Worldwise Archives – Page 3 of 9

Posted on 4 March 2019 4 March 2019

World Book Day

What is World Book Day?

World Book Day takes place every year on 7th March, offering every child the opportunity to dress as their favourite character from a book. The day was designated by UNESCO and is the world’s biggest campaign to provide every child with their own book. It’s a worldwide celebration of books and reading and is marked by 100 countries across the globe.

Being big fans of reading, at Munchachos we’re huge supporters of the day. (We even shared Our 5 Favourite Books with you!) Books have a magical power to transform and transport you to different worlds and different ages; feeding the imagination and expanding the horizons of children and adults everywhere. UNESCO declares that it “stands up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge…”

How Are People Getting Involved?

Schools across the country will get encourage students to dress as their favourite literary character. Bookshops around the UK and all major supermarkets will distribute cut-price books to ensure that a zest for reading is an affordable passion for everyone!

So whether you’re a classic Alice in Wonderland or a more modern Gangsta Granny, get your costumes on this Thursday to mark this fun occasion.

And, while you’re at it, why not match your costume with a healthy snack? We can definitely see Belle from Beauty & The Beast reading whilst snacking on a Chomps Elise! And we’re pretty certain that Augustus Gloop would love to feast on a packet of Oom-Pah-Pahs! He could do with a healthier children’s snack…

Munchachos Healthy Snacks Children: Augustus Gloop — Time for Augustus Gloop to try a Munchable!

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Posted on 25 February 2019 31 January 2019

Only 28 Days in February?

February is always a bit of an uneventful month, isn’t it? Post-new year buzz; pre-springtime joy, it always passes by without much excitement. Which makes it lucky that it’s our shortest month. But why does it only have 28 days when all the other months have 30 or 31?

Well… apparently our modern calendar is loosely based on the Roman’s calendar. Originally Romulus, the first king of Rome, created a 10-month calendar that begin in March and ended in December. His successor, Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, then decided to fine-tune the idea by synching it with the actual Lunar year, which was then thought to have 355 days.

Roman superstition held that even numbers were unlucky. Therefore, Numa reorganised the number of days in each month so that they would each have an odd number. In order to reach the 355 days, one month had to have an even number. February was chosen and, as it was an unlucky month, it became the month that they held Roman rituals honouring the dead.

Days have been added to all of the other months but February has remained the same, apart from every four years when it gains a leap day. But that’s another story…

We hope February hasn’t been unlucky for you! However, at Munchachos HQ we are very much looking forward to bursting into the spring and getting a bit of much-needed sunshine!!

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Posted on 11 February 2019 31 January 2019

Valentine’s Day

What is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14^th February and is named after St Valentine. The Saint’s exact identity is disputed but everyone agrees that he is the godfather of modern day love. The main reason for the confusion is that it’s believed that there were several “Valentine” men upon whom the stories are based.

Who Were These Men?

There was St Valentine of Rome who helped Roman soldiers to marry when they were forbidden to do so by the anti-Christian Emperor Claudius II. There was also a Bishop Valentine who was imprisoned, tortured and eventually beheaded on February 14^th 269 AD. Nevertheless, whoever he was, St Valentine has become the patron saint of lovers.

How is Valentine’s Day Celebrated?

Valentine’s Day is a very well-established holiday in the UK. Bunches of flowers are bought by the dozen and restaurants are overrun with couples whispering sweet nothings! But how is it celebrated around the world?

In Germany couples give each other pig figurines and pictures on Valentine’s Day as the pig is a symbol of luck and lust. South Korean women give chocolate to the men in their lives. In Denmark friends and sweethearts exchange pressed snowdrops whilst in Italy they exchange Baci Perugina, which are small, chocolate-covered hazelnuts wrapped with a romantic quote. In Finland and Estonia the 14^th February is called ‘Friend’s Day’. South African women pin the names of their love interests on their shirtsleeves.

We love the Finnish idea of 14^th February being a day to celebrate friendship. What would you do to show your best friend how much they mean to you?

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Posted on 4 February 2019 31 January 2019

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the biggest celebration in the country’s calendar. The date varies each year and this year it will be celebrated on the 5^th February.

Chinese New Year celebrations last sixteen days. The period of celebration includes cleaning and preparing the house; decorating the house; celebrating and, on the final day, the Lantern Festival.

There are many fabulous customs that the Chinese incorporate into their celebrations. Here are just a few of our favourite traditions:

Spring Couplets: A pair of lines of poetry that are usually hung on the sides of doors leading to people’s homes. They are used as a New Year’s decoration that expresses happiness and hopeful thoughts for the coming year.

Munchachos Healthy Snacks Children: Chinese New Year Spring Couplets — These Spring Couplets Were Written For the Year of the Monkey

Red Envelopes: Gifts presented at social and family gatherings containing money. Red is a symbol of good luck.

Munchachos Healthy Snacks Children: Chinese New Year Red Envelopes — Red Envelopes

Firecrackers: Firecrackers and fireworks are set off at the stroke of midnight to scare away evil spirits and to celebrate the coming of the new year.

Munchachos Healthy Snacks Children: Chinese New Year Fireworks — Spectacular Fireworks Display

Lanterns: Lit at the Lantern Festival which, this year, takes place on the 19^th February, these symbolise the wish for a bright future. They are red and gold – red being the symbol of luck and gold being the symbol of wealth.

Munchachos Healthy Snacks Children: Chinese New Year Lanterns — Lit Lanterns

Dragons: Chinese Dragons bring luck. The Dragon Dance is performed at special festivals to scare away evil spirits. Click here to learn more about the Chinese Dragon!

Munchachos Healthy Snacks Children: Chinese New Year Dragon — New Year Chinese Dragon

This year is the Year of the Pig. Someone born in the Year of the Pig are said to be considerate, responsible, independent and optimistic. They always show generosity and mercy to ensure other people’s mistakes.

Why not bring in the Chinese New Year with a packet of our Long Tong Noodles?

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Posted on 28 January 2019 6 January 2019

Australia Day

When is Australia Day and what do we Celebrate?

The 26^th January is Australia Day, when Australians celebrate all the things they love about their country.

The day marks the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival in Sydney in 1788 from England. Australia Day was initially a celebration of the expansion of the British Empire. However, it has since become a celebration of the country’s cultural diversity. From the Aboriginals to the British, the country is a rich mix of nationalities and cultures.

First Fleet on their way to Sydney from Portsmouth, England in 1778

In fact, in a recent survey 75% of Australians said that Australia Day had a far bigger meaning beyond being just a day off work!

There is some controversy…

There has been much controversy in recent years about the date of Australia Day. Some celebrate the 26^th January as the day that the British Empire arrived on Australian soil. Others mourn the day that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples lost much of their land. Many who can claim native heritage use the day to mark the survival of their ongoing traditions and cultures and others want to use it as a day to teach others about their nation’s past.

How do we celebrate?

Controversy aside, the national day provides an opportunity to celebrate the country as a whole, and what it means to be an Australian in 2019. Australia Day falls in the middle of the Australian summer and is often celebrated outdoors in parks or on the beach. Aussies enjoy outdoor concerts and performances, street parades and fireworks in celebration.

It is very busy on the beach in Adelaide on Australia Day!

We wish all our Australian friends a very Happy Australia Day!

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