Culture: Spring cleaning

It's time for some spring cleaning!

Rubber gloves...usually kept under the kitchen sink!

In Japan, people clean their homes and workplaces at the end of the year.
They wash away the dust and energy of the past year.
It is a way to prepare for the new year.
The end of year clean is a Japanese tradition.


We also have an annual cleaning event.
Annual = Every year / Once a year
Our annual cleaning is called 'spring cleaning'.
Our annual clean out is traditionally during the first warm days of the new year.
The first warm days are in spring.
Spring is the season of sunshine and warmth.
Spring cleaning is popular in cold places.
These days 'spring cleaning' is not always in spring.
Any type of 'big cleaning' is called 'spring cleaning' now.
We can do our spring cleaning at any time of the year.

Example 1:
A. Why are you taking all those things out of the cupboard?
B. I am doing my spring cleaning.
A. Can I give you a hand? = Can I help you?
B. Sure, grab some gloves from the kitchen, under the sink.

Example 2:
A. Can you come home from work early tomorrow?
B. I wish I could, but we are re-organising the office.
A. Really? Why?
B. It's quiet at the moment, so the boss decided it was a good time to do some spring cleaning.

Culture: Boxing Day

December 26th is called 'Boxing Day'

A Boxing Day tradition in Australia.

Christmas is December the 25th.
The day after Christmas is 'Boxing Day'.
Boxing day is celebrated in Australia, the U.K., Canada and many other countries.
Boxing day is sometimes celebrated in the U.S.A.
Christmas day is a family day.
Christmas eve is not celebrated in Christian countries.
Children go to sleep early on Christmas eve.
Children wake up early on Christmas day to open their presents.


There is a famous yacht race from Sydney to Hobart, it begins on 'Boxing Day'.
For most Australians Boxing day is a day for relaxing and going to the beach.

１２月２６日はBoxing day!!

"Boxing day",この言葉を聞いて皆さんは、どんな事を想像しますか？(昨日２６日は、まさに亀田三兄弟のボクシングタイトルマッチがありましたが）

実は、イギリスやオーストラリアの諸外国では、２５日のクリスマス翌日、１２/２６にBoxing dayという休日があります。名前の由来はいくつかの説がありますが、プレゼントの箱（Box）を開けることからBoxing dayとも呼ばれているそうです。スポーツのボクシングとは関係ないのですね。

クリスマスは家族と一緒に過ごす日。イヴの日、子供達は早く寝ます。そして翌日はいつもより早く起きて、プレゼントを開けるのです。

シドニーからホバートまでのヨットレース(Sydney to Hobeart Yacht Race)は、１２月２６日のボクシングデーに始まるヨットレースで、オーストラリアの夏を彩る代表的なイベントです。

Boxing dayは、ビーチに行ってのんびり過ごしています。

Culture: Have you been a good boy?

Have you been a good girl?

Do you deserve a present? Photo by Rob.

A Christmas eve conversation between a mother and son:
Child: Mum, is it true that Santa only gives presents to good people?
Mum: Yes honey, that's true. Why do you ask?
Child: (Looking very sad) Well...no reason.
Mum: Are you sure? You don't sound very sure to me.
Child: Um...well...you see...
Mum: Yes?
Child: Stealing is bad right?
Mum: Oh yes, stealing is VERY bad!
Child: But, it's OK sometimes right?
Mum: No honey, stealing is never good!
(Child starts crying)
Mum: What is it honey? Why are you so upset?
Child: Because daddy said you stole his heart! And that means you're bad and that you won't get any Christmas presents from Santa Claus!
Mum: Oh honey! Daddy didn't mean it that way! He means that he loves me!

She stole my heart. = I love her.

Culture: 'Tis the season to be jolly!

The holiday season is upon us!

Merry Christmas from Prana English!

It is = 'tis
Jolly = Merry = Happy
Santa is jolly. = Santa is a happy guy. (always / usually)
Guy = Man
Merry Christmas = Happy Christmas / Please have a good Christmas.


In Christian countries this time of the year is our biggest holiday.
Most businesses close from Christmas until the first week of January and life is quiet.
In Australia we have a hot, summer Christmas.
We often have a barbecue on Christmas Day.
Many people go to church and pray.
Most Australians go to the beach on Boxing Day (December 26th)
We do not celebrate the 24th of December.
December the 25th is similar to January the 1st for Japanese.
We do not eat fried chicken!
We do not eat sponge cake!
Santa brings presents for good kids.
Santa brings coal for naughty kids.
The presents go under the Christmas tree.
We often eat turkey and pudding on the 25th.

Australians often barbecue prawns (shrimp), lamb chops, steak or fish.

Meat on sticks is also popular.

Traditionally we eat turkey with cranberry sauce.

Christmas cake is fruit cake with thick white icing.

We often eat Christmas cake with custard.

Custard is a sauce made from eggs and milk.

It is high in calories. = It is heart-attack food.

冬休みは、すぐそこ！

キリスト教徒にとって、この時期は、一年で最も大きな休暇です。

ほとんどの会社が、クリスマスから１月第一週目までお休みになり、ゆったりと過ごします。

オーストラリアでは、真夏のクリスマスを迎えます。クリスマスにはバーベキューをするのが一般的で、教会へお祈りにいったり、翌日１２月２６日のボクシングデーには、皆でビーチに行きます。

日本では、24日のイヴに恋人と過ごす習慣がありますが、オーストラリア（イギリスなども）特にお祝はしません。２５日のクリスマスは、盛大に祝います。日本の正月と同じように大切な日です。それから、日本の様にクリスマスにチキンを食べたり、ケーキを食べたりもしないのです！

良い子には、サンタからプレゼントが、悪い子には煤がおくられる！

クリスマスツリーの下に、プレゼントを置き、25日のクリスマスには、七面鳥とクリスマスプディングを頂きます！

Season: It's time to rug up against the cold!

It's time to rug up!

Snowflake drawn by Rob.

Winter is here and it is time to keep warm!
Stay warm this winter by wearing heavy, warm clothes. (rug up)
Rug up. = Wear warm clothes
I love winter because it is a good chance to rug up!
Rugging up is a good way to save money on heating bills!
Make sure you rug up before you go outside in the cold!
Extra point: On cold evenings it is great to snuggle into bed!
My duvet is very warm, I like to snuggle it against my face on cold nights!
Snuggle is similar to 'cuddle'.

寒くなってきましたね。冬の到来です。暖かくして過ごす季節が来ました。

暖かい服を着て、寒い冬を乗り切ろう！
沢山重ね着出来る冬は、大好きです。それに、着こむだけなんて、経済的だしね！

皆さん、寒い外に出る前に、しっかり暖かく着こんでから出かけましょう！

Snuggleって、とっても気持ちよさそうなニュアンスが伝わってきますね。

柔軟剤の白いクマのぬいぐるみを思い出します。くまのファーファーちゃん。

Snuggle,心地よく、やさしく寄り添うイメージ。

冷たい夜に、暖かい掛け布団にくるまって寝る幸せを味わえるのも冬ならではです。

Conversation:
A. Why is this room so hot?

B. The heater's on, I turned it on a few hours ago.

A. That's a waste of energy! You should rug up against the cold, put a scarf on!

B. I don't like scarves.

A. Well wear a heavier jumper then and a hat!

B. But I'll still be cold!

A. Do some exercise, kill two birds with one stone, you could lose a few pounds! By the way, there is some hot miso soup on the stove, that will warm you up.

Notes:
A stove is for cooking.
In Japanese English a stove is a heater, for staying warm.

We usually have stovetops on the top of ovens to cook food.

Gas stovetops are popular, and so are electric stovetops.

We use heaters to keep ourselves warm, not stoves!

和製英語に注意！

英語で、ストーブと言うと、料理に使う調理器具のことを指します。

暖房器具のことは、「Heater（ヒーター）」です。

もうひとつ、「マフラー」。これもネイティブには通じません。

「Scarf（スカーフ）」が正解です。日本語だと薄手の物を連想しますが、英語では暖かく首に巻くものは、全て「Scarf」です。

日本人の感覚で間違って使ってしまいやすい単語ですので、注意しましょう。

風が冷たくなる冬、スカーフに手袋、重ね着をして暖かく過ごして下さいね。

ヒートテックなど薄手で優秀な防寒着も増えましたね。

こないだ、ヨガクラスで気持ち良い汗をかいてきました。気づけば半袖、外との温度差にビックリしました。皆さんも運動後は身体を冷やさないように、着替えて暖かくして外にでましょう。Rug up!

Culture: Japanese love autumn leaves!

I love the autumn leaves!

Heirinji by Rob.

The autumn leaves are beautiful!
深まる秋。秋のうつろいと共に変化する葉。紅葉は日本の四季の美しさの一つです。

さて、そんな美しい紅葉をどんな風に表現しますか？　「美しい」と一言でいっても、英語には様々な表現があるのです。
The autumn leaves are ....
...beautiful!
...wonderful!
...spectacular!
...lovely!
...gorgeous!
...breathtaking!― 息（breath)を取る（take)するほど美しい。まさに”息をのむほどの”美しさ！
...a sight to behold!―目を見張るほどに！　美しい。んーうっとり。

葉のうつろいによって、英語表現も変化していきます。

The leaves are changing colour. (They are changing day by day, now.)
まずは葉が色づき始めた頃。日に日に、葉の色が変わってきています。

The leaves have changed colour. (They have finished changing, and are good to see.)
そして完全に色づいた頃。赤や黄色の見事な紅葉です。

The leaves have fallen. (It is too late!)
最後には、葉が落ちます。植物達は葉を落とし、来春に向け冬ごもり。本格的な冬の到来です！

I love looking at the autumn leaves!
Many Japanese people go to temples or to the countryside to look at the autumn leaves.
The leaves change colour every year in autumn and then fall to the ground.


Note: In British English we say 'autumn' and we spell colour with a 'u'. In American English they say 'fall' and spell color without a 'u'.
イギリス英語では、秋は”autumn"。カラーのスペルもuを付けて、colourとなります。アメリカ英語だと、秋は”fall"で、カラーのスペルにuを付けづに、colorとなります。何か違いがあるのでしょうか？次の会話をのぞいてみましょう。

Conversation:
A: Have you seen the autumn leaves yet?
B: No I have not, not yet. But I plan to drive to Gunma on the weekend to see them.
A: That sounds wonderful, will you go to an onsen?
B: What's that?
A: It's a Japanese hot spring bath. It is a very popular thing to do in the fall. How about in your country?
B: We enjoy looking at autumn leaves back home too, but we do not make a big event of it.
A: You don't say 'fall'?
B: Well, no, I don't because I was brought up in the U.K. 'fall' is an American English word.
A: I see! Which is better to use?
B: I cannot say which is better! It is your choice! I prefer 'autumn' because it is the way I was taught when I was a child, it sounds more natural to me.
A: I see! Thank you! I learned something new!

なるほど。特にどちらが良い悪いはないようですね。自分が使いやすい方をつかってみましょう。ここ数日、ぐっと寒くなってきました。街の木々も葉を落とし始め、晩秋です。美しい日本の秋を、色んな表現を使って表してみてはいかがでしょう！