Monday 28 March 2016
Sunday 27 March 2016
Thursday 24 March 2016
Thursday 17 March 2016
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
found pic @ Google Images |
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the
saint's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth
century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000
years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent,
Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate
in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were
waived and people would dance, drink and feast--on the traditional meal of Irish
bacon and cabbage.
Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is
the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was
kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped,
but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its
people. In the centuries following Patrick's death (believed to have been on
March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained
in the Irish culture.
Since around the
ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing the Roman Catholic
feast day of St. Patrick on March 17. Interestingly, however, the first parade
held to honor St. Patrick's Day took place not in Ireland but in the United
States. On March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military
marched through New York City. Along with their music, the parade helped the
soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as with fellow Irishmen
serving in the English army.
Tradition
Originally, the
colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. Over the years the colour green
and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks
were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. Saint
Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the
Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and
shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. In the
1798 rebellion, to make a political statement, Irish soldiers wore full green
uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching public attention. The phrase
"the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's
clothing, derives from a song of the same name.
St. Patrick's Day around the World
Sydney Opera House lit up for St. Patrick's Day @ Wikipedia |
Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St.
Patrick's Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia.
Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day is
celebrated in many other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore
and Russia.
In modern-day
Ireland, St. Patrick's Day was traditionally been a religious occasion. In
fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17.
Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to
use interest in St. Patrick's Day to drive tourism and showcase Ireland and
Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, approximately 1 million people
annually take part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day
celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and
fireworks shows.
Monday 14 March 2016
It's π Day & Einstein's Birthday!
image credits: Biography.com |
Pi Approximation Day is held on July 22 in
the day/month date format because it is the approximate value of π (22/7 =
3.14).
What
is Pi (π)?
image credits: in2eastafrica |
The lower case Greek letter π is used
because it is the first letter of the Greek work περίμετρος (perimeter), which
probably refers to its use in the formula perimeter divided by diameter equals
the constant for all circles. The concept of π has become the most common
ground between mathematicians and non-mathematicians.
What
do people do?
There are many activities that celebrate Pi Day such as games,
creating some type of pi ambiance, eating “pi” foods, converting things into
pi, making strange mathematical endeavors like having a contest to see who
knows the most digits of pi. Many people celebrate Pi Day by eating pie and
discussing the relevance of π. Many teachers will use this date to engage
students in activities related to pi by singing songs and carols about pi and
developing pi projects.
Mathematicians, teachers, museum directors,
math students of all ages and other enthusiasts celebrate the number with pi
recitations, pie-baking, pie-eating contests and math-related activities.
The
First Pi Day
Pi Day celebrations was founded by Larry Shaw and it was first held at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988. The celebrations began with the public and museum staff marching around a circular space and then eating fruit pies. The museum has since then added pizza to its menu and has grown to include activities such as creating Pi puns, Pi-related antics, and many other activities that involve Pi.
Alternative
Pi Days and Pi Approximation Days
Pi Day and/or Pi Approximation Day can be
celebrated on other calendar dates such as:
July 22: When 22 is divided by 7, it equals
3.14.
March 4: When 14% of the 3rd month has
elapsed.
April 5: When 3.14 months of the year have
elapsed.
April 26: The Earth has traveled two
radians of its orbit on this day (April 25 in leap years). This is celebrated
exactly on the 41st second of the 23rd minute of the 4th hour on April 26 or
the 116th day. (In leap years, it is celebrated exactly on the 3rd second of
the 2nd minute of the 12th hour on April 25 or the 116th day.)
November 10: The 314th day of the year
(November 9 in leap years).
December 21, 1:13 p.m.: The 355th day of
the year (December 20 in leap years), celebrated at 1:13 for the Chinese
approximation 355/113.
Source: timeanddate.com (sligtly abridged)
You can read more about Pi Day on Teaching & Learning @ Pi Day 2012.
If you are looking for teachers' resources, check TeachPi, where you'll find ideas for Pi Day activities, learning and entertainment!
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Monday 7 March 2016
Thursday 3 March 2016
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