Happy Norooz – Iranian New Year, March 20th

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Norooz is the Iranian New Year. In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Persian New Year Celebration always begins on the first day of Spring, March 20th of each year.

Norooz (meaning “New Day” in Persian) ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts – the End and Rebirth. About 3,000 years ago Persian’s major religion was Zoroastrianism, named in honour of its founder Zoroaster, and arguably the world’s first monotheistic religion. Zoroastrians had a festival called “Farvardgan” which lasted ten days, and took place at the end of the solar year. It is said that this was a festival of sorrow and mourning, signifying the end of life, while the festival of Norooz at the beginning of Spring signified rebirth, and was a time of great joy and celebration.

Norooz sinifies hope, peace and prosperity and has been celebrated among people regardless of ethnic background, political views or religion in many countries around the globe, such as Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Georgia, Iraq, Tajikistan, Syria, Armenia and India.

Some of the activities during Norooz include spring cleaning, buying new clothes, painting eggs, family reunion, giving presents, visiting neighbours and friends and celebrating with a picnic on the 13th day of Spring.

By Peyman Shameli, Language Course Advisor at Cactus.

Weihnachten – Christmas in Germany

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The German Christmas season starts in the beginning of December when everyone decorates their homes. Towns and cities put up Christmas lights, people make their home made Plätzchen (Christmas biscuits) and supermarkets are filled with Schokolade (chocolate), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Marzipan (marzipan) and other sugary Christmas treats. A German Christmas tradition that helps counting down the days until Christmas and is also a great excuse for eating chocolate before breakfast are Adventskalender (advent calendars). A lot of people make theirs or at least fill them themselves, and you can also buy different fillers from the supermarket: like chocolate, wine gums, toys or even cosmetics.

Another tradition that helps to count down the days before Christmas are Adventskränze (Christmas wreaths). They come in many different versions made from pine, wood, plastic or metal. But they are always round and feature four Advent candles. One of them is lit every Adventssonntag (Advent Sunday).

For decoration, there are a couple of typical German accessories: Rauchermännchen (German incense smokers), Schwibbögen (candle arches), a Krippe (nativity scene) or simply Lichterketten (holiday lights).

What’s great about the German Christmas season is that there is another festive day at the beginning of the month. On December 6th Germans celebrate Nikolaus (St. Nicholas Day). Children clean their boots and put them in front of their door. If they have been good all year, the Nikolaus will put sweets and treats in their shoes. If they have been bad, all they will get is a Rute (twigs).

Of course you can get some of the treats on the Weihnachtsmarkt (German Christmas market). If you’ve never been to one-you’re definitely missing out. Every city in Germany has at least one Christmas market with little stalls where you can buy presents, jewellery, and treats like Bratwurst, Flammkuchen (tarte flambée) gebrannte Mandeln (burnt sugar almonds) and everyone’s favourite: Glühwein (mulled wine)!

The Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree) is usually put up and decorated on the 24th of December. German Christmas tree decorations do not really differ from other countries. People just decorate their tree depending on their personal taste or family tradition.

On Heiligabend (Christmas Eve), before opening presents, some families go to church, others just go for a walk or have tea. Depending on which part of Germany children are from they either believe in the Weihnachtsmann (Santa Claus) or the Christkind (Baby Jesus) delivering their presents.

In Germany there are also a lot of regional differences when it comes to Christmas dinner.  Most people keep it very simple though and have Würstchen (sausages) or Bratwurst with Kartoffelsalat (potato salad). Then, on Boxing day and Christmas day, the 1. und 2. Weihnachtsfeiertag it’s time for the festive meals: Gänse- or Entenbraten (roast goose or duck), Rotkohl (red cabbage), Grünkohl (kale), Maronen (chestnuts) and of course Klöße (dumplings).

Lyon: The top 5 places to eat

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From tartines to seafood to the traditional ‘bouchon’ restaurant, Adrienne Mansard tells us exactly where to go when we get hungry in Lyon…

5. L’Epicerie
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The first of two tartine restaurants on this list, L’Epicerie is located on the presqu’ile and is the perfect place to stop off after a day of shopping and practising your French. The restaurant serves a good variety of tartines (open face sandwiches topped with the freshest and most delicious ingredients) and manages to make the simplest ingredients somehow more amazing than you ever thought humanly possible. Order the tomato pesto mozzarella tartine for lunch and a fruit tart for dessert and your concept of a simple meal will change completely. Not only that, but the prices are a bargain in Lyon and they’ll let you nurse your coffee for as long as you need to rest your tired, travelling feet.

