St. Nicholas (Santa Claus)

For British kids, 6 December may mean little more than popping another chocolate out of the advent calendar on the countdown to the Big event.

But for many children across Europe, this date signals St Nicholas Day - an event as exciting as Christmas Day itself.

In Holland, for instance, children leave clogs and shoes out on 5 December to be filled with presents by St Nicholas - or Sinterklaas - overnight. In the morning, Sinterklaas visits a city or town in the Netherlands, leading a procession on a white horse.

In other countries including Austria, Germany, Belgium, Croatia and regions of France, their versions of the St Nicholas figure come to deliver treats to the good little boys and girls too, with toys, chocolates, cookies, oranges, nuts and marzipan among the goodies brought.

Even in the UK there are special church-organised St Nicholas events, including a parade in Canterbury, a celebration at St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle and a festival at the Holy Trinity in London's Sloane Square.

Yet despite the popularity of this festival so close to our own shores, and while many of us probably have a vague recollection of our own Father Christmas being somehow related to St Nick, the odds are we know very little about the legend of St Nicholas.

So who is this festive saint and why is he celebrated on 6 December?

While much of his story is shrouded in mystery, what is known is that Nicholas was born around 260AD in Asia Minor, now Turkey. He became bishop of Myra, in the present day Antalya Province, and is believed to have been persecuted and imprisoned for his faith by the Roman emperor Diocletian.

He died in 343, probably on 6th December, before in 1087 his bones were stolen by Italian merchants and taken to Bari, on the heel of Italy.

Along the way a series of legends have sprung up about his beneficence: how, the son of wealthy parents, he gave much of his inheritance away, stilled a storm to rescue a ship of stricken sailors and saved three poor sisters from prostitution by secretly dropping bags of gold down their chimneys into a stocking (sound familiar?).

Over time Nicholas has become the patron saint of everything from children to the unjustly imprisoned, sailors, scholars, brides, perfumers and even people being mugged. During the middle ages the legend of his golden gift to the three sisters turned into the anonymous giving of food to the poor.

As for how the old bishop turned into the fat, jolly, rosy-cheeked Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, that we know and love today? Most important to this transformation was probably the arrival of the Dutch in America, taking their 6th December customs with them.

Their Sinterklaas became Santa in local dialect, and soon imagery abounded of a kindly saint hanging toys in stockings by fireplaces. In 1823 the poem by Clement C. Moore - now known as The Night Before Christmas but then called A Visit from St Nicholas - put into bold relief the jelly-bellied, dimpled, bearded chap he is now.

Shortly afterwards the New York caricaturist Thomas Nast penned a series of cartoons for Harper's Weekly featuring a fat Santa in a red cloak, before in the 1930s ads for Coca Cola really cemented the image by depicting him in his scarlet coat trimmed with fur.

For Canon Jim Rosenthal, founder of the St Nicholas Society, it's high time St Nick was remembered by everyone who celebrates Christmas: "I always think it's sad that people are ignorant of the origins of our customs. Santa Claus is fine, but St Nicholas is so much better. Like us, he is real."

Travel writer Jeremy Seal, author of Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus, agrees his story deserves better recognition: "Nicholas seems to be a sensible person that made his name from giving material, practical assistance.

"That aspect has resonated through the ages because material assistance is something we all need and can relate to... You can select any number of stories about him, but most have in common his bringing help to people."

He adds: "That is the lesson we can take out of this. Gifts just for the sake of giving to our loved ones who have enough may not reflect what St. Nicholas was all about".
Did you know..?

• A painting of St Nicholas, The Charity of St Nicholas of Bari, by Italian Renaissance artist Girolamo Macchietti hangs in the National Gallery in London - showing him poised to deliver the bags of gold to the three poor sisters

• Manchester University scientists found St Nicholas to have a broken nose and a white beard after recreating his face using X-rays of his crypt

• Among the legends is that he resurrected three boys killed by a psychotic butcher, after they had been chopped up, salted in a barrel and prepared to be sold as ham during a period of famine

• The tangerines traditionally left as gifts in the stockings of children who have been good allude to St Nicholas's emblem – three balls of gold

• Some experts claim that the body of St Nick was actually moved to County Kilkenny in Ireland in the 12th century, and buried in the now ruined Church of St Nicholas, Jerpoint

• Our Father Christmas is born of the St Nicholas legend - but also crossed with that of the Norse god Odin, who rode through the winter world in a blue cloak and long white beard bringing gifts or punishments as appropriate.

