Carnivals Around the World
You might have heard of the carnival in Rio, but did you know that there are carnivals around the world – from Germany to Greece, USA to Italy?
Millie Slavidou explains where Carnival comes from on her blog
Long before the advent of Christianity, people held celebrations at this time of year. In Germany, they once looked forward to sending Hel, the goddess of the underworld, back down to her abode so they could herald the coming of the spring. In Greece, it was a time to worship the god Dionysus. With the arrival of Christianity, the celebrations continued, but changed in nature, gradually becoming more and more linked to the new religion. The Carnival is held in the period before the start of Lent, and Lent is the time when good Christians were supposed to fast, to abstain from meat
In the UK, we don’t celebrate Carnival, but we do prepare for Lent – that is what Pancake Day is all about, after all. Traditionally, pancakes were made to use up the eggs, fat, and butter, that were not to be eaten during Lent!
Take a trip around the world with us, to find out how other countries celebrate Carnival!
Geeky Accessories for Girls and Boys
Here at Jump!Mag we can get pretty geeky – and we’re proud of it too! We love wearing things that show people what our interests are, whether that’s books, superheroes or Doctor Who. Read on to find out about our ten favourite accessories to help you express your inner (or outer!) geek.
We all hate Professor Umbridge and how she treated Harry. Now you can freak out your mum and your friends with this temporary tattoo from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (#1). And for those of you who like wearing clothes inspired by your fave books, try this lovely Very Hungry Caterpillar rucksack from Asda (#3), or scare away snakes, foxes and owls with these Gruffalo slippers (#2) – complete with purple spikes and the wart on the end of his nose!
If you’re a comic book lover, you’re spoilt for choice! We love this Batman umbrella from M&S (#4) and this Spiderman water bottle rocks (#7). (Ignore the ‘for boys’ and ‘for girls’, and just get what YOU like.) Sport your favourite superhero on your iPhone with a comic book phone cover like this one from Louby Kapow (#5) – made from real comics! – or go for Thor-inspired shoes with these ace lightning shoelace attachments from Tesco (#6).
SCIENCE NEWS – What is Dengue Fever and Could Genetically-Modified Mosquitoes Prevent It?
Dengue (pronounced den-gee) fever affects between 50-100 million people each year, with around 25,000 people dying from the disease. It’s most common in south America and parts of Africa, and is also known as breakbone fever because it causes such intense pain in the bones. Dengue fever is a virus that’s spread by mosquitoes, and there is no vaccine or effective drug treatment to prevent or cure it.
Let Toys Be Toys