2 Rue de la Monnaie, Lyon 69002

4. A la pêche aux moules
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If you’re looking for the best seafood in Lyon, this is the place to go. The restaurant is nautically themed and the staff are exceptionally friendly to foreigners and locals alike. While everything on the menu is worth a try, the best item on the menu is the mussels, which come with the sauce of your choice. After ordering, you’ll be given a pot of mussels bigger than your head that you swear you won’t finish. That is, of course, until you taste it, and realize that to leave a drop of this food untouched would be a crime against the French. It is THAT good. If you have trouble deciding which sauce to order, go with the Moules Provencales; you won’t be sorry.

2 Rue Marronniers, Lyon 69002

3. Chez M’man

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Let me just say this, there is a stovetop hanging from the ceiling. Let me repeat, there is a stovetop hanging from the ceiling. If that doesn’t spell charming, I’m not sure what does. This little place, located just around the corner from Place Bellecour is as traditionally French as can be and, unlike most restaurants in Lyon, it offers menu options from the differing regions of France so you can try more than just the typical Lyonnaise cuisine if you feel like mixing things up. The restaurant is always lively and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, so much so that you’ll feel like part of the family every time you walk in – as if someone’s “Maman” really is in the kitchen making food for whoever decides to stop by.

4 Rue Marronniers, Lyon 69002

2. La Becquée

This tartine restaurant in Vieux Lyon is the second on our list and is the one you’ll tell all your friends about during your many hours of reminiscing about Lyon. They serve a variety of sweet and savoury tartines, salads, cheese and charcuterie plates that will definitely make you wonder why you don’t just take a leap of faith and move to France for the food and the food alone. Beyond the mouth-watering food, the restaurant is also a history lesson of Lyon with medieval archways and original rock walls from the 14th century. To add to the already charming atmosphere, your food will arrive via dumbwaiter from the upstairs kitchen and, if you’re in the mood for some fun beyond the joys of dining, there are board games available that you can take out and play at your leisure. It’s as if they never want you to leave, and trust me, you won’t want to.

2 Rue Saint Georges, Lyon 69005

1. Aux 24 Colonnes

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Lyon is known throughout the world for its “bouchons,” a type of restaurant specific to Lyon serving traditional Lyonnais cooking. The restaurants are small, the energy is warm, and the owners are almost always present and friendly. But there is one that goes above and beyond all the rest in Lyon. Tucked away on a quiet street in Vieux Lyon, Aux 24 Colonnes is by far the best bouchon in town and the local’s best kept secret. The food is simple and delicious and the warmth and generosity of the owner checking in on you throughout your meal is the stuff of French legends. You’ll begin to wonder how a man like him even exists and why you can’t take him home with you when the meal is over. The food is traditional Lyonnaise cuisine and so good that it will actually make you swoon. Trust me, I have swooned here many times, and each time is better than the last. So go there hungry and be prepared for the possibility of a substantial food orgasm that will leave you in a state of bliss that only France can provide.  Also, if you stay there long enough until the bulk of service is over, you might just end up being serenaded by a guitar playing chef relaxing after a hard night’s work. I know, it sounds too French and too good to be true. But I swear, it’s real, and it’s waiting for you in Lyon. (Adrienne is pictured here with a friend enjoying an evening at Aux 24 Colonnes).

10 Rue Trois Maries, Lyon 69005

Cactus offers a variety of French courses in Lyon and in other cities across France.

We also offer language holidays in another 30 languages, in 60 countries and 500 destinations worldwide.

Ramadan in Morocco: my experience as a foreigner

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Assistant Director of Studies Leticia Artiles Gracia, who lives and works part-time in Morocco, discovers that Ramadan is both an eye-opening and a heart-warming experience.

My language and cultural immersion continues and I cannot describe how enriching this whole experience is turning out to be.

I continue to find the language really difficult; it’s not that the more you learn the easier it becomes, but the other way around. This is, however, challenging and motivating: I’m definitely not giving up.

I have just spent 4 weeks in Brighton working and came back 3 days after Ramadan had started. First time ever I am in a Muslim country during this holy month for them and it’s definitely a whole new experience for me.

Most people may think that Ramadan is just about not eating and drinking while there is daylight, but there is a lot more to it than the simple act of fasting: simple may not be the right word as it must be anything but simple. It’s true that the most known part is the fact that Muslims fast for a whole month, from dawn to sunset. This means refraining from eating, drinking liquids, smoking, sexual relationships and even swearing.

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and this month is regarded as one of the 5 Pillars of Islam. This year it took place between the beginning of July and the beginning of August and the start and end dates vary from country to country. In Morocco it started on 9th July and it ended on 9th August with what is called Eid al Iftar: a 3 day holiday where a lot of celebrations take place and presents are exchanged.

