Christine Lovatt’s Hello Column
Christine’s Hello column appears monthly in Lovatts BIG Crossword magazine
The March Hare
Since his first appearance in Lewis Carrol’s classic Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, the March Hare has become a well-recognised and much loved literary figure. A wacky co-host of the tea party that Alice stumbles across, fond of nonsense, jokes, and puns, the March Hare is just one character that reflects the zany madness of [more…]
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 8 to recognise women for their achievements, to both highlight and work towards addressing barriers that continue to perpetuate gender inequality, and to reflect on the progress that has been made.
The very first International Women’s Day was held on March 19th, 1911, born from [more…]
You, ye, ya’ll & youse
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You” – Dr Seuss. One of the most important words we use in conversation is ‘you’. It exists in several different forms and acts in different roles in languages from all over the globe – as [more…]
Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day puzzle lovers!
If there’s one topic that has inspired writers, artists, poets, and wordsmiths across cultures for generations, it’s love. From first love to last love, romantic to platonic, unrequited love to love that is returned, the love shared between friends, family members, and spouses – love is all around. It is, [more…]
New Year New Words
The arrival of the New Year provides us an excellent excuse to explore some of the newest words and concepts that have been added to the English language from our everyday vernacular – from deepfake and fan art to WFH and PPE.
Most of the words we use in the English language today are of [more…]
New Year and New Things
What does the New Year mean to you? Some people promise themselves they’ll lose those extra kilos, or tackle that pile of junk in the shed…
For thousands of years, it’s been traditional to see the New Year as a chance to start over. To wipe the slate clean, forgive enemies, give back the tools [more…]
Christmas Celebrations
In the wake of what has been an unprecedented year, for many of us Christmas is shaping up to look a little different than what we’re used to. With lockdown provisions still a reality for some and social distancing measures encouraged, feeling a sense of connection and harmony with the people around us has [more…]
Santa Claus Abroad
As the year begins to draw to a close and Christmas and New Year approach, it’s a good time to explore how people around the world celebrate.
Did you know that while all countries that celebrate Christmas have Christmas trees, they’re not always fir? Sometimes fig or palm trees are decorated and lit. Nativity scenes [more…]
You had me at hello…
Did you know that November 21 is World Hello Day? Observed since 1973 in hundreds of countries around the globe, World Hello Day first came about as a way to encourage us all to use communication rather than force to settle conflict and discord. To participate in World Hello Day, all one needs to [more…]