Feralia

This ancient Roman festival marked the culmination of a week-long celebration in honor of the manes, spirits of the dead. It began on February 13 with the Parentalia, a private celebration in honor of deceased family members, and ended on February 21 with a public celebration known as the Feralia. This was the day on which offerings and gifts were placed on the graves of the deceased and the anniversary of the funeral feast was celebrated. The Feralia was similar to the later Christian holiday, All Souls’ Day. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Andrés Segovia (1893)

Segovia was a Spanish guitarist whose transcriptions of early contrapuntal music, along with his concerts and recordings, were largely responsible for the 20th-century resurgence of interest in the guitar and its possibilities as a concert instrument. Almost entirely self-taught, he made his debut in Grenada in 1909 and by the 1920s was touring internationally. He continued to perform into his 90s. Which composers wrote works just for Segovia? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Anarchist Catalonia

Anarchism, a political theory that favors the abolition of all forms of government, started a profound libertarian revolution throughout Spain. During the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, Catalonia was established as an anarchist stronghold and much of the region’s economy was put under worker control: factories were run through worker committees, agrarian areas became collectivized, and even hotels and restaurants were managed by their workers. When did Catalonia fall to Spain’s nationalists? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Barber of Seville’s Disastrous Debut (1816)

In 1816, Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini produced The Barber of Seville, based on the comedy by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais. Though Rossini created much of the opera’s music in just weeks, it resounds with his brilliant arias, ensemble numbers, and famous crescendos. Still, several on-stage accidents and constant jeers from the audience, likely spurred by supporters of one of Rossini’s rivals, made its debut in Rome a disaster. What happened during the second performance? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Second Week of Lent

It wasn’t until the 9th century that the Lenten season, called the Great Lent in the East to differentiate it from the Advent fast called Little Lent, was fixed at 40 days (with Sundays omitted). For centuries, the Lenten season has been observed with certain periods of strict fasting, as well as giving up something—a favorite food or other worldly pleasure—for the 40 days of Lent. Celebrations such as Carnival and Mardi Gras offered Christians their last opportunities to indulge before the rigorous Lenten restrictions. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Kurt Cobain (1967)

Cobain formed the rock trio Nirvana in his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington, in 1986. The group’s second album, Nevermind, featured the iconic hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and was the first punk-oriented album to achieve popularity with a mainstream audience. However, Cobain railed against his fame in Nirvana’s next album, In Utero. Known for his self-destructive behavior and heroin use, he committed suicide in 1994. What tribute to Cobain is featured on a sign in his hometown? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

PFOA

Though the US Environmental Protection Agency labeled perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) a likely carcinogen in 2006, it continues to be widely used in food packaging and in the processing of Teflon non-stick coatings. Traces of PFOA-family chemicals can now be found in the blood of most Americans and in the environment worldwide. Of particular concern is the grease resistant fluorotelomer coating used in the production of microwave popcorn packages. How does the PFOA from popcorn bags get ingested? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary