The Day I Was Born.

Россия. Краснодарский край, ст. Ленинградская,

муниципальное общеобразовательное учреждение

средняя общеобразовательная школа №6

станицы Ленинградской муниципального образования Ленинградский район.

Конкурс учебно-исследовательских проектов школьников «Эврика»

Малой академии наук учащихся Кубани.

«The day I was born».

2010 г.

«The day I was born»

Агутина Татьяна

Россия. Краснодарский край, ст. Ленинградская,

муниципальное образовательное учреждение

средняя общеобразовательная школа №6, 5 «Б» класс

станицы Ленинградской муниципального образования Ленинградский район.

Annotation.

The goal of the work is to show the importance of the birth of person in history.

The main aims are:

1. to learn the history of birthday celebrating;
2. to learn the traditions of birthday celebrating in the different countries;
3. to determine the events taking place in the history on my birthday;
4. to make a list of recommended sites on this topic.

I have used some methods of research such as theoretical analysis of the literature,

CONTENT

INTRODUCTION

«Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world».

Birthday is one of the most interesting and funny holidays in the life of every person. It is the day of greetings, holiday feasts, flowers, gifts and various fun surprises.

Birthdays are original, personal, noteworthy traditions. Some people like to forget them. Others prefer smaller celebrations. But for some, the day must be a flag-waving, band-playing joyous merrymaking occasion.

My friend recently had a birthday and she said that this day the famous artist Ilya Repin was born. It became interesting for me to know what events happened at the day I was born. I am interested what famous people I shared my birthday with.

The goal of the work is to show the importance of the birth of person in history.

The main aims are:

5. to learn the history of birthday celebrating;
6. to learn the traditions of birthday celebrating in the different countries;
7. to determine the events taking place in the history on my birthday;
8. to make a list of recommended sites on this topic.

I have used some methods of research such as theoretical analysis of the literature,

1. The history of the holiday.

It is speculated that the tradition of celebrating birthdays began with an all-male Pagan cult, long before the rise of Christianity.

When early people had no way of keeping track and marking time (except by the moon, sun or by some important event) little attention was paid to the anniversary of a person's birth. Everyone realized, of course, that people grew older as time passed; but they didn't mark any special milestone for it. Only when ancient peoples began taking notice of the moon's cycles, did they pay attention to the changing seasons and the pattern that repeated itself over and over and so they began to mark and note time changes. That's the start of birthday history.

Eventually, the first calendars were formulated in order to mark time changes and other special days. From this tracking system came the ability to celebrate birthdays and other significant anniversaries the same day each year.

It is also said that Birthday celebrations began as a form of protection. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. To protect them from harm, friends and family would gather around the birthday person and bring good cheers, thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off the evil spirits. Noisemakers are thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits. The birthday history custom of lighting candles originated with people believing that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods so they could be answered. When you blow out the candles and make a wish this is another way of sending a signal and a message.

Even though historians are certain that people have observed their birthdays for quite some time, there are very few records of such celebrations that still existing. The only ones documented in birthday history are those birthdays of kings, high-ranking nobility, and other important figures.  There are records showing Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors held birthday festivities. Common people and especially children never celebrated their birth when the idea came about. This trend has been explained by a theory that nobility were the only people wealthy enough to throw such celebrations, and quite possibly were the only ones thought to be important enough to have been written about or remembered. The Germans are given credit in birthday history for starting celebrations of children's birthdays. These celebrations were called «kinderfeste».

2. Birthday traditions in the English-speaking countries and in Russia.

There are numerous traditions surrounding birthdays. The factors that affect the way people observe and celebrate the anniversary of their birth are family history, culture, language, economic status, geographic location and spiritual beliefs.

Although birthday traditions are quite similar in some countries today, not everyone celebrates in the same way.

In Russia children whose birthday it is receive a present at school. Teachers often give a gift to their pupil whose birthday it is such as flowers, pencils or books to celebrate their birthday. Other children in the class might give small handmade gifts as well.

They have a birthday party either on their birthday or on the weekend, instead of a birthday cake; however, a birthday pie is traditional. The first piece of birthday pie is given to the birthday child not to the guests.

In England there are cakes known as «Fortune Telling Cakes», which are made for the birthday. Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared. The object that you find in your piece predicts your future. For example, if your piece of cake has a coin in it you will be rich.

Also, when it is your birthday your friends lift you in the air by your hands and feet and raise you up and down to the floor, one for each year, plus one for extra good luck.

