CULTURE

Islam is a peaceful and important religion that many people around the world follow. People who believe in Islam are called Muslims, and they believe in one God called Allah, which is just the Arabic word for God. Muslims believe that Allah sent prophets to help guide people, and the last prophet was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who taught people to be kind, honest, fair, and to live a good life. 

Muslims read a holy book called the Qur’an, which is written in Arabic and teaches them how to worship, how to treat others, and how to live in a good way. A big part of Islam is something called the Five Pillars, which are the main things Muslims do to stay close to Allah. 

The first is Shahada, which means saying and believing that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger. The second is Salat, which is praying five times a day while facing Makkah. The third is Zakat, which means giving to the poor and helping people in need. The fourth is Sawm, which is fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan to grow spiritually and understand how people without food feel. The fifth is Hajj, which is a special trip to Makkah that every Muslim should try to make at least once in their life if they can. 

Islam also teaches people to be thankful, to be kind to neighbors, to respect parents, and to always try to do the right thing. I think learning about Islam is really interesting because it shows how to be peaceful, patient, loving, and helpful, and it makes me think about how I can be a better person too. 

Spring

by Carla (6S)

Spring is the season of flowers, sunlight, warm weather but that is very vague. During spring, many types of flowers bloom, weather can be quite tricky so to learn about spring you would need to know all of the details.

What kind of flowers grow?

When you look around in a park or field in spring, you may find colourful flowers. But you may not know what they are called. Knowing spring flowers may also help for planting flowers to know which to plant. Multicoloured tulips make places look very vibrant along with yellow daffodils and purple crocuses which brighten places up, but not all flowers are big and bold. Forget-me-not flowers, common bluebells, snowdrops and buttercups are small but when they are in big bunches, it takes the spotlight. Some fruit trees blossom too and have beautiful pink or white flowers. These look straight out of a fairytale and are a wonderful place to sit under to take photos or to eat a picnic.

What kind of weather is there in spring?

When it is spring, the weather is expected to always be sunny and bright but sometimes, it is not. It can be rainy or windy or cloudy but in May, usually, it gets warm and pleasant outside. Still, it can be very windy and wet so a coat will still be needed for the first month of spring and you might still need a coat later on. Spring weather is perhaps the most confusing because you have every weather mixed together with a little more sun sprinkled later on to get the wild weather of spring.

Which animals are you most likely to see (or hear) in spring?

Waking up in spring you would probably expect to see a lot of sun outside, shining through your window and, if you do, then you will hear birds. The chirping of the birds is very relaxing to listen and wake up to. When spring gets warm, many animals can be seen outside and  even your pets will want to stay more outside and enjoy the sunlight. If you go to a park then you will find squirrels. Squirrels will be looking around for nuts and seeds to eat. If you go to a lake then you will find ducks swimming happily. But if it is cold, wet, windy or cloudy then you may not see many animals or birds. 

Which holidays take place in spring?

Spring is a time of the year full of celebrations. Easter, Holi, Ramadan, Passover and May Day are commonly known celebrations in spring. But there are some celebrations that are not very known by many people like Nowruz which marks the spring equinox on the 21st of March, Songkran which celebrates the Buddhist new year on the 13th of April and Cimburijada which also celebrates the first day of spring and translates to the ‘festival of scrambled eggs’. Spring has many holidays!

Here at RGJS, there are a lot of amazing different ethnicities and each country is special in their own way-some have cool animals, some have yummy food, and others have castles or pyramids. In this article, we will take you on little trip to somewhere dear to us - Jamaica and Afghanistan - and learn what makes each one special.

Lets start with Afghanistan. Afghanistan is in Central Asia (the middle of the world) and its capital city is Kabul. Afghanistan has had wars against the strongest countries and still we are undefeated and because of that, we are called ‘The Graveyard of the Empires. Its food is immaculate and so flavourful. The traditional dish is Kabuli pulao  which is rice with shredded carrot and raisins with a sauce (caramelised sugar mixed with cardamon and other things as well) mixed in the rice. The traditional dance is Attan and it is mostly done for functions like a wedding, engagement party and a henna night(party before a wedding). The music is very energetic and loud. There are many different tribes in Afghanistan and they are: Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks. They are all beautiful and special in their own way. The houses in Afghanistan are very poor looking because it is very hard to gain money over in Afghanistan but there can be some rich people. Lastly the mosques in Afghanistan are very beautiful; some are small, some are very big but they are all beautiful and I think you should go and visit Afghanistan and the mosques.

Now we will be presenting Jamaica! Jamaica is a country located in the Caribbean with Cuba in the north of it, and the Dominican Republic in the East. Its a tropical place, which means that they mostly get sun! (so lucky). If you’ve ever tasted jerk chicken or heard reggae music, you’ve already experienced a part of Jamaican heritage. Some of Jamaica’s most famous attractions are the Seven Mile Beach, and another are the Blue mountains, and there are many more. Jamaica’s history is so amazing. It was originally inhabited by the Taino people, before Columbus. Later after, it was then colonized by the Spanish and then the British.  Jamaica became an independent country on the 6th August 1962. Today, Jamaica is a free country and rich in culture. Jamaica is best known around the world for its reggae music, mostly popularized by famous artists such as Bob Marley. Reggae has strong meanings and deep roots in Jamaica, representing struggle and triumphs. Along with reggae, there is also dancehall which is another important genre in the culture. Jamaican food is another thing that makes the island so special. One of the most popular dishes is jerk chicken which everybody loves. This dish is a spicy, sticky delicacy that's marinated in scotch bonnets and other spices. Houses in Jamaica are mostly Georgian style with a front gate and pillars. Jamaica is a vibrant melting pot of different cultures. It's a colourful country, and I think you should visit some time!