Holidays and special occasions

Greetings! I am delighted to see you all in the new year! ☃️🎄🎅 Sincerely hope some of the wishes have already come true! Personally, I am still looking forward to ❄️ SNOW❄️. 😁 I suppose right now everybody's suffering with a little depression because of the fact that the holidays we'd been longing for so long have come to their end. Modern psychology even has a term "Post Holiday Syndrome". It is commonly understood as the state of mind that has physical and psychological manifestations in which workers and students see the process of adapting to the routine after a period of holidays in a negative way (too much work, obligations, duties and responsibilities, rigid schedules, lack of motivation and/or inspiration, etc). Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember that it isn't a disease but rather a temporary adaptation disorder. Everything passes. So, this will also fade away pretty soon. Meanwhile, let us distract ourselves by doing sth enjoyable this weekend. Your suggestions are as welcome as always. Hugs!

It is known that 🎁 gifts 🎁 are a quintessential part of the holiday season ☃️🎄❄️. And there are various ways to exchange them. One that is gaining more and more popularity nowadays is a game called SECRET SANTA 🎅. The drill is as follows: A group of people 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 are assigned to buy a present for another person anonymously. The identity of the gift-giver remains a secret until the end when all the Secret Santas are revealed. Have you ever tried it? If yes, did you like what Secret Santa had chosen for you? Shall we play secret Santa 🎅? If yes, leave a comment for me to contact you.

The cat is the cosiest creature. Patrick's snug and warm in bed (windowsills are among his most favourite spots) esp. in contrast to it being snowy and freezing outside. The children's plan is to go to the skating rink ⛸ ❄️☃️🌬️ Happy holiday, you all! Let us, the multinational State, unite!

Halloween 🕸️🦇🧛‍♂️🧟‍♀️🕷️🐈‍⬛ (also Hallowe’en) [countable, uncountable]  is ​the night of the 31st of October when, according to a belief, dead people appeared from their graves, and which is now celebrated in the USA, Canada, the UK and some European countries by children who dress up as ghosts, witches, skeletons, etc. One of the symbols of this pagan holiday (which the Christian Church does not approve of) is Jack-o’-lantern 🎃, a pumpkin with a face cut into it and a candle put inside to shine through the holes (ours is still waiting for its hour). Personally, we don't celebrate the holiday (don't simply consider it one), but this year the children are decorating the place and I'm gonna prepare some treats. The aim is to inform my students (children and teens) about a special occasion that is a part of the cultural heritage of the English-speaking world and, also, to provide them with an additional opportunity to have fun. In my opinion, autumn in our region is a dull season. I hope this clarifies my position. All my students are recommended to read and listen to sth in English on a regular basis. My suggestion this Halloween week is Chad Garcia's Penpal (available for free on the Internet).

Dear all, Happy Teachers' Day to you! Let us appreciate, assess and improve the educators of the world 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 today. It being the most moving autumn holiday, I suggest watching the film that, in my humble opinion, fits the paradigm [ˈpærədaɪm] the best. Welcome, please, our weekly column! Films, films, films 🎞 Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American coming-of-age drama. The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959. Maverick teacher John Keating returns to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school (elite, but fictional) where he was once a star student. He uses poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression. The main characters are painfully shy Todd Anderson, who has been sent to the school where his popular elder brother was valedictorian, and his roommate Neil Perry, although exceedingly bright and popular, but very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. Enjoy the classic!

Happy Knowledge Day! Education has a power to change people's lives. May it bring light to yours. May your urge to learn lead you to a world full of knowledge and endless possibilities. Dear students, keep asking questions and uncovering secrets! Dear teachers, thank you! We all are born humans, but it is what you do that teaches us to be humane. P. S. Beware! The translation of the short story by my favourite children's writer (undoubtedly, Russian) is terrifying 🤣. See you in class!