Sending birthday cards is also a custom that began in England about 100 years ago. Originally cards were often sent as an apology when a person couldn’t visit somebody in person.

Birthdays in the USA are celebrated more for children than for the adults today, unless it is a milestone birthday such as 21, 30, 40 or 50.

At the children parties they have balloons, streamers are hung up and a lot of friends are invited to the party. There are always presents, cakes and ice cream.

The majority of American children celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lighted candles. Accompanying the entrance of the blazing cake is the song «Happy Birthday to You», which was written in 1893 by two American sisters. At the end of the song, the birthday person blows out the candles and makes a wish. However, if the birthday person repeats the wish aloud, it will not come true.

Some children receive birthday «spankings», which are originally based on superstition, but are now more of a birthday joke. Spankings are given for each year of the birthday child’s life. Beyond that number, a child receives another spanking to grow on, one to live on, one to eat on, one to be happy, and yet another spanking to get married on.

Many Australian Birthday parties are barbeques as the weather most of the time is not very cold or long in the winter.

In Australia the children eat a dish called «Fairy Bread». This is a popular snack and is buttered bread covered with tiny, sprinkles known as «hundreds and thousands».

Being given the key to the house is still considered an important sign of coming of age in Australia. This takes place when someone turns the age of twenty-one. The young man who was given the key to the house is said to be given permission to come and go as he pleases and to stay out as late he liked.

In Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland) the birthday child is ambushed and their nose is greased for good luck. The greased nose makes the child too slippery for bad luck to catch them.

A tradition in Ireland is to lift the birthday child upside down and have them be gently «bumped» on the floor for good luck. The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck.

In New Zealand after the birthday cake is lit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly (often out of tune) and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year they have been alive and one for good luck.

There are also many different traditions in other countries. But how could we not celebrate our birthdays the most important thing is to have loved people who are happy to say us: «Happy birthday!»

3. My birthday in the history.

I was born on the 19th of May in 1998. I asked my mother about that day. She told me that the spring was great: the weather was wonderful, it was warm and sunny, apple trees and cherry trees were blossoming. Nature was happy that I was born. «The nineteenth of May is the day of happiness. It is a holiday forever» she said.  It seems to me that I’m very serious and industrious. That was why I decided to explore the day of my birthday in history.

Using the Internet resources I have known a lot of interesting things.

 I shared my birthday with famous people (Application 1):

1. Jacob Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678), was one of three Flemish Baroque painters, along with Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck, to bring prestige to the Antwerp school of painting.
2. Hồ Chí Minh (19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969) was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary and statesman who was prime minister (1946–1955) and president (1945–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam).
3. Nicholas II (19 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July 1918) was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, and claimed the title of King of Poland.
4. Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE (19 May 1928 - 16 December 1982) was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry. In 1952 he founded the sports car company Lotus Cars.
5. Natalia Marisa Oreiro Iglesias (19 May 1977 in Montevideo, Uruguay) is a Latin Grammy-nominated Uruguayan singer and actress of Galician origin, who developed most of her career in Argentina.
6. Leonid Vladimirovich Kharitonov (19 May 1930-1987) was a Soviet actor notable for his part in the films Private Ivan, Ivan Brovkin na tseline and Ulitsa polna neozhidannostey. He was awarded Honored Artist of the RSFSR.
7. Lera Kudryavtseva (19 May 1971) – Russian actress, TV presenter.
8. Eva Polna (19 May 1975) – Russian singer.
9. Michele Placido (19 May 1946) is an internationally known Italian actor and director. He is best known for the role of Corrado Cattani in the TV series La Piovra.
10. Alexander Peskov (19 May 1965) – Russian actor.
11. Maya Bulgakova (19 May 1932 – 7 October 1994) – The Soviet and Russian actress. She was awarded Honored Actress of Russia.

I also learned that on May 19 there have been many significant events. (Application 1)

1. 1780 – New England's Dark Day: A combination of thick smoke and heavy cloud cover causes complete darkness to fall on Eastern Canada and the New England area of the United States at 10:30 A.M.

1. 1802 – Napoleon Bonaparte founds the Légion d'Honneur.
2. 1922 – The Young Pioneer organization of the Soviet Union is established.

I would like to know what was interesting in 1998. (Application 1) The main events of this year in history:

1. In Africa was found Suchomimus ("crocodile mimic"). It is a genus of large spinosaurid dinosaur with a crocodile-like mouth that lived 112 million years ago.
2. Google Inc. was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while students at Stanford University.
3. Microsoft releases Windows 98 (First Edition).

In this year the screens out such films as «The Man in the Iron Mask», «Saving Private Ryan», «Dr. Dolittle», «Armageddon», «Shakespeare in Love», «Stalker».

To find information about the day when I was born, I had to visit a lot of sites on the Internet. It took quite a long time, because not all of them were useful and contained information that was needed for the job. For those people who would be interested to know about his birthday, I have compiled a list of the most useful sites on this topic.

CONCLUSION

      I enjoyed working on this project.

      It was exciting and interesting for me and my parents because I have found a lot of useful information, a lot of fascinating websites and I have learned that the day I was born is a great day in the world history.     

REFERENCES

1. Праздник в семье / Маргарита Давыдова, Ирина Агапова. — М.: Айрис Пресс: Рольф, 2000.
2. http://ru.wikipedia.org
3. http://www.abc-people.com/event/calendar.htm

Application I

Birthday traditions from around the world.

Africa - Initiation Ceremonies. In various African nations they hold initiation ceremonies for groups of children instead of birthdays. When children reach a certain designated age, they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes.

Argentina - Dance the waltz at 15.  When girls turn 15 they have a huge party and dance the waltz with their father and other boys.

Aruba - Children take a treat to school for their classmates and all teachers. Each teacher receives a treat and gives the birthday child a small gift like a pencil, an eraser or a postcard. The birthday child is also allowed to wear special clothes instead of the school uniform.

Bolivia - Dance the waltz and wear white.  At the age of 16 the birthday girl wears a white dress and dances the waltz with her father and other boys.

Brazil - Pulls on the earlobe. The birthday child receives a pull on the earlobe for each year they have been alive. The birthday person also gives the first slice of cake to his/her most special friend or relative, usually mom or dad. At the age of 15, the girl dances a waltz with staring with her father and grandfather. She dances with a total of 15 partners each symbolizing a year of her life.

China - Noodles for Lunch. The birthday child pays respect to his/her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.

Cuba - Food, music, pinatas and lots of people. The celebrations are very similar to the United States; food, decorations, gifts, pinatas, cake, candles, «happy birthday» song and games.  But a lot of people are invited including neighbors, friends, co-workers and family even if they don't have kids around the birthday child's age.

Denmark - Flying Flags. A flag is flown outside a window to designate that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child's bed while they are sleeping so they will see them immediately upon awakening.

Ecuador - Pink Dress. When a girl turns 15 there is a great celebration and the girl wears a pink dress. The father puts on the birthday girls first pair of high heels and dances the waltz with her while 14 maids and 14 boys also dance the waltz.

Germany - Candles left burning for the day. A member of the birthday person’s family wakes up at sunrise and lights the candles on the birthday cake. There are as many candles as the years of age of the birthday person plus one for good luck. The candles are left burning all day long. After dinner that night then everyone sings the birthday song and the birthday person blows out the candles. If all of the candles are blown out in one try then the wish of the birthday person will come true. Presents are then opened and the party starts.

Sweeping the stairs of city hall. When men reach the age of 30 and they still don't have a girlfriend that they have to sweep the stairs of the city hall. All their friends will throw rubble on the stairs and when you're finished  they'll throw some more rubble there. This way every girl can see that this man reached the age of 30 and still doesn't have a girlfriend (and that he can clean a house very well!).

Ghana - Special foods. The foods eaten are watche (brown rice and beans), sheto (black pepper), mecko (red pepper), red rice with corn beef and fufu (pounded yam and cassava).

Guyana - Special dishes.  Chicken, duck or lamb curry with rice are the main dishes at the birthday celebration.  A family member usually bakes a fruit, black or sponge for the birthday boy/girl to cut.  The person celebrating their birthday will wear something fancy.

Holland - Crown Years. Special year birthdays such as 5, 10, 15, 20, 21 are called «crown» years. The birthday child receives an especially large gift on a crown year birthday. The family also decorates the birthday child's chair at the dining room table with seasonal flowers or paper streamers, paper flowers and balloons. At school the birthday child can give their classmates something to eat and the teacher makes the child a birthday hat, often made of paper streamers or paper flowers.

Hungary - Pull on the earlobes. When gifts are open, everyone pulls on the earlobes of the birthday person and says a little rhyme. The rhyme is translated into English as follows «God bless you, live so long so your ears reach your ankles».

India - Colored dress and chocolates. At school the birthday child wears a colored dress and passes out chocolates to the entire class, with the help of a trusted friend.

Israel - Chair Raising. A small child sits in a chair while grown-ups raise and lower it a number of times corresponding to the child's age, plus one for good luck.

Italy - Pulling ears.  The child's ears are pulled as many times as how old they are turning.

Jamaica - Floured. There is singing and dancing to the beats of reggae music. The birthday child is floured.

Japan - New Clothes. The birthday child wears entirely new clothes to mark the occasion. Certain birthdays are more important than others and these are celebrated with a visit to the local shrine.

Korea - Choice to tell the future.  There is big family party on the first birthday. The table is set with food, and four items; a pencil, a ruler, thread, and money.  The baby chooses one item to forecast their future; excellent student, good with hands, long life or riches.

Latvia - Lifting the chair. The birthday person sits in a chair and friends and family lift the chair one time for each year. The traditional birthday cake is a yellow cake called «klingeris».

Lithuania - Garlands and lifting the chair. A garland is hung around the entire door of the home of the birthday person. The birthday person sits in a decorated chair and family members lift them up to three times.

Mexico - Piñatas. The piñata, usually made out of paper mache and in the form of an animal, is filled with goodies and hung from the ceiling. The birthday child is blindfolded and hits the piñata until it is cracked open. All the children share the goodies. The song Las Mananitas is sung. Also, when a daughter is 15, the birthday is celebrated with a special mass in her honor. A party is then given to introduce her to everyone as a young woman. The father dances a waltz with her.

Nepal -Mark on the forehead. A certain mixture of rice yogurt and color is placed on the birthday child's forehead for good luck.

Norway - Birthday day. The birthday child stands out in front of their class and chooses a friend to share a little dance while the rest of the class sings a happy birthday song.

Panama - Piñatas and large parties. The piñata is the most important item. They are usually made to resemble a character to correspond with a theme. It is filled with candy and confetti and is either hit with a stick or there are ribbons on it to pull. When the cake is served, the happy birthday song is often performed in two languages, Spanish and English. The cake is served with ice cream. The extended family is invited and sometimes up to 100 children are invited.

Philippines - Mixture of East and West. Birthday cakes are baked in various sizes and shapes. The celebration includes noodles representing long life, balloon decorations and pinatas. Earlier in the day the family goes to hear Mass and to thank God.

Scotland -  A pound note and a soft smack.  A pound note is given for every year old the child is plus an additional pound for good luck.  A soft smack on the bottom is also given for each year.

Uruguay - A waltz at age 15 for a girl. The principal ritual of a birthday is the cake with candles and lights out, with the eternal song "Happy Birthday to you..." At the end of the song, the birthday person blows out the candles and all guests applaud or cheer; some make jokes, whistle loudly, and touch the birthday person's shoulder or head. When a girl reaches the age of 15, she puts on a formal dress and dances a waltz with possible suitors.

Vietnam - Everyone’s birthday is celebrated on New Year’s day.  Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born. A baby turns one on Tet no matter when he/she was born that year. Children say they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for that year. On the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain "Lucky Money," or li xi. These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.

Application II

Famous people who were born on the 19th of May.

The main events of this day and year in history.

The films of this year.

Application III

List of sites

http://www.dayofbirth.co.uk/ - Find fun and interesting facts about the day and year you were born.

http://www.dmarie.com/timecap/step1.asp - You can know about this day in history.

http://www.kakophone.com/kakorama/EN/index.php - Guess what happened on the day you were born.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/index.html – The New York Times On this day.

http://www.history.com/home.do – The History Channel.

http://www.timeanddate.com/ - Time and date.com.

http://www.mathsisfun.com/games/dayofweek.html – Day of the week you were born.

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/ - Birthdays of famous people of The USA.

http://us.imdb.com/OnThisDay?day= - World famous people, who was born and died on the certain day of the year.

http://www.famouswhy.com/Born_Today/5/19.html – Famous people born on the certain day of the year.

http://www.epicidiot.com/thisday/td_05_19.htm – Events and birthdays on the certain day of the year.

http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1998 – Historical events by all the years.

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/list15.html – Important people of the 20-th century.

http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Day_files/Year.html  - Mathematicians who were born or died on certain day of the year.

http://www.440.com/twtd/today.html – Those Were the Days.

http://www.citycat.ru/historycentre/ - Этот день в истории.

http://www.abc-people.com/event/calendar.htm – Календарь. Даты исторических и знаменательных событий.

http://1-day.ru/ - День в истории.

http://history.rin.ru/text/tree/273.html – День в истории: события, великие люди.

http://ru.wikipedia.org – События, дни рождения, именины, приметы  в определенные дни года.