Friday, March 6, 2020

Commonly Mispronounced French Words And Phrases - And Their Correct Pronunciation

Commonly Mispronounced French Words And Phrases - And Their Correct Pronunciation Sign up successful For example, “petit” and “petite” are pronounced like this: Another example would be “bon appétit” and “bon appétite” which are pronounced like this: A mistake I also hear all the time is not pronouncing the last consonant of a word when the next word starts with a vowel. For example, “C’est un plaisir” where the “t” is pronounced because the next word starts with a vowel. However, in “C’est bien” the “t” is not pronounced because the next word starts with a consonant. Remember, this applies every time a word ending in a consonant is followed by a word starting with a vowel. Common French Words And Their Pronunciation Now let’s get more specific and discuss a few common French words that you most likely will use when practicing your French. A ton of new French learners tend to pronounce these (and others like these) incorrectly, and if you want to learn French, you have to master at least these sounds. You may or may not have the whole French accent down, but regardless, just try your best to at least get the sounds of each word right â€" whether or not you sound French, it’s not necessary. Rather than go through this list and try pronouncing them yourselves, then listen to the correct pronunciation to see if you got it right. Bonjour/Au revior Hello/Goodbye Croissant/Crêpe Croissant/Crepe Aujourd’hui/Demain Today/Tomorrow Zéro/Un/Deux/Trois Zero/One/Two/Three Quatre/Cinq/Six Four/Five/Six Sept/Huit/Neuf/Dix Seven/Eight/Nine/Ten Common French Phrases And Their Pronunciation Next, let’s focus on phrases and sentences in French. Pronouncing words can be tricky and difficult for those who don’t have the accent or the pronunciation down. And sadly, speaking sentences can be even more difficult and tricky because of the natural flow French demands of its speakers. In French, if you mispronounce a word or stumble over a phrase within a sentence, the entire sentence itself can become jumbled or result in the other person not understanding what you just said or were trying to say. There is a distinct flow in French when speaking correctly and new French learners might have a tough time getting the flow right. Let’s try pronouncing the following sentences and phrases to see how well you do. Read them out loud yourself first then hear the correct pronunciation to see if you got it right. Répétez sil vous plaît? Repeat, please? Quel âge avez-vous? How old are you? A tout à lheure. See you later. Comment dit-on ___ en français? How do you say ___ in French? Ce nest pas grave. It’s alright. Parlez-vous anglais? Do you speak English? Parlez lentement, sil vous plait. Speak slowly, please. How did you do? If you had trouble that’s okay â€" just keep practicing. If you did alright but didn’t have the accent that’s okay too â€" just keep mimicking other French speakers. And if you did great well that’s wonderful! French is a difficult language but give it time and you will be a great speaker! Emmanuel M. teaches singing and songwriting exclusively online. A California State University, Fullerton graduate and native Spanish speaker, he also teaches essay writing, study skills, and Spanish. Learn more about Emmanuel here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by  Glen Scarborough

Asian Cooking with a Wok

Asian Cooking with a Wok Why Should You Use a Wok? ChaptersThe Advantages of Cooking with a Wok5 Ways to Cook with a WokPreheating Your WokHot Wok, Cold OilThree Recipes for the WokWhich Wok Should I Buy?Whether it’s to cook tasty Japanese food, Thai food, Vietnamese food, or some Chinese food, the wok should be an essential part of your kitchen setup.Do you want to impress your friends with a tasty stir-fry of rice noodles, coconut milk, lemongrass, and tofu?Get a wok to ensure that you get the most out of every ingredient, be it meat, fish, or veggies when cooking Asian recipes!After reading this article, you’ll want to use a wok every day for not just authentic Eastern cuisine, but also Western, which you'll understand is quite different.Why not get cooking tutorials? GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teacher £30/h1st les son free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsThe Advantages of Cooking with a WokA wok is a Chinese invention (although it’s used all over the world). The word “wok” just means “an instrument used for cooking”. In China, woks have been used for over 2,000 years by farmers who would usually only have one, as that was all they could afford.When cooking with a wok, you won't really need as much oil. (Source: Stevepb)There are three main advantages to using a wok:Fast: food is cooked quickly thanks to the shape of the wok.Economic: the quicker the food cooks, the less energy you’ll use cooking them.Healthy: you don’t need a lot of oil when cooking with a wok. This means that your food will h ave fewer calories. Furthermore, food that’s cooked quickly retains more of its nutritional value, colour, and flavour.A wok is also easy to maintain. You can just rinse it with warm water. Another advantage of using very little oil or grease.Obviously, a wok is great for cooking Asian food, but it can also be used for plenty of other recipes, too. It’s a good investment and you can find them online, in homeware stores, and in Asian markets.Find out more about cooking classes around the UK.5 Ways to Cook with a WokOne of the wok’s biggest advantages is the different ways you can cook using it.There's nothing stopping you from cooking your usual food in the wok, too! (Source: Hans)Sautéing: This is when you cook cut food quickly for one or two minutes while constantly stirring and mixing the food with a wooden spatula. Make sure that the wok is hot before adding your food so that it cooks quickly. You can easily sauté vegetables, as well as beef and onions, before adding soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce once cooked.Frying: In this case, you’re going to have to add a lot of oil. You can use a wok to fry food, too. Of course, this means that it won’t be as healthy. You just have to boil the oil while making sure the wok is only half full so that you don’t burn it. You can then individually place your ingredients, spring rolls, or prawn crackers into the wok so that they don’t stick to each other and come out crunchy. You need to make sure that your food is dry so that the wok doesn’t spit. This is great for Chinese and Vietnamese dishes.Stewing: You can make dishes with sauces like Peking duck or caramelised pork which take longer to cook. You’ll need, you’ll need to cook at a low heat with the lid on while stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom.Marinating: you can also leave raw meat in the wok for a few hours or overnight before cooking it. You pair it with a marinade of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, or hone y, for example. Don’t forget to store your raw meat in the fridge.Steaming: In order to steam, you’ll need two things: a bamboo steamer and a grill. Put the food you want to steam, like dumplings, seafood, meat, or fish, in the bamboo steamer. Put the bamboo steamer on the grill atop the wok and add water to the wok, ensuring that the water doesn’t reach the basket. Cover and cook. Be careful when removing the food as the steamer will be really hot.Whether you’re cooking healthy steamed food or frying everything, a wok can be really useful!Don't forget that if you're being healthy, you can steam your food, too! (Source: Pietrozj)You should check out this recipe for steamed crystal dumplings on one of favourite Asian food blogs, too. GiovanniCooking Teacher 4.83 (12) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HalimaCooking Teacher £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors HakimCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors VincenzoCooking Teac her £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GinellaCooking Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ArronCooking Teacher 5.00 (2) £9/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JoshuaCooking Teacher 5.00 (5) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors FlickCooking Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsPreheating Your WokFood is often served quickly in Asian restaurants due to how hot woks are.How long does it take to preheat a wok?Until it passes the water test.Not familiar with the water test?Splash a bit of water into your wok! If the water evaporates instantly, your wok is ready to go!Find out more about cooking tutorials around the UK.Hot Wok, Cold OilOnce your wok is hot, add your cold oil.What type of oil?That’s a good question.You’ll need to use oil with high smoke point.  Your oil shouldn’t smoke at all when cooking.  Peanut oil is recommended over vegetable oil since it has a higher smoke point. Olive oil and butter can’ t be used as they’ll reach their smoke point under the high cooking temperature of the wok.Here's a useful article  on the smoke points of different oils.Three Recipes for the WokTo get you started using your wok, what’s better than a few Chinese recipes?Keep in mind that this is just a taster of what you can do with your wok. You can make chicken curry, Cantonese rice, or even chicken noodle soup, and as you get better, move on to more elaborate and complicated Asian dishes.To start, here’s a pretty easy recipe for stir fried shrimp with cashew nuts.To serve two, you’ll need:200g of raw prawns40g of cashew nuts (these are famous in traditional Chinese medicine for healing your kidneys, since they are similar in shape)1 slice of ginger1 slim stem of spring onion1 carrotFor the marinade:1 teaspoon of Shaoxing rice wine1 egg white2 teaspoons of potato starchFor the sauce:1 teaspoon of soy sauce1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine1/2 teaspoons of potato starchA pinch of saltA bit of wat erPreparation:For the marinade:lightly beat the eggs while making sure that they don’t form peaks.Wet the potato starch with the water.Add the egg white.Add the wine and season with salt before beating again.Put the prawns into the mix.For the sauce:Mix all the ingredients together with a bit of water and stir.To cook:Cut the carrot and the spring onion into slices and dice the ginger. Pour a bit of oil into the wok and add the cashew nuts. Let them cook gently until golden.Add a bit of oil and then add the prawns. Sauté for 2 minutes. Don’t mix them but stir the wok lightly.Take the prawns out once cooked.Add the ginger, carrot, and spring onion for two minutes. Add the prawns again and cook for another 2 minutes.Add the sauce once thickened and then add the cashew nuts.Serve hot.You can prepare some delicious prawns using your new wok. (Source: Sharonang)The second recipe we’ve got for you is a napa cabbage stew with tofu.To serve two, you’ll need the following:Half a nap a cabbage250g block of tofu1 tablespoon of oil1 tablespoon of soy sauce3-4 slices of ginger1 small onionSalt and pepperPreparation:Cut the cabbage into big pieces and separate the green from the white. The white will be used for cooking.Cut the tofu into large cubesCook the onion and the sliced ginger in a bit of oil for a minute. Add the cabbage white and cook for 3-4 minutes before adding the soy sauce.Add the green cabbage leaves and mix. Once the leaves are tender, add a glass of water a mix well.Place the pieces of tofu on the cabbage without mixing. After ten minutes, mix gently, season with salt and pepper, and let the whole thing stew for another 10 minutes.Ready to serve!Since the last recipe is steamed pork dumplings with rice, it’s not suitable for vegetarians.Here are the ingredients you’ll need for 2 or 3 people:300g of pork ribsA packet of rice cakes for making the dumplingsFor the marinade:3-4 slices of ginger2 garlic cloves1 table spoon of black soy bean soup1 ta blespoon of Shaoxing wine2 teaspoons of soy sauceA pinch of sugarFor the sauce:1 tablespoon of soy sauce1 teaspoon of sugar1 teaspoon of soy saucePreparation:Cut the pork ribs between the bones.Finely slice the ginger and crush the garlic with a garlic press.Mix all the ingredients for the marinade with the pork and let it stand for at least 20 minutes.Put the pork ribs on the rice cakes and place everything in a bamboo steamer on top of a grill. Half fill your wok with water and place the grill and steamer on top and put the lid on the steamer.Steam for an hour at a medium heat.Heat up the sauce and pour over the ribs and rice cakes once cooked.Enjoy!You can find more recipes like this on a number of Chinese cooking blogs. You’ll find loads of different ways to use your wok and cook using a variety of different techniques.In short:“Don’t eat too much fat, sugar, or salt”. With a wok, you needn’t worry too much about this as you can make a variety of balanced meals.You loc k in the flavour and nutritional value of your food: be it peppers, bamboo shoots, coriander, basil, soy sprouts, or spice.A wok can be used to cook in a variety of different ways: sautéing, stewing, marinating, frying, or steaming. You can cook almost anything you can imagine, from a beef stir-fry to banana fritters.Get your credit cards ready! A decent wok can be between £25 and £50.Find out more about cooking tutorials around the UK.Which Wok Should I Buy?A good wok is one of the most versatile pans you’ll find in the kitchen.In addition to being a good choice for sautéing, you can also use it for frying, steaming, and stewing.It’s the most common pan used for cooking Asian cuisine. However, not all woks are created equal.You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to sizes, shapes, materials, and handles.Here are a few things to look for when picking a wok.The Different MaterialsYou’ll have to choose between:Steel woksCast iron woksStainless steel woksNon-stick woksThe Ma nufacturing ProcessSome woks are made from a circular piece of carbon steel before being pressed over a mould. They are cheap, but they’re also completely smooth and therefore more fragile. Spun woks are made on a tower, giving them their distinct shape (concentric circles).More Useful InformationTraditional woks have the shape of a deep bowl so that they can be placed into a circular hole over a flame.The best compromise is a wok with a flat base and gently sloping sides.This means you’ll have a lot of space for heating meats and vegetables at high temperatures while still having a lot of space to work with when it comes to mixing everything together.Here are some woks that come highly recommended:WokAvailable At:Size:Dishwasher Safe:Material:Price:Good Housekeeping Institute Score:Carbon Steel WokJohn Lewis24cmNoCarbon Steel £1898Ikea TolerantIkea33cmNoNon-stick £672Ken Hom Carbon Steel Performance WokJohn Lewis31cmNoCarbon Steel £28.9992Carbon Steel Wok (Flat Base)souschef.co .uk33cmNoCarbon Steel £1583Loft Copper Effect WokMarks and Spencer30cmYesNon-stick £29.5075Find out more about Asian cookery.Check if there is a cooking class london you can enrol on.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Tips to Improve Learning Skills Academic Success

Tips to Improve Learning Skills Academic Success Essential Learning Skills for Academic Success It is never too late to work on improving your child's learning skills. Focusing on specific learning and academic skills will help prepare your child for future learning and will provide a strong foundation for success. Many of these skills are easy to integrate into daily learning activities and can have a profound effect on your child's academic future.Consider these learning skills to help prepare your child for a successful school year: Planning ahead Knowing what is on the horizonis essential for academic success. Most teachers will provide a course syllabus or outline that details expectations and a calendar for the term. This is an important document so your child knows what to expect. Work with your child to add course expectations and deadlines to a mastercalendar. Once your child sees all of the required coursework in one placeyou can begin to plan ahead for the work load. You may notice that oneparticular week is full of exams, quizzes, projects, and presentationswhile the weeks leading up to it are relatively quiet. This knowledge will help your child plan and prepare carefully while ensuring that no deadlines are missed and no requirements sneak up unsuspectingly. Reviewing what has already been learned Looking ahead to this year's classes is important, but not at the sake of previously mastered learning. In order to properlyprepare for the upcoming school year it is vital your child spends timereviewing what has already been learned. Revisiting mastered concepts,skills, and knowledge is a great way to connect with future learning. The professional tutors at Huntington Learning Center are trained to reinforce previously mastered conceptswhile helping students become proficient with new skills and knowledge. For example, if your child participates in tutoring sessions fortrigonometry the tutor will ensure new concepts are mastered whilereinforcing what was already learned in the student's algebraclasses. Staying organized Many students struggle simplybecause of disorganization. It is hard to buckle down and begin studyingwhen you can't find the proper reading material, notes, or a class syllabus. Staying organized provides your child with a system to ensureall classroom texts and materials are readily available and easilyaccessible. There are no perfect organizational systems, and every studentwill do things a little differently, but working with your child to becomemore organized is highly beneficial. You may want to start by providingschool supplies with built in organization. Consider a color for everyclass and buy a binder, folder, and notebook that all match. Some studentsprefer an all-in-one system that organizes all materials, regardless of the class, together. Check your child's materials on a regular basis tomake sure the system you helped devise is still operating smoothly. Beingproactive Don't wait until your child feels overwhelmed by the required classwork to ask for help. Interveningearly when your child needs additional assistance is an excellent way to boost both confidence and academic learning. Spend time with your child ona regular basis reviewing classwork and discussing class requirements.This will help your child identify when to ask for help and what,specifically, is causing the most trouble. Being tuned in to these struggles will benefit your child when asking for help. Teachers, andtutors, can be of the greatest assistance when they know where thespecific learning breakdown occurred. This information, coupled withcareful diagnostic assessment, helps Huntington Learning Centertutors devise a customized tutoring plan. These tutoring plans meetstudents where they currently are and work to move them forward in bothunderstanding and academic confidence.

How to Encourage Outside-the-Box Thinking in Students

How to Encourage Outside-the-Box Thinking in Students Whether you teach first graders or high school seniors, teaching students how to think outside the box in school and life will be a valuable tool you can impart. But what exactly does that mean? Put simply, your goal should be to encourage your students to let their innovative ideas flow without restraint. Here are a few tips for how to do so: Ask open-ended questions. In the classroom, closed-ended questions (those with a right or wrong answer) halt discussion in its tracks. Phrase your queries in a way that invites students to share additional information (e.g. What do you mean by ___? Tell me how you feel about ___. Can someone add on to what Jennifer said?). Make yours a student-centered classroom. Yes, youre the teacher, but put the students in charge of their learning. Give them appropriate autonomy and have them collaborate and work together often. Individualize learning. No two students learn alike, and your teaching approach shouldnt be one-size-fits-all, either. Create lessons and assignments that require students to reflect on what they know and share that with you and their peers. Give your students daily opportunities to think on a higher level. Address the risks/downsides last. Dont stop students from sharing or thinking through ideas because you foresee a few hurdles. Allow them to brainstorm without criticism, and save the risk assessment aspect of the exercise until later. In todays dynamic world, its more important than ever that you teach students how to be creative and arm them with the tools to solve problems, take risks, and innovate. Foster that kind of environment each and every day in your classroom and youll prepare your students for great things.

A Guide to Education Jobs in Egypt (with current Egypt job postings)

A Guide to Education Jobs in Egypt (with current Egypt job postings) We recently posted a handful of certified teaching, administration, and other education jobs in Egypt with August 2016 start dates, so I gathered some helpful information for educators considering an Egyptian adventure. Whether you’re strongly considering applying for one of these summer 2016 positions or want to keep your eye on Egyptian placements in the future, the following information will prove to be very helpful… and it will probably make you want to leave for Egypt sooner than next August.Jobs in EgyptWhile the recent Egypt postings I mentioned above offer opportunities in International Baccalaureate schools in New Cairo City and Sheikh Zayed City, our listings often include jobs in both IB and private international schools in Cairo and Alexandria.Elementary, middle, and secondary school teaching jobs in Egypt tend to be open to licensed teachers with at least 2 years of experience. Our new featured postings for New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed require a minimum of 3 years of e xperience in a relevant field.ESL teaching opportunities for those without teaching licenses are rarely available. The majority of abroad teaching opportunities in Egypt are for licensed teachers and other education professionals, such as administrators, counselors, and librarians.    Salary and benefitsEducation work in Egypt can be a profitable opportunity. Salaries range depending on qualifications and experience. Typically, leadership and administration offer higher salaries than teachers and other positions.Teaching positions in Egypt offer a variety of benefits to licensed teachers. Private international schools usually provide the following incentives:Round-trip flightsAccommodationsUtilities?Transportation to and from the schoolIB positions offer packages more similar to the following:Accommodation: Provided Accommodation Details: Furnished Accommodation or Housing Allowance Provided Airfare Reimbursement: Full Airfare Description:Round trip airfare provided for teacher. Sc hool covers 50% of flights for school sponsored dependents (Under 18 years old) Vacation: Vacation days and national holidays Bonus:Retirement plan, coaching and extra curricular activities bonuses. Health insurance Description: Provided for teacher and school sponsored dependents  Relocation Allowance Provided: Yes Relocation Allowance Description: Relocation allowance provided Education Allowance Provided: Yes Education Allowance Description: Tuition support for teacher's dependents, 50% of tuition covered for up to two dependent children under the age of 18Other Allowances: Transportation to and from school each school dayNew Cairo CityCurrently featured job postings in Egypt may send candidates to teach in New Cairo City.New Cairo is a contemporary city that was planned shortly after the turn of the millennium and is still being built today. New Cairo helps Egypt’s capital handle its massive population and traffic. The Cairo suburb is home to a growing number of people, as wel l as increasing amenities, including shopping centers, hotels, and restaurants.New Cairo sits to the east of Cairo, but is not to be confused with the new capital city, which is an even newer city being built further east from Cairo nearer to the Suez Canal.A very popular tourist destination with its sights set on the future, New Cairo is a modern and youthful city. It would make a great home - long or short term - for any teacher looking for an exciting new experience overseas. (Visit this page for info on Cairo and Alexandria)Current featured job postings in EgyptThese are the new job postings I mentioned above. They’re great opportunities and are sure to get a lot of attention so make sure you apply soon.High School English Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptCounselor - ESOL Education - EgyptLibrarian - ESOL Education - EgyptHigh School IB Drama Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptHigh School IB Art Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptHigh School IB Science Teacher - ESOL Education - Egyp tHigh School IB Math Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptHigh School IB English Teacher - ESOL EducatioICT Elementary Teacher - ESOL Education - Egyptn - EgyptElementary Music Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptICT Elementary Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptPhysical Education (PE) Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptElementary Art Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptKindergarten Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptEarly Childhood (Pre K) Teacher - ESOL Education - EgyptElementary Teacher - ESOL Education - Egypt

St. Andrews International High School

St. Andrews International High School St. Andrews International High School St. Andrews International High School (SAIntS) is a well established, British International School in the Warm Heart of Africa. We are celebrating our 60th (Diamond) Anniversary this year and look forward to another 60 years of Leading Education in Africa. The School is located in the Southern Region of Malawi in Blantyre, the commercial capital of Malawi. It is set on a very large campus with plenty of space, but close to the centre of the city. The school role is approximately 510, with 100 students staying in the on-site boarding houses. SAIntS is a COBIS School and year on year students gain outstanding iGCSE and A Level results both in terms of progress and attainment. The School offers students a full and rounded education based on a British curriculum adapted to a Malawian context. We balance our rigorous academic programme with a wide range of activities and sports to support our aim of realising the full potential of each individual. Entry to the school is non-selective, though once admitted, we test students so that we have the best understanding of their needs. In Years 7 to 9, we follow theEnglish National Curriculum as a foundation to internationally recognised external exams in Years 10 and 11. At the end of Year 9, students elect to study ninesubjects which they follow for two-years, leading to iGCSE or the equivalent BTEC level 2 qualifications. Students progressing to Year 12 then follow AS level or BTEC level 2/3 studies.. SAIntSalso has a variety of systems to help ensure success and achivement.We have specialist Learning Support teachers and Pastoral House systems which provide a secure framework to nurture and guide students as they develop into future leaders. View our Brochure

Halloween is coming

Halloween is coming Halloween is coming! It is right around the corner. The coolest and scariest holiday of the year is almost here. Every one can enjoy it, for adults it is an opportunity to get dressed up and have fun at Halloween parties all night long. For kids it is an opportunity to get dressed up like their favorite  super hero, or cartoon hero and have as many candies as they want. In this article I have collected the most interesting and fun facts about Halloween which you might not know: 1. Halloween is over 2000 years old. It borrows traditions from a Celtic Harvest Festival Samhain that was held to celebrate the end of the harvest season. 2. One thread that runs through all Halloween legends is the belief that the night of October 31 st is the time when the spirits of the dead are freed to travel once more among the living. 3. The modern name of Halloween comes from All Hallows Evening. Hallow is an old English word for holy person and All Hallows Day is  merely another name  for All Saints Day. Thus, the correct spelling of Halloween is actually Hallowe’en. 4. The first Jack-o-lantern  were in fact  made from turnips. 5. The story of the Jack-o-lantern  comes in many variants. But they  all basically have the same gist:  once a man named Jack tricked the Devil. And the  Devil  agreed never to take his soul. When Jack died he was barred from hell but he couldnt go to heaven either as he had a life full of sins. So he was stuck on  the Earth and began wandering for a resting place. To lighten his passage  Jack used  a carved out turnip with  the ember (a small piece of burning coal in a dying fire) inside. 6. The function of the costumes and masks on Halloween is to hide the face of living from the ghosts and spirits of the dead. 7. Trick-or-treating originate from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats for supernatural beings  in order to  appease them. 8. Stephen Clarke holds the Guinness World record for the world’s fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds. 9. The record for most lighted Jack-o-lanterns  was set at Pumpkin Festival in Boston, Massachusetts  when people lighted 30,128 carved pumpkins. 10. Simple references to Halloween traditions can cause panic among  people who have Samhainophobia. 11. Americans spend more than $6 Billion on celebrating this holiday. Find out  some of the most weird, fascinating, and odd facts about  the history of Halloween with  history tutors on TutorZ.com! Happy Trick-or-Treat Weekend! Happy Halloween! Halloween is coming Halloween is coming! It is right around the corner. The coolest and scariest holiday of the year is almost here. Every one can enjoy it, for adults it is an opportunity to get dressed up and have fun at Halloween parties all night long. For kids it is an opportunity to get dressed up like their favorite  super hero, or cartoon hero and have as many candies as they want. In this article I have collected the most interesting and fun facts about Halloween which you might not know: 1. Halloween is over 2000 years old. It borrows traditions from a Celtic Harvest Festival Samhain that was held to celebrate the end of the harvest season. 2. One thread that runs through all Halloween legends is the belief that the night of October 31 st is the time when the spirits of the dead are freed to travel once more among the living. 3. The modern name of Halloween comes from All Hallows Evening. Hallow is an old English word for holy person and All Hallows Day is  merely another name  for All Saints Day. Thus, the correct spelling of Halloween is actually Hallowe’en. 4. The first Jack-o-lantern  were in fact  made from turnips. 5. The story of the Jack-o-lantern  comes in many variants. But they  all basically have the same gist:  once a man named Jack tricked the Devil. And the  Devil  agreed never to take his soul. When Jack died he was barred from hell but he couldnt go to heaven either as he had a life full of sins. So he was stuck on  the Earth and began wandering for a resting place. To lighten his passage  Jack used  a carved out turnip with  the ember (a small piece of burning coal in a dying fire) inside. 6. The function of the costumes and masks on Halloween is to hide the face of living from the ghosts and spirits of the dead. 7. Trick-or-treating originate from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats for supernatural beings  in order to  appease them. 8. Stephen Clarke holds the Guinness World record for the world’s fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds. 9. The record for most lighted Jack-o-lanterns  was set at Pumpkin Festival in Boston, Massachusetts  when people lighted 30,128 carved pumpkins. 10. Simple references to Halloween traditions can cause panic among  people who have Samhainophobia. 11. Americans spend more than $6 Billion on celebrating this holiday. Find out  some of the most weird, fascinating, and odd facts about  the history of Halloween with  history tutors on TutorZ.com! Happy Trick-or-Treat Weekend! Happy Halloween!