Archive for the ‘Country & Culture’ Category

Tonight, at 21:00, the first Semi-Final of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest takes place. The show will be broadcast live from the Telenor Arena in Oslo, with 17 countries participating.

Did you know …

The European Commission and Europa Nostra have announced 29 winners from 15 countries for the 2010 Edition of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage. This unique awards programme highlights some of Europe’s best achievements, and showcases remarkable efforts made in safeguarding Europe’s rich architectural, landscape, archaeological and artistic heritage. Among the 29 selected winners, 6 Grand Prix winners will be announced at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony on 10 June in Istanbul Turkey, as 2010’s most outstanding examples of heritage protection. Curious for the 29 selected winners? Please, visit the Europa Nostra website for the complete list.

This past weekend Easter Week began with Palm Sunday and next weekend it will be Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and in some countries Easter Monday. Throughout Europe, Easter-related festivities fill streets, squares, and stores. For the religious, it’s a time of church services, prayers, and rituals. But it’s more than just a religious celebration, it also means feasting, candy, games, eggs and the Easter Bunny. Around Europe, different cultures have their own traditions to celebrate Easter holiday. Curious to Easter traditions abroad? Read our enumeration of Easter traditions around Europe.

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The famous Danish statue, known from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale leaves Copenhagen harbor for the first time in nearly 100 years. Last Thursday Denmark’s Little Mermaid started a journey to the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, were she will be the centerpiece of the Danish Pavilion.

EU’s debut at the World Expo 2010
The European Union will make its World Expo debut at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo; a change in its usual policy of not participating in Expo’s outside the union. All 27 member states of the EU will participate in the Expo. The EU’s pavilion is based around the theme of ‘Intelligent Europe’, containing four parts respectively titled ‘Building Europe’, ‘Open Europe’, ‘Green Europe’ and ‘Living Europe’. The EU is the 231^st participant in the Expo 2010, which has attracted 185 countries and 46 international organizations. The World Expo 2010 will be held from 1 May to 31 October 2010 and is expected to attract 70 million visitors.

The 17^th Days of European Film Festival will offer 38 films from the current and future EU member states in cinemas in Prague from 15 to 22 April 2010. The festival offers the Czech public a chance to see films that would not be released through normal distribution, but that show important current developments in European cinematography. The festival will open with the screening of Soul Kitchen, the latest film by Fatih Akin, renown German scriptwriter and director of Turkish origin. More detailed information on the programme is available on the festival website.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland celebrated every year on 17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. It’s celebrated all over Ireland in big cities and small towns alike with parades, music and songs, Irish food and drink, games and ‘wearing of the green’.

This year 3 European cities are chosen to be European Capitals of Culture 2010. Essen and the Ruhr region of Germany, Pécs in southern Hungary and Istanbul in Turkey are set to kick off a year-long culture fest featuring music, theatre and exhibitions. Events must reflect the city’s European character and directly involve residents. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the European culture capital programme.

Spain
In Spain people celebrate New Year’s Eve by eating 12 grapes at each second the clock strikes at midnight. The 12 grapes stands for good luck for each month of the upcoming year.

Finland
A New Year’s Eve tradition in Finland is the custom of predicting the future by casting molten tin into a container of water and interpreting the shape of the metal after hardening. A heart or ring shape means a wedding, a ship foretells a travel and a pig shape means plenty of food.

Denmark
In Denmark people save old dishes and throw them on New Year’s Eve at the thresholds of the houses of friends and near ones. It is a good sign to find many broken dishes at the entrance of your home, because it symbolizes many friends and good relationship.

Estonia
In Estonia there goes a belief that people should eat 7, 9 or even 12 (the lucky numbers of the Estonians) times on New Year’s day. This ensures abundant food in the upcoming year. If a person eats seven times, he even will have the strenght of seven men in the following year.

The Netherlands
In Holland thousands of people dive into the freezing cold North Sea at noon on New Year’s Day to ensure good luck and health in the following year.