Easter Monday

Although Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week and the end of Lent, the following Monday (also known as Pasch Monday) is observed as a public holiday in many nations, perhaps to round off the long weekend that begins on Good Friday. In London, there is a big Easter parade in Hyde Park on this day. A curious English tradition associated at one time with Easter Monday involved “lifting” or “heaving.” By crossing hands and grasping another person’s wrists, the men would lift the women on Easter Monday, and, on Easter Tuesday, the women would lift the men. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Aristide Briand (1862)

Briand was a French statesman who served as premier of France 11 times and held 26 ministerial posts between 1906 and 1932. After World War I, he emerged as a leading advocate of international peace. As foreign minister from 1925 to 1932, he was the chief architect of the Locarno Pact and the Kellogg-Briand Pact. An impressive orator, Briand was a prominent figure in the League of Nations and advocated for a United States of Europe. With whom did he share the 1926 Nobel Prize for Peace? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Marsh Mallows

Althaea officinalis, or the Marsh Mallow, flourishes on riverbanks and in salt marshes. Its velvety leaves, pale pink flowers, and mucilaginous root all have medicinal properties. When the plant flowers, its leaves are collected and used to treat pulmonary and urinary diseases. The root, which is harvested in late autumn, is generally used to treat gastrointestinal disorders and skin conditions. What part of the Marsh Mallow is used to make marshmallow candy treats? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Tenerife Disaster (1977)

The Tenerife Disaster was a passenger plane accident that resulted in the highest number of fatalities of any single accident in aviation history, excluding ground fatalities. It occurred when two Boeing 747s, a KLM flight in the midst of takeoff and a PanAm flight taxing in the opposite direction, collided at Los Rodeos Airport on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people. What bombing led both planes to be diverted to the Tenerife airport in the first place?

Source: The Free Dictionary

Birthday of the Goddess of Mercy

The birthday of the Goddess of Mercy is a celebration of Kuan Yin, the Bodhisattva (“Buddha-to-be”) of infinite compassion and mercy. Depicted as both masculine and feminine, and one of the most beloved of Buddhist deities, he or she is accepted not only by Buddhists but also by the Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans. Women especially celebrate Kuan Yin. In Malaysia, hundreds of devotees bearing joss sticks, fruit, flowers, and sweet cakes gather at temples dedicated to Kuan Yin to pray for her benevolence. At the old temple at Jalan Pitt, Penang, puppet shows are staged in celebration of her. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Sarah Vaughan (1924)

“The Divine One,” Sarah Vaughan was an American jazz contralto with a vast range who worked as a soloist for much of her career. As a child, Vaughan studied piano and organ and began singing in her church choir. As a teenager, she won the famous amateur contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and was featured with bandleader Earl Hines. One of jazz’s finest vocalists, she learned much from the horn stylings of what bebop musicians with whom she recorded in 1945? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Allergies

An allergy is an abnormally high sensitivity to an otherwise harmless foreign substance, or allergen, that leads to an exaggerated response of the natural immune defense mechanism. Allergens can be airborne substances, infectious agents, foods, contactants, or physical agents; and reactions can range from the relatively benign runny nose to severe inflammation, anaphylactic shock, and even death. Why do some scientists believe that children with no siblings are more prone to allergies? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary