Unit 67 - Anniversaries

Hi everybody, this is Misterduncan in England, how are you today? Are you okay? I hope so! Are you happy? I hope so!

In this lesson we are going to take a look at something we often share with others, a time when we remember, a period when we think about a particular moment from the past. In this special anniversary lesson we are going to take a look at…anniversaries!

Anniversaries

An anniversary is a period of time that occurs at the same moment as something from the past. This can relate to almost anything, such as a notable event or any significant occurrence. We tend to celebrate anniversaries, but as we will be finding out later, this is not always the case.
We often see an anniversary as a general point of interest. The more it relates to us, then the more significant it becomes. The most common anniversaries are personal ones. Your birthday is usually the most important as it symbolizes both your arrival into the world and your ongoing progression through life.

For the very young a birthday is a time of excitement. Although its significance is usually felt more by the parents, rather than the child.
In certain religions a child’s birthday can signify the coming of age or an arrival onto adulthood.
The anniversary of a special moment can involve many different things. The anniversary of a married couple’s wedding is seen as significant in most cultures. Cards and gifts are usually exchanged on this day. In Western culture precious stones and metals are used to symbolize the most significant ones.
For example in the UK we use ‘pearl’ for the thirtieth, ‘ruby’ for the fortieth, ‘gold’ for the fiftieth and ‘diamond’ for the sixtieth wedding anniversary and ‘platinum’ for the seventieth.

These are usually seen as symbolic and are rarely given as actual gifts. There are many words connected to anniversary. ‘Centenary’ which is the 100 year anniversary of something occurring. Then there is ‘bicentenary’, which is the 200 year anniversary of an event. And ‘tercentenary’, which marks the 300 year anniversary of an event.

We can describe an important anniversary as a ‘landmark’ or ‘milestone’.
As I have already mentioned the more significant the anniversary is, then the more we tent to celebrate it. Religious festivals are often seen as types of anniversaries. They usually mark a significant event with deep meaning through vivid symbolism and celebrations.

Of course not all anniversaries are happy ones. For a happy event we usually celebrate it. The birth of a baby, the marriage of a couple, an event with positive consequences.   When we mark the time when something sad occurred, we commemorate it, we observe it, we pay tribute, we remember it.
The most personal and upsetting anniversary must be that of the death of a loved one. The passing of a relative or close friend, or a person who left a positive mark on your life…or any tragic event.
On the anniversary of someone’s death, you remember them, you mourn them, you treasure the moments you shared with them. You think about the effect they had on your life. You miss them.

The word anniversary is the noun that defines the moment when a past event and the present meet. A point of time from the past converges with the present, albeit symbolically. It is our own perception of the past that creates this feeling. The more you connect with the event, the more you feel its significance.

The date when a member of your family died will always be more important than when someone outside you family circle passes away. It is your emotional connection that creates the importance and course the memories you have of that person.
This can apply to happy events and sad ones. We tent to make a record of an anniversary.  Some people put a notice in the local newspaper, announcing anniversaries such as, the birth of a child, or the passing of a loved one, or they might make a note of it in their personal diary or journal.

So today’s lesson is all about anniversary, which is quite a coincidence as I’m celebrating any anniversary of my own today. October 31st 2011, marks the fifth anniversary of my very first video being posted here on YouTube. So I have now been making videos for over five years.
I would like to thank you all for the many thousands of kind comments and messages that I have received from you over those years and the support of so many kind and loyal people.

From my days teaching in China and all the amazing people I met there to those closer to home here in England and of course you my online students…in so many countries, from so many backgrounds, with so many stories to tell and dreams to follow.
And with the help of English, you will be able to share and accomplish each and every one of them…
…I hope so!
I hope you have enjoyed today’s lesson, celebrating my fifth anniversary here on YouTube. This is Misterduncan in England saying thank you for watching me, teaching you…for five years! And of course…ta-ta for now.