Celebrating Cultures across the University of Birmingham
Bastille Day is a holiday celebrating the storming of the Bastille – a military fortress and prison – on July 14, 1789, in a violent uprising that helped usher in the French Revolution. Besides holding gunpowder and other supplies valuable to revolutionaries, the Bastille also symbolized the callous tyranny of the French monarchy, especially King … Continue reading “Le 14 juillet”
For children of the 1950s and 1960s (and I am one of the them! Ed), along with ‘The Woodentops’ and ‘Bill and Ben’, ‘Andy Pandy’ in the ‘Watch with Mother’ series was a must see for those of us young enough not to know any better. The opening titles of ‘Andy Pandy’ were blocks which … Continue reading “70th anniversary of BBC children’s tv show ‘Andy Pandy’ being first broadcast”
Paul Klee (18 December 1879-29 June 1940) First of all, the art of living; then as my ideal profession, poetry and philosophy, and as my real profession, plastic arts; in the last resort, for lack of income, illustrations. — Paul Klee https://www.davidzwirner.com/exhibitions/paul-klee-late-klee In his early years, following his parents’ wishes, Klee focused on becoming a musician; … Continue reading “Paul Klee anniversary”
Bridget Blankley, Art History MA student tells us what life in lockdown is like for a writer What do you call a writer who isn’t writing? In my case it’s a research student. After staring at a blank page for too many months I told my publisher that I was taking a break and signed … Continue reading “What do you call a writer who isn’t writing?”
Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812–9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors’ prison. … Continue reading “Charles Dickens anniversary”
Festa della Repubblica is celebrated on 2 June each year and the day commemorates the institutional referendum held in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government, following the end of the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. The referendum of 1946 resulted … Continue reading “Festa della Repubblica celebrations”
Hello. I hope everyone is coping well with the current situation. First of all, Eid Mubarak to my fellow Muslims. Today, I will tell you how I celebrated Eid this Sunday!!! This year’s celebration was different than usual, the reason being Covid-19. When I was living in Germany, on Eid my family and I would … Continue reading “LCAHM UG Haby Cisse tells us how she celebrated Eid under lockdown”
Modern Languages student Sophia Akbari tells us how Eid-al-fitr is celebrated in Islam As the end of Ramadan draws closer, Muslims all over the world will celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, one of the religion’s main festivals. Eid-al-Fitr translates to ‘the feast of breaking the fast’. The fast, during the time of Ramadan, represents one of the five … Continue reading “Modern Languages student Sophia Akbari tells us how Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated”
During these strange and challenging times, observing the Holy Month of Ramadan may look very different for our Muslim friends and colleagues. A member of the Law School Academic Faculty here at Birmingham shares her thoughts and feelings on how she is coping under the Coronavirus lockdown and provides some support and inspiration for others. … Continue reading “Ramadan Reflections by Dr Rehana Parveen”
Joan of Arc (1412–1431) was formally canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on 16 May 1920 by Pope Benedict XV in his bull Divina disponente, which concluded the canonization process that the Sacred Congregation of Rites instigated after a petition in 1869 from the French Catholic hierarchy. Although pro-English clergy had Joan … Continue reading “Centenary of the canonization of Joan of Arc, Maid of Orléans”