(From: http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/st--nicholas-day.html)

Reindeer pant to stay cool in fur coats

By Ella Davies Reporter, BBC Nature

Reindeer pant to lower their brain temperatures when running in fur coats, according to research.

Scientists in Norway trained reindeer to run on treadmills to study how they stayed cool under physical exertion.

The animals are heavily insulated against the cold of Arctic winters, leaving few methods of losing heat.

Results showed the reindeer inhaling large quantities of cold air and transferring heat by panting.

Professors Arnoldus Blix and Lars Folkow from the University of Tromso worked with Lars Walloe from the University of Oslo on the study.

Their findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

"Reindeer are the best animals to work with; once they trust the trainer they will do anything for you," Prof Blix told the journal.

After training the reindeer to run on the treadmill, the scientists measured their physiological responses to exercise in a cold environments.

In the early stages of running, the reindeer's breathing changed from seven breaths per minute to 250.

Blood flow to the face also increased and as the inhaled air passed over blood vessels inside the reindeer's noses, the temperature of this blood dropped.

This cooler blood then circulated around the body to cool the hard-working, heat-stressed muscles.

Subsequent panting then exposed the reindeer's large wet tongues to the cool air.

"They do not have sweat glands like us humans which would ruin the insulative properties of their fur, but make use of the same principle - heat dissipation through evaporation of water - when they pant," Prof Folklow told BBC Nature.

Finally, when their brain temperature reached a critically hot 39C, the reindeer switched to another strategy.

The team found that through "selective brain cooling", the reindeer diverted the cooled blood from their noses into their heads, where it reduced the temperature of blood circulating to the brain, protecting it from overheating.

"This high-arctic [animal] which tolerates cold very well, also has an immense capacity to tolerate heat stress due to the high efficiency of the panting mechanism and the habit of resorting to brain cooling when the heat load gets really high," said Prof Folklow.

Previous studies have highlighted this ability in sheep, leading scientists to question whether all species of hoofed mammal can selectively cool their brains.

BBC © 2011

Tips to prevent office back pain

Do you work in an office, here's some advice to avoid back pain:

Back pain is nothing short of a modern day plague; around seven out of 10 of us can expect to suffer from it at some time.
Back pain is a major cause of days off work, and is the second most common cause of long-term sickness in the UK, after stress.
Much of the back pain is not caused by lifting heavy objects or shifting around chests of drawers, but is down to sitting at an office desk for lengthy periods of time.
Many office workers don't even take a break from their desk: A UK wide survey by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists found one third choose to work through lunch breaks.
Yet sitting is one of the worst things you can do to your lower back, and that's before slouching and bad posture are factored in. Just working in the same position without a break increases the risk of developing back (and neck) pain.
To prevent developing back pain while sitting in front of a computer, try the following tips from the British Chiropractor Association:

• Relax when sitting into your chair. Make sure you have your bottom against the seat back with your shoulder blades touching the back rest of the chair
• Make sure your feet touch the floor, or use a foot rest
• There should be space between the front of your seat and back of your calves
• Your hips should be higher than your knees (tilt the seat)
• Arms should be flat and your elbows level with the desk or table you are using. Use a seat with arm rests
• Take regular breaks. Never sit at the computer for more than 40 minutes; less if possible
• When you take a break, walk around and stretch a little; do something completely different
• Remove any obstacles from under your desk to ensure you have enough leg room

In addition, position the monitor so that it is straight in front of you, at about arms length, and make sure it is directly in front of you, not at an angle.
The top of the screen should be at eye level, and you should not need to look up, twist your body or lean forward to use it.

(From: http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/Tips-to-prevent-office-back-pain.htm)

An interesting news story

An interesting news story - click on the highlighted words to see their meaning)

Killer Sharks Invade Golf Course in Oz
(Oz = Australia)

Members of a golf club in Australia have something more to worry about than just their swing - playing on what's thought to be the world's first shark-infested course.