Regardless of how much people follow religion during the rest of the year, Ramadan is something everyone in Morocco does (except people belonging to other religions or atheists). But it’s not my intention to deepen into the theory of Ramadan – more to share my experience as a foreigner in Morocco during this month.

It really gives me a sense of peace and joy to see how they all become one. The fact that everyone is doing the same and they all follow the same patterns is something I have never experienced before.
During Ramadan many things changed before my eyes. Streets were full of people from around 10pm but what was surprising is that it wasn’t only men; there were lots of women and children too. Having said that, the complete opposite happened every day from around 6.30pm until 8.30pm, the time when everyone would run home to have Iftar with their relatives or friends.

Most days, at this time, I just sat on my terrace or went for a walk to enjoy what a couple of months ago I thought it was impossible: silence…

Another big change I observed during this month was women’s clothing. Because this is a spiritual month they all put away their usual clothes (no matter how traditional or how modern they normally dress) and opt for a more modest way of dressing: generally the djellabas. Women wear them in so many different colours and patterns that it made the landscape even more beautiful to my eyes.

As it is also a time for even more praying, the mosques became so full that they even had to create some extra space in their patios and in the streets for men to come to pray, especially for the prayer after the break of the fast.

But it also has its negative side: arguments and conflicts in the streets are more usual during this period as people tend to be in a bad mood when they cannot smoke and eat. And also people use their cars more as they all want to be home on time to break the fast with their families, so you have to be extra careful when you are on the road.

I had the pleasure to join friends some days for Iftar and I absolutely loved the experience. The ritual is quite impressive as they all sit at the table with all the food ready, but they do not start eating until they get the sign that the they can do so, which is announced by the call to prayer. Then they start by eating some dates and drinking either milk or water or juice.

The meal varies depending on the place and the different families but usually consists of a harira (soup made of chick peas, lentils, meat, egg, flour, etc) served with bowls of dates and hardboiled eggs sprinkled with salts and cumin. On the table you might also find Msemen, Harsha and other Moroccan bakery specialities and sweets such as Chebekia or Sfouf. But what cannot lack are drinks. They drink all that they have not been able to drink during the whole day (water, juice, tea, coffee, milk, etc.). After this meal, some people have another one at around 10pm and yet another one before 3am. Night-time hours are spent walking the streets, in cafes or watching TV and chatting to the family.

Life for the Moroccans changes so much during this month. Many people stay up through the night and sleep during the day – including those who work normal hours during the day, which means that their hours of sleep during this month are almost halved. I don’t know how they do it but they manage to function well, although they do look very tired all day long. If you walk through the parks during the day, you see many people lying on the grass sleeping but I guess those are the ones that don’t work or those that own their own shops and will work during the night.

Ramadan is a month for spending time with the family and friends, socialising, caring, sharing, praying… It’s definitely not easy, but it’s something they are used to doing and they love it!

And I loved seeing how it is and sharing it with so many friends who opened their homes and hearts to help me experience it to the full.

Easter in Italy

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Church bells are silent from the day before Good Friday to Easter Sunday when they ring out again. The bells are said to go to Rome to see the Pope, and then return with Easter eggs, which are hidden in houses and gardens for children to find. Other traditional Easter foods include lamb, goat and special Easter breads such as Panettone, Colomba Pasquale, Fugazza Vicentina, Pizza di Pasqua and Fiadoni.

Religious processions are held in many Italian towns and cities on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and sometimes on Easter Sunday. They often involve statues of Mary or Jesus being paraded through the streets by people dressed in medieval costumes while olive branches or palm fronds are waved by the spectators, and are used to decorate the churches.

In Florence’s historic centre (centro storico) the Easter celebrations, known as Scoppio del Carro (explosion of the cart), involves a large 17th century cart being pulled through the streets by a team of white oxen, which are decorated with garlands. The precession goes to the square outside the Basilica di S. Maria del Fiore, where they hold mass. After the service the Archbishop lights a dove-shaped rocket which goes down a wire and hits the cart in the square, setting off fireworks. The idea is that the loud explosions will ensure a good harvest. Following on from that is a parade of people dressed in medieval costumes.

Processions are held all over Sicily to celebrate Easter. For example, in the Sicilian town of Enna a procession of two thousand friars dressed in medieval costumes is held on Good Friday, while in Trapani, statues made by local guilds are carried through the streets in a procession that lasts 24 hours. In Prizzi, south of Palermo, some of the people dress up as devils with red and black masks, horns and grotesque noses and they go through the streets trying to persuade spectators to buy them drinks. At the same time other people dress as angels and stage a symbolic struggle with the devils, who are defeated and have to buy drinks for everyone.

In Sulmona in the Abruzzo region people dress in green and white on Easter Sunday and gather in the main piazza. The woman playing the Virgin Mary is dressed in black at first, but after she goes to the fountain and doves are released, her outfit changes to colour to green. After this there is music and much eating and drinking.

In Rome on Good Friday the Pope celebrates the Via Crucis in Rome near the Colosseum. A huge cross with burning torches lights the sky as the stations of the cross are described in several languages, and the Pope gives a blessing after this. On Easter Sunday the Pope celebrates mass at St Peter’s Basilica.

On Easter Monday (La Pasquetta), there are dances, free concerts and games, often involving eggs. One game, Ruzzolone, is played in Panicale, a small town in Umbria, and involves rolling large cheeses are the walls of the village. The winner is the person who gets their cheese around the walls using the fewest strokes from a stick.

Cactus Language offer a variety of Italian language courses in the UK, New York and Italy.

 

Beware the Poisson d’Avril!

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On the French equivalent of April Fool’s Day – Poisson d'Avril – on 1st April, people play tricks on each other and shout 'Poisson d'Avril!' to show that it’s a joke. Some people insist that fish or at least a vague reference to fish should be included with the pranks.

The Poisson d'Avril tradition in France possibly dates back to 1564, when King Charles IX decided that the year should start on 1st January to mark the lengthening of days, rather than on 1st April, when it previously started to mark the beginning of spring. The many people who didn’t accept the change and continued to celebrate on 1st April were mocked and sent joke gifts.

Where the fish connections came from is a bit of a mystery. It might be a reference to Pieces (Poissons), the last sign of the Zodiac in winter. Or it might be related to the period of Lent, when the only flesh people were allowed to eat was fish. Another possibility is that it originates in the ‘fish trick’, which involves sending someone to a market to buy fish that are not in season – all French people know when things are in season.

At the beginning to the 20th century there was a tradition in France of sending richly decorated postcards featuring Poissons d'Avril.

One popular prank is to call someone on the phone then to ask them to hold during the conversation. When you come back you ask if there have been any bites. Another popular joke involves tricking people into phoning fish shops or aquariums. Children attach paper fish to the backs of their friends and to those of any adults they can catch, and run away yelling 'Poisson d'Avril!' when the victims discover that they’ve been tricked.

There are also Poisson d'Avril spoof articles and reports in the newspapers, on TV, on the radio and on the internet.

Poissons d'Avril are not just jokes and pranks but also chocolate fish, which are on sale from 1st April and enjoyed during the whole of the Easter season. When people order fish dishes in restaurants on 1st April they are sometimes served chocolate fish instead.

Cactus Language offer French courses in the UK, New York, France and Canada!

Time flies in Morocco which clashes with the idea that Moroccan people take things easy………….

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Four and a half weeks ago I travelled to Rabat, Morocco for my third time in the last two years. It does feel as if I have just stepped off the plane and I can not believe four and a half weeks have already past. It does feel as if I never left Morocco and I am not sure if that is due to Morocco being so close to the Canary Islands, where I am from, my passion for the Arabic language or a little bit of everything, but I feel so at home here. 

I guess it is normal to feel as if time flies by when you are enjoying every minute of what you are doing: learning a language.

We all know the best way to learn a language is in the country where it is spoken. That is why we encourage language students to take their courses abroad. The pace at which you learn is incomparable and what you experience – the direct contact with the local people and language – is priceless.

To increase my Arabic vocabulary and improve my grammar in Fusha (or al-fuṣḥā الفصحى), also known as Modern Standard Arabic, I have two hours a day of language tuition. My classes do not end there, they continue with everything I do. If I go shopping, I have to practise Arabic, if I take a taxi, I have to practise Arabic, if I go for a walk, I hear Arabic, if I turn on the radio, then I hear Arabic. The Arabic language I learnt in England and the Arabic I learn here in the classroom is very different to the Arabic I hear on the streets of Rabat. What I hear on the streets is called Darija and it´s the dialect spoken in Morocco, an amazing combination of languages (Fusha, French, Spanish, Berber).

A friend described Darija (الدارجة‎) as the Arabic for everyday tasks here in Morocco, but if you need to become more serious you will need to speak in either French or Fusha which is the modern standard Arabic, “like the BBC’s English”. So that’s what I’m trying to do, learn words and phrases to communicate with people in everyday life situations.

So it is like I am learning another language, Darija (الدارجة‎), from the beginning while continuing to learn Fusha in the classroom.

I can already greet people in Darija, introduce myself and go to the souq to buy fruit and vegetables which I think is not too bad…

Every time I speak with the local people or exchange conversation in either Darija or Fusha it brings me great joy and motivates me to continue learning the fascinating language of Arabic.

Another thing that really makes me want to continue with my learning adventure is the look of fascination on the local people’s faces when they hear me speaking Arabic. Many Moroccans can’t believe that I want to learn their language and I am interested in their culture!

Many Moroccan people speak at least 2 or 3 languages (Fusha, Darija, French, Berber) and they learn other languages impressively quickly. You just need to go for a walk to Jamaa el Fna Square (ساحة جامع الفناء) in Marrakech, to get a taste for how many languages are spoken in Morocco.

I am really looking forward to learning more about Morocco, the culture, the customs and the Arabic language so I can communicate more with the local people.

No rush though, I have plenty of time………………

Cactus Language Training offers a variety of Arabic language courses in the UK, US, Rabat and Morocco.

The fascinating culture of Istanbul

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Istanbul was crowned ‘European Capital of Culture’ in 2010 and it’s an accolade of which it is undisputedly worthy, and which it shares with both Essen (Germany) and Peç (Hungary).

Previously known as Constantinople, Istanbul has a fascinating and impressive history that includes periods as the capital city of the Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire too.

Straddling two continents, Istanbul has long served as the gateway through which Eastern influences have reached Europe, and vice versa. Istanbul’s range of cultural influences have forged it into a city with a truly unique character in terms of atmosphere, architecture and cuisine.

Previously, Istanbul was often viewed as a destination for the ‘adventurous’ traveller, with its buzzing and slightly chaotic feel. In recent years, however, the city has seen an influx of boutique restaurants, stylish rooftop bars, nightclubs on the shores of the Bosporus and every class of restaurant, which have all attracted a different type of visitor. Istanbul can now boast a really varied range of attractions that makes it one of Europe’s premier tourist destinations.

In the run-up to 2010, extensive restoration to some of the city’s most famous sites was undertaken. Counted amongst these were the Topkapi Palace, heart of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries, and Aya Sofia, which, for nearly 1,000 years, was the largest enclosed space in the world.

Visitors to Istanbul will always be wowed by its array of stunning buildings, but this year they will leave an even longer-lasting impression thanks to the mass of cultural events that will be hosted within them. Included in the line-up are festivals and events celebrating visual arts, music and opera, film, literature, theater, cultural heritage and international relations. For full listings of events for the coming year please visit the official website.

There has never been a better time to visit this vibrant and exciting city. Get ready to visit Istanbul with our Turkish phrases – 20 holiday essentials. Then you will be ready to take a trip to Istanbul and learn Turkish in Turkey.

Take a German course in Vienna this April and enjoy the Easter Markets

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One of the best-known Easter markets in Vienna is that held in front of the beautiful Schönbrunn Palace. This year over 58 exhibitors will be showing off their wares, ranging from Easter eggs and handmade souvenirs to regional and national culinary offerings. Children are offered the chance to make marzipan Easter Bunnies at a special workshop, to go hunting for Easter eggs and at the children’s museum, all whilst the adults enjoy “Jazz at the Easter Market.”

The Old Vienna Easter Market at the Freyung, is another market with a beautiful setting, this time in the beautiful main square in the Old Town. Each year, the largest mountain of Easter eggs in Europe is constructed here, normally consisting of 40,000 painted Easter eggs. Another market is the Arts and Crafts Market Am Hof, which also offers stalls celebrating Easter traditions and offering decorative crafts.

Click here to learn more about Cactus Language’s German language courses in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK and the US!

UK Events: Brighton Festival

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The Brighton Festival is a 3-week arts festival held each year in May in and around Brighton.

This tourist Mecca of the south coast is inundated with day-trippers and weekend breakers for most of the summer, but if you can visit during the festival this is a great time to come. Busy? Yes…but worth battling the crowds? Definitely.

The festival is jam-packed with acts and performances from top international actors, dancers, singers, comedians, authors, journalists and musicians, which means that there is something to cater for all tastes and interests.

Brighton Festival’s Children’s Parade is a spectacular gathering of more than 4000 participants, which forms the opening event of the festival each year. There is usually a theme assigned to the parade, which this year will be the elements – earth, air, fire and water.

The Brighton Festival Fringe is a series of performances by newer or less established artists, or those whose type of act is not covered by the main festival. It’s a great place to discover new talent or to see a type of performance that you have not seen before. Most of the shows are less expensive than the main festival events too.

Tickets go quickly, so it’s worth booking sooner rather than later!