【推荐1】As the largest country on the continent of South America, Brazil has some must-go festivals.

Rock in Rio

This 10-day music festival is held each September in Rio de Janeiro and was started in 1985 by the famous Brazilian musician, Roberto Medina, to show Brazilian culture. Bringing together some of the biggest names in music and millions of fans all over the world, Rock in Rio is one of the most famous music festivals in the world.

Oktoberfest

Each October, the city of Blumenau hosts one of the biggest and best Oktoberfests outside of Germany. Held in Pomerode Park since 1984, this festival is one of the most popular events in Brazil, attracting millions from around the world to experience some German culture in South America. For 17 days each October, you can enjoy traditional German food and beer, live music and performances.

Parintins Folklore Festival

Held each June in Parintins since 1913, this unique festival celebrates local folklore through music and dance.

The centerpiece of the festival is a three-day competition between two teams-the red team and the blue team-who perform local folklore stories, known as the Boi Bumba. During the competition, you can expect to see thousands of people from all over Brazil dressed in beautiful costumes and cheering on their favorite team.

Lollapalooza

For the most diverse music festival experience in Brazil, you need to check out Lollapalooza inSão Paulo, where you can enjoy not just Brazilian music. This three-day music event takes place each March.

Celebrating its 11th year in 2023, Lollapalooza is one of the largest and most well-known music festivals in Brazil. And you’re guaranteed to see some of the biggest names in the music industry.

【推荐2】Before you go to another country it is a great help if you know the language and some of the customs(风俗) of the country. When people meet each other for the first time in Britain, they say “How do you do?” and shake hands. Usually they do not shake hands when they just meet or say goodbye. But they shake hands after they haven’t met for a longtime or when they will be away from each other for a long time. Last year a group of German students went to England for a holiday. Their teacher told them that the English people hardly shake hands. So when they met their English people at the station, they kept their hands behind their backs. The English students had learned that the Germans shake hands as often as possible, so they put their hands in front and got ready to shake hands with them. It made both of them laugh.

【推荐3】The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Winter Solstice, the 22nd solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 21. Here are several things you should know about Winter Solstice.

The Winter Solstice Festival

There was a saying in ancient China, “The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival.” As early as the Zhou Dynasty, people worshiped the gods on the first day of the Winter Solstice, which also was the first day of the new year. The Winter Solstice became a winter festival during the Han Dynasty. The celebratory activities were officially organized. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. During the following dynasties, such as the Tang , Song and Qing dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices to Heaven and to ancestors.

Eating dumplings

During Winter Solstice in North China, eating dumplings is essential to the festival. There is a saying that goes “Have dumplings on the first day of Winter Solstice and noodles on the first day of Summer Solstice.”

Eating tangyuan

In places such as Shanghai, people eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of sticky rice flour, to celebrate Winter Solstice.

Eating rice cakes

During the Winter Solstice, Hangzhou residents traditionally eat rice cakes. In the past, before the approach of the winter solstice, every household would make the cakes to worship their ancestors or use as gifts for relatives and friends. Today, though fewer families eat homemade cakes, people there still buy rice cakes for the Winter Solstice Festival.

Eating mutton and vermicelli soup

In Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, people call midwinter the “Ghost Festival”. On that day, it is customary for people there to drink mutton and vermicelli soup and eat the dumplings in the soup. They give the midwinter soup a strange name “brain” and share it with their neighbors.

【推荐2】Growth

by Vaclav Smil

When I first heard that one of my favorite authors was working on a new book about growth, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. His latest doesn’t disappoint. As always, I don’t agree with everything Smil says, but he remains one of the best thinkers out there at documenting the past and seeing the big picture.

Prepared

by Diane Tavenner

As any parent knows, preparing your kids for life after high school is a long and sometimes difficult journey. Tavenner—who created a network of some of the best performing schools in the nation—has put together a helpful guidebook about how to make that process as smooth and fruitful as possible. Along the way, she shares what she’s learned about teaching kids not just what they need to get into college, but how to live a good life.

Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker

I read a couple of great books this year about human behavior, and this was one of the most interesting and profound. Both Jenn and John Doerr urged me to read it, and I’m glad I did. Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is important—but what exactly counts as a good night’s sleep? And how do you make one happen? Walker has persuaded me to change my bedtime habits to up my chances.

These Truths

by Jill Lepore

Lepore has pulled off the seemingly impossible in her latest book: covering the entire history of the United States in just 800 pages. She’s made a deliberate (深思的) choice to make diverse points of view central to the statement, and the result is the most honest and unflinching (无畏的) account of the American story I’ve ever read.

【推荐3】London’s best local theatres

Bush Theatre

The Bush Theatre in Shepherd’s Bush began life in 1972 above a pub that held only 80 people, but in 2010 it moved to an old public library building. Under the artistic directorship of Madani Younis, the theatre became one of the city’s most influential artistic spaces. Now that Lynette Linton has taken control of it, the theatre continues to host groundbreaking works.

7 Uxbridge Rd. Shepherd’s Bush, bushtheatre.co.uk

Arcola Theatre

Set up by artistic director Mehmet Ergen in 2000, the Arcola in Dalston has two theatre spaces and plays host to a number of works. As well as hosting new writing, they hold Grimeborn, an opera (歌剧) festival that runs for several weeks every summer.

24 Ashwin St. Dalston, arcolatheatre.com

Southwark Playhouse

Southwark Playhouse began life in 1993, with a disused workshop being turned into a theatre space. With two performance spaces, they put on a wide spread of works, from musicals to new plays. The Playhouse is moving into two new venues (剧场), a flagship site at Elephant and Castle and another in the arches of London Bridge Station.

77-85 Newington Causeway, southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Rose Theatre

It’s worth making the journey to the Rose. It opened in 2008 and its layout (布局) was based on that of the original Elizabethan Rose Theatre on London’s Bankside. It hosts works from theatre companies as well as producing its own, and can attract the best. The world’s first public performance of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend took place here in 2017.

24-26 High St, Kingston upon Thames, rosetheatre.org