Mardi Gras in the USA Mardi Gras, from the French words meaning "Fat Tuesday," combines religious tradition with a carnival or festival to welcome spring. It is also called Shove Tuesday or Pancake Day (in UK pancakes have an important role in celebrating Mardi Gras). Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival- a festival season. Carnival begins 12 days after Christmas on January 6 and ends on Mardi Gras, which always falls exactly 47 days before Easter. The date of Mardi Gras changes every year. In the year 2008 it is on the 5th of February. "Fat Tuesday" is also the last day that Catholics can eat meat before Lent, the forty-day period of fasting before Easter The cities most famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations include New Orleans, Louisiana; Venice, Italy; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many other places have important Mardi Gras celebrations as well. It is a federal holiday in Alabama, Florida an...
Main Sights England is known for its many world-famous sightseeings and people all around the world come to see them. Some of them are even like symbols of England. The most famous ones are: Stonehenge is one of the greatest national icons of Britain. That prehistoric monument is located in the plain of Salisbury, in the county of Wiltshire in the south-west of England. It is built of 150 enormous stones which are set in a purposive circular pattern. Stonehenge was probably built to mark the longest and shortest day of the year because it lies on the line of the midsummer sunrise and the midsummer sunset. That would have enabled people to keep a record of changing of seasons. Although it is still unclear who built it. Hadrian’s Wall is an ancient wall which was built in 2nd century by Hadrian, the emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138, and it marked the northern border of the Roman Empire in Britain. The wall was 80 Roman miles (117 kilom...
1. Ancient Britain: the Celtic tribes. 2000 years ago there was an Iron Age Celtic culture throughout the Br Isles. It seems that the Celts, who had been arriving from Europe from the 8th cent BC onward, intermingled with the peoples who were already there. The Celts were extremely talented people, creative and artistic. More than 1 Celtic tribe invaded Br. The descendants of ancient Celts live in Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and Ireland. They lived in primitive society. Druids priests, more powerful than chiefs. Acted like prophets. 2. Stonehenge From prehistoric period. Was built on Salisbury plain between 2500 and 1500 bc. One of the most famous and mysterious archaeological sites in the world. One of the mysteries is how it was built at all with the technology of the time. Another is its purpose. It appears to function as a kind on astronomical clock and we know it was used by the Druids for ceremonies marking the passing ...