and Spanish idioms ? As you can see, translation doesn't always work when learning a foreign language. The best idea is to try to understand the logic behind the language. If you're interested in learning more idioms in English, here you have idioms with number 2; colour idioms I; colour idioms II; idioms related to joy; animal idioms I; animal idioms II, idioms of parts of the body I ; body idioms II; idioms related to violence; idioms related to food; idioms related to revenge; idioms related to money; idioms English vs. Spanish I; 

Meet... the US currency !

Are you one of the luckiest people with 5 days off this week ? In any case, I'm spending one of these days to write another post about money. As you know, some weeks ago, I wrote an entry on money vocab and another one related to the song : The Price Tag by Jessie J. Today I'm writing an entry about the US currency. I chose to write an entry about this given that US currency is quite interesting and there are many words to refer to the different US coins or notes. Do you know them all ? Let's see : 

As you know, the US currency is the dollar and as usual US dollars are divided into coins and banknotes. Let's start by analyzing coins :

1. Penny : A penny is worth one cent and it is the smallest dollar unit. You can't practically buy anything with a cent. 

2. Nickel : A nickel is the five-cent coin. It receives this name because it is made of nickel (only 25%).

3. Dime : A dime is the American ten-cent coin. It is the smallest coin in diametre. It is called dime because it refers to the tenth part of a dollar. 

4. Quarter : A quarter is a coin worth 25 cents, that is a quarter of a dollar.

5. Half dollar : A half dollar has a value of 50 cents.

6. Dollar coin : It is quite a strange coin, given that one-dollar currency is represented by means of a banknote and not a coin. It is a special coin for me, one that I cherish and treasure, as it's become a souvenir from my honeymoon to New York and a reminder of the happy moments I lived there !

Now, let's continue by showing US banknotes. There are seven notes in total, worth 1 dollar, 2 dollars, 5 dollars, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, 50 dollars and 100 dollars. Unlike in Spain, there are no 200-dollar or 500-dollar banknotes. 

Other quirks related to US currency and money

• Bucks : The word 'buck' ('bucks' in plural) is a synonym for dollar in informal English and is used a lot by American citizens. In the UK, however, they have pounds and in informal English they use the word 'quid' instead.

• How do you write and pronounce amounts of money ? Well, to write an amount in English, firstly, you have to write the symbol of the currency, then the total amount. However, if there are cents (or pence) involved, you must write them with a period (not a comma). To pronounce the price correctly you must follow three steps : 1) Firstly, you pronounce the number of dollars (or pounds, euros or other currency). 2) Secondly, you say name of the currency (it is not necessary if you are in the country where the currency is used); 3) Finally you pronounce the amount of cents / pence without saying the words 'cents' or 'pence'.

          $ 17.99 = seventeen (dollars) ninety-nine

• Other quirks about amounts of money : For normal people, big amounts of money are difficult to read and pronounce. So, in informal English, they read big amounts of money like dates, that is, in twos : 

         $1250 = twelve fifty dollars

   

         Besides, they use the word 'grand' instead of thousand.

        $20,000 = twenty grand

• US mottos : In the coins and banknotes of the US you can read some of the country's mottos.  E Pluribus Unum (out of many one) and In God We Trust, the former (out of many, one) indicating that out of thirteen colonies emerged a new nation, and the latter somehow illustrates the importance of religion for the Americans. 

Money in America could be quite interesting, don't you think? See you next week and remember that you can always post your comments, they'll be really appreciated!

It's all about the money...

Here we are in the freezing cold December. To divert you out of this unpleasant weather conditions, I intend to improve your vocabulary related to money. You know two weeks ago I wrote an entry on the song Price Tag by Jessie J. I thought it would be a fantastic idea to complement that entry with one dealing with money vocabulary. Here we go !

Actions related to money

- Pay IN cash.

- Pay BY credit card .

- Lend money TO someone = give money to someone

- Borrow money FROM someone = receive money FROM someone.

- You owe money to someone when you’re in debt / have got into debt. You have to pay them back.

- Pay FOR something.

- Save money (put money aside)

- Inherit money from a loved one who died

- You spend money ON  things, but invest money IN the stock market.

- When you spend a lot of money on useless things, you waste money or SPLASH OUT money.

- You take money out of a cash machine / ATM or you withdraw money from a cash machine / ATM

- You can’t afford to buy something when you don’t have enough money.

- That computer costs / is worth €500. / In the shop, they charged me € for that computer.

- Volunteers raise money for a charity / an NGO. You can also donate money.

- Every month, you earn your salary (not win).

- Make ends meet = get to the end of the month

- Get by with €200 a month (manage to live on that money).

- You can live off a person (teenagers usually live off their parents)

- You can live on a salary.

- You can buy/ purchase things by using money. You can exchange money for goods and you can shop FOR things.

- In some countries it is compulsory to tip the waiters.

- If you are an entrepreneur, you make money. 

Adjectives related to money

- You can be wealthy / rich / loaded (informal)

- You can be well-off (and have no problems related to money) / in the black

- You can be poor / broke/ penniless / in the red

- You can be a charitable person (generous) or you can be mean / tight-fisted / stingy/ cautious with money.

- You can be a spender or a saver.

- If you waste money, you are spendthrift or extravagant.

- Articles can be expensive / pricey or cheap / inexpensive. Really cheap articles are bargains. In some countries like Egypt you need to bargain to get your products.

Nouns related to money

- You can open a bank account and deposit your savings. To use it you can withdraw it from a cash machine / ATM or  take out money from your account. You can also keep your savings in a money box or in a piggy bank.

- If you have a lot of expenses, you’ll need to try and save your money.

- If you live in a city you have to pay taxes like VAT (Value Added Tax).

- Children usually receive pocket money.

- The money of a country is the currency, for example, in Spain, the currency is Euro, in the UK is the pound… Money includes coins and notes.

- When you don’t have money, you can ask the bank for a loan. If that loan is to buy a house, that is called mortgage. If you don't pay your mortgage installments, you'll get evicted. 

- You have a certain amount of money.

- Gratuities / tips are not included in some countries.

- You have to pay the bill every time you go to a restaurant. In America, the bill is the check.

- When you want to take something back to the shop, you need the receipt. They will offer you a refund.

- To rent a house, you need to pay a deposit.

- When you want someone to do some repairs at home, you must ask for a budget first, that is, the total amount of money that person thinks will cost the repairs.

- The price tag is the paper where you can see the price of an item.

IDIOMS RELATED TO MONEY

 

- To be in the red : When you have less than 0 euros in your bank account (bankruptcy). The opposite is to be in the black. 

- To be a soft touch : Be overly generous with money. My father used to be a soft touch. every time I asked him money, he would give it to me. 

- If you pay peanuts you get monkeys : It means that if you buy inexpensive things, you will get a useless product. You have to pay the right value of things.

- Foot the bill : In informal English, that means 'pay the bill'. 

- Go on a shopping spree  : To but things compulsively
- Be shopaholic : Be addicted to shopping

Well, you know money is important in life but don't let that cloud your judgement. Try to enjoy life without thinking too much of financial problems ! Please, post comments with more expressions and vocab related to money that you find interesting.