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Useful Guernesiais Words And Phrases
After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Norman French became the official language used at court and by the nobles. It was 300 years before ‘English’ became the official language of England. In Guernsey however the local people continued speaking Norman.
Is it Possible to tell what Jesus looked like ?
Jesus is arguably the most influential person in history as well as the most painted figure in all of Western art, but paradoxically we have no idea what he looked really looked like when he walked the earth.
How to Measure the Speed of Light Using Chocolate, a Microwave and a Ruler
It took over 300 years of experimentation and refinement to arrive at the figure for the speed of light which we use as standard today. That being the case, the method proposed in this article for determining that speed yourself might seem more than a little surprising.
Is it True that Opera Singers Really Can Shatter Wine Glasses by Singing ?
The renowned soprano Dame Nellie Melba is reputed to have performed this trick and in 1971 the audio-tape maker Memorex based a very successful advertising campaign around Ella Fitzgerald shattering glass both when singing live and when recorded on its tape cassettes (a claim the company still stands by today).
Two Nations Divided by a Common Language – Some Differences between American & British English
“Two nations divided by a common language” – an expression variously attributed to Oscar Wilde & George Bernard Shaw seems to aptly sum up some of the ‘infurating’ differences between “our version of English” and that of our American Cousins. In this article we present just some of the subtle, and not so sublte, differences in our common tongue.
“Sweating Like a Pig ?” – It has nothing to do with the Animal
Wher does the English idion of “Sweating Like a Pig” come from ?
Yummy Scrummy – The Jersey Wonder
These delicious doughnut style treats, still popular at fairs and festivals in Jersey, are a time honoured recipe and well worth the calories!
Is it True that Eating Carrots Helps You See in the Dark?
This is one of those (potential) urban myths that refuse to die … “Do Carrots help you see in the dark ?” (or at the very least do they improve your eyesight?)
Twas the Night Before Christmas – A Poem that Shaped Modern Santa
Much of our modern idea of Santa Claus comes from a very famous poem, the 1823 work ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’. More commonly known by its first line, ‘’Twas the night before Christmas’
5 Classic Christmas Carols and their Origins
They say the old songs are the best and when it comes to Christmas Carols they may well be right. In this article we look at the origins of several popular carols both sacred and secular.
Interesting Factoids about Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”
A Chrismas Carol’ is a story firmly embedded into the British psyche and traditions surrounding Christmas. In this article we’ve gathered together some of the more curious, and rather interesting factoids about Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”
Christmas Traditions – The First Ever Nativity Play
Even in modern, secular Britain there is one tradition that still holds sway at Christmas – The Christmas Nativity Play. In this article we look at the 800 year old origin of this Christmas institution.
Have Yourself a Merry Patois Christmas – Silent Night in Guernsey French
Ever wondered how to sing your favourite carols in Guernsey French ? Well now you can. In this article we’ve listed the Guernesiais version of Silent Night along with the phonetic pronunciation
Christmas is Cancelled – The Puritan assault on Christmas during the 1640s and 1650s
As the year 1645 came to a close Englishmen had little cause for celebration. The country was 3 years into a vicious civil war and if that wasn’t bad enough any of the traditional festivities that they might have looked forward to had been abolished by order of the two Houses of Parliament sitting at Westminster – this was Puritan England’s assault on Christmas.
Christmas Factoid : ‘Jingle Bells’ wasn’t originally written as a Christmas song
Ever wonder why ‘Jingle Bells’ is the only Christmas song that doesn’t mention Christmas, Jesus or the Nativity ? That’s because it was written to celebrate Thanksgiving.
