1 . My son’s seventh birthday is approaching, so conversation at my house has naturally turned to organizing his party.

For his sixth birthday, we booked the local trampoline(蹦床) park. This worked out well. But the whole event cost us hundreds of pounds. This year, I’m trying to convince him that the dinosaur-themed park down the road offers just as much fun—and you don’t even need to wear special socks! This will be cheaper, because we aren’t required to hire a space—we can simply buy tickets for his mates.

But I still keep pondering over one thing—party bags. Why should a bunch of seven-year-olds, who have already been treated to a day out and a mountain of sugar, also be handed a bag full of pound-shop gifts for simply bothering to show up?

Party bags are an environmental disaster. I reckon my son attends 20 parties per year, and at each party there are 20 kids in attendance, which means 400 plastic bags in total. Within these 400 bags are perhaps 800 plastic toys, almost all of which fall apart on the journey home and then get binned instantly. The waste is shocking, and I don’t want to be part of it.

I know there are some party bag alternatives: one couple I know covered a table with Mr. Men books and got the kids to choose one each. At another party, I saw the hosts fill a bucket with soft toys and crumpled newspaper, and do a lucky dip (抽奖). Admirable efforts.

Even if that is a nice try, and even if the contents in the party bags don’t fall apart, so what? Will our guests think more highly of our child because of the party bags from our party? Will my child’s ability to make and keep friends be improved?

Well, the tradition for kid’s party bags ends with me, and it ends here, and it ends now. Who’s with me?

2 . It seems a bit strange to imagine ancient Egyptians celebrating their birthdays with layered cakes topped with lighted candles.    1    

The first birthday cakes were nothing of what they are today and weren’t even called birthday cakes.    2    At that time only they could afford to celebrate with something sweet. That is how cake became associated with special occasions.

Ancient Egyptians are credited with“inventing”the birthday celebration. And ancient Greeks borrowed the tradition but rightfully realized that a dessert would make the celebration all the more meaningful. So they baked moon-shaped cakes to offer up to the moon.    3    

It wasn’t just the ancient Egyptians and Greeks who celebrated with sweet cakes.    4    And it’s believed that the original birthday cake came from them. Rather than just celebrating birthdays, though,ancient Rome was known for celebrating all things with a cake including wedding,but there was an exception—the birthdays celebrated were only for men who were citizens,and they had to be famous.

Modern birthday parties are said to get their roots from the 18th-century German celebration. On the morning of a child’s birthday, he or she would receive a cake with lighted candles that added up to the child’s age plus one.    5    The birthday child would make a wish,try to blow out all the candles in one breath,and dig in.

3 . Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in Tibet and is celebrated for 15 days, typically falling in February or March.    1    The celebrations include a range of customs and traditions that reflect the unique culture and identity of the Tibetan people.

Before the arrival of the New Year, Tibetans engage in thorough cleaning of their homes and surroundings.    2    They also make offerings to the gods and ancestors to seek blessings for the upcoming year. Decorating homes and public places is a common custom during Losar. In addition, people also decorate their clothes with patterns, and their hair is styled in fashion.

    3    Traditional dishes such as momos, a type of steamed dumpling filled with meat or vegetables, and Tibetan butter tea, made from yak butter and tea leaves, are served. Sweet treats like Tibetan butter cookies and dried fruit are also enjoyed.

Tibetan people offer prayers and make offerings to the gods and deities during Losar. The offerings typically include food, incense and flowers.    4    

Music and dance are part of the Losar celebrations. Villagers gather in public spaces and dance around bonfires, singing and playing traditional instruments.

    5    People gather in public spaces and light incense and candles while offering food, drinks and other items to the gods. This is followed by the ceremony of throwing Tsampa, a roasted barley flour, into the air as a symbol of letting go of the past year and embracing new beginnings.

The customs of Tibetan New Year are deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the Tibetan people.

4 . Art lovers around the world are remembering Leonardo da Vinci who died in France 500 years ago, on May 2, 1519.

A British art expert announced on Thursday that Britain’s royal family has a portrait (肖像) of the famous artist, often known simply as Leonardo. Martin Clayton, a royal art adviser, said the portrait’s owner is Queen Elizabeth II. He added that the image was made by one of Leonardo’s assistants shortly before his death. Clayton said the “straight nose” and other details look very much like the only other known portrait of Leonardo done in his lifetime. That picture was the work of Italian painter Francesco Melzi. It will be on display at the Queen’s Gallery with about 200 drawings from her collection of Leonardo’s works.

On Thursday, the presidents of Italy and France gathered in the French town of Amboise to mark the anniversary of the artist’s death. He spent the final years of his life in the town. Today art lovers around the world are celebrating Leonardo’s work. He is considered a true Renaissance man, working not only as an artist, but as a scientist and inventor. “There really hasn’t been anybody then or since who has combined this extraordinary genius for these totally different areas,” said Gregory Rubinstein. He is the worldwide head of Old Master drawings at Sotheby’s auction house. “I think that’s what’s at the heart of our fascination.”

Sotheby’s announced Thursday that an important Leonardo drawing is going on display in its New York offices next month. The drawing, called “Leda and the Swan”, was painted in 1506. It is based on a story from Greek mythology (神话). It has not been shown in public since 2003. Leonardo appears to have made the painting while he was also working on “Mona Lisa”, his most well-known painting. The Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Rubenstein said the “very complete and very beautiful” drawing appears to have been preparatory work for a painting that was never made or was lost. “It’s a very mysterious one because there is no surviving record. and no painting survives,” he said.

5 . In the United States and Britain, 70th wedding anniversaries are known as “platinum anniversaries (铂金婚)”.     1     For example, celebrating the first year of marriage is known as a “paper anniversary”. Fifty years of marriage marks a “gold anniversary”. And the term “diamond anniversary” is used to describe a marriage that has lasted for 60 years.

    2     In the US, people give gifts to couples when they reach certain years of their marriage. The first year anniversary is marked by giving the couple a clock.     3     And they can get musical instruments when they reach their 24th anniversary.

    4     In Canada, couples can receive a message from the country’s governor-general (总督) on their 50th anniversary, and on every fifth anniversary after that. In the US, the president himself will send a greeting to couples that reach their 50th anniversary,and for every anniversary after that.

    5     Or perhaps the truly cool thing is celebrating such a long life full of love and happiness with your special someone.

6 . If you are planning to visit the historic capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, a travel destination that people crowd to from around the world, and want to attend one Festival while you are there, keep on reading to discover more information.

AKA. Imaginate Festival When: 22 May – 2 June 2021

Where: Traverse Theater, Assembly Roxy

A festival where kids take over Edinburgh. With a whole range of free pop-up performances, take your kids to see some of the most inspiring theatre and dance from a whole range of talented performers.

Edinburgh International Film Festival When: 19 June – 29 June 2021

Where: Film House, Festival Theater

Originally the very best in international film, it was established in 1947. The dynamic programme features everything from documentaries to shorts, along with a range of experimental cinema, in an attractive setting with a spray of red carpet charm.

Edinburgh Art Festival When: 25 July – 25 August 2021

Where: City Art Center, The Scottish Gallery

With over 40 exhibitions to attend, the Edinburgh Art Festival is the UK’s largest visual arts event where you can see everything from historical works to contemporary masterpieces.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo When: 2 – 24 August 2021

Where: Edinburgh Castle

With a different theme every year, over 200,000 visitors crowd to Edinburgh to see the military bands and the symbolic piper set against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.