9η Φεβρουαρίου: Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Ελληνικής Γλώσσας

9η Φεβρουαρίου: Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Ελληνικής Γλώσσας .

Η 9η Φεβρουαρίου Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, (ημέρα μνήμης του εθνικού ποιητή Διονύσιου Σολωμού) καθιερώθηκε τον Απρίλιο του 2017 με κοινή απόφαση των υπουργών Εσωτερικών, Εξωτερικών και Παιδείας, Έρευνας και Θρησκευμάτων.
Η Γενική Γραμματεία Δημόσιας Διπλωματίας του υπουργείου Εξωτερικών συμμετέχει στον εορτασμό με ένα βίντεο διάρκειας 1,5 λεπτού στο οποίο εμφανίζονται πολίτες διαφόρων χωρών, ηλικιών και επαγγελματικής απασχόλησης, που προφέρουν λέξεις στις γλώσσες τους και είναι ελληνικής προέλευσης.


Στόχος της καμπάνιας είναι :

  • να καταδείξει την οικουμενικότητα της ελληνικής γλώσσας
  • να υπογραμμίσει τη συμβολή της στον γλωσσικό και πολιτισμικό εμπλουτισμό των ευρωπαϊκών και πολλών άλλων γλωσσών του πλανήτη

Στο νου μας έρχονται οι 2 ομιλίες του Ξενοφώντα Ζολώτα, επί σειρά ετών  διοικητή της Τράπεζας της Ελλάδας, τις οποίες  εκφώνησε στο πλαίσιο των ετήσιων συναντήσεων της Παγκόσμιας Τράπεζας το 1957 και το 1959 και  έχουν μείνει στην ιστορία. Και αυτό γιατί εκφώνησε τους λόγους στα αγγλικά χρησιμοποιώντας λέξεις ελληνικής προέλευσης και φαίνεται πως έγινε κατανοητός.


Ο πρώτος λόγος εκφωνήθηκε στο κλείσιμο της 12ης ετήσιας συνεδρίασης της Παγκόσμιας Τράπεζας, τον Οκτώβριο του 1957 στη Νέα Υόρκη, όπου παραβρέθηκε ως Διοικητής της Τράπεζας Ελλάδος. Ξεκίνησε την ομιλία του στα αγγλικά, αλλά με ελληνογενείς λέξεις.

Παρακάτω παρατίθεται η ομιλία:

Kyrie, I eulogize the archons of the Panethnic Numismatic Thesaurus and the Oecumenical Trapeza for the orthodoxy of their axioms methods and policies, although there is an episode of cacophony of the Trapeza with Hellas. With enthusiasm we dialogue and synagonize at the synods of our didymous Organizations in which polymorphous economic ideas and dogmas are analyzed and synthesized. Our critical problems such as the numismatic plethora generate some agony and melancholy. This phenomenon is charateristic of our epoch. But, to my thesis we have the dynamism to program therapeutic practices as a prophylaxis from chaos and catastrophe. In parallel a panethnic unhypocritical economic synergy and harmonization in a democratic climate is basic. I apologize for my eccentric monologue. I emphasize my eucharistia to your Kyrie to the eugenic and generous American Ethnos and to the organizers and protagonists of this Ampitctyony and the gastronomic symposia

Ξενοφών Ζολώτας


ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΑ ΗΜΕΡΑ ΜΝΗΜΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΟΛΟΚΑΥΤΩΜΑΤΟΣ

Ημέρα μνήμης σημαίνει θυμάμαι, αναστοχάζομαι, πονάω, πεισμώνω, αναθαρρεύω, αποφασίζω. Αποφασίζω ότι δε μπορώ να ανεχτώ πια τη βία, τις διακρίσεις, τον αποκλεισμό και το θάνατο ψυχών, ιδεών και σώματος. Δεν ανέχομαι τη λήθη, την αποσιώπηση των εγκλημάτων κατά εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων, το συμψηφισμό πράξεων θυμάτων και θυτών. Ας το παραδεχτούμε: κάποιοι με όνομα  συγκεκριμένο και ιδεολογία φρικτή βασάνισαν και σκότωσαν ανθρώπους, Εβραίους και όχι μόνο, στο όνομα μιας υποτιθέμενης, υπαρκτής μόνο στο μυαλό τους, ανωτερότητας της φυλής τους.

Ημέρα μνήμης δε σημαίνει μόνο ότι θυμόμαστε αυτούς που τόσο άδικα στοχοποιήθηκαν αλλά και αυτούς που τόσο βολικά, στα χρόνια της ειρήνης που ακολούθησαν τον πιο πολύνεκρο πόλεμο της ανθρωπότητας, κρύφτηκαν ή τους έκρυψαν και συνέχισαν χωρίς ντροπή να ζουν ή και να κυριαρχούν στη σφαίρα του δημόσιου βίου. Αυτούς οφείλουμε να μην τους ξεχνάμε, να μην τους αφήσουμε να σηκώσουν ξανά κεφάλι και να πραγματοποιήσουν ξανά σχέδια αιματοκυλίσματος της ανθρωπότητας.

Γι’αυτό… σαν ώριμοι άνθρωποι θυμόμαστε, σκεφτόμαστε, αποφασίζουμε για το μέλλον μακριά από τη βία και το φασισμό.

Ταινίες μικρού μήκους: 

  
                          Μονόκερος από πορσελάνη

«Μπορεί μια πραγματικά επιβλητική ταινία τριών λεπτών να αφηγείται μια ολόκληρη ιστορία;
Ο Βρετανός σκηνοθέτης σερ Ρίντλεϋ Σκοτ ξεκίνησε έναν παγκόσμιο κινηματογραφικό διαγωνισμό για επίδοξους σκηνοθέτες, με τίτλο, «Πείτε το με το δικό σας τρόπο». Υπήρξαν πάνω από 600 συμμετοχές.
Η ταινία έπρεπε να διαρκεί όχι πάνω από τρία λεπτά, να περιέχει μόνο μέχρι έξι γραμμές αφήγηση και να αποτελεί μια ολοκληρωμένη ιστορία.
Πρώτευσε το «Μονόκερος από Πορσελάνη» σε σκηνοθεσία του Αμερικανού Κήγκαν Γουίλκοξ. Είναι η ιστορία της ζωής δύο ανθρώπων, που αν και τελείως αντίθετη παραμένει πάρα πολύ όμοια. Αναφέρεται στην δίωξη των Εβραίων στη Γερμανία του 1943.
Ο ηθοποιός που παίζει το Γερμανό αγόρι λέγεται Trevor Teichmann και η ηθοποιός που παίζει την Εβραιοπούλα λέγεται Fiona Perry».

Παιχνιδοχώρα ή Toyland

Πώς επιλέγω αν θα σώσω ένα παιδί, όποιο παιδί, από βέβαιο θάνατο; Ένα παιδί, σαν να ήταν το δικό μας παιδί.
Το αγόρι με τις ριγέ πυτζάμες
Κι αν το παιδί ενός βασανιστή έμπαινε στη θέση ενός παιδιού των στρατοπέδων συγκέντρωσης;

War and Rememberance (1988 mini series)

                   Πώς ήταν η εμπειρία της άφιξης στο στρατόπεδο συγκέντρωσης; 
                     H στιγμή που    κάποιοι επιλέγουν αν θα ζήσεις ή θα πεθάνεις…

A list of classic children’s books

Title

Author
The Swiss Family Robinson E. T. A. Hoffmann
Ivanhoe Walter Scott
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving
Rip Van Winkle Washington Irving
Grimm’s Fairy Tales Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A Visit From St. Nicholas Clement Clarke Moore
Tales of Peter Parley About America Peter Parley (pseudonym)
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Nicholas Nickelby Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas, père
Fairy Tales Hans Christian Andersen
The Children of the New Forest Frederick Marryat
Slovenly Peter Heinrich Hoffmann
David Copperfield Charles Dickens
The Wide, Wide World Elizabeth Wetherell (pseudonym)
The King of the Golden River John Ruskin
A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens
The Coral Island R. M. Ballantyne
Tom Brown’s Schooldays Thomas Hughes
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
The Water Babies Charles Kingsley
A Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne
Little Prudy Rebecca Sophia Clarke
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
Max and Moritz Wilhelm Busch
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates Mary Mapes Dodge
Little Women Louisa May Alcott
Ragged Dick Horatio Alger, Jr.
Lorna Doone R. D. Blackmore
Mrs. Overtheway’s Remembrances Juliana Horatia Ewing
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Jules Verne
At the Back of the North Wind George MacDonald
The Brownies and other Tales Juliana Horatia Ewing
The Princess and the Goblin George MacDonald
Through the Looking-Glass Lewis Carroll
A Dog of Flanders Ouida
What Katy Did Susan Coolidge
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain
Black Beauty Anna Sewell
The Adventures of Pinocchio Carlo Collodi
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Howard Pyle
Nights with Uncle Remus Joel Chandler Harris
Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
Heidi Johanna Spyri
King Solomon’s Mines H. Rider Haggard
Kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson
Little Lord Fauntleroy Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Happy Prince and Other Tales Oscar Wilde
The Blue Fairy Book Andrew Lang
The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling
Seven Little Australians Ethel Turner
The Second Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling
Moonfleet J. Meade Falkner
The Black Corsair Emilio Salgari
The Reluctant Dragon Kenneth Grahame
The Story of the Treasure Seekers E. Nesbit

CHRISTMAS TIME!

Christmas in the United Kingdom 

In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents!

   TRADITIONS

  • Most families have a Christmas Tree (or maybe even two!) in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping. Christmas Trees were first popularised the UK by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert was German, and thought that it would be good to use one of his ways of celebrating Christmas in England.
  • Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are also sometimes used to decorate homes or other buildings.
  • Most villages, towns and cities are decorated with Christmas lights over Christmas. Often a famous person switches them on. The most famous Christmas lights in the UK are in Oxford Street in London. Every year they get bigger and better. Thousands of people go to watch the big ‘switch on’ around the beginning of November.
  • Like a lot of countries, Nativity Plays and Carol Services are also very popular at Christmas time. The Church that I go to always has a Carols by Candlelight Service where the church is only lit up by candles. It is a very special service and always makes me feel very Christmassy! Lots of other British churches also have Carols by Candlelight and Christingle services.
  • Children believe that Father Christmas or Santa Claus leaves presents in stockings or pillow-cases. These are normally hung up by the fire or by the children’s beds on Christmas Eve. Children sometimes leave out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them. Now, it’s often a non-alcoholic drink that’s left because Santa has to drive his sleigh.
  • Children write letters to Father Christmas/Santa listing their requests, but sometimes instead of putting them in the post, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draught carries the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas/Santa reads the smoke.
  • There are some customs that only take place, or were started, in the UK. Wassailing is an old anglo-saxon custom that doesn’t take place much today. Boxing Day is a very old custom that started in the UK and is now taken as a holiday in many countries around the world.
  • In the UK, the main Christmas Meal is usually eaten at lunchtime or early afternoon on Christmas Day. It’s normally roast turkey, roast vegetables and ‘all the trimmings’ which means vegetables like carrots & peas, stuffing and sometimes bacon and sausages. It’s often served with cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Traditionally, and before turkey was available, roast beef or goose was the main Christmas meal. One vegetable that is often at Christmas in the UK are brussel sprouts. I love them but lots of people don’t!
  • Dessert is often Christmas Pudding. Mince pies and lots of chocolates are often eaten as well! Trifle is also a popular dessert at Christmas. It’s made in a large bowl and consists of a layer of sponge cake (or sponge fingers) at the bottom of the bowl (which is often soaked in sherry or brandy) then there’s a layer of fruit (normally suspended in a fruit flavored jelly) and it’s topped with a layer of custard and then whipped cream. In Scotland there’s a variation called ‘Tipsy Laird’ which uses whiskey to soak the sponge and the fruit are raspberries.
  • The dinner table is decorated with a Christmas Cracker for each person and sometimes flowers and candles.
  • The UK is also famous for Christmas Cake – some people love it and some people really don’t like it! It’s traditionally a rich fruit cake covered with marzipan and icing – and often top with Christmas themed cake decorations like a spring of holly.

Christmas in the United Kingdom


In the UK (or Great Britain), families often celebrate Christmas together, so they can watch each other open their presents!

Most families have a Christmas Tree (or maybe even two!) in their house for Christmas. The decorating of the tree is usually a family occasion, with everyone helping. Christmas Trees were first popularised the UK by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert was German, and thought that it would be good to use one of his ways of celebrating Christmas in to England.

Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe are also sometimes used to decorate homes or other buildings.

Most villages, towns and cities are decorated with Christmas lights over Christmas. Often a famous person switches them on. The most famous Christmas lights in the UK are in Oxford Street in London. Every year they get bigger and better. Thousands of people go to watch the big ‘switch on’ around the beginning of November.



Like a lot of countries, Nativity Plays and Carol Services are also very popular at Christmas time. A lot of churches have a Carols by Candlelight Service where the church is only lit up by candles. It is a very special service and always makes people feel very Christmassy! 

Children believe that Father Christmas or Santa Claus leaves presents in stockings or pillow-cases. These are normally hung up by the fire or by the children’s beds on Christmas Eve. Children sometimes leave out mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas to eat and drink when he visits them. Now, some people say that a non-alcoholic drink should be left for Santa as he has to drive!

Children write letters to Father Christmas/Santa listing their requests, but sometimes instead of putting them in the post, the letters are tossed into the fireplace. The draught carries the letters up the chimney and Father Christmas/Santa reads the smoke.

There are some customs that only take place, or were started, in the UK. Boxing Day is a very old custom that started in the UK and is now taken as a holiday in many countries around the world.


In the UK, the main Christmas Meal is usually eaten at lunchtime or early afternoon on Christmas Day. It’s normally roast turkey, roast vegetables and ‘all the trimmings’ which means vegetables like carrots & peas, stuffing and sometimes bacon and sausages. It’s often served with cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Traditionally, and before turkey was available, roast beef or goose was the main Christmas meal. One vegetable that is often at Christmas in the UK are brussel sprouts. I love them but lots of people don’t!

Dessert is often Christmas Pudding. Mince pies and lots of chocolates are often eaten as well!

Trifle is also a popular dessert at Christmas. It’s made in a large bowl and consists of a layer of sponge cake (or sponge fingers) at the bottom of the bowl (which is often soaked in sherry or brandy) then there’s a layer of fruit (normally suspended in a fruit flavored jelly) and it’s topped with a layer of custard and then whipped cream. In Scotland there’s a variation called ‘Tipsy Laird’ which uses whiskey to soak the sponge and the fruit are raspberries.

The dinner table is decorated with a Christmas Cracker for each person and sometimes flowers and candles.