NELSON MANDELA DAY 18th JULY
Madrid will host the international celebration of Nelson Mandela Day, a global initiative which aims to raise awareness of the power each individual has to help change the world around them. There will be an extensive program of activities where volunteering, sport, art, education, music and culture will be the catalysts behind the call to action. Come back soon to find out how you can make your imprint on the world.
BIOGRAPHY
SWAN UPPING ON THE RIVER THAMES
Swan Upping 2010 will take place from 19 - 23 July
The census of people takes place every ten years. The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.
The Swan Upping event takes place in July each year, commencing on the third Monday at Sunbury and ending at Abingdon on the Friday.
The swans on the River Thames are Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). They are not actually mute, they can honk and hiss alot. Mute swans are seen in Britain all year round and are distinguished by a bright orange beak, which has a knob of black tissue on the top.
Swan Uppers searching for cygnets
The Swan Uppers catch and check the health of the swans and their cygnets through five counties, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, to Abingdon, Oxfordshire.
VIRGIN OF CARMEN 16th JULY
The Virgin of Carmen is the patron saint and protector of fishermen and sailors. Religious Virgins are hugely popular in Andalucia (Spain); they are normally handcrafted from wood and porcelain and spend 99.9 per cent of the year at the local church. Most are dusted down and placed on flower-decked thrones at Easter-time when they are lovingly and solemnly borne through the streets. The Virgen del Carmen, however, has her own special day.
On the evening of July 16, in the fishing villages and towns up and down the Coast, her much-loved effigy is not only paraded through the streets but also taken for a spin round the bay on a flower-adorned boat, accompanied by a flotilla of "jábegas" (fishing boats). Brass bands play, crowds cheer, rockets shoot off and fireworks fill the late dusk sky.
Celebrations vary slightly from town to town. In Málaga, for example, the procession takes place not only on July 16, but on the following Sunday. A recent Malagueñan tradition, started in 1981, shows the Virgen del Carmen embracing all lovers of the sea - including scuba divers. That year, the City scuba diving club placed an image of their patron at the bottom of the sea and since then divers have paid their underwater homage annually.
The festival is especially important in the fishing villages of neighbouring Rincon de la Victoria and La Cala, both of which have the Virgen del Carmen as their town patron.
To understand why the Virgen del Carmen should be held so dear to the inhabitants of towns such as Estepona, Velez Malaga, Torremolinos and Rincon de la Victoria, we need to go back to the Old Testament. Downshifting in his old age, the prophet Elias retreated to a cave in Mount Carmelo near Haife (Israel). Many centuries later, hermits following in Elijah's footsteps asked for the protection of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmelo - the Virgin of Carmen. Stella Maris, as she was also known, was soon adopted by mariners and fishermen everywhere as their patron.
Although long overtaken by tourism, many Costa towns still retain fishing communities and a strong attachment to "la Reina de los Mares" (the Queen of the Seas). It was once believed - perhaps in the days before water-purifying plants! - that the Virgin cleared up the waters with her presence and that only after July 16 would the sea be fit for swimming in.
CELEBRATIONS IN MALAGA, VELEZ MALAGA AND NERJA
EVERYTHING READY FOR SAN FERMÍN 2010
Pamplona receives the arrival of thousands of visitors as it prepares itself for nine days of non-stop partying.
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6th July - 12.00 the "Chupinazo" Town Hall.
ORANGE MEN'S DAY (Northern Ireland) 12th JULY
Protestant Irish march with drums and pipes to commemorate the Battle of Boyne, which occurred on Ireland’s east coast in 1690. In Northern Ireland, it is a bank holiday. Schools and many businesses and organizations are closed. Some shops may be closed. Public transport services may run on their regular or special holiday timetables.In 1690, William III of England defeated the exiled Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne. James, who had been in France, had invaded Ireland with French troops.
Men wear orange sashes and black suits and bowler hats. Orange Day marches also take place in Birmingham and Liverpool, and in some parts of Canada, for example."
This day is known as "Orangemen's Day", "Orange Day", "the Glorious Twelfth" or just "the Twelfth". The day falls on July 12. However, if July 12 is a Saturday or Sunday, the bank holiday falls on Monday, July 13 or 14.
IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING
SPAIN - GERMANY
The new Durban Stadium's design is characterized by two large archways which arc 100 meters above the stadium roof.
Next match 7th July 2010 in Durban Stadium
The new Durban Stadium's design is characterized by two large archways which arc 100 meters above the stadium roof.
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