The Pelota Purhépecha de Trapo

 Background: Teams various nearby villages meet them for Pelota Purhépecha de Trapo's tournament. This Mexican sport is very close to the hockey. it takes place with a wooden stick and a ball made with the rope. Several balls are prepared before because the friction of the rope on pavements, prematurely wear out the ball which falls in fragments and becomes unplayable. To avoid this wear, the players use moreover more and more nylon rope in the manufacturing of their ball. At first, the organizers choose the street in which will deceive the tournament. Bags of sawdust went out to draw the demarcation lines of the ground. It measures hundred meters long, and the width of the street. It is separated in two camps.

 Place: Mexico.

 Rules game: The objective for every team of 5 players is to make cross the ball beyond the back line of the opposite camp. Not of coated, only a line which crossed by the ball, grant a point to the striking team. At the end of the time of game, the team which marked most points won the part.
The awkward blows with a stick make some black eyes without gravity. At nightfall, most tears devote to the Pelota Purepecha Encendida (ardent ball). The tournament ends and the teams meet on the place of the village where are installed numerous salesmen of Tortas, Enchilladas, Tacos or still of Quesadillas. The delivery of trophies is accompanied with a brass band which gives itself to heart enjoyment.

The Gaelic football

 Background: The Gaelic football is the favourite sport of the Irish, and most practiced, because we count not less than 2 800 clubs and approximately 250 000 players’ male and female in all Ireland! Mixture of rugby and football, the Gaelic football is a fast and physical sport, asking for a lot of skill.
It is a sport practiced in Ireland for a long time, because the first written mentions go back up in 1527 and the first official meeting dates 1712 to Slane.

 Place: Irish.

 Games rules: The game sets two teams consisted of 15 players: a goalkeeper, 6 defenders, 2 midfielders and 6 forwards.
Every team can make until 3 replacements in the match. The matches deceive in two half-time and owed 60 or 70 minutes, according to the competition. The goal looks like those of the rugby, with the exception of nets under the transversal, there where the guard is. The aim of the game is to send the ball (similar to a soccer ball) either between posts and under the transversal to nets (what corresponds to a goal, that is 3 points), or between posts over the transversal (1 point).

 The competitions:
The teams are constituted only by amateurs. The season includes two competitions:
The championship (Bank of Ireland Football Championship), who takes place from May till September.
The league (Allianz NFL) which takes place during the "cold season ".

Jukskei

 Background: Jukskei is a 200 year old folk sport developed and played in South Africa. It is believed to originate around 1743 in the Cape, South African by "transport riders" who traveled with ox-drawn wagon. They used the wooden pins of the yokes (Afrikaans: Skei) of the oxen to throw at a stick that was planted into the ground. Jukskei became an organized sport around 1939 when the first unions where established and rules where formalized.

 Today: The sport is traditionally associated with the Afrikaners and in 2001 it was chosen by the government as one of the sports to be included in the Indigenous Games Project. Since then the game has started to gain popularity with young people of all cultures. Jukskei is played at club and provincial level, and there is an annual tournament in Kroonstad in the Free State.

 Basic Rules: The object of the game is to knock over a peg that is planted in a sandpit over a distance of between 11 and 16 m (depending on age and gender). It is played in teams with usually four members each. Each member has two skeis (and thus two turns). The playing field consists of two pits juxtaposed in opposite directions, so that play can take place in both directions. Each time a team member knocks over the peg, he gets three points. If the peg wasn’t knocked out, the team lying closest to the position of the peg, scores as many points as they have skeis closer to the peg than their opponent's closest skei. The first team to get exactly 23 points first wins the game. If the team gets more than 23 points, they start from 0.

The carnival in the world.

The Carnival!

Carnival: It’s the period of merrymaking and feasting celebrated just before Lent, where people have fun through rides, games, and sideshows.

The word carnival is tied to the Shrove Tuesday, because “carne” means meat in Latin.

Each carnival is an event where people do party and eat many products, until the Shrove Tuesday; this day people eat copious meal like fats beef before the Lent.

However, the customs are very different between each country. We try to explain the difference and the similarities between four carnivals, which are known in the entire world:

- Carnival of Quebec

- Carnival of Rio

- Carnival of New Orleans

- Carnival of Venice

The carnival of Venice.

· The carnival of Venice.

ð This carnival is very known in the world.

Ø Background: It’s the doge Faliero which authorize the carnival in 1094; before the Lent. In 1269, this day became an official day to do party. This carnival begins by ball and it continues with local event with theatre. The disguises are very important during this event; they permit to show that no distinctions, between social classes, are possible. Moreover, these disguises present refinement and elegance.

Ø Date: From 26 February to February 7. (during 10 days)

Ø Place: Italy.

Ø Customs: At the beginning, people wear simple disguises to show the equality between Venetians. Today, these disguises are inspired by the Commedia dell’Arte through Arlequin’s mask. People parade in city, then they go to ball and dance during some night or they assist at theatre.

Ø Symbols and signs:

§ Mask: To present equality between people and to hid their personality.

§ The disguise: To present the elegance of this city.

§ City: In Venice to present the Romantic Movement.

§ Theatre Carlo Goldoni: to see music concert.

§ Venice Bridge: Where people parade with their disguises.

The carnival of New Orleans.

· The carnival of New Orleans.

ð The second place about carnival in the world.

Ø Background: It’s in 1699 that the French imports this event in Louisiana thanks to colonization. The first carnival has been created the 3 March 1699. At the beginning this party was ceremony organized in honor of René Robert Cavelier. Then, in 1857 parade has established during this event. Today, it’s a group of people (a krewe) which govern this event. It’s the most common carnival in the United States.

Ø Date: From 26 February to March 9. (12 days)

Ø Place: The United States.

Ø Customs: People wish Happy Shove Tuesday during this event. This carnival is composed with float and fanfare. During the parade, people throw necklace and cup. After the parade, people go to ball and they eat pancakes. Every eccentricity is possible during the carnival.

Ø Symbols and signs:

§ Colors: People use purple, green and gold color to represent the justice, the faith and the power.

§ Food: With pancakes

§ Some songs.

The carnival of Rio.

· Carnival of Rio.

ð The first place about carnival in the world.

Ø Background: The Carnival of Rio begins in 1723 with Portuguese colony. However, the Portuguese carnival is different that other European carnival, it knows for dirtiness and violence. Thus, at the beginning the Carnival of Rio consisted to throw flour, eggs, etc. Nevertheless, it’s in 1888 with the abolishment of slavery that the carnival became popular event and a pastime.

Nowadays, this event represents the mixture of population, where social classes are not distinct.

Ø Date: From 14 February to February 17. (during 4 days)

Ø Place: Brazil.

Ø Customs: this carnival present different group of dance, which parade in street. This parade symbolizes a competition between schools of samba which are prepared this event for 1 year. Every school chooses one theme, and then they built costumes and float to represent this theme. Moreover, some school are supporters, because school of samba it’s like support football team.

Ø Symbols and signs:

§ The King Momo: The mascot which keep the key of city.

§ Float, costumes and mask: To show theme and to express the savagery.

§ The banner: to show the school.

§ The Carnavalesco: It’s the producer.

§ Marquês de Sapucai Avenue: Where people parade.

§ Some songs.

The carnival of Quebec.

• Carnival of Quebec. (Party of snow)

ð Third place about carnival of world.

Ø Background: The carnival of Quebec begins with colonization by French. This population used to meet family and friend to do party before privation about the Lent. This celebration was already called carnival and it was embedded in habit.

It’s in 1894 that the first large winter Carnival in Quebec City had been created; it improved people’s feeling and spirit, because people were tired.

Ø Date: From 28 January to February 13. (during 17 days)

Ø Place: Canada.

Ø Customs: A lot of activities and animations. Many people go to the palace of ice which is built with bloc of ice.

The mayor’s Quebec gives the key of city at the man’s carnival; so the man can create festive atmosphere in city.

The day, this party present music, dance and other event like snow sculpture, Races of dogs of sledges, races of toboggan or demonstrations of extreme ski. Then, in night people go to fancy-dress ball.

Ø Symbols and signs:

§ The man: He is the mascot of this carnival.

§ The Queen: She follows the man during the carnival and she participates to the human and social activities. It’s at the opening that the queen is elected with her duchess.

§ The palace: It’s the Snowman’s house.

§ The belt: it’s a clothing symbol for the snowman and some participants.

§ Some songs.

Conclusion

There are many similar events in the world however each country arranges their celebration through rituals, customs, culture and sometimes religions.

Even if these events are different, several similarities are possible such as: the dates of the carnival; the celebration of the New Year are the same rituals in Peru and Spain, etc.

Differences and similarities show that these events are important for people because celebrations permit to gather all friends and families to do party or to practice the same activities like regional sports and dance.

In conclusion, the world event explains the intercultural communication, thanks to meeting between different nationalities.