【推荐1】On the 1st of March Bulgarian people celebrate a traditional holiday called Baba Marta and it is related to welcoming the approaching spring. People all over the world meet spring with joy and new hopes but in Bulgaria it is saved as an ancient tradition.

On that day, Bulgarians exchange so-called "Martenitsa" and tell each other, "Chestita Baba Marta!"(Happy Grandma Marta! ). This custom is essentially to wish great health, good luck, and happiness to family and friends. The name "Martenitsa" is taken from the Bulgarian word for March, or, as a legend tells, an angry old lady called Grandma Marta-Baba Marta in Bulgarian.

In Bulgarian folklore Baba Marta is a grumpy old woman who changes her mood very rapidly and it reflects in the changeable March weather. When she is smiling the weather is sunny and warm, but if she gets angry the cold will stay for longer and it may even snow. By wearing the red and white colors of the Martenitsa, they hoped that it will make winter pass faster and bring spring.

The Martenitsa is made of twined red and white threads-woollen, silk, or cotton. The white is a symbol of strength, purity and happiness. The red is associated with health and blood.

When someone gives you a Martenitsa you should wear it either pinned on your clothes, on the hand tied around the wrist, or around your neck until you see, or a fruit tree in blossom for the first time in the season. After that you can tie it on a blossoming tree for fertility. Like kind of amulet, Martenitsa was regarded as a magic power believed to protect folks from "ill fortune", diseases and an evil eye.

The custom of wearing Martenitsa is probably one of the most interesting Bulgarian traditions and it is considered to be unique to Bulgaria. According to one of the many legends, this tradition is also related to the founding of the Bulgarian state in 681 AD.

【推荐2】Mother’s Day

The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a special day for everyone! On that day, children usually give their mothers cards, presents and flowers. But most of the people like giving their mothers carnations(康乃馨). Somebody said God could not be everywhere and he made mother.

Father’s Day

Father’s Day is on the third Sunday in June.

Some Americans thought that if we had Mother’s Day, we should have a Father’s Day.

On Father’s Day, there is not any party. But children will give their father some presents and the best wishes. Father is great. We could give the best wishes to them.

Halloween

Halloween is on October 31^st. On this day, in front of the house there are a lot of pumpkin lights. They are very beautiful. Every family has a lot of sweets. When children go to knock at their doors, people will give them sweets.

Easter

Easter is from 22^nd March to 25^th April. Easter is an important holiday in Western countries.

Chickens are usually born then. Many children buy chocolate and Easter eggs. They also make Easter eggs. Some people like this holiday because it is interesting.

Thanksgiving Day

Every last Thursday of November is a special day. Some American think Thanksgiving Day is more important than Christmas Day. On that day, all people have supper with their family together. Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, have family gatherings and enjoy holiday meals. People like to eat turkeys and some fruits. On that day people are all happy. But in Canada Thanksgiving Day is the second Monday in October.

【推荐3】Wearing a red nose for a day may seem like a strange way to raise money for charity. However, it seems to work in Britain.

Red Nose Day (RND) is a well-known event in the UK. The aim of the day is to raise money for Comic Relief organization. This is a charity that helps people in need in Africa and in the UK. Comic Relief was started in 1985 by Richard Curtis. He wrote the famous films “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill”. Richard started Comic Relief in answer to the serious starvation in Ethiopia. It’s called Red Nose Day as on this day many people buy a plastic red nose to wear! The money made from selling red noses goes to the charity.

Red Nose Day takes place every two years in the spring. It is now so well established that many people consider it to be an unofficial national holiday. For example, many schools have non-uniform days.

The slogan (标语) for the last RND was “Do Something Funny for Money.” The money that was collected was used to help fund projects in such areas as education and mental health. Money-raising events take place on this day all over the country and many schools take part. People also donate money by post, in banks, by phone using a credit card and online.

In the evening of Red Nose Day, a very long TV program takes place on the BBC TV channels. It shows some of the events of the day and reports how the money raised will be spent. People also upload videos of local charity events onto the Internet.

So, if you are ever in the UK on Red Nose Day, you will know why you find normal people wearing red noses and doing silly things! It’s all for a good cause!

【推荐2】Exercise makes you happier than wealth, a new study says. Regular physical activity is a huge boost to mental well-being, on par with a pay rise.

Instead of logging extra hours at work in hopes of getting a pay rise, maybe you should hit the gym instead, as it could make you just as happy as that extra money. An interesting new study, published in the Lancet, found that people who are physically active have a greater sense of well-being than those who are inactive — and that active individuals feel as good as inactive people who earn $25,000 more per year.

Researchers from Oxford and Yale Universities used data gathered from more than 1.2 million Americans. They were asked, “How many times have you felt mentally unwell in the past 30 days, for example, due to stress, depression, or emotional problems?”

Participants were also asked about their exercise habits and were able to choose from 75 diverse physical activities, including mowing the lawn, doing housework and childcare, running, weightlifting, and cycling. The researchers found that people who exercise regularly feel bad for an average of 35 days per year, whereas inactive people feel bad for an additional 18 days. From the study:

“Individuals who exercised had 43 percent fewer days of poor mental health in the past month than individuals who did not exercise but were otherwise matched for several physical and socio-demographic (社会人口的) characteristics. All exercise types were associated with a lower mental health burden.”

Social physical activities (i.e. team sports) had an even more positive effect, although cycling ranked highly. (I wonder if that’s because it takes place outdoors, which is always a mood booster.)

It is possible to get too much exercise. From Business Insider’s write-up on the study, “The mental health of those participants who exercised for longer than three hours a day suffered more than that of those who weren’t particularly physically active.” The ideal amount seems to be three to five training sessions per week, lasting 30 to 60 minutes each.

But the takeaway should be that any amount helps, so don’t stress about hitting that perfect balance: “All exercise types were associated with a lower mental health burden than not exercising.”