Festivals around the world

RakshaBandhan

This is a Hindu festival held in August. Sisters give their brothers a rakhi, a bracelet made of thread. In return, the brothers promise to care for their sisters.

Moomba

This takes place each year in Melbourne, Australia. There are boat races in the Yarra River, parades and art shows.

US Independence Day

This is held on 4th July. The US flag is flown from buildings and people hold parties to celebrate the birth of the nation.

Bastille Day

On 14th July, people in France celebrate this occasion with flags and fireworks. It marks the start of the French Revolution.

May Day

The 1st of May is the day when northern Europeans welcome spring. People wear green leaves and dance outdoors.

Carnivalin Riode Janeiro

This is a four-day festival when thousands of people in costume dance the samba through the streets.

Joanof Arc

Joan of Arc, the French girl-soldier, is honoured on the 30th of May. It was the day she was burnt to death by the English in 1431.

Sun Rui, a mother in Beijing, changed some of her plans for her 8-year-old son’s summer vacation. She had looked for an out-of-school English course, but in the end, she changed it to a swimming training class. “It is because of the strict rules on subject-tutoring classes out of schools, many parents like me choose sports or other classes for developing interests instead,” Sun said.

Sun’s choice is part of the result of the government’s growing efforts to reduce the academic pressure on young students.

On July 24, Chinese government introduced the rules in order to reduce the burden of homework and after-class tutoring for primary and junior high school students. It lists requirements in areas such as reducing the amount and the difficulty of homework and after-class services provided by schools. For example, homework   for primary children below the third grade is not allowed, while homework for junior high school students should take no longer than 90 minutes to finish. Out-of-school classes cannot teach students knowledge that is ahead of the school curriculum. No subject lessons can be given on weekends, national holidays or during winter and summer vacations.

According to Global Times, more than 75 percent of Chinese children in cities, from grade 1 to grade 12, take part in out-of-school subject classes. This has led to many social problems such as students’ falling levels of physical fitness, more mental health problems and huge family costs, said Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher with the National Institute of Education Sciences.

Many parents showed their support for the new moves. “Subject learning is enough at school and we hope the children’s life can be more relaxing during holidays”, a parent in Guangzhou told Xinhua. However, there are also some parents who have new fears. A parent in Shanxi said that although she agreed with the new rules, she was worried that both she and her husband had no time to be with her son.

Of the 20,000 people we surveyed for our recent sleep snapshot, just 12 per cent said they woke up feeling refreshed and 75 per cent said they had trouble falling asleep at least some of the time. Since you’re going to spend a third of your life sleeping, it’s worth developing some healthy habits.

It’s important to set aside enough time to get adequate sleep each night. On average, adults need eight hours to feel properly rested. Some require slightly less while others require a little more—it’s best to listen to your own body. Unless you have long sleep requirements, you should limit your time in bed to no more than 8.5 hours.

Going to bed and getting up at about the same time each day is one of the best ways to set your internal body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm. Choose a wake-up time that works for you and aim to get up within 30 minutes of that time, seven days a week. According to sleep experts, you should avoid sleeping in, even if you have had a poor night’s sleep. The extra sleep drive will help you sleep better the following night, and sleeping in late can actually disturb your body clock.

Ease the process from wake-up time to sleep time by gently winding down with a period of relaxing a activities an hour or so before bed. Keep away from blue screens, vigorous exercise, doing work or discussing emotional problems. Instead, try to listen to music, read a book or take a bath. This can help you avoid stressful thoughts when your head hits the pillow.

Your bedroom should be quiet, dark, comfortable and slightly cool. Avoid using computers, mobile phones or watching television in bed, and remove any physical reminders of work that might increase stressful thoughts. To strengthen the association your brain makes between being in bed and being asleep, limit your bedroom activities to sleep.