1 . Weddings are one of life’s biggest celebrations, and they are observed in just about every country and culture on the planet. Here are some wedding traditions from around the world.

Scotland

Scottish weddings usually feature the handfasting ceremony. During the ceremony, the bride (新娘) and bridegroom each hold a piece of cloth. These are carefully wound around the couple’s joined hands. When they pull their hands apart, the pieces become tied into a knot (结) — a symbol of the new union.

Germany

Guests at a German wedding get to see an interesting sight: the newly married couple — still dressed in their suit and wedding dress — cutting a length of a tree in half with a two-person saw (锯). In this way, they show their ability to work as a team to face any challenge they will meet in life.

Norway

A Norwegian wedding cake is made up of progressively smaller layers of iced cake rings, which give the cake the shape of Christmas tree. The inside is empty and has gifts or even a bottle of wine. The bride and g room lift the top ring of the cake, and the number of layers that stick to it is said to represent the number of children they will have!

England

Brides in England typically wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” for their big day. The modern practice comes from a traditional English song, and the things themselves represent protection, cheerfulness, good luck, and purity, respectively.

Though the customs might vary, the feeling remains the same. Across the world, weddings are times to celebrate love, happiness, and family.

2 . Two years ago, my friend Terry and I were living in our dormitory at our university. With his birthday approaching, he came to me with an unusual request. Instead of receiving presents and getting drunk (like most every other 21-year-old would), he wanted to do some acts of kindness. I was struck with such an idea. He told me about a TED talk he had watched online, which had inspired him.

Our university is not located in the safest area in Los Angeles. In fact, its location is so unsafe that the school employs the second largest private legal militia (民兵队伍) in the United States to protect its students. They have to work around the clock, standing on street corners throughout the university keeping watch. It’s a thankless job as most students grow used to seeing officers all around and finally hardly even notice their presence.

How could we show them our appreciation? We rented a truck and asked its driver to drive us around the place where we knew the officers would be and we poured them each a cup of hot chocolate. The truck driver was a bit hesitant (犹豫的) about our plan at first but after a while he was helping us spot officers and our lively spirits had spread to him as well. Smiles and appreciative words from the officers impressed us a lot. Soon they were talking about us over their radio and we were the ones being spotted and called over. Finally, the hot chocolate seemed secondary (次要的) to their interest in meeting us, the two boys that went around with hot chocolate expecting to share some late-night laughter. It was amazing to see how a small simple act can lift everyone’s spirits.

4 . “I left Carrara when I was 26, and I was the youngest stone-cutter on the Abu Simbel worksite,” says Luciano Paoli. Aged 78, he is one of the workers with first-hand experience of this international adventure: the rescue of the Ramesses II temples in Egypt from the rising waters of the Aswan High Dam.

A green hand from the marble (大理石) caves of Carrara who helped cut the temples of Abu Simbel into blocks, Paoli attended the event celebrating the 50th anniversary (周年纪念) of the adventure, hosted by Salini Impregilo and the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum) in Turin, Italy.

On February 4, 2019, the rescue of the world heritage site was celebrated at an event held at the museum with Chief Executive Pietro Salini, Museo Egizio Director Christian Greco and UNESCO Regional Director Ana Luiza Thompson-Flores attending.

“Taking down two temples piece by piece, putting them back together elsewhere and perfectly rebuilding the landforms (地貌) around them was a great idea and showed us a new frontier (领域) for cultural protection,” said Salini. “It also showed the world that progress did not have to come at the expense of a world heritage site. Today, 50 years after this fantastic project, we remember with great admiration all those people from different countries and cultures, who, with their unique skills, achieved this impressive achievement for future generations.”

The work of moving the temples, in which Impregilo took part, was done with the support of 50 countries and some 2, 000 people in little more than 1,100 days.

This unique project is also being celebrated with the publication of “Nubiana”, a multimedia tome (多媒体巨著) that tells the story of the temples built more than 3,000 years ago in honour of the great Pharaoh Ramesses II. It also describes the engineering challenges of their rescue by international teamwork.

5 . Easy Halloween Party Ideas 2021

Halloween is forthcoming and we’re sure your kids already have their spirit on! With some preparations and these Halloween party ideas, you can throw your kids and their friends a super fearful party. We have listed some easy-peasy ideas for you.

Theme it out

Picking the perfect Halloween theme can be complicated. There are so many factors to consider like location, space size, kid-friendliness, etc. Whichever theme you choose, make sure that you stick with it for other elements as well like food, music, and decorations.

Ghoulishing the decorations

Fake blood, spider webs, cut-out pumpkins, & huge bubbling pots. Halloween decorations are sure fun and involve kids and parents together in the holiday activities. Decorating the house together is sure to ensure some serious bonding time!

DIY Halloween party games

DIY Halloween games are a super way to get kids excited! They are budget-friendly and are a great way for parents to bond with their children. Make sure to include games that suit your theme and create amusement.

Make some delicious food & drinks

Try to keep Halloween snacks and drinks tasty and simple! Make a tangy punch (潘趣酒) that kids will enjoy with some cheese sandwiches to go along with. You can make snacks that are relevant to your theme.

Halloween is great fun but don’t forget that the core purpose behind each holiday is to get in some family time. Do some activities that involve you and your kids together. Help your kids enjoy themselves to the fullest by enjoying with them!

6 . While established by Woodrow Wilson as a holiday in the United States in 1911, the practice of recognizing mothers on a specific day or time of year has spread to more than 40 countries. Here's a look at the various traditions.

France

Mother's Day in France only started in the 1950s. After World War I, it was celebrated on the last Sunday in May, unless it conflicted with the Pentecost（五旬节）. If it did, mothers were celebrated on the first Sunday of June. Regardless of the day, a traditional gif is a flower-shaped cake.

Japan

Following WWI, Mother's Day in Japan gained some popularity, and it is now celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Gifts include red or pink conations（康乃馨） as they symbolize sweetness and purity. Children will often draw pictures of their mothers and present them to mom in addition to preparing dishes that their mothers have taught them.

Sweden

Celebrated on the last Sunday in May, the day isn't all that different from the U. S. version. There's breakfast in bed and homemade cards and the like. One difference is that the Swedish Red Cross collects money by selling red plastic flowers. The money from the flowers goes to mothers and children in need.

Thailand

While all mothers are recognized during Mother's Day in Thailand, the holiday is largely centered on Sirikit, the queen mother of Thailand. Mother's Day is celebrated on her birthday, August 12, and public places and households are decorated with lights and pictures of Sirikit. Flowers like jasmine are popular gifts.

7 . Summer Camps for Kids

PGL Surrey

Suitable for: 7-17 years; 7 nights from ￡469

PGL or Parents Get Lost is the big daddy of summer camps. Most popular is the seven-day multi-activity camp, a mix of dance, photography and more. It has three, four, and seven-night camps, including a first-timer week for new campers.

The Outward Bound Trust

Suitable for: 11-19 years; prices go from one week ￡599 courses to 19-day adventures at ￡1, 749

As well as the activity weeks you' d expect from a summer camp, it also offers 19-day journeys, through some of the most beautiful natural scenery(景色)in the UK. You will spend every day camping out scene underneath the stars, on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through either Wales, Scotland or the Lake Districts

Mill on the Brue

Suitable for: 8-15 years; ￡630 a week

This outdoor activity centre is perfect for the active adventurer. Family-run for nearly 40 years, the summer camp focuses on team building and problem-solving with children encouraged to work together to build rafts(木筏), cross the river and complete the assault course(障碍场).

First Hand Experiences

Suitable for: 7-14 years; ￡439 for 6 nights, ￡220 for 3 nights

Connecting with nature by growing, cooking and sharing food is at the heart of this camp. It also offers woodland arts, countryside experience as well as lots of outdoor fun and games. Kids will water, pick and cook vegetables from the forest garden, and there’re lots of new experiences like cooking sweet potatoes on the campfire.