Holidays in Turkey provide a complete kaleidoscope of exciting opportunities for couples looking for last minute breaks in the sun, families planning children-friendly holidays to Turkey and anyone wanting a different take on a sun-and-sea based Mediterranean getaway. Turkey straddles two continents; it’s where the East and the West meet to shake hands so, as you might expect, holidays in Turkey offer a coming together of many different ingredients. Dalaman-Türkiye

The food, for example, is a fusion of influences; the traditional Meze, as many as fifteen small dishes adding up to an epic – and epicurean – feast, may originally have come from Greece, but the Turkish twist, and the bold use of spices suggest influences of the East.

Similarly, the Greek, Persian, Roman and Byzantine empires have all contributed to the wealth of beautiful architecture – the mosques, the temples, the amphitheatres, the tiny traditional villages – that make holidays to Turkey mini-voyages of exploration and travels in time. Especially if you head for cultural centres like Ephesus – one of the Med’s best-preserved Roman city, or the Crusader city of Bodrum.

But, of course, all is not ancient. The coastline of sun-washed sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and vivacious resorts beckons. Holidays in Turkey always include some dedicated sun-lounging. And revelry. Antalya is home to the Med’s largest floating nightclub. Gumbet offers a cornucopia of bars, restaurants and clubs, rivalled by the relentless action in Marmara.

Grabbing late deals to Turkey is definitely the way to go!

Belly dancing. Bustling bazaars. Bounty-like beaches. They all scream Turkey. With one foot in the East and one in the West, it’s an explosion of cultures and influences. And as you can imagine, the results are pretty amazing. Ottoman mosques rub shoulders with Roman temples. Spice markets sit alongside chic boutiques. And dramatic mountains sweep down to sun-baked beaches. Talking of which, Turkey comes out all guns blazing on the sun, sea and sand front with waters of deepest blue whispering sweet nothings to gold-dust sands. Whether you’re stretching out on Side’s duvet-soft beaches or waxing lyrical about the eye-popping scenery of Antalya’s shores, you won’t know which dazzling sliver to head to next. What’s more unlike some other parts of the Med, most of Turkey’s tourist resorts have lost little of their native flavour. You’ll find sugar-cube towns, old castles and temples peppering many of the key sun-traps. And if it’s history you’re after, you couldn’t ask for more. Journey back in time and explore the ruins of Ephesus. Gaze in awe at needle-like minarets in Istanbul. And relive the days of the crusades at St Peter’s Castle in Bodrum. But this exotic country is also moving with the times. So turn your travels on their head and get to grips with Turkey’s bang up-to-date Side, too. Live the high life and mingle with the jet-set at Marmaris’ marina. Spend an indecent amount of time trying on posh togs in the chic boutiques here, too. Or shake things up and have an after-dark ball in Bodrum’s buzzing bars and clubs. Wherever you make tracks in this mesmerising Middle-East-meets-Europe land you’re sure to fall for its charms in a heartbeat.

