3. You must have heard of many Scottish figures such as the genius
Alexander Graham Bell ( the inventor of the telephone ).. or the
famous actor Sean Connery ( James Bond , The Secret Agent
007)...
You must have seen ( Braveheart ) Mel Gibson's epic film and recognized
the well-known traditional Scottish kilt, or have heard the music of
bagpipes or even watched the sword dance .. But is that all?? Of course
not.
Well, what you should know is that Scotland is considered one of the best places
to celebrate and it has lots of wonders and festive events waiting to be discovered…
So let's go together on this journey to find about it all!!
You are explorers and are going on a journey to Scotland to learn more,
see for yourselves the festive nature of the Scottish spirit and
experiment the different styles of celebrations.
You have only 100 minutes..
Your plane will take off after that, so beware, or you'll miss you flight
back home!!!
When you come back safe, report what new explorations you have
found..
Dear explorers , use the provided links to look for the answers of the
following questions and write them down on your notebook.
4. Group A:
What is the capital of Scotland?
What are the spoken languages in Scotland?
What is the area and population of Scotland?
Is Scotland a fully independent country?
What happened in 1603?
When did the two countries unite?
http://www.stayinbritain.co.uk/country/scotland.asp
x
5. Ceann a' Bhàirr
Barrhead
Coat of Arms
It forms part of the Greater Glasgow conurbation.
There are 19,813 inhabitants
Barrhead is in Scotland.
6. Scotland is a country of Great Britain
and once independent Kingdom. It
covers 78,772 square kilometres. The
population is over 5,000,000 people.
It occupies the northern part of Great Britain
and is bordered on the south by England.
The Scottish flag
The capital town is Edinburgh.
7. In 1603 King James VI inherited the throne of
England from his Tudor cousin Elizabeth I, and
became James I of England. In 1707 the Scottish
and English Parliaments signed a Treaty of
Union, which effectively transferred all powers
to London.
In May 1999 Scotland gained a new Scottish Parliament,
which governs the country on domestic matters.
The United Kingdom Parliament, retains responsibility for
Scotland's defence, international relations and certain other
areas.
Modern Scotland comprises 32 unitary authority regions.
Coat of arms of James VI, King of Scots,
from 1567 to 1603
8. This emblem occupied the shield of the royal coat
of arms of the ancient Kingdom of Scotland.
It was used by the King of Scots until the Union
of the Crowns in 1603, when James VI acceded
to the thrones of the Kingdom of England and
Kingdom of Ireland.
Since 1603, the Lion rampant of Scotland has
been incorporated into both the royal arms and This is Royal Standard of Scotland /
royal banners of successive Scottish then British Lion Rampant of Scotland /
monarchs in order to symbolize Scotland. Banner of the King of Scots
Today it is in the Royal Standard of the United
Kingdom.
the Royal Standard of Scotland continues to be
one of Scotland's most representative symbols.
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom used in Scotland
9. In Scotland they speak English and Scottish Gaelic.
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language.
It is not an official language of the
European Union, or of the United
Kingdom. It is spoken in Scotland.
Bilingual sign at Queen Street Station
in Glasgow
with English and Gaelic.
The Gaelic language was introduced
to Scotland by settlers from Ireland,
probably in the 4th century.
The word Scot, and all such derivations
(Scotland, Scottish, etc.) derives
from Scoti, the Latin name for a people
that traveled to Scotland from
Ireland, and it is possible that this tribe
brought Gaelic speech to Scotland.
10. Group B:
What is Hogmanay ? What are the origins of this word?
When is this event celebrated?
What do people do in Hogmanay? How do Scots observe it?
http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow12.htm
11. Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last
day of the year. It is, however, normally only the start of a
celebration which lasts through the night
until the morning of New Year‟s Day.
Maybe Hogmanay derives from 16th
century Old French aguillanneuf
meaning either a gift given at New Year,
a children's cry for such a gift, or New
Year's Eve itself.
A Viking longship is burnt during Edinburgh‟s
annual Hogmanay celebrations.
12. People sing “Auld Lang Syne” "in many countries.
"Auld Lang Syne" is a traditional poem reinterpreted by Robert Burns,
which was later set to music.
It is now common for this to be sung in a circle of linked arms
that are crossed over one another as the clock strikes midnight for New Year's Day.
13. The most widespread national custom is
the practice of „first-footing‟ which
starts immediately after midnight.
This involves being the first person to
cross the threshold of a friend or
neighbour and often involves the giving
of symbolic gifts such as salt, coal,
shortbread, whisky and a fruit cake
(black bun) intended to bring different
kinds of luck to the householder.
Food and drink (as the gifts) are then
given to the guests.
The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year.
Traditionally, tall dark men are preferred as the first-foot.
14. Group C:
What is Burns Night? Who Is Burns?
What do people do in this event?
What is the " Haggis “?
http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_burns_supper. htm
15. Robert Burns was born on 25 January 1759 in
Alloway in Scotland and died on 21 July 1796.
In his short life he made a tremendous impression
on many people in Scotland, so it was only
natural that they should want to mark his life
and works with some sort of celebration.
The custom of holding a "supper" to the immortal
memory of Rabbie Burns has become a world-
wide phenomenon .
Haggis is a dish containing sheep‟s „pluck‟ (heart,
liver, and lungs) , minced with onion, oatmeal,
suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and
traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach
for approximately three hours. It is served with
„neeps and tatties‟ (yellow turnip and potatoes)
and a „dram‟, (a glass of scotch whisky ).
16. Group D:
What are the Highland Games? When do they
start?
What do people wear?
Give an idea about some of the sports events
held there.
What other activities do people do during those
games?
http://www.solarnavigator.net/sport/highland_ga
mes.htm
17. Highland games are festivals held throughout the
year in Scotland and many other countries of the
world as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic
culture and heritage, especially that of the
Scottish Highlands.
In their original form many centuries ago,
Highland games centered around athletic and
sports competitions.
The origin of games and sports pre-dates recorded history
and are the stuff of legend and stories.
One common factor seems to be the need of primitive man to develop or to imitate,
magically or otherwise, the skills necessary for survival in his society.
18. Normally held in conjunction with the opening and closing
ceremonies of the games, as many as 20 or more pipe bands
will march and play together.
There are two basic forms of dancing at modern Highland Games gatherings.
Scottish country dancing is a social dance like ballroom dancing or square dancing,
the latter of which evolved from country dancing.
At modern-day Highland Games events, a wide variety of
other activities and events are generally available.
Various vendors selling Scottish memorabilia are also present
selling everything from Irn-Bru to the stuffed likeness
of the Loch Ness Monster.
Traditional and modern Celtic arts are often showcased.
Food vendors will also offer assorted types of traditional Scottish refreshment and sustenance.
19. What is Edinburgh Festival? When is it held?
What subsidiary festivals does it include?
How do people celebrate this event?
http://www.edinburghguide.com/festival/edinburghsfestivals/
1623
http://www.edinburgh-history.co.uk/edinburgh-international-
festival.html
20. The Edinburgh International Festival is a
festival of performing arts that takes place in
the city of Edinburgh , over three weeks from
around the middle of August. By invitation from
the Festival Director, the International Festival
brings top class performers of music (especially
classical music), theatre, opera, and dance from
around the world to perform. The festival also
hosts a series of visual art exhibitions, talks and
workshops.
It took
place
between
August 22
and
September
11
21. Every available hall in churches, school and universities,
and open space with a roof over it is requisitioned.
Public walls are papier-mached with layers of posters, and "Seen anything good?"
is at the top of every festival-goer's tongue. It is chaotic, mad, intoxicating.
"The festival" is, in fact, several overlapping festivals, run by separate organisations:
the Edinburgh International Festival,
the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh Book Festival,
The Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival, and the Edinburgh Art Festival.
There's also the mini, multi-cultural fest the Edinburgh Mela late in the month of August,
and the 3-day Edinburgh Television Festival
and 3-day Edinburgh Interactive Festival , although the latter two are more industry events.
22. Dear friends, after searching your links
we can say you are right: Scotland is not
only
Sean Connery „s and 007 and Mel
Gibson „s Braveheart!!
See you very soon!
