Christmas is Coming!

This week in OC class we're doing a lesson with a Christmas theme. We'll listen to songs and write some Christmas cards. The English Club at school helped to decorate the classroom so it looks very festive. We even have a little Christmas tree!

Thinking about Christmas, I'm realizing that many of the important symbols or people associated with Western/European holidays are magic in some way. Santa Claus magically brings presents to everyone in the world on Christmas Eve. The easter bunny magically leaves eggs and easter baskets (filled with treats). On Three Kings Day, the three wise men bring gifts to children in the night. 

Are there any holidays like this in Japan? Do any Japanese holidays involve magical creatures that bring gifts or food? I'm very curious. I'm still learning about Japanese culture and I'd like to learn more about this. What's your favorite holiday? What do you do to celebrate? 

マラソン day!

Today was marathon day at our high school! It was supposed to be last week, but the weather was very poor and it was canceled. Today, the weather was also very poor, it rained and rained, but this was our last chance for the marathon so everyone went and did their best, despite the weather. 

Some students and teachers have asked me: Do they do things like this in America? The answer is no. Or... probably no. I don't know of any schools that do marathons like this, but there are many different kinds of high schools in America. Maybe there are some that run big races. 

When we are younger, it is very common to have a sort of "Sports Day" at our schools. (We call it Field Day.) In high school you may have a gym class each day, but some times you don't. For example, I went to an art high school. It was a little different, because our whole high school focused on art (drama, dance, painting, singing, music... etc.). To graduate I had to do a little sports at school, but it was just one class for one semester. That's just three months! My school was a little different though. Many American students have gym class and many different sports teams at their school. It depends on the kind of high school you go to.  

I am so impressed at how active Japanese high school students are! Yes, in America we do sports, but it usually isn't for hours every day at school. It also probably wouldn't be on the weekend. Not unless you had a game. The students here are so active! After school, there are so many students practicing different sports and they work so hard. I'm really impressed. I don't think many American students would be willing to put that much time and effort into their school activities. Not unless they were really really good and maybe training to be a professional athlete. 

I really respect how hard the students at Gotemba Minami work. Everyone trained for the marathon for many weeks and then almost everyone ran and finished the race. This is really cool.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday, America celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving is about "giving thanks." Americans take a day to share a meal with their friends and family. Many people also collect food to give to charity or volunteer their time to help the poor. At Thanksgiving we try to stop and appreciate the world around us and say thank you to our friends and family for their help and support. 

But Thanksgiving isn't just a serious holiday.  It is also about eating a lot of really good food and spending time with your family and friends. Each year there is a huge Thanksgiving parade in New York City. Thanksgiving is also a big day for sports. There are many different (American) football games played that day. Many people will go to these event with their friends and family or watch them together on television. 

For many Americans, Thanksgiving is also a sign that autumn is ending and Christmas is coming. After today, Christmas is less than a month away. 

President Obama!

 Wow. This is a very exciting day in America. Whether you supported Obama or not, his win means so much in terms of American history. Obama's victory does not mean that America has solved or eliminated racism and prejudice-- it hasn't and we have a lot more work ahead of us-- but it does mean a major, symbolic barrier has been broken.  It is a very positive sign, to Americans of all ages and races.  

Election day 2008

Right now in America the clocks are about to hit midnight. That means election day in finally here. Each year in the United States the first Tuesday in November is the day that Americans go to vote. They vote for many different political positions (from Mayor to President) and ballot questions (to ask for new laws or governmental changes).

We vote for a President every four years and this year we'll be deciding on a new President. Will it be the Republican, John McCain? Or the Democrat, Barak Obama? There are some very big problems that the next President will have to deal with. The current financial crisis that is hurting so many countries and the war in Iraq are two of the biggest issues for most Americans. But there are still several other areas many Americans are concerned about, particularly jobs, the environment, and health care. 

The election this year has gotten very tense. There are some scary things happening in the world right now and everyone is very worried about choosing the right person to be President. No matter who is choosen, however, something exciting will happen in the White House. We will be electing either our first woman Vice-President or our first African American President. This gives us something celebrate, whichever candidate wins. 

If anyone out there has any questions about the election, please feel free to ask! I'm happy to try and answer. 

Happy Halloween!

To celebrate, I'm getting together with a bunch of other ALTs. We're going to wear costumes and do karaoke. That seems like a fun way to celebrate Halloween in Japan, doesn't it? 

I haven't decided what my costume will be though! I might dress as Mount Fuji. What do you think? Any ideas?

the history of Halloween

Halloween originally comes from Ireland. It is a very old holiday and it has changed a lot from the original version. Because it is so old, the history gets a little unclear. You may hear a few different versions of where Halloween comes from. This is most accurate version that I know.

Today’s Halloween has its roots in Ireland and the holiday of Samhain. Samhain is a very ancient traditional holiday that celebrates the end of the harvest season. The ancient Irish believed that the barrier between the living and the dead disappeared during this time of year. Because of this, it was considered a scary and dangerous time of year. People were afraid that the dead would come visit them and cause sickness or damage crops. To scare or confuse these evil spirits people burned bonfires. They also wore costumes and masks to make themselves look like spirits. At some point people also began going from house to house. They collected offerings (usually food) to be used to appease the spirits and protect both the people and the land. This is where the custom of trick or treating began. The people believed that doing these things would either scare evil spirits away, confuse them, or keep them from being angry. 

Many of today’s American Halloween traditions come from these ancient practices. The costumes which people once wore for protection have now become part of the fun. The jack o'lantern used to be made from turnips, rutabagas, and gourds to keep evil away. But in America, big orange pumpkins are now carved at Halloween. Instead of scaring away visitors, the jack o'lanterns encourage trick-or-treaters to visit and celebrate the holiday.