HALLOWEEN IN OUR SCHOOL

We are talking to you because we want you to understand how we celebrate Halloween in our school. It's in Zaragoza. I think there are many differences between your school and ours.

In Spain Halloween it’s getting popularity each year.

We haven’t ever celebrated Halloween at our school but, three years ago, the youngest (between 3 and 12 years) began to celebrate it.

Kids between three and six years bring a pumpkin to the school. They put it in the middle of the building, and they decorate it and dress it up. This activity takes a whole week, along the week they learn this party´s origin, and do some handcrafts. They don't dress up at school they do it at their houses.

The children between seven and twelve years celebrate the party on Friday that week. This activity is organized by the English teachers of the different courses. They decorate the class with things that they take from home.

This is Diego´s opinion, a nine years old student:

"This year we made some pictures of Halloween at English class. We did a witch cap too and a play with our own caps. We went out to the play-ground and we frightened the smallest. My class was decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, bats, vampires... We had to write a scary history for a tale contest. The teachers post the best history in our class web.

We had a lot of fun but we would have prefer to have more activities but we can´t complain because three years ago they didn´t do nothing.

In October 31st we went after school to Juan's house (my friend) and we went around the neighbourhood asking for sweets.

¡I love halloween!!!!!!!!!!

Beatriz Villarejo, Mikel Arrizabalaga, Carlos Falo y Álvaro Gil (3C)

FLOWERS' OFFERING

The flowers’ offering to our Lady the Virgin of Pilar is an Aragonese tradition, which people from Saragossa carry out every year on October 12th during the Public Festival of Pilar. The Virgin Of Pilar is the mistress of Spain and of the Spanish people. For that reason, the day of Pilar is celebrated in many places of the world.
The history of the Virgin of Pilar began in 40 A.D., when the apostle Santiago was in Saragossa. The apostle Santiago was with his disciples, when he heard voices of angels and saw the Virgin Mary on a pillar of marble. The Virgin talked to Santiago, and she said to him: “You must construct a church here around the pillar where I am now”. After that, the Virgin disappeared. When the Virgin disappeared the apostle Santiago began to construct the church for her. Throughout the years, the church has been remodeled until the Pilar turned into de Basilica of Pilar. In honor to this Virgin, all the `zaragozanos’ and `zaragozanas’ and people from the whole world carry out a floral offering. The image of the Virgin is spectacular and very beautiful. The image measures more than three meters including the height of the crown and mantle. The image’s mantle is made of white flowers. In the middle of the mantle there are a lot of red flowers. The flowers form a cross. The cross is very important for the offering, because it’s the cross of Lorraine. The cross of Lorraine is put on the mantle of the Virgin to contrast the white flowers with the red flowers. At the feet of the Virgin, there is a huge mantle made of all the flowers, that people from all over the world bring to the Virgin. If you look at the image of the Virgin, when you are in the Pilar square, you are looking at one of the most beautiful things that you have seen in your life. People who want to take part in the offering must fulfill one requirement. They must go dressed in their regional suit. The typical Aragonese suit is called ‘baturro’ and ‘baturra’. The women adorn this suit with a mantle and the men with a ‘cachirulo’. The cachirulo is a scarf. It’s red and black. It’s got the Basilica of Pilar in miniature in its centre. The day of Pilar, you can also enjoy with a recital of danced and sung ‘jotas’ in the Pilar Square. The ‘jota’ is the traditional Aragonese dance. In the 21st Century the offering is modernized. Now with the new technologies, you can take part in a virtual offering. If you send messages you leave flowers at the feet of a virtual Virgin.
This one is our offering, the offering flower to the Virgin of Pilar.

VALENCIA, Paula; OLONA, Antonio; OLMO, Desirée y GRIMA, Daniel (3C)