In parts of France, Germany, and Syria, St. Barbara‘s Day is considered the beginning of the Christmas season. In southern France, especially in Provence, it is customary to set out dishes holding grains of wheat soaked in water on sunny window sