VALENTINE'S DAY - READING (B1 - B2 - INTERMEDIATE LEVEL)

 

Extractos de Valentine's Day de la Enciclopedia Británica. 

1.- Origin 

Valentine’s Day, also called St. Valentine’s Day, has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day. It came to be celebrated as a day of romance from about the 14th century. 

2.- Valentine 

Although there were several Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day may have taken its name from a priest who was martyred about 270 CE by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus. Other accounts hold that it was St. Valentine of Terni, a bishop, for whom the holiday was named, though it is possible the two saints were actually one person. Another common legend states that St. Valentine defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. It is for this reason that his feast day is associated with love. 

3.- Valentine Cards

Formal messages, or valentines, appeared in the 1500s, and by the late 1700s commercially printed cards were being used. Valentines commonly depict Cupid, the Roman god of love. Traditional gifts include candy and flowers, particularly red roses, a symbol of beauty and love.

4.- Celebration

The day is popular in the United States as well as in Britain, Canada, and Australia, and it is also celebrated in other countries, including Argentina, France, Mexico, and South Korea. In the Philippines, it is the most common wedding anniversary. The holiday has expanded to expressions of affection among relatives and friends.

5.- Vocabulario

- Held = Hold = Celebrar, sostener

- Pair off = Emparejar

- Martyr = Mártir

- Priest = Sacerdote, cura

- Bishop = Obispo

- State = Manifestar, declarar

- Defy = Desafiar

- Spare = Ahorrar

- Feast = Fiesta

. Depict = Representar

- Wedding = Boda

SILENT NIGHT - STORY

I.- Story

The simple but significative melody of this song was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818.

The words were written by Father Joseph Mohr. Mohr got the inspiration when he was going to bless a newborn baby. He was so filled with the spirit of the season and with the simple beauty of the mother and infant that when he returned home, he wrote the poem we sing today.

Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg, Austria. He became a Roman Catholic priest in 1815. In 1818, Mohr asked and organist called Franz Gruber, to set his poem to suitable music. Within a few hours, Gruber composed "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night").

Franz Gruber was also born in Austria. He was a schoolteacher before he became the organist at St. Nicholas Church. Gruber wrote over 90 musical compositions, but he is best remembered as the composer of "Silent Night".

At first, the song was known as a Tyrolean Folk Song, and it was first published in a song collection called "Vier Achte Tyroler-Lieder" in 1828. In 1954 the King of Prussia, Frederick Wilheim IV, first heard the song and instructed his royal court musicians in Berlin to find out the names of the author and composer.

In 1863, an American Episcopal clergyman called John F. Young, translated the song into English. This is the version we all know. Young served as Bishop of the state of Florida in 1867.

II.- Questions

1.- Who was Franz Xaver Gruber?
2.- When did he compose "Stille Nacht"?
3.- What is the "Silent Night" version we all know?
4.- Do you know the lyrics?
5.- What other Christmas songs lyrics do you know?

III.- Vocabulary

- Compose = Componer
- Bless = Bautizar
- Infant = Infante, niño/a
- Become = Convertirse, llegar a ser
- Ask = Pedir
- Suitable = Apropiado/a
- Within = Dentro
- Publish = Publicar
- Instruct = Ordenar, mandar
- Find out = Averiguar
- Clergyman = Clérigo, pastor
- Bishop = Obispo

IV.- Grammar

a) Simple Past Tense

Some examples:

- This song was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818.
- When he returned home, he wrote the poem.
- He became the organist.

b) Past Continuous Tense

- He was going to bless a newborn baby.

c) Irregular Verbs

- Be, was/were, been.
- Write, wrote, written.
- Get, got, got.
- Become, became, become*
- Know, knew, known.
- Hear, heard, heard.

* = Come, came, come

d) To Be Born - Nacer

- Joseph Mohr was born in Salzburg.

Other examples:

- I was born on the 2nd of November.
- He was born at the hospital.
- She said she was born in 1980.

V.- Word Construction

It is very important to know how to construct words. A simple trick is using Preffixes and Suffixes. But you can use other ways to improve your vocabulary.

- Signify, significance, significative
- Inspire, inspirate, inspiration
- Suit, suitable
- Compose, composite, composition
- Publish, publisher, publishing
- Collect, collectable, collection
- Music, musical, musician