Source: http://www.thomson.co.uk

Eyfel Kulesi

2. Don’t throw your wrapping paper in the garbage or fireplace. More than 8,000 ton of wrapping paper will be used on presents, using the equivalent of 50,000 trees. Reuse or recycle!
3. Buy recycled wrapping paper and holiday cards. Around 744 million holiday cards are sent each holiday season. If all these were made from recycled paper, it would help to save the equivalent of 248,000 trees.
4. Buy cards made from paper (not plastic) and without lots of added decorations, as these cards cannot be recycled.
5. Send an e-card instead! There are lots of sites offering free holiday e-card services.
6. Save and reuse cards that you receive as gift tags for next year.
7. If you are buying toys or electrical goods that need batteries, buy rechargeable ones, then add a battery charger to your shopping list. Make sure to recycle those old batteries instead of tossing them. Battery Solutions is a great service for this.
8. Most people buy too much food at for holiday gatherings, much of which goes to waste. This year, try to plan your meals and only buy what you need. Alternatively, put a compost bin on your shopping list, significantly reducing the trash going to landfill.
9. When buying your food, buy local, organic or fair-trade. A traditional dinner that uses local seasonal produce and food from a local market or grocer helps reduce “food miles” (the distance food travels to reach your plate).
10. Buy loose rather than pre-packed vegetables - it will help cut down on packaging that gets thrown away.
11. Recycle your beverage containers, including bottles from wine and plastic egg nog containers.
12. When you have finished eating all your chocolates and biscuits, keep the tins and reuse them as storage containers.
13. If you receive electric goods this season, don’t throw your old ones away. Recycle or donate them using Earth911’s recycling locator.
14. If you decorate with a tree, buy a locally grown Christmas tree and remember to recycle it after the holidays are over.
15. Take public transportation to go Christmas shopping. If using the car, try to make only one, big trip, cutting down on gas consumption and time.
16. Around 125,000 tons of plastic packaging are thrown away over the holiday season. Take your own reusable shopping bags when you do your shopping.
17. Make your own food-based gifts such as homemade chutneys, cakes or chocolate truffles. You could also make your own flavored organic olive oil, adding dried chillies, garlic or herbs.
18. If you’re having a party, avoid serving food and drinks on disposable plates and cups. If you don’t have enough reusable plates, have everyone bring their own!
19. Take any unwanted gifts to a Goodwill location or list them on sites like eBay or Craigslist. A Goodwill close to you can be found using Earth911’s recycling locator.
20. Make your New Year’s resolution to live more sustainably in 2009!
by Nyree Ambarchian
Source: www.mcsaneng.com/20_Tips_for_a_%20Sustainable_Holiday.doc

But being single in a couple’s world isn’t the only reason you may dread the holidays. We can place unrealistic expectations upon ourselves of what the perfect celebration “should “ look like, then fall into disappointment when we don’t measure up.

Survival Tips

Whatever the reason for your holiday blues, please take some comfort from the fact that you are certainly not alone in how you feel. Here are 5 tips to help you navigate through this holiday season.

Let go of the past!

Do you get caught up in trying to make the holidays just like the past? The reality is, our rapidly changing times are bound to “rock the boat” of what your “perfect” holiday celebration looks like. “Reduce your anxiety by acknowledging your opportunity to maximize your current circumstances to build new traditions, build on old ones, and abandon unrealistic expectations.”

Pace yourself.

Unlike any other time of year, the holiday season is a time of celebrations, family gatherings, winter activities and entertaining visitors. If you are divorced, you may be juggling kids schedules and fighting financial restrictions. These variables added on to an already busy lifestyle can cause unnecessary anxiety and hopelessness when things start falling apart. The key to managing additional responsibilities and social commitments during this time is to pace yourself and organize your time. Make a list and prioritize your most important activities. Accept help, and allow for quiet time at regular intervals.

Acknowledge your feelings. The holiday season does not automatically banish reasons for feeling sad or lonely. If you have experienced the loss of a loved one, are far from family and/or friends, or are generally affected by changes in weather and light, it is ok to acknowledge that these feelings are present — even if you choose not to express them.

Practice Self-care. Eat well. Get plenty of rest and keep alcohol intake moderate. Excessive drinking only perpetuates anxiety and depression. If you are prone to depression around this time of year, keep your alcohol intake to a minimum.

Create a support system. You are not alone in how you feel at this time of year. Spend time with people who are supportive and care about you. If that isn’t your family, then spend this time with friends. If you are far from home or alone during special times, make a proactive effort to build new friendships or contact someone you have lost touch with. Take it one day at a time and you will be fine.

Getting past the holidays without going crazy
The holidays are upon us and for anyone who is going through a divorce, the season ranks right up there with root canals as a fun time. And why shouldn’t it? It’s a time when families get together and share all the warmth and love they’ve stored up all year long for each other. Only you’re alone. And perhaps you’re not even welcome in the family setting that you’ve enjoyed for so many years when your marriage was going along so well (or at least that’s what everyone thought). What do you call in-laws when you’re no longer married? Ex-in-laws? It’d be nice to be able to call them friends. But probably not this year. Maybe next.
Of course your kids want to see their father or their mother, your ex or soon to be ex, and they’re not too happy that you won’t be spending the holidays together like before.

There’s a bright side, though, they get two Christmas mornings, one at your house, one at the other house, and that should mean double the presents. Only you don’t have a lot of money and your ex does so you’re going to come out looking a bit shabby in the kids’ eyes when they compare their presents.
Holiday cards are a problem. Do you send them from the “family” and hope nobody pays any attention? Or do you send them from yourself and the kids and hope nobody notices your spouse’s name is missing? Maybe no cards this year is the best answer.
What about the phone calls from relatives and long lost friends, the ones who keep in touch once a year. The phone calls when they ask “how’s Dave?” and you have to say “oh, didn’t you know? Dave and I are divorced…” and then there’s the awkward silence, or the gasp, or the need for explanation. Maybe a chatty newsletter with a little “PS” at the bottom “PS, Dave is living with his new wife, kids and I are fine.” Maybe not.
What the holidays do is open the wounds, make them hurt particularly painfully during a time that you’re supposed to be happier than usual. It’s the holidays! Hey, be happy! How does that stop the pain that comes from having a husband say he’s tired of being married, or having a wife say she needs to find herself - alone. What do you do when everyone around you is celebrating the New Year and you’d give anything to turn the clock back to two years ago when the two of you were celebrating the holidays together?
How about those holiday parties everyone is having and they’d like to invite you, but your ex is going to be there so, maybe some other time. Or you’re invited but now who do you invite so you don’t spend the whole evening wishing you’d never ventured from home. Or you’re invited and your hostess has already decided that she’s got the most fantastic person for you to meet except that the two of you take an instant dislike to each other and the evening drags on forever. Or you go with or without a date and you let everyone see you having a good time even though you’d rather be anywhere but there, but you know that sometime you’ve got to get over the pain, and the healing might as well start now.
I remember a Christmas many years ago when I was newly divorced and away from family and friends. A friend from work invited me to her home for Christmas dinner. It was four of us around the dinner table, she and her husband, their five-year-old son and me. It made a big impression, that lonely feeling as I shared the holiday with their young family. It’s one of the few Christmas dinners I remember, and I treasure the memory even though she and I haven’t seen each other in years.
Take care of yourself.

More Blues

At the holidays more than any other time of the year we are supposed to feel particularly warm and fuzzy toward our family and friends. It’s a nice goal but the holidays are dreadful for people involved in unhappy relationships. I just put a lot of different reasons for dreading the holidays into the phrase “unhappy relationships.” Being alone because of divorce isn’t the only reason you might dread the holidays.

From an early age we’re bombarded with images of smiling families sitting around the holiday table. It’s obvious they’re well-fed, well-loved, and in love with life itself. Unfortunately, that’s not the way real life is in a vast number of homes. Having a movie family as our ‘benchmark’ of family success, we can only feel extremely disappointed when our family doesn’t make the grade.

If you have chosen to work through problems in your marriage, it may be extremely difficult to maintain a smile during the holidays when your heart is breaking. As much as you may want to celebrate the fact that you and your spouse are together for the holidays, it may be that trust still isn’t there or the healing process hasn’t progressed far enough.
If you’re thinking of divorce, or planning to divorce soon, it’s difficult to get together with family and friends and pretend that all is well and toast the new year as though you’ll always be in your current relationship.
If this is your first holiday since your divorce, no doubt there is a change in the family and friends with whom you have celebrated the holidays in the past. You may now be estranged from your in-laws, and, depending upon the nature of your divorce, you may be estranged from your own family.

Whatever the reason for your holiday blues, please take some comfort from the fact that you are certainly not alone in how you feel. As a matter of fact, you just might be in the majority if the holidays don’t thrill you. Take them one day at a time, and you’ll be just fine.
Take care of yourself.
Source: www.edmontondivorcesolutions.com/ articles/Holiday%20Survival%20Tips.doc

weight

1. Indulge in vegetables. Before digging into that big meal, start out by consuming raw vegetables with a low-fat dip. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and naturally low in fat (until smothered in cheese or salad dressing). The fiber in the vegetables acts as an appetite suppressant by making us feel much fuller, while consuming fewer calories. If the excuse is that a vegetable tray will not be at that upcoming potluck dinner, then you now have an idea for what you can contribute!

2. Enjoy a snack before eating any large meal. Most people save all of their calories or food choices for that one big “special meal”. What happens? They eat until almost physically sick and unable to move off of the couch. In addition, when allowed to get so hungry, higher fat foods that perhaps would not normally be chosen become the first priority. A simple snack of cereal and milk, crackers and cheese, or even a ham sandwich on whole wheat bread an hour prior to the big meal can make all the difference. At the very least, you will not be able to eat as much at dinner.

3. Have a glass of water or diet soda. Many people confuse hunger pangs with thirst. When around food, the urge is usually to eat. However, having a calorie-free beverage prior to any meal will assist in determining whether you were really craving the chocolate cake or just in need of a cool, refreshing glass of water.

4. Talk, talk, and more talk. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. Within that 20 minutes, a lot of food can be consumed. So, take your time and enjoy the company around you as you eat. You may find that your eyes were bigger than your stomach . . . and that you need a to-go bag for your unfinished plate!

5. Exercise before. Believe it or not, exercise is actually an appetite suppressant. So, if you take a brisk 30-minute walk prior to eating your holiday meal, chances are that you will not be quite as hungry as you thought you were. Reason? The body begins to break down fat during aerobic exercise greater than 25 minutes, liberating it into the bloodstream, where it is used by all the body cells to sustain the energy for the walk. Think of exercise as a method to feed your body the fat you were trying to rid from your thighs or stomach. However, refrain from the mindset of ‘no pain, no gain’. Just because you exercised, it does not mean that you need more to eat.

6. Do not sit next to the food table. Remember the old adage, ‘out of sight, out of mind’? The same principle can be applied to our food choices. The further away you are from the food table, the less likely you are to subconsciously consume extra food as you socialize with others. Think about it: starting with a smaller plate and sitting as far away from the table as possible means you will have to expend more energy just to go back to the table if you want to indulge in a second serving.

7. Hit the lower-fat food choices. Fat is loaded with many more calories than either protein or carbohydrates. Where does this fat hide out in at the holiday meals? Candy, cake, pie, gravy, dips and dressing, and fried or cheesy finger foods. While these may be the foods that you’ve waited all year to consume, indulging less in these choices and adding more vegetable and fruit based side dishes, beans, baked or roasted turkey and chicken breast, and whole-grain bread products will assist in reducing the amount of fat consumed.

8. Watch the alcohol. Alcohol is also full of calories, and the stomach sometimes has trouble telling the brain it is full when all that has been consumed is calorie-rich beverages. In addition, most people usually consume more food when they are drinking alcoholic beverages. Stick to actual food without the alcohol, and you will be more fulfilled and probably not be as disappointed when you step on the scales.

9. Add more spice. Consuming spicier foods at your holiday meal can assist you in more ways than one. First, spices (as in cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and Tabasco) raise the body temperature, which increases your metabolism however minimally. But the real bonus of adding spice to the meal is that it stimulates most people to drink more fluids, preferably water. As mentioned previously, drinking more water during meals can never hurt in the battle against weight gain.

10. Ignore the guilt. Following a big meal, there is often that overwhelming sense of guilt, continuing the trend of overeating well into the new year when it is resolved to make the coming year different and lose those pesky extra pounds. Thanksgiving through New Years is six weeks in length, but each holiday lasts only one day. Don’t deprive yourself if you have waited all year for pumpkin pie; just consume a smaller piece than you normally would. There are no good or bad foods; all foods are fine to consume in moderation with a well-balanced and varied diet.

While weight loss or weight maintenance is more difficult during the holiday season, it is not impossible. Mistakes and missteps are bound to occur during the upcoming festivities. Don’t let your weight loss desires become sabotaged by your holiday food choices; be more selective in your choices by picking a few foods that you just can’t live without and leave the less appealing foods behind. Treat each day as a new commitment to better eating patterns and gradual weight loss, and you can successfully navigate through the upcoming months while still comfortably fitting into your holiday finest. If weight gain does occur, your local dietitian (hint, hint!) is only a phone call away and can help get you back on the fast track to successful weight management.
Holiday Tips to Maintain Your Weight. By 1LT Jason R. Woodward, MS, RD, LD Chief, Nutrition Care Division
McDonald Army Community Hospital
Source: www.narmc.amedd.army.mil/mcdonald/links/ oliday%20Tips%20to%20Maintain%20Your%20weight.doc

mind body interaction

Research shows that stress, and the unhealthy behaviors people use to manage it, contribute to some of our country’s biggest health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. So it’s imperative that people take steps to address issues like holiday stress in healthier ways. According to psychologist and APA Executive Director for Professional Practice Dr. Russ Newman, people who manage stress by engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as overeating, drinking and smoking are likely to have their physical health negatively affected over time, as opposed to people with a healthy lifestyle.

“My advice is to pay attention to what causes stress and to find healthy ways to manage it,” says Newman. “Everyone responds to their stress in some way. The key is handling stress in a manner that doesn’t make things worse.”

APA recommends these tips to help deal with holiday stressors and build resilience:

Define holiday stress — How do you experience stress? Does that experience change during the holidays? Different people experience stress differently. How do you know when you are stressed?

Identify holiday stressors — What holiday events or situations trigger stressful feelings? Are they related to work, home, relationships or something else?

Recognize how you deal with stress — Determine if you are relying on unhealthy behaviors like smoking or eating to manage stress. Is this a behavior you rely on year-round, or is it specific to holiday stress?

Change one behavior at a time — Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Start small and focus on changing one behavior.

Take care of yourself — Taking care of yourself during the holiday season helps to keep your mind and body primed to deal with stress. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in holiday activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly. Eat healthy. Make sure you get enough rest and sleep.

Ask for support — Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen to you strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress. Use the holidays as a time to reconnect with friends and family and strengthen your support network. If you feel overwhelmed by stress, then consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies to help you manage stress, change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.

Source: apahelpcenter.mediaroom.com/file.php/ 123/Holiday+Stress+Tip+Sheet+FINAL.doc

Family Holiday

1. Set manageable expectations. Spend some time now setting realistic and manageable expectations for your holiday season. Understand that you can’t do everything! Be realistic about what you can do. Make a priority list of your most important events and activities for you and your family. Then, pace yourself. Organize your time. Keep in mind that it’s the holiday “season” (not “day”) and spread out your activities to lessen stress and increase enjoyment.

2. Remember the holiday season does not eliminate sadness or loneliness. Problems and difficulties arise even during the holiday season. And, for some, the holiday season evokes painful memories of events or the loss of loved ones in the past. Give room for yourself and your family to experience these feelings. Try not to let them become a consuming focus. Make an effort to work through present challenges and conflicts.

3. Acknowledge the past, but look toward the future. Life brings changes. Each season of life is different. Determine to enjoy this holiday season for what it is. Acknowledging the past, whether it was good or bad, is appropriate. But, if you find that this year has been a rough one and you don’t anticipate having the best holiday season ever, try not to set yourself up by comparing today with the “good old days.” Take advantage of the joys the present holiday season has to offer.

4. Develop and encourage a life of gratitude. Gratitude is an attribute that transcends circumstances. No matter what your circumstances, I believe there is reason to be thankful in them. Your circumstances may never change, but your attitude toward them can change…and this can make all the difference. Christians have a special reason to adopt the attitude of gratitude, because we know that whatever comes, our times are in God’s hands. It was Jesus who said, in effect, “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow, too.” (See Matthew 6:34.)

If you want to help your kids develop an attitude of gratitude, I encourage you to try an experiment that might radically influence your family. It’s called “Thank Therapy.” Thank Therapy is simply focusing on the many things in your life for which you can be thankful. Get started by having each family member create individual lists, of “Twenty Reasons Why I’m Thankful.” Thank Therapy is simply an act of the will to concentrate on the good and not the bad.

5. Do something for someone else. One of the ways we can demonstrate that we are grateful to God for His many blessings is to help others. To get more out of this holiday season, try getting involved in serving others. For some great ideas, read HomeWord’s free online article, “Helping Others at the Holiday Season.”

6. Enjoy activities that are cheap or free. There are many good holiday-related activities that will add to your family’s enjoyment, such as driving around to look at holiday decorations, baking Christmas cookies, going window-shopping, and playing in the snow.

7. Enjoy a family holiday tradition. Traditions provide opportunities to keep your family’s legacy going. They create meaningful memories. So, from the silly to the sentimental, if your family has some holiday traditions, if possible, be sure to include them in your holiday activity plans.

8. Try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a new way. You may just create a new tradition that will keep going for generations!

9. Spend money responsibly. The holiday season brings with it a big temptation to spend money beyond your means and to rack up significant credit card debt, especially when it comes to purchasing Christmas presents for your family. Just say no! While your family may be thrilled by your gifts on Christmas Day, don’t forget that come springtime, your kids may well have laid aside or forgotten those gifts, even while you’re struggling to make the payments. Decide now to be financially responsible this holiday season!

10. Carve out some time for yourself! Don’t take on all of the responsibilities of your family’s holiday celebrations by yourself. Share the load. Create some space during the holidays for you to recharge your own batteries. by Jim Burns, Ph.D.

Source: www.homeword.com/Freebies/ Files/10_Tips_Help_Get_Ready_Holiday.doc

It’s nearly always worth going ahead with a plan despite groans and opposition as usually, once it’s actually under way, everyone enjoys it.

Here are a few suggestions for some activities that shouldn’t cost a fortune:
Get them to give their room a facelift - this could involve clearing out old clothes, toys, books, magazines and so on to go to a charity shop, and having a thorough clean up. Rearrange all the furniture and put up some new posters. If you can manage it, offer a small incentive - perhaps a new duvet cover or a desk lamp.
Have a friend to stay - most pre-teens and teenagers love a sleepover. Let your child invite one or two friends to stay for a night. She or he can plan what to eat and choose a DVD to watch.
Swap computer games - sort out a few games that are no longer popular and arrange to swap them with friends for a week.
Go swimming - a day at the local indoor or outdoor pool with a friend is pretty hard to beat. If it’s an outdoor pool, be sure to take sunhats, suncream and plenty of water.
Let them cook the evening meal - under your supervision. They can plan the menu, help you shop and then make it. Simple ideas could include: pizzas, pasta and a simple sauce or salad and baked potatoes.
Listen to a concert - lots of theatres and arts centres have free lunchtime foyer concerts. Check out events listings and drop in on one (if you don’t like it, you can easily leave).
Enrol on a course - ask for holiday activity lists from your local authority and leisure centre. Many places now offer heavily subsidised courses for teenagers in tempting subjects as drama, art, juggling, basketball and DJ-ing.
Use your library - most libraries have more than books on offer. CD-ROMs, DVDs, audio cassettes and computer games are often available.
Visit a museum - all national museums are now free and are a treasure trove of interesting things to see, with fun hands-on activities. Most have special holiday events for kids.
Go to an art gallery - as with museums, art galleries have lots on offer. Don’t feel you have to visit every exhibition (it’s too tiring), just choose a couple of rooms that you think your child would enjoy.
Get out and about - outings don’t have to mean theme parks. Try a game of rounders in the park, a walk through some woods, a picnic by a river, or a day on the beach. Always take a ball with you for a quick game of football.

Older teenagers usually like to hang out with their friends. Suggest a trendy cafe where they could meet and let them earn some money to spend there by doing a few jobs for you at home - cleaning the car, for example, or doing the washing-up.
More than one?

It can be tough to juggle your time and expertise in the entertaining department if you have more than one child, or children of different ages. You may also find you get bored of each other. Parent-child relationships are unconditional, but it doesn’t mean that either of you doesn’t need the company of others for stimulation.

Don’t be afraid to let other people help. Arranging for one of your children to spend the day with a friend, relative or someone she thinks a lot of can be a good thing. It will give her time to do something semi-independently, and will mean that she should come home with new achievements and fresh stories to tell.

If you have a baby or toddler as well as an older child, try to encourage your older child to help in caring for and entertaining the younger one - but remember there’s a fine line between helping out and babysitting!
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/your_kids/preteen_schoolhols.shtml

Cappadocia

It is impossible to define Cappadocia’s limits with any real accuracy. In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians are supposed to have occupied the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of Mount Taurus, to the east by the Euphrates, to the north by Pontus, and to the west vaguely by the great salt lake, Lake Tuz, in Central Anatolia. But Strabo, the only ancient author who gives any circumstantial account of the country, greatly exaggerated its dimensions. It is now believed that 400 km (250 mi) east-west by 200 km (120 mi) north-south is a more realistic appraisal of Cappadocia’s extension.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia

Children in England and Wales have the shortest school summer holidays in the European Union.

With many schools about to begin a six-week holiday - there are schools on the continent which are shut for 16 weeks over the summer.

But there is little sign of a link between longer hours in the classroom and higher standards.

Schools in Finland, one of the most successful education systems, have been on holiday since the beginning of June.

Summer Holiday

Germany and Liechtenstein are also at the bottom of the holiday league with six-week summer breaks - but many European countries have holidays that stretch between 10 and 12 weeks.

Family friendly?

It means that English and Welsh state school pupils are still studying when almost every other classroom in Europe is empty and family holidays are in full swing.

Both the government and opposition have been campaigning on supporting the family.

But if the drive for extended schools continues, families in England could see even less of their children - with plans for more schools to provide term-time “wrap-around services”, offering after and before-school activities between 8am and 6pm.

And the English school system also involves children starting in education at a very young age - with increasing numbers of three year olds in nursery classes attached to primary schools.

In contrast, many northern European countries do not start compulsory education until children are seven.

But there is no evidence that spending so many more hours in the education system delivers better results - in fact, the countries with the lowest teaching hours have the most successful systems.

Less is more?

Each year, the OECD publishes a report comparing the performance of education systems in the industrialised world… continue
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6288114.stm

Holiday

A holiday or vacation trip/break will often be undertaken during specific holiday observances, or be made for specific festivals or celebrations. Certain religious holidays may be of a more somber nature. Vacation or holidays are often used as a time to spend with friends or family.

Longer breaks from a career or occupation also exist, such as a sabbatical, gap year or career break.

Types of holiday (observance)

Consecutive holidays

Consecutive holidays are a string of holidays taken together without working days in between. They tend to be considered a good chance to take short trips. In late 1990s, the Japanese government passed a law that increased the likelihood of consecutive holidays by moving holidays from fixed days to a relative position in a month, such as the second Monday. Well-known consecutive holidays include:

Religious holidays

Several holidays are linked to faiths and religions. Christian holidays are defined as part of the liturgical year. The Catholic patronal feast day or ‘name day’ are celebrated in each place’s patron saint’s day, according to the Calendar of saints. In Islam, the largest holidays are Eid and Ramadan. Hindus, Jains and Sikhs observe several holidays, one of the largest being Diwali (Festival of Light). Japanese holidays contain references to several different faiths and beliefs. Celtic, Norse, and Neopagan holidays follow the order of the Wheel of the Year. Some are closely linked to Swedish festivities. The Bahá’í Faith observes holidays as defined by the Bahá’í calendar.

Jews have two holiday seasons: the Spring Feasts of Pesach (Passover), Chag Ha-Matzot (Festival of Unleavened Bread), and Shavuot (Weeks, called Pentacost in Greek); and the Fall Feasts of Yom Teruah (Day of Blasting, also called Rosh HaShannah), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

Northern Hemisphere winter holidays

The winter months in the Northern Hemisphere see the observance of many holidays considered a season, often accompanied by festivals and feasts. The winter holiday season is known as a period of time surrounding Christmas that was formed in order to embrace all cultural and religious celebration rather than only Christian celebrations. Usually, this period begins near the start of November and ends with New Year’s Day on January 1. The holiday season is usually commercially referred to with a broad interpretation, avoiding the reference of specific holidays like Hanukkah or Christmas. Traditional “holiday season” festivities are usually associated with winter, including snowflakes and wintry songs. In some Christian countries, the end of the festive season is considered to be after the feast of Epiphany, although this is only within the Christian creed.Winter holiday greetings are traditionally a part of the winter holiday season.

National holidays

Several sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history.

Secular holidays

Several secular holidays are observed, both internationally, and across multi-country regions, often in conjunction with organisations such as the United Nations. Many other days are marked to celebrate events or people, but are not strictly holidays as time off work is rarely given.

Unofficial holidays

These are holidays that are not traditionally marked on calendars. These holidays are celebrated by various groups and individuals. Some are designed to promote a cause, others recognize historical events not recognized officially, and others are “funny” holidays, generally intended as humorous distractions and excuses to share laughs among friends.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday

Holiday is a contraction of holy and day, holidays originally represented special religious days. This word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day of rest (as opposed to regular days of rest such as the weekend).

Vacation

Vacation

In the United Kingdom the word “vacation” referred specifically to the long summer break taken by the law courts (and later universities)—a custom introduced by William the Conqueror from Normandy where it was intended to facilitate the grape harvest. The French term is similar to the American English: “Les Vacances.” The term derives from the fact that, in the past, upper-class families would literally move to a summer home for part of the year, leaving their usual family home vacant.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday