Crawfish Festival

The Crawfish Festival is a time to celebrate and eat the small crustaceans (also called crayfish and crawdads) in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, a small Cajun village. Since 1959, by act of the state legislature, the village has been officially called the “Crawfish Capital of the World.” The festival is a three-day event, featuring crawfish races, a parade, Cajun music night and day, a crawfish cookoff, and a World Championship Crawfish-Eating Contest. The prize is a trophy and crawfish to take home. As many as 100,000 visitors come to this village of 7,600 for the festival. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840)

A towering figure in Russian music and one of the most popular composers in history, Tchaikovsky became interested in music as a child and turned to serious composition at 14. His works are noted for their expressive melodies, and he is said to have revolutionized ballet by transforming it from a grand decorative gesture into a staged musical drama. His ballets include Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. What Russian businesswoman supported him for 13 years but—as a rule—never met him? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca, or “vine of the soul,” is a South American hallucinogenic brew made from the bark and stems of a tropical vine, generally Banisteriopsis caapi, mixed with other psychotropic plants. Many indigenous Amazonian peoples use the brew in their folk medicines and shamanistic rituals. In addition to its hallucinogenic properties, ayahuasca helps protect the body from tropical parasites and worms by inducing vomiting and diarrhea. What dietary restrictions surround ayahuasca use? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Phoenix Park Murders in Dublin, Ireland (1882)

In 1882, Lord Frederick Cavendish, British secretary for Ireland, and Thomas Henry Burke, his undersecretary, were assassinated as they were walking in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. They were stabbed to death by members of a radical splinter group of the Fenian movement called the “Invincibles.” Two of those arrested turned state’s evidence, five were hanged, and three were sentenced to prison. What was the political aftermath of the assassinations? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. George’s Day (Bulgaria)

St. George‘s Day, or Gergiovden, is one of the most important celebrations in Bulgaria. It marks the start of the stock-breeding season. Special foods are served, traditional songs are sung, and both livestock and their pens are decorated with blossoming willow twigs. Traditional rural Bulgarian belief holds that someone who is born on this day is blessed with wisdom and beauty. In some areas, a lamb is slaughtered, and the door sill is smeared with its blood to protect the house from witches, illness, and other forms of bad luck. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Orson Welles (1915)

Welles began acting on stage at 16 and made his Broadway debut in 1934. In 1937, he and John Houseman formed the Mercury Theatre, creating a series of radio dramas and winning notoriety with their panic-producing broadcast of War of the Worlds. Welles then moved to Hollywood, where, at age 26, he cowrote, directed, produced, and acted in the classic Citizen Kane, considered among the most influential movies in film history. What other films did Welles direct? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Bedbugs

Bedbugs are small, nocturnal, reddish-brown insects that infest dwellings and bedding and feed on human blood. They emit an unpleasant-smelling oily secretion from two glands on their undersurface; but more unpleasant than a bedbug’s odor is its bite, which can cause irritation, itching, welts, and swelling. Contrary to popular belief, poor housekeeping does not invite bedbugs; they are attracted by body heat and carbon dioxide. What should be done to combat an infestation? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary