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 Spring 2004 |
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Spring 2004 |
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Mayday Mayday started as a celebration of the coming of spring. The Saxons would have the celebration on the eve of May, April 30th, in which peasants and villagers feast and then bless the fields by igniting wooden wheels and rolling them into their fields. The celebration was outlawed by the Catholic Church but was celebrated by people who defied Church law, until the 18th century. The “olde time” radicals would dress up in costumes (similar to Hallowe’en) and walk up the hill shouting and singing while being led by the goddess of the hunt Diana (sometimes played by male priests dressed up like the hunting god) and the horned god Herne. Recently
May 1st has been a working class holiday ever since the national strikes on
Mayday 1886 in which Chicago police attacked striking workers and killed
six. The next day in Chicago at the demonstration in Haymarket square to
protest the previous day’s police brutality, a bomb exploded in a crowd of
police killing eight. The police immediately arrested and prosecuted eight
anarchist trade unionists claming they threw the bomb. To this day, the
subject is still one of controversy but, it didn't stop the “system of
justice”. Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engle and Adolph Fischer were
found guilty and executed by the State of Illinois. In 1889 the
International Working Men's Association declared Mayday as an international
working class holiday in commemoration of the Haymarket martyrs. The red
flag became the symbol of the blood of working class martyrs in their battle
for workers rights.
The London Marathon took place for the first time in 1981. It was an instant success with 7,747 accepted runners and 6,255 crossing the finish line. To date more than half a million people have completed the 26.2 mile distance of the marathon. This year’s London Marathon takes place on 18th April. The starting point is near Greenwich Park between 9am and 10am with the route as a whole designed to follow the Thames as closely as possible and finish on The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace. As the area near the finishing line can become quite busy, it is recommended to watch the race either near the start or somewhere along Westferry Road on the Isle of Dogs. A free spectator’s guide is available from underground stations. And if you then feel like participating in next year’s race, you can obtain a copy of the London Marathon News from one of the local sports shops between August and October. Note that not all applicants are accepted. But there is also a big charitable side to the marathon, as many of the runners take part to raise money for good causes. According to a survey in 2002, a record total of £31 million was raised. Since 1981 it is estimated that over £200 million has been raised for charities world-wide. This year there will be two official charities: Sense, which is a national charity supporting and campaigning for children and adults who are deafblind, and the British Heart Foundation, which fights the UK’s biggest killer - heart and circulatory disease. For further information on the London Marathon go to: http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/
1st May 25 Members in the EU Born from the will to guarantee a lasting peace, the European construction became a reality after World War II. On 9th May 1950, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Secretary, proposed a plan from the then police commissioner, Jean Monnet. In a historic declaration, the resources of coal and steel in France and Germany were pooled together in an organization which was opened to the other countries of Europe. Four other countries then joined the union, which then consisted of Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxemburg and Netherlands. They created the first European community: the European Coal and Steel Community. From 1950 till 1995, the EC welcomed nine new countries to arrive at 15 today. This association has continued to widen: on May 1st, 2004, 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Ocean will join the European Union (EU). These countries are Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Three other countries are candidates for future expansion (Bulgaria, Rumania and Turkey). The objectives of the EU are to establish the foundations of a closer Union between the European people, to protect peace and to look for political unity. Also they aim to ensure, by concerted action, economic and social progress, the creation of an internal European market, and increased social cohesion.
EURO 2004 comes to Portugal Between 12 June and 4 July 2004, Euro 2004 comes to Portugal and will be the centre of attention of the sporting world. It will be one of the biggest sporting events ever held in Portugal. The tournament consists of 31 matches in ten venues across Portugal, and will feature the top 16 national teams of Europe. UEFA was approved by FIFA in 1953 and created in 1954. In the summer of 1960 the first European Championship Finals – named the European Nations’ Cup – were held in France. The trophy is named after Henri Delaunay of the French Football Federation which had put a lot of effort into UEFA and European football in general and this tournament in particular. A mascot has been chosen to represent this tournament in Portugal, called Kinas. It is said that Kinas was born in a small, remote, Portuguese village with a mystical powers. That’s how he is a prodigious talent, as are all the great footballers. But his greatest pleasure is playing the game for love and the spirit of teamwork. In the final tournament held in Portugal, the 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four. First, there will be the Group phase : two games in the same pool each day. In the final sets of group games, both games will be played simultaneously. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals. After that is the knock-out phase. The quarter-finals will be played over the following four evenings before the first two rest days on 28 and 29 June. The semi-finals are on the evenings of 30 June and 1 July, and the final is on Sunday 4 July. May the best team win! |
