Dear First Grade Friends,
Tomorrow I leave for Edinburgh, a city in Scotland, where I will be living for the year. I will write letters to your class and post them here on my blog-please write back to me! Today I wanted to show you some pictures of Scotland, and some of my favorite Scottish things.
This is Edinburgh, the city I will be living in.
Edinburgh is a very old city. It was founded about 1400 years ago! One of my favorite buildings in Edinburgh is the castle. During Medieval times, it was where the Scottish King lived. Now it is a museum, where people can go and see it and what it was like to live hundreds of years ago.
In many places, people have special clothes that have been around for a long time, and are worn for traditions and celebrations like weddings and family parties. In a part of Scotland called the Highlands, one of these special items of clothing is called a kilt.
Kilts have been worn by Scottish men for about 500 years, since the 1500s. Over that time they have changed a lot! Originally, kilts were really blankets (called plaids) that people used at night. During the day they would wrap it around their waist and hold it in place with a belt. Then they would put the rest over their shoulders. Have you ever wrapped a blanket around yourself to stay warm?
In 2010, kilts are more like other clothes we’re used to, that stay up on their own. They are worn for special events. Do you have any special clothes you wear for celebrations with your family?
Kilts are usually made out of plaid fabric called tartan. Did you know that every tartan is special? Each color has a special meaning. There’s even a group in charge of recording the meaning of every tartan color! If your family had its own tartan, what would you want it to look like?
This is the tartan for a Scottish elementary school. Does the Bailey School have any special colors or symbols?
I am very excited to move to Edinburgh! If you have questions about Scotland, you can write to me and I will post the answers here. Have a great fall!
Lauren
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment