St. Patrick’s Day

 

 

Undoubtedly, everyone goes a bit Irish on March 17^th  because  

Saint Patrick’s Day  is celebrated all over the world!   

 

St. Patrick is the best recognized saint and Ireland's most famous patron. According to a legend, he brought Christianity to the island, popularized the clover and freed Ireland from snakes (they symbolized evil). It was assumed that the snakes were a metaphor for the paganism.

He was probably born in 385 in Britain. At the age of 16, the boy was kidnapped and then transported to Ireland, sold as a slave and then worked  herding sheep (as a shepard).

During this period  he was particularly inspired by God, and with his help he escaped from the island at the age of 20. He received a message from God to convert pagan Ireland to Christianity.

St. Patrick, with the help of a clover, explained the unity of the Holy Trinity (God the Father, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit), the Celts believed that each leaf of the clover mattered, so using the plant to learn about religion was a good idea. St. Patrick founded several churches, schools and monasteries, and the clover became a well-known symbol. 

March 17^th  is considered the date of the Saint's death and has been celebrated in Ireland for about 1500 years. 

The holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green, which is pouring out on the streets: hair, clothes and even meals are green.   As long as you use the green dye, you can serve food on St. Patrick's Day. Rivers, monuments and other buildings get green. All this to commemorate the Saint. 

Besides drinking and wearing green, attending the parade is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Interestingly, the largest parades take place outside Ireland, as Irish immigrants take the holiday very seriously.

 Have you ever seen a leprechaun?

According to the Irish folklore the leprechauns  - “little people” collect coins  in large pots–the famous “pots of gold”. The Americanized, good-natured leprechaun soon became a symbol of St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.  Leprechauns aren’t beautiful like other fairies. They wear green suits and look like little old men. They are mischievous and like to play practical jokes on people. When they aren’t playing tricks on people, they make and fix shoes. They also hide their pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Legend says that if a person captures a leprechaun, the leprechaun has to grant them three wishes.  

  

Sing along!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k-ht4lJJN4

 Useful  vocabulary:

 coins  –  monety

emerald  green  –  szmaragdowy zielony

Emerald Isle  –  Irlandia (nazwa wymyślona przez poetę Williama Drennana)

fortune  –  fortuna

a four-leaf clover  –  czterolistna koniczyna

gold  –  złoto

good luck  –  szczęście

Ireland  –  Irlandia

Irish  –  irlandzki

leprechaun  –  krasnoludek

mischievous  –  złośliwy, psotny

a parade  –  parada

 a pot of gold  –  garnek złota

a rainbow  –  tęcza

a shamrock  –  (trójlistna) koniczynka

 to dress up as a Leprechaun  –  przebrać się za krasnoludka

 to wear something green  –  założyć coś zielonego  

Watch and read for more info: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OO-bw9m6U4

10 rzeczy, które powinieneś wiedzieć o dniu Świętego Patryka (ef.pl)

Dzień Świętego Patryka czyli St. Patrick's Day | Słownictwo | ELLA (ellalanguage.com)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that says:

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.                                          The second best time is now.”  

Once you’re done with your year - end reflection for the year that ended, it’s time to look forward to the year that’s about to start. What will you write for the next chapter of your life? It’s entirely up to you. Take the first step to make sure that it’s a good great chapter by setting New Year’s resolutions.

The New Year is still as excellent a time as any to start working towards the changes you want to make. And more important than when you start is how you go about changing your behaviour. 

Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and professional development. 

The top 10 most common resolutions will look familiar to you;))

1.  Exercise more.

2.  Lose weight.

3.  Cut down on sugar.

4.  Learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. 

5.  Meet friends and relatives more often.

6.  Save more money / spend less money

7.  Quit fast food and fizzy drinks.

8.  Learn more.

9.  Travel more. 

10.Read more. 

  If you want to accomplish your New Year’s resolution this year,   follow these 10 steps:

1) Start by committing to a change that is easy to do.

2) Make your New Year's resolutions happen.

Despite the best of intentions, once the glow of a fresh new year wears off, many people struggle to make good on their plans. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions were successful. That means over half of the people who set a goal for the new year will fail!

3) Mentally prepare for change.

Naturally, your resolution may focus on areas that lack progress, but don’t forget to savor the progress made, and find some small way to celebrate. Those happy feelings are useful! If possible, try to associate them with an object or word related to your accomplishment.

As you start thinking about the changes you want to implement, make sure to do the following:

• Stay positive
• Try not to make big/quick changes
• Change should be gradual
• Build on smaller changes
• Allow a little room for error
     

4. Set a goal that motivates you.

You would be surprised how often people set goals that are not for themselves.  

Make sure the goal you set is important to you and only you and that there is value or benefit for you in achieving the goal.  

 

 

5. Limit resolutions to a manageable amount. 

  We all want to learn 25 different languages, 15 new job skills, and eliminate 5 bad habits, but we are not superheroes. We only have so much attention span we can dedicate to self-improvement, so having too many resolutions is a great way not to achieve the many goals you have set out for yourself.

Thus, you should make a short list of resolutions that you can manage in the upcoming year. Knowing that short list of priorities is the hard part. The key is understanding how to prioritize.

Final thought: It’s better to tackle one resolution well than multiple resolutions poorly.   

6. Break up big goals into smaller goals.

A lot of us tend to be overeager  when it comes to resolutions. We have the best of intentions and may accidentally take on a goal that is too big to achieve. Thus, it’s helpful to divide a big goal into smaller goals that are more achievable.

You can break up your year-long resolution into weekly or monthly goals. And have tasks planned for each month.

1.  January: ………………………..

2.  March: ……………………..

3.  May: ……………………..

4.  July: ……………………

5.  September: ………………….. 

7. Write down your goals. 

Written goals are a reminder of how far you have come and what you have achieved. It’s a nice feeling to look at back at the end of next year, and know your resolution has come to fruition. 

 

8. Share your resolutions with others.

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

It’s great to make a resolution for yourself and maybe even write it down, but if no one else knows about it, it’s easy to forget about or even ignore. And when you don’t achieve it, no one will notice or care.

 

Crazy as it sounds, this sense of guilt is often more powerful than self-motivation. The upshot here is that when you do succeed, the people you shared with will celebrate with you! 

9. Review your resolution regularly.

Let’s face it, if you are not thinking about your resolution regularly, you are not going to follow through. Thus, a crucial part of realizing your goal is a regular review. 

10. If you fall off track, get back on quickly.

Rome was not built in a day.

We’ve established it will take time for your resolution to become a reality and we know change is difficult. In fact, we’ve already established we should leave some room for mistakes and setbacks. 

A few small mistakes shouldn’t spoil your resolution for the year! 

We hope these 10 steps help you follow through with your resolutions and make 2021 your best year ever!!!  

 

 https://blog.rescuetime.com/new-years-resolutions/

https://www.goskills.com/Soft-Skills/Resources/Top-10-new-years-resolutions