Water hazards are a challenge for anyone who plays golf, but on the 14th tee at the Carbrook Golf Club in Brisbane there is another reason to be concerned.
Half a dozen man-eating bullsharks live in the lake in the centre of the course where their fins poking through the water have become a regular sight.
The sharks got onto the Queensland golf course when it flooded some years ago after a river broke its banks.
They became stranded when the water receded, but now they are thriving and even breeding.
"You can't believe how close you are...just six feet away," club general manager Scott Wagstaff said.
"There's no drama, it's become a positive thing for the golf course. They are amazing. I've become a shark lover since working here."
Although the lake is well stocked with fish, Mr Wagstaff sometimes throws in meat to encourage the sharks to come near the surface.
"I'm sure they are aggressive when you are in the water but when you are out here feeding them they are beautiful to watch," he told Sky News.
The sharks have become renowned in the region and there is even a monthly tournament called the "Shark Lake Challenge".
Golfers often pause during games for a few minutes to see if they can spot the sharks before they head off to the next tee.
The sharks, which are between 8 and 10ft long, have proved quite a hit at corporate events and their fins have even been spotted during wedding ceremonies held on the course.
Local children once jumped in the lake to retrieve lost golf balls for extra pocket money - but it is something they have not done for a while.
(From: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/killer-sharks-invade-golf-course-oz-012405533.html - you can see a video of the story, and the sharks, here)
Now you can post in the comments below and say what other hazards could be added to the golf course - maybe lions?

Practise speaking

We mentioned this website before, but it's worth mentioning again.

English Central

A great website where you can practise your English speaking by watching videos and recording your speaking. The site will give you a score and you can listen to the correct pronunciation if you make a mistake.

Find videos that are of interest to you: films, news etc. and practise away!

Happy speaking!

Wedding

There has been a wedding recently, so here are some words from the news. Click on the link to look the words up in the dictionary. (Tip - also make a note of the words that go together with the new word, e.g. fashioned from, not just fashioned).

Prince William and Kate Middleton have kissed twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding service in Westminster Abbey.

They were cheered by 500,000 well-wishers who gathered outside the palace, as RAF planes flew past in honour of the new royal couple.

In the evening the pair returned to the Palace for a dinner and dance, expected to continue into the early hours.

The couple will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Police estimate a million people lined the procession route from the abbey to the palace following the wedding.

Prince William later drove his new bride back to Clarence House, following a buffet reception at Buckingham Palace, at the wheel of his father's classic blue Aston Martin, before returning to the palace in the evening.

The vehicle was decked in ribbons and balloons with "Just Wed" on the number plate. The church service, watched by 1,900 guests, ran smoothly but the prince did struggle to place the wedding ring on the duchess's finger.

Following a long tradition, the ring has been fashioned from Welsh gold given to Prince William by the Queen.

After the couple said their vows - in which the bride did not promise to obey her husband - the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Dr Rowan Williams, declared: "I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

They spent a private moment together with their families, as they signed the marriage register.

BBC © 2011

Practise listening

I'm sure you all agree that when you learn a language it's good to practise listening. As well as improving your listening skills, it will also help you develop your vocabulary and grammar.

Here's a website where you can listen to podcasts: Podcasts in English. You can choose the level that's right for you and listen to something interesting. You can also read the transcript and use worksheets and vocabulary tasks.

Happy listening and learning!

Words in the news

Have a look at this news story.

Here are some expressions from the story - click on them to see a definition:

cause internet services to crash

fibre-optic cables

she has been charged

pending the end of the investigation

subsequent trial

wholesale internet providers

services were restored again

Now look at these four phrases from the story. Which one does not belong in this group and why? (You can post your answer in the comments below):

1. she has been charged

2. she has been released

3. she had been searching

4. services were restored

You can also discuss the story with each other using the comments:

- Is the woman to blame for the loss of internet?

- Is three years in prison a fair sentence for this crime?

- Is it right to take into account her old age?

A new hero in the news!

Watch this news story from England, then you can post a comment (click on the 'comment' button and leave your answers - see if other people agree with you!) below and answer the following questions:

- Was the lady right to do what she did?

- Why did nobody else do it?

- What would you have done in the same situation?

- Should the lady get a reward, or should all people be expected to do this?

- Would this happen in Tbilisi?

Some vocabulary from the story:

sledgehammer

passer-by

footage

heroine

moped

lash out

flee

suspect

Can you guess what happened, now you know the words? Watch the film and see!

Why free classes are useful!

From January 24th we will have free classes every day from 1.00 - 3.00 at our Brosse street branch for pre-intermediate to upper-intermediate students.

Why free? Well, we run teacher training courses for Cambridge ESOL (part of Cambridge University) and we need classes for the teachers to practice teaching. The teachers are observed and assisted by Cambridge approved teacher trainers.

Why is it useful for you? The teachers need to deliver lessons in vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, writing and speaking, so you get to practice and improve all aspects of your English. :-) You'll also get to meet new friends! All the lessons have to be planned well, and usually the teachers spend a few hours planning each one, so you know the lessons will be thorough.

So, don't delay - register with reception today! :-)