THIS MONTH bv TALUNA LINEHAN

CELEBRATING
THE CELTIC FESTIVAL

Happy
Imbolo!
Al giorno d'oggi quasi nessuno l'ha sentita nominare o
non sa cosa sia esattamente Imbolc, eppure una volta
era considerata un'importante festività celebrata in
Irlanda, Scozia e sull'Isola di Man. EXERCISESIN

Worklt
Out!

GOODFORTUNE

I
mbolc, traditionally celebrated on
February thè Ist, is one of fourGael-
ic^seasonalfestivals^heotherthree
are Bealtaine, celebrated on May thè Ist,
Lughnasadh,onAugustthelst,andSam-
^1GLOSSARY hain,onOctober31st. Imbolc originated
as a pagan festival and was associated
Gaelic: gaeliche
goddess: dea with thè fertility goddess2 Brigid and thè
spring: primavera preparation for sprjnc[3. However4, over
however: tuttavia timesitbecameChrìstianised,particular-
over time: nel corso ly in Ireland, and was converted into thè
del tempo
nun: suora, monaca
festival of Saint Brigid, an Irish Christian
7 later: più tardi nun6 who founded numerous monas-
8 throughout: teries in Ireland in thè Ist century. And
per tutta so, Imbolc also became known as Saint
Brigìd's Day, or simply Brigid's Day.
Historically, Imbolc, and later;Saint Brigid's
Day, was celebrated by families through-
out!? Ireland, Scotland and thè Isle of Man.
People believed9 that Brigid visited their
home at this time of thè year to bring10
themgood fortune, fertility and prosperity.
And so, they prepared food, drinkand a bed
for Brigid on thè ève11 of Imbolc, and also
left things at their door for her to bless
Typically, they made Brigid's crosses
from woven rushes14 and doll-like15 fig-
ures, called 'Brìdeógs', filled16 with straw17.
They then hunc[ui thè crosses over their
doors and carried19 thè dolls through thè
streets, to ward off 20 evil spirits. They al-

8 eight
 Clockwise from far left and
main photo: fire dancers
at thè Marsden Imbolc Fire
Festival in Yorkshire; a stained
giass St. Brigid of Kildare,
Dublin; goats are crowned
for thè Milking of thè Goat
festival, part of Imbolc festival
in Offaly, Ireland; St, Brigid's
Church cemetery, Dublin; a
St. Brigid's Cross.

\ GLOSSARY
to believe: credere
to bring: portare
ève: vigilia
12 to bless: benedire
13 crosses: croci
honourofthepaganandChristianorigins woven rushes:
arbusti intrecciati
of Imbolc. On thè first Saturday in Febru- doll-like: a forma di
ary, men and women wearing'3-* elabo- bambole
rate strawhats-'andmasksvisitthepubs to fili: riempire
of Killorglin carrying a Brìdeóg, to bring 17 straw: paglia
to hang: appendere
so had a feast, lit21 fires to symbolise thè thè locals good fortune for thè coming
to carry: portare
returning power of thè sun and cleaned year. And in thè evening, they participate to ward off:
theirhomesto prepare forthecomingyear. in a torchJJght^arade -and ina song and scacciare
dance contest26. 21 to light: accendere
REVIVAL Celticneo-pagansandWiccansthrough- to revive: far rivivere
to wear: indossare
Although people stopped practising most out thè world also continue to celebrate 24 hats: cappelli
of thè traditionsassociatedwith Imbolo in Imbolc, and you can celebrate it too by torchlight parade:
thè lastcentury, theyhave reviyed£ some doing something symbolic, like lighting fiaccolata
of them in recent years. In thè Irish town acandle, cleaning'' yourhome, orplan- 26'contest: gara
to clean: pulire
of Killorglin in County Kerry, people cel- ning what to plant in your garden once
ebrate Biddy's Day Festival every year in springarrives. Happy Imbolc! ©

nine 9
PEOPLE by VALENTINA MERCURI

Clockwise from tight:

Coel in a poster and
scenes (below) from
/ May Destroy You; at
thè British Independent
Film Awards, 2018;
on magazine covers;
in an episode of Black
Mirror, 2017; winning
a best female comedy
performer BAFTA TV
award, 2016; in thè series
Chewing Gum.

LIFE ON SCREEN

Michaela Coel
M
Nella brillante serie / May Destroy You, l'ultimo lavoro ichaela Coel is a thirty-three-
dell'attrice, sceneggiatrice e regista londinese per HBO, year-old British writer, actor,
singer and poet of Ghanaian
Coel ha usato il suo enorme talento per trasformare una
origins. Raised1 with her older sister by her
dolorosa esperienza personale in espressione artistica.
single motheron a housing estate2 in inner
city3 London, as a child Coel was bullied4
for her full lips5 and called 'coconut', a ra-

lOten
 i in writing. She dropped out9
I of university and applied to LOWER INTERMEDIATE
i theGuildhallSchoolofMu-
sicand Drama, becomingthe ONCD3
first black female student to
be accepted in thè prestigious \ GLOSSARY
institution for five years.
: to raise: crescere
2 housing estate: zona
FIRST SUCCESS di case popolari
Success carne in 2015 with 3 inner city: quartieri
ChewingGum10, a semi-autobiograph- poveri, bassifondi
4 to bully: bullizzare
ical dramedy11 series based on a story
5 full lips: labbra
Coel wrote in college. She confessed carnose
she had made forty-one drafts12 of thè 6 racial slur: insulto
script13 until coming up with a satisfying razzista
7 to enroll: iscriversi
result. The series, which she also pro-
8 tuition fees: tasse
duced, directed and starred in, won two universitarie
BAFTAawards14forbest female comedy 9 todropout:
performance and for breakthrough13 tal- abbandonare
ent, and opened thè door to roles in major 10 chewinggum:
gomma da masticare
productions, including in thè Netflix se- 11 dramedy: commedia
ries Black Mirror and Black Earth Rising, drammatica
andaminorroleinthefilmStarl/l/a/'s.Tne (contrazione di
LastJedi. drama + comedy)
12 drafts: bozze
13 script: sceneggiatura
CREATIVE CATHARSIS 14 BAFTAawards:
Coelconsiders writing cathartic.Through premi dell'Accademia
stories, she says, she has found strength, britannica delle arti
cinematografiche e
a fact that is ref lected in her creative pro- della televisione
cess. When Netflix offered her a mul- 15 breakthrough:
ti-million deal16, she refused becauseshe emergente
wouldn't have been allowed to retain a 16 deal: accordo
17 bold: coraggiosa
percentage of thè copyright. Bold17 and
18 outspoken: franca,
outspoken18, Coel has declared that she sincera
is more interested in her mental health 19 proof: prova,
than in hercareer. dimostrazione
20 I may: potrei
Proof19 of that is her second series
21 to spike: mettere
/ May20 Destroy You, based on her own droga
painful experience. In 2016, on a night 22 acquaintances:
outatabar, astrangerspìked21herdrink conoscenti
and two men sexually assaulted her. Af- 23 to date: avere un
appuntamento
te r talking about it with friends and ac- 24 to raise issues:
quaintances22, she realised that sexual sollevare questioni
assault was more common than she had 25 bonds: legami
thought. It became thè starting point
of a story centred on sexual consent in
cjajjjlur6 used for black people who 'act' thè age of datìng23 apps and speed re-
asifthey werewhite. lationships. With I May Destroy You Coel
She enrolled7 in politicai science at uni- raised issues24 such as thè health of our
versity but then changed to literature and affective bonds25, as well as racism and
theology while she worked as a cleaner gender, and demonstrated how personal
to pay ber tuition fees8. In 2006 she be- trauma can be transformed into a pow-
came a Christian and became interested erfulworkof art.®

e leve n 11
ler

Read and find thè words that mean:

>rts. 1) potere
2) croce
3) vigilia
4) giunchi
5) bambola
r -,}•-
6) fuoco
7) monaca
8) secolo
9) maggioranza
10) dea
11) onore
12) sera
13) paglia
14) candela
15) maschera

SpeakUp / February 2021

 Unit2

READING COMPREHENSION

Read thè article and match questions (I-li) and answers (a-k).

a) People prepared food, drink and

1) When is Imbolc celebrated? bed for Brigid and left things at
their door for her.
2) What are Bealtaine,
Lughnasadh and Samhain? In thè Ist century.
3) Where was Imbolc historically
celebrated? c) Fancy straw hats and masks.
4) What was thè festival
associated with? d) On February Ist.

Woven rushes.

" f) Other Gaelic seasonal festivals.

7) What were 'brideógs?
g) In Ireland.

8) Who was Saint Brigid?

h) Doll-like figures filled with straw.
9) When did she live?
i) An Irish Christian nun.

10) Where did she found many j) In Ireland, Scotland and thè Isle of
monasteries? M"~

11) What do people in Killorglin M

_wearonBidd/s Day Festival? ^
 Unit 2

OoA
Ingredients
I cup oat flou*-
1 cup foìted oatò
3 tafJe&paanc, t>ugar
2 taMetJ3oonù minced Ire&h ru
a pinch oi òaìt
6 tabkebpaonù coid fmtter
'/z cup miUSi (or cream) ptuù an extra,
table&poon

3 taìÀetpoonù t>uaar (far òpnnktina)

Method
*t Sìreheat thè ouen to 200°C.
4 Qrea&e a oatóna t>heet.
* Mix thè ffoiM-, oafe, òugatf, and 6aft in a (arae bowl

AÀa thè coid Cutter cut in pteceó to thè ltou,r mixture.

Ade '/z cup of. m& (ar cream).
jBEace thè dough on a work tMt^ace dutted utith £>ome oat flour.
-Knead thè dough ay. hand, then divide it in hatp.
<Koti out each ha[f into a circte aoout '/2 cm thick.
Mix ì^our eg<f ufÀk. uxth a tabteùpoon o^ cream.
£iah$u bruòh thè eoa, mixtuire over thè dough and then àprinlde with

"t Cut each circie into 4 titedget, and awange inerti about '/i cm apart on
thè oatdna iJheet.
* J&afx about 20 minutef, or until galden at thè