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The summer solstice and its cultural importance


Written by Gabe


June 21st marks the northern hemisphere’s summer solstice, the time it is most tilted towards the sun. It is the longest day in the northern hemisphere as well as being what is traditionally considered the beginning of summer.  While it may not seem like a very important date to the average person nowadays, it used to - and indeed still does - hold much significance in various traditions all over the world, and is, even now, celebrated in some places.



Photo: Stonehenge, Space.com



Perhaps the most iconic of all European summer solstice celebrations is Midsummer’s Eve, in Sweden. It happens on a Friday between June 20 and June 26. Among other things, it involves the assemblage of a maypole, the holiday’s most well-known symbol, flower wreaths and lots of food, such as pickled herring and beer. Despite their possible pagan origins, the festivities are dedicated to the Christian figure, John the Baptist, who would have been born around June 24th.



John the Baptist isn’t only revered in Sweden - Christian festivals dedicated to him are present all across Europe. There is the Fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste in France. Other examples include the Spanish Festival of San Juan, or the Latvian Jāņi, and let’s not forget about the Czech Svatojánská noc, “Saint John’s Night”. Most of these are rather similar and often involve the lighting of bonfires. 



According to Christians, John the Baptist was a Jewish prophet. The religious consider him important because he was a sort of “forerunner” to Jesus, preaching about God’s incoming judgement and baptising people. Due to his birthday traditionally being said to be the 24th of June, his celebrations took on many characteristics of pagan traditions related to the summer solstice, which would themselves be lost due to the arrival of Christianity in Europe. 



However, humans have been celebrating the solstice long before that. One of the possible reasons Stonehenge, the rather well-known English tourist attraction, was built, is that it was an “ancient calendar,” made to measure the sun’s movements -  its entire structure is aligned in relation to the solstices. On the morning of the summer solstice, the sun would rise precisely between the heel stone (a stone that is separated from the main structure) and another stone right next to it (which has been lost), creating a “sun gate” of sorts. 



Nevertheless, it is possible that it was the winter, not summer solstice that was most important to Stonehenge’s builders, due to signs of ritual animal slaughter and people gathering in a nearby settlement roughly during midwinter, which points towards some sort of festivities.



The solstices remain relevant even today, but in a very different manner. Instead of being the driving force behind religious celebrations, scientists use the solstices to determine seasons on other planets. The moment a planet’s northern hemisphere is most tilted towards its star is considered the start of its northern hemisphere’s summer and southern hemisphere’s winter (and vice versa). However, other planets’ seasons may differ radically from ours, depending on how strong the axial tilt is, and as such “summer” on Venus isn’t really that different from its spring or autumn, for example. This is because of its weak axial tilt - the northern hemisphere is only very slightly angled towards the sun.



As such, it can be seen that a seemingly random and arbitrary date can be much more important than it seems at first glance.


Greshko, M.

“What is the summer solstice? Here’s what you need to know.”  


Nationalgeographic.com, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/what-is-summer-winter-solstice-answer-might-surprise-youBrittanica.com, 


“Summer solstice - astronomy.” https://www.britannica.com/science/summer-solstice-astronomyStrugnell, J. “St. John 


the Baptist,” Britannica.com https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-the-BaptistCocking, L. 


“Top summer solstice traditions from around the world” Culturetrip.com

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/articles/top-10-summer-solstice-traditions-from-around-the-world/

Beard, G.. 


“The Relationship Between Stonehenge and the Summer solstice,” Culturetrip.com

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/articles/how-to-celebrate-summer-solstice-in-england/

Carlson, C. “


A Brief History of Sweden’s Midsummer Eve,” Culturetrip.com https://theculturetrip.com/europe/sweden/articles/a-brief-history-of-swedens-midsummer-festival/Greanay, S. 


“What is the Summer Solstice?,” english-heritage.org.uk

https://www


A Brief History of Sweden's Midsummer Festival.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/solstice/what-is-the-summer-solstice/



NASA Science, “Interplanetary seasons” https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/interplanetaryseasonsSweden.se, “Midsummer” 

https://sweden.se/culture/celebrations/midsummer



Dobrojevic, D. “Summer solstice 2022 marks the longest day in the northern hemisphere”

https://www.space.com/summer-solstice-2022-longest-day-today


The last From A to Z Interview this school year is about our chemistry teacher Ms. Jenknerová.


Written by Elen



Admire… I admire those who help others without expecting anything from them.



Binge watching… so I haven't gotten to that yet :) But it's definitely great…



Chemistry… I'm grateful that my hobby has become my vocation. I'm fascinated by how science is constantly moving forward. What would we do without medication, for example? In chemistry, you can discover, play, be creative, it makes you think. It makes me very happy when there are students who find a passion for chemistry like I did years ago.



Destiny… I don't completely believe in destiny. I believe that with the present we create the future. If we fail, we can always get up and start differently. We have our own lives in our own hands.



Earth… a beautiful planet full of amazing places.



Family and friends… I love my family and my closest friends who I can always count on, even if some of them are hundreds of kilometres away…



Growing up… An amazing life stage for teenagers, a nightmare for their parents:)



Hobbies… travelling, reading, music, my work, running, cycling.



I am… responsible, happy, goofy, sometimes completely lost... but myself.



Jamming to music… I love music, so YES.



Karaoke… I remember one evening ... but I think that's enough :)



Leaders… If you are part of good leadership, you win. I'm lucky that I can always count on my leadership. Thanks to Ivo, Táňa, Simona:)



MBTI… definitely an interesting method…but each person is individual…so in my opinion it's hard to judge.



Nature… We owe a lot to nature, we should take care of nature as best we can. I love walking in nature, in the woods (if I know the way back!). Nature fascinates me every day, it is a powerful sorceress :)



Open mind… Nowadays it is very difficult for each of us to find time for ourselves, to relax and let our thoughts flow freely. We are constantly overwhelmed by an incredible amount of information. If we do, however, we can sometimes be surprised at what we can find out about ourselves :).



Picnics… I can think of good food, friends, and fun. Maybe it's a pity that picnics are not so popular in the Czech Republic. I have one such picnic basket at home... still unused for several years…



Quarta… of course my class comes to mind. A great group that always stands together.  This class is like a living organism that is constantly improving. I enjoy being their class teacher :) 



Record… Sometimes we record too much with our mobile phones. Personally, I try to enjoy the experience to the fullest and quite often I have it stored only in my memories…



Summer… my favourite season



Thank you… to everyone who inspires me and makes me a better person. Most of all, thanks to my amazing son who makes every day unforgettable.



Under Pressure… Occasional work under pressure can be beneficial. I am often more creative under pressure than without it, being able to get a large amount of work done in a relatively short period of time. But working under pressure for extended periods of time may be exhausting and tiring. 



Vacation… I wish it had already started!



Warmth… I like warm sunny days and evenings. I don't mind the heat at all. I always associate this season with lots of experiences, festivals and opportunities. I love summer!



Xylan… biopolymer, the type of hemicellulose present in plants.



Your life motto… there have been several of those life mottos but now I like this: Nebojte se postavit se za to, čemu věříte, i kdybyste za tím měli stát sami.



Zeus… Greek God of the Sky. (In Czech: Zeus, bez Dia - it’s always fascinated me)



SOMETHING… I would like to wish everyone a beautiful summer vacation full of unforgettable experiences


Combat sports used in the military programs around the world


Written by Kevin


We generally view martial arts and combat sports as interesting kinds of sports or perhaps a way to fight or defend ourselves. Whatever your view of combat sports there is no denying that an effective technique or tactic will help soldiers or law enforcement in times of need. So buckle up, because in this article we will go through a variety of combat sports that are parts of a military program. Before we start I will explain the difference between a martial art and a combat sport: Martial arts are fighting systems, which have weapons and no rules, but combat sports are basically martial arts in a competition setting.



Okinawan Karate (空手)



Let's start off with one of the most popular martial arts in the world, though you may be confused with the first part of its name. Many know that karate originated in Japan but not everybody knows it was founded in Okinawa in roughly 1609 after the invasion of Ryukyu. 



What separates the Okinawan karate from the now more well-known mainland Japanese karate is the way it is taught and what is taught. In today's age it is rare to find a karate dojo that teaches karate techniques including grappling techniques and kobudo (a weapons-based martial art related to karate) together. 



Okinawan karate has more styles under its name like: Goju ryu, Uechi ryu or Shorin ryu.



These styles focus on self defence techniques which are not so allowed in the World Karate Federation, which leads to most of these styles mostly having their own separate competitions with full contact.



Okinawan karate includes striking, joint locks, bone conditioning and traditional weapons.



Bone conditioning is a crucial part of Okinawan karate. The traditional dojos focus on strengthening bones so they can be used as deadly weapons. 



The conditioned bones are tested in tameshiwari (breaking tests.)



Photo: “Okinawan Karate break a baseball bat in front of 10 000 spectators !”, youtube.com



Muay Thai (กล่องไทย)



Muay Thai, better  known as Thai boxing in the West, is a striking martial art that emphasises kicks, punches, elbows and the clinch. 



It is legendary for its low kicks and elbows because of the conditioning of the shins. Thai Boxers are known for kicking down banana trees and breaking bones with their iron shins.



The origins of Muay Thai can be traced back to the 16th century as a peace-time martial art practised by the soldiers.



Muay Thai has a reputation for being a tough sport by countries around the world because of the age of its young practitioners. In 2016 it was discovered that the number of child boxers was from 2-300,000 and some of them were as young as 4 years old.



This Thai martial art is not to be underestimated in MMA rings not just because of its techniques but also because of the mindset of the fighters who have mastered the steep learning curve of the sport.



Thai Boxing is also a part of Thai culture, including in folklore, and a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation.



Photo: “Muay Thai”, www.gymbangarang.com



Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ)



Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a grappling-based sport which has evolved from its Japanese ancestor.



It follows the teachings of the Japanese Kudokan martial arts school, which was founded by Jigoro Kano (the founder of Judo). Its approach is more modern and thus loses characteristics of Japanese martial arts, but don't let that influence your perception of  BJJ because the abandoned traditionalism allows for improvements which were learned from the present. 



This is the reason why competitions have separate events without the gi (uniform) 



BJJ's fighting style is focused on ground fighting techniques (choking, throws and joint locks.) and these techniques are responsible for changing everything from the first ever UFC in 1993 because of the lack of grappling and “one style” mentality. 



Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a great addition to mixed martial arts athletes and it is a must for them to know at least the basic principles and techniques. If they don't know, then it is only time will tell before they end up in an armbar. 



Photo: “UFC 1: What happened at the inaugural edition of this MMA showdown?”, sportskeeda.com



Boxing



It should come as  no surprise that boxing made the list and it does not need any introduction. Some may ask how boxing compares to martial arts which include kicking. The answer is fairly simple: head movement and the minimum requirement for stretching for kicks. Boxers are known for their agile head movements which make them hard to hit. In a practical situation it is better to throw the good old fashioned hook to the face instead of a risky roundhouse kick. 



People tend to think that boxing is easy because you are only punching, but forget the head movement. Every punch can be dodged with a “slip” or a “roll” and it is the art of “hit but don't get hit”. 



Boxers are known for their swift uppercuts, hooks and jabs which can take down anyone. What separates a bad boxer from a good one is the ability to be untouchable in the ring.



As the legendary Muhammad Ali said in his prime: “I can’t be beat! I had 180 amateur fights, 22 professional fights, and I’m pretty as a girl!” 



Photo: “Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston (2nd meeting)”, boxrec.com


Military Wiki, “Combat sports” https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Combat_sports


youtube.com, “Okinawan Karate break a baseball bat in front of 10 000 spectators !” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsVa2bP_nf4


Wikipedia.org, “Muay Thai” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai


www.bangarang.com, “Muay Thai” https://www.gymbangarang.com/muay-thai-basics/


Wikipedia.org, “Brazilian jiu-jitsu” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu


Sportkeeda.com, “UFC 1: What happened at the inaugural edition of this MMA showdown” https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/ufc-1-what-happened-at-the-inaugural-edition-mma


youtube.com, “Muhammad Ali - “I'm as pretty as a girl!” “ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYDPXIRwMBE 


Boxrec.com, “Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston (2nd meeting)” https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Sonny_Liston_(2nd_meeting)

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