Fæstelavn!

The origin of Fæstelavn is not easy to explain - for an Englishman anyway. It is a typically Danish tradition where kids dress up in costume and line up to smash a wooden barrel full of sweets. The child who breaks the barrel is crowned king or queen. The one who breaks the very last piece of wood is also crowned.

There are prizes for the best costume too!

It was a big turnout on Saturday the 5th March with lots of fun for all the family. Slightly dangerous too with all that wood flying around! The day finished with fæstelavn cakes and hot chocolate for everybody. Thanks to Rasmine and Tukumeq for all their hard work!

Return of the Sun!

After four months without it, the sun returned on the 17th of February, but is was cloudy so we didn't see it. The girls of 5th grade Avanersuup Atuarfia braved the -25 C plus windchill to take some photos a few days later!

 

 

Communications with the outside world are important ... so we have to take turns to hold up the satellite dish!

The 4th graders were really nice to us and had hot chocolate ready for when we came back to school! Thanks guys (and Lone)!

It is good to see the sun again! :O)

Watching Bruce Parry "Arctic" in the Arctic

Today we watched the Greenland episode of Bruce Parry's "Arctic". Bruce was here in Qaanaaq in April 2010 and many of the children from school recognised themselves and their family in the programme.

 

The teachers were impressed with the programme and feel that it presented a sympathetic view of hunting as a challenging way of life in the modern age, rather than the typical view of "hunting is bad" that so many films have shown in the past. It was also encouraging to see that climate change was not the main or only focus and time was taken to see how much things cost in the shops, how difficult it can be to make sufficient money from hunting and the fact that hunters have to, and are ready to, adapt to changing conditions.

Shooting Star in Qaanaaq!

The 12 Verbs of Christmas!

In our 5th grade English class we worked with verbs during the month of December. We chose verbs that were easy to "show" and we made a video. The 12 Verbs of Christmas video shows our work.

Angajulliit Santa Lucia!

 

Nu bæres lyset frem
stolt på din krone
rundt om i hus og hjem
sangen skal tone
nu på Lucia-dag
hilser vort vennelag
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia

Her ved vor ønskefest
sangen skal klinge
gaver til hver en gæst
glad vil du bringe
skænk os af lykkens væld
lige til livets kvæld
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia

Nightly, go heavy hearts
Round farm and steading
On earth, where sun departs,
shadows are spreading.
Then on our darkest night,
Comes with her shining light
Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!
Then on our darkest night,
Comes with her shining light
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Night-darkling, huge and still.
Hark, something's stirring!
In all our silent rooms,
Wingbeats are whisp'ring!
Stands on our threshold there,
White clad, lights in her hair,
Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!
Stands on our threshold there,
White clad, lights in her hair,
Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!

Darkness shall fly away
Through earthly portals.
She brings such wonderful
words to us mortals!
Daylight, again renewed
will rise, all rosy-hued!
Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!
Daylight, again renewed,
will rise, all rosy-hued.
Sankta Lucia! Sankta Lucia!

The Christmas Market

Akuliit have been busy making decorations and cookies to sell in their Christmas Market. We held the market over two days after the first Advent Sunday of 2010.

Our first day was quite slow as few people had heard of our market, but the pupils were keen to sell something.

The decorations were hung up so that people could see them.

Some of the elves and small Father Christmasses were arranged on tables.

We even had decorations hanging in the plants in our Aula!

Day two of the market was much better as we had announced the market on the local Kap York Radio.

The pupils sold a lot more things on day two.

The decorations that we did not sell were hung up to decorate the classrooms and common area (Aula).

Two English guys were at the market. Chris, on the left, is a teacher at the school and Stephen, on the right, is researching the local dialect Qaanamiut for one year.

We had a good tow days but it was hard to come back to a normal routine again!