Articles

[Ramana]

Tabriz

Tabriz- East Azerbaijan - is the largest city in northwestern Iran. It is situated north of the volcanic cone of Sahand, south of the Eynali mountain. It is the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. With a population of 1,600,000, Tabriz is Iran's Fourth largest city, after Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan.The predominant language in the city is Azerbaijani. Almost all inhabitants of the city also can speak and understand Persian as well. Prominent Iranian Azeri poet Mohammad Hossein Shahriar was born in Tabriz.

Tabrizian rugs and carpets:
The handicrafts in the Bazaar of Tabriz, and in particular the Tabriz rug is famous world-wide.Tabriz is the number one center for production of the famous Iranian Rugs.
Nowaday Tabrizian carpets are the most wanted in world markets, having many customers in western countries from Europe to California.
Tabrizian rugs and carpets usually have ivory backgrounds with blue, rose, and indigo motifs.Tabrizian modern rugs are in many different designs and colors.
foods :
kufta Tabrizi (Azeri:Tabriz kufta si) is a special food prepared in Tabriz. Some restaurants offer kufta Tabrizi on their menu but the quality is not as good as when it is prepared by Tabriz families at home.
Another traditional food is "Garniyarikh' ("the torn abdomen" in Azeri).That is some kind of Dolma that is filled with meat, garlic, almonds that is so delicious.
Tabriz is also famous for its delicious cookies, some of which are Tabriz specialities, including Ghorabiye, Eris, Nogha and many others.
Major hotels :
* Hotel Pars (Hotel El Gholi) (International, 5 star) in Shah Goli
* Shahryar International Hotel (5 star) in Shah Gholi Street
* Hotel Gostaresh (4 star) in Abresan Sq.
* Tabriz International Hotel(4 star ) in Abresan Sq.
* Hotel Azarbaijan in Shahnaz Street
* Hotel Ark in Shahnaz Street
* Hotel Darya (3 star) in Khomeyni Street
* Hotel Park in Khomeyni Street
* Hotel Negin
* Hotel Sina, in front of Golestan Park (Gunga Bashi)
* Hotel Marmar, in Darvazeh Tehran road
* Kandovan Tourism Cliff (Rocky) Hotel (5 star), located at Kandovan touristy village. It is the first of its kind in Iran and the second in the world after Turkey's rocky hotel.
* and many hostels (with low cost) in Ferdowsi Street

Transportation :
Since ancient times Tabriz has been known as a transportation center between West and East. It lies on the ancient Silk Road.
Currently Tabriz is linked to the world by sen to International Road, Iran Railways and Tabriz International Airport.
Tabriz has taxi and public bus network. There are also some private groups which provide taxi services.

Sightseeing In Tabriz
Kandovan Village:
is located in a cold mountainous area at 50 kms. south of Tabriz and on the slopes of Sahand Mountain. It is very cold for about 9 months of the year. The interesting point about this village is the shape of the mountains with the small cave like spaces, that people are using for living.

Thermal Springs:
There are so many thermal springs in Tabriz Township which are used as a remedy by many people, such as: Sofiyan, Kandovan, and Bostan Abad.
Jame' Mosque, Tabriz Museum, Old Bazaar of Tabriz, Bagh-e-Golestan, Bagh-e-Shomal, Ancient Bridge of Chehel Dokhtar near Tabriz, Constitution House and Maqbarat-ol-Shoara are of other places of interest in Tabriz.
Old Bazaar of Tabriz is one of the most well known bazaars of Iran. The architecture of this bazaar is very popular in the Middle East. There are great number of shops, arcades, mosques and schools in this place, which make it an excellent trade center.

Ark Or Citadel Of Tabriz:
Ark-e Tabriz in Persian (also called Masjid-e Alishah, Arg-e Alishah) is the impressive remainder of a great and imposing building in the town. The Arg, a huge and crumbling brick citadel, is a notable landmark that was built in the early 14th century on the site of a massive mosque which collapsed over 500 years ago, and which must been one of the largest ever constructed.

Azarbaijan Museum :
Azarbaijan Museum, inaugurated in 1962, is on Khomeinie Ave (next to the Kabud Mosque). With an area of 300 square meters, it consists of three main halls in which historical articles, costumes of various tribes of Iran, works of renowned calligraphers, as well as a collection of pictures, tracts, declarations, documents, and personal articles of the leaders of the Constitutional Revolution are on display.

Churches :
From the earliest days of Christianity there has been a sizable Armenian community in Tabriz, and the city boasts a number of churches, including one mentioned by Marco Polo on his travels.
Nowadays, Tabriz has six churches, the most important of which are: Saint Serkis Church, located in Armenian quarter of Tabriz, Baron Avak, which was renovated in 1845; probably the most interesting and the oldest but substantially rebuilt Church of St. Mary (Kelesa-ye Maryam-e Moghaddas) which was completed in 1785, on the corner of North Shari-ati Ave. and Jomhuri Ave; Able Mary Church which was built in 1910 and is on Miar Miar quarter of Tabriz.

Trip to, and Stay in the Province :
All districts and towns of the province are provided with well connected nets of roads, and travailing facilities, so a trip to these destinations is very easy job. All towns of the province are well facilitated by networks of services such as telecommunication and health services, and all service staff are familiar with tourism regulations as well as local culture. The International Airport of Tabriz is well facilitated, and many international as well as national flights are held there daily

Constitution House
The Constitution House is located next to the Tabriz grand bazaar, on Motahari Ave. During the years which led to the Constitutional Revolution and afterwards, the house was used as the gathering place of the leaders, activists, and the sympathizers of the movement, among them Sattar Khan, Baqer Khan, Seqatoleslam and Haji Mirza Aqa Farshi.
The two-story building was constructed in 1868 by Haj Vali Me’mar-e Tabrizi. It has numerous rooms and halls. The most beautiful part of the house is a skylight and a corridor decorated with colorful glasses and mirrors.

Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque (or Masjid-e Kabud) on the north side of town, is a 15th-century structure destroyed partially by one of Tabriz's recurrent earthquakes.
The entrance portal with its two minarets appears to have been connected with the main prayer hall (Shabestan) under the largest cupola of the mosque, by means of vaulted corridor. On both sides along the corridor, there stand the remains of the chambers with vaulted roofs. The walls of the mosque have been riveted with marble slabs and decorated with superb mosaic tiles. Some of the blue mosaics in the mosque's portal are heavily damaged and half missing.

Golestan gardens
Also called the National Park, the garden is one of the main recreation centers of the city and covers an area of 53,000 square meters. It was built some 70 years ago and has many huge pools surrounded by green and trees.

Shah Goli
Do not miss El Goli (former Shah Goli), a pleasant hillside garden and park around an artificial lake to the area of 54,675 square meters. El Goli, only 4 km south of downstream Tabriz, is so lovely a place that it deserves an illustration. It is a popular weekend resort for the locals.
A hill in the eastern side of the park leads down to the pool with steps, and a fountain from top of the hill flows down to the pool. In the center of the pool there is a grand hexagonal building. The pool itself is said to have been built during the reign of Aq Qoyunlu kings. However, it was extended by the Safavids.

[Ramana]

How to Help Save the Environment

Things like hectic climate change, polluted air, acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and an increase in poverty prove that the way we use things is ineffective.
Imagine this. One day you come out from your house and all you see is big puffs of black smoke and no trees! All you hear are cars and no birds! All you smell is gasoline and no flowers! What kind of life is that?
All we need to do to reduce the problem is simply to be less wasteful.

Here are some ideas on how to help everyone!

1) Switch off anything that uses electricity. Stick to a routine of shutting off as many electrical appliances as possible when you leave a room. If it will be at least 36 hours before you use it again, unplug it. Even when an appliance is off, it can still suck up juice. Just imagine. You will save hundreds of dollars and you could donate the money to a charity in need or buy yourself something nice.
2) Use renewable energy sources In the USA around 71% of electricity is produced by utilities that burn coal, gas, or other fuels to produce the electricity. Burning coal or other fuels puts green-house gases and pollution in the environment. An average home powered by a coal utility will burn 12,000 pounds of coal a year. An average home’s electrical usage causes about the same amount of pollution as 2 cars. By upgrading a home to use renewable energy (such as solar power or wind power) the reduction of pollution for an average home is equivalent to planting 400 trees. Many electric companies offer power from renewable sources (sometimes at a slightly higher fee). Contact your local utility to request power from renewable sources. Also, it is now possible to rent solar panels and this makes solar affordable to most people.
3) Encourage your congressional representatives to support environmental issues and renewable energy
4) Check your faucets and any other appliance that uses water straight from your source. If your faucets drip, get them fixed, or at least put a container under the drip in the meantime and use the water. To check your toilets, put a few drops of food coloring (go for a strong color) in the tank, not the bowl. Wait about ten minutes without flushing. If you see the dye in the bowl, repair your toilet.
One drop per minute can add up over time.
5) Turn off the water when you're not using it. As Ellen Degeneres says, "Turn off the water while brushing your teeth." Why is the water running for so long? There is no point, is there? It is okay if you forget a few times, but if you forget a lot, put a little sticky note on the wall in front of the sink, with the reminder, "Turn off the faucet. Don't
waste water!" This goes for shaving, washing dishes, and even taking a shower.
6) Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries. Batteries not only take up landfill space (they can't be incinerated), they can leak acid into the Earth. Even then, only use the appliance when you must. If you have the choice, plug in the device instead of using batteries.
7) Install low-flow toilets in your home, or put a brick in the reservoir (the back) of your current toilet. The space the brick takes up in the bottom of the tank will permit you to use less water, but keep the toilet functioning. Also try adjusting the water level down. Many toilets have an adjustment to lower the valve float.
8) Avoid using disposable items as much as possible. Anything you use only a few times and throw away consumes resources only to spend centuries in a landfill.
9) Avoid using plastic whenever you can; it is a poison of the earth (things like disposable plastic cups, plastic bags, nonsense plastic items you don't need).* Use resealable, reusable containers instead of plastic wrap or plastic bags.
10) Get a hybrid. If you have been looking for a new vehicle, hybrids are becoming more and more popular. There are a wide variety of hybrids on the market from little sedans to big SUVs. They not only give off less emissions into the air, they can save you money with less trips to the gas station.
11) Consider cloth diapers. They've come a long way from the things with pins and plastic covers that gen x-ers and ALL previous generations wore. You will save a fortune (especially if you have more than one child), keep potentially dangerous chemicals away from your baby's bottom, and do a good thing for the planet while you're at it!
12) Switch to compact florescent light bulbs. While these cost more, they are also longer lasting than conventional light bulbs, and they use only one-quarter of the energy. They may cost more money, but last much longer.
13) Buy secondhand clothes, or if you have a neighbor with a child a year or so older than your child, ask if they can send their old clothes to you. You can also find many 'organic clothes' at common department stores. These clothes are made with organic cotton in a more environmentally friendly factories. They are in style nowadays.
14)Stop Some of Your Junk Mail. If you get several catalogs which you do not need, then call one company each day or each week and ask for them to stop sending this to you. This will save trees, and will use less oil, as something you do not need will not have to be made and transported to you. There is sometimes more paper in the local newspaper that you would use in 2 months. Remember to recycle the old newspapers, or the ones that you do not need anymore.
15) Get skylights. These windows go on your ceiling to provide more light, reducing the electric light you use. Some types can even transfer sunlight into electricity.
16) Don't use pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals. Pesticides kill hundreds of birds and other animals per year. If you have unwanted weeds, pull or hoe them out yourself, clip them down, plant a ground cover in their place, or use mulch to control weeds and limit evaporation.
17) Reuse glass bottles. Buy a glass bottle and use it for a long time! It will not rot or go bad like a plastic bottle will. You could decrease the amount of water bottles in the garbage dumps if you use 1 glass bottle instead of 30 plastic water bottles per week. Glass bottles are also healthy! Plastic is not. All different types of chemicals get released into your water from the plastic, and even more if you squeeze it!
18) Stop reading newspapers if you can look up the news on your computer, it takes up less energy than cutting down the trees, making the paper, and transporting it to your house.
19) Use a thermos instead of making tea or coffee in cups. You will use less tea bags or coffee, and you will have more for the next time you wish to make tea or coffee! For more taste, don't add more tea bags. Add lemon or honey to your tea.
20) Buy or make a few reusable fabric bags, and bring them with you whenever you go shopping. Or, reuse your old plastic bags. Just imagine all of the plastic bags in the world added up. Isn't that a lot of garbage?
21) Recycle old plastic bags. There are a lot of things which you can do with old plastic bags. Don't throw them away! They will come in handy! You can reuse them when shopping. Check out how to recycle old plastic bags.
22) Recycle all you can. In many countries, recycling is taken seriously. They have one trash can for bags, one for glass, one for cans, one for boxes, one for plastic, one for paper, even one for decomposed food. Try disciplining yourself to recycling the necessities we use when done.
23) Put timers on lamps that will turn off lamps at the same time on a daily basis. Timers like these can be found in hardware stores and they can be plugged into your lamp.
24) Buy less stuff. If you don't need it, don't buy it. Besides saving money and not cluttering up your house, not buying things in the first place means never using the resources (materials, energy, labor) necessary to create it. Could you borrow something, get it used, or simply do without it?
25) Close doors after you leave a room. When you leave the house, or even when you have dinner downstairs, try to close the door to all the rooms you don't normally use or need. Doing this often will save a lot of excess heating that is needed to make your home warm. Something simple anyone can do
26) Limit your shower water. Use less water when showering and don't take longer than fifteen minutes. There are also devices there days that can limit the amount of heated water used per shower.
27) Don't use too much fertilizer. Do you know what happens to all the fertilizer that is washed off lawns and gardens? Some way or another, it ends up in a body of water. Stop this indirect pollution! Organic fertilizer is better than chemical fertilizer. So next time you buy fertilizer, buy organic!
28) Don't use electronic exercise machines. Instead of using treadmills and similar, use a bicycle or a unicycle maybe. Walking and push-ups work as well.
29) Plant a tree in your neighborhood or near your home; They suck up harmful CO2 gases. If you can't plant one, try potted plants.
30) Turn it off Buy a power strip, and plug your TV, computer, lights, etc. into it. At night, when you're not using them, turn off the power strip, because even an appliance that is off sucks up energy if there's nothing stopping it. Not only does it save electricity, it shaves money off your electric bill.
31) Use Canvas To Conserve. Using canvas bags help the enviroment becuase plastic bags take hundreds of years to disengrade. Also,using canvas bags is a very cheap way to help out planet.
32) When grocery shopping, bring your own bag(s) (cloth ones are the best kind). Some places even give slight discounts for you bringing in your own bag. Some shops also make you pay for those plastic bags, so you'll be saving money as well as do good deeds!
33) If possible, drink your tap water! You'll have more cash in your pocket and reduce the chances of a factory creating more unnecessary bottles, meaning less energy as well as resources used up.
34) Before you recycle something, like an aluminum can, it's best to wash it out first. Did you know that one aluminum can can be recycled 10 times?

[Ramana]

Washing

These days many people start their day by going into the bathroom to wash. They turn on a tap and hot water runs into the washbasin.They pick up a bar of soap and wash their hands and face. They take a towel to dry themselves on order to brush their teeth. Not so long ago, however , many homes did not have bathrooms at all. Soap was something that only rich families could afford, and people did not think it was necessary to brush their teeth.
Today we think it is important to be clean,but there was a long period of history when almost no one had a bath or a shower.
Queen Isabella of Spain (1451-1504) had only two baths in her life,one on the day she was born and the other on the day she was married.
Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603) is said to have had only one bath in her whole life. There was no bath in the White House until 1831 and no bathroom in Buckigham Palace until after 1837:icon_pf2 (35):. There were even some religious groups who thought that having a bath was a crime against God.
However wearing perfume to smell nice has always been popular.ever since the time of the ancient Egyptians five thousand years ago. Of course, if you think about how often people washed,you will realize why perfume was so necessary

[Ramana]

Question:What is the truest definition of Globalization?

Answer: Princess

Diana's death.

Question: How come?

Answer:

An English princesswith

an Egyptian boyfriend

Crashes in a French

Tunnel,driving a

German car

With a Dutch engine,

Driven by a Belgian

Who was drunk?

On Scottish whisky,

(Check the bottle before you change the spelling),

Followed closely by

Italian Paparazzi,

On Japanese motorcycles;

Treated by an American doctor,using

Brazilian medicines.

This is sent to you by

An Iranian,

Using Bill Gates's technology,

And you're probably reading this on your computer,

That uses Taiwanese

Chips,and a

Korean monitor,

Assembled by

Bangladeshi workers

In a Singapore plant,

Transported by Indian

Lorry-drivers,

Hijacked by Indonesians,

Unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen,

And trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....

That, my friends, is Globalization!

Have a great day

[Ramana]

Merry Xmas

Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that marks the traditional birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas combines the celebration of Jesus' birth with various other traditions and customs, many of which were influenced by ancient winter festivals such as Yule[1] and Saturnalia. Christmas traditions include the display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill, giving, compassion, and quality family time.

Christmas Day falls on December 25. It is preceded by Christmas Eve on December 24, and in some countries is followed by Boxing Day on December 26. Some Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on January 7, which corresponds to December 25 on the Julian calendar. December 25 as a birthdate for Jesus is merely traditional, and is not widely considered to be his actual date of birth.[2]

Christmas is celebrated in most countries around the world, owing to the spread of Christianity and Western culture. Various local and regional Christmas traditions are still practiced

Yule is the winter solstice celebration of the Scandinavian Norse mythology and Germanic pagans

Saturnalia is the feast at which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of the god Saturn, which took place on 17 December. Over the years, it expanded to a whole week, up to 23 December..

[Ramana]

St. Valentine's Story

Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.

Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favourite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.

I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.

One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

Valentine Traditions

Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:

Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine---
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.



In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.



In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.



A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!

Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.



Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.

If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have

[Ramana]

Roman Empire: noun the empire under Roman rule established in 27 BC and divided in AD 395 into the Western or Latin and Eastern or Greek Empire.
امپراطورى رم

Juno: n. goddess of marriage and wife of the god Jupiter (Roman Mythology); one of the 4 largest and brightest asteroids (Astronomy); regal and beautiful woman; female first name -نام زن ژوپیتر

Feast: n. banquet, huge meal, exceptionally delicious meal; something unusually pleasurable; holiday, religious festival -مهمانى ،سور،ضیافت ،عید،خوشگذرانى کردن ،جشن

Lupercalia:
Lupercalia: also Lupercal 'lu:pəkal)
■ noun [usu. treated as sing.] an ancient Roman festival of purification and fertility, held annually on 15 February. روز 15 فوریه

Origin
L., neut. plural of lupercalis 'relating to Lupercus', Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan.

strictly: adv. severely, harshly; literally; explicitly, exactly; absolutely, completely -اکیدا"،سخت ،دقیقا"

eve: n. day or evening before a holiday or other event; period of time before an important event -شب عید،شب ،شامگاه ،در شرف ،(باحرف بزرگ )حوا،جنس زن

Emperor: n. ruler, sovereign, monarch

-شاهنشاه ،امپراطور،امپراتور،فرمانف رما

Claudius: n. Claudius I (10 BC-AD 54), Roman emperor; Claudius II (AD 214-270), Roman emperor

priest: n. clergyman, minister; one who performs religious rites

-کشیش ،مجتهد،روحانى

martyr: n. one who chooses to die or be put to death rather than renounce his faith; one who suffers greatly -
فدایى ،شهید

amidst: prep. in the middle of; surrounded by

درمیان ،وسط

[Ramana]

Cancer

Author: Dr Beckie Lang]

Although many factors are associated with an increased risk of cancer, it's estimated that 30 per cent of all cancers may be the result of our diet. Here are some tips to help you to reduce your risk.

Achieve and maintain a healthy weight

Obesity is associated with a marked increase in colorectal cancer, and some hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast and endometrial cancers.

Eat more fruit and vegetables

At leas ive portions] of fruit and veg a day can reduce the risk of many different types of cancer. The exact reason for this is unknown, but it may be related to their fibre content, vitamins and minerals, other plant chemicals such as flavonoids, or the combination of all these nutrients. Vitamin and mineral supplements may be a useful addition to the diet for some people, but they aren't a substitute for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eat more fibre

On average, most people need to eat about 50 per cent more fibre than they currently do to meet the recommended intake of 18g per day. Fibre is important to increase stool weight, which enables waste to pass easily from the body. Cancer of the large bowel is the second most prevalent cancer in the UK, affecting one in eight people. By increasing stool weight by 25 per cent, the incidence of this disease could be reduced by up to 15 per cent in Britain.

Eat less fat

A high-fat diet is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. (See the advice on fat intake in the [cardiovascular] section).

Drink alcohol in moderation

Excessive intake of has been linked with an increased risk of cancer of the mouth, liver and throat. Limit your intake to no more than two to three units a day.

[Ramana]

xmas Reading

Christmas

CULTURAL NOTE

In the United States, children can meet Santa Claus by going to a shopping mall. They stand in line to take their turn sitting on his lap and telling him what they want for Christmas. One of Santa's elves takes a picture of each child with Santa. Of course, because there are many shopping malls, there are many Santa Clauses! Who knows which the REAL one...is

?

[Ramana]

Valentines Day History

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine.
Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball.
In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800's and now the date is very commercialised. The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14. The spirit of good continues as valentines are sent out with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.

Varying:adjective giving variety to

Expert:noun skilled, knowledgeable

Give up:abandon

Martyred:verb make into a martyr; execute on religious grounds; torture; persecute
Devoted to: loving towards, loyal to, faithful to; dedicated to
Legend: n. story that has been handed down over generations and cannot be proved to be true or fictitious, tale, myth, fable; collection of myths or fables; explanatory table for a map (or chart, etc.); inscription (on a coin, monument, etc.)

Farewell: ■ exclamation chiefly literary goodbye.
■ Noun an act of parting or of marking someone's departure.

Jailer:noun PRISON OFFICER, jail keeper, one who is in charge of a jail or a section of a jail; one who imprisons another (also jailor), warder, wardress, warden, guard, captor; informal screw; archaic turnkey.

Priest: ■ noun
an ordained minister of the Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Church, authorized to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments. ▶a person who performs ceremonies in a non-Christian religion.
a mallet used to kill fish caught when angling.
■ Verb formal ordain to the priesthood.

The temple:
the Temple
Large Jewish building for the worship of God

temple
▶ Noun HOUSE OF GOD, shrine, sanctuary; church, cathedral, mosque, synagogue, shul; archaic fane.

Claudius:n. Claudius I (10 BC-AD 54), Roman emperor; Claudius II (AD 214-270), Roman emperor

Defying him: disobeyed him, openly challenged him
defy
■ Verb (defies, defying, defied)
openly resist or refuse to obey.
Challenge to do or prove something: he glowered at her, defying her to mock him. ▶be of such a kind or nature that (a specified action or attitude) is almost impossible: the effrontery of the man defied belief. ▶archaic challenge to combat.

Set aside: ■ noun
the policy of taking land out of production to reduce crop surpluses. ▶land taken out of production in this way.
US a government contract awarded without competition to a minority-owned business.
US a portion of funds reserved for a purpose.

Honour: (US honor) noun (British) respect, dignity
Noun
great respect or esteem. ▶a feeling of pride and pleasure from being shown respect. ▶a source of esteem.
a clear sense of what is morally right.
a thing conferred as a distinction. ▶ (honours) a special distinction for proficiency in an examination. ▶ (honours) a course of degree studies more specialized than for an ordinary pass.
(His, Your, etc. Honour) a title of respect for a circuit judge, a US mayor, and (in Irish or rustic speech) any person of rank.
Golf the right of driving off first, having won the previous hole.
Dated a woman's chastity.
Bridge an ace, king, queen, jack, or ten. ▶ (honours) possession of at least four of these cards in the trump suit, or of all four aces in no trumps, for which a bonus is scored.
■ Verb
regard with great respect. ▶pay public respect to.
Bring esteem to (a place or event) with one's presence.
fulfil (an obligation) or keep (an agreement). ▶accept (a bill) or pay (a cheque) when due.

phrase

Do the honours informal perform a social duty for others, especially serve food or drink.
Honour bright Brit. dated on my honour.
honours are even Brit. there is equality in the contest.
In honour of as an expression of respect for.
On one's honour under a moral obligation.
On (or upon) my honour used to express sincerity.

gradually :
▶ adverb SLOWLY, slowly but surely, cautiously, gently, gingerly; piecemeal, little by little, bit by bit, inch by inch, by degrees; progressively, systematically; regularly, steadily.

Patron saint:noun
a patron of the arts: SPONSOR, backer, financier, benefactor, benefactress, contributor, subscriber, donor; philanthropist, promoter, friend, supporter; informal angel.
Club patrons: CUSTOMER, client, frequenter, consumer, user, visitor, guest; informal regular

:social gathering
Get-together, social event

commercialize :
Or commercialise

■ verb manage or exploit in a way designed to make a profit.

sentimental :
adj. appealing to the emotions; nostalgic, tender, romantic; overly emotional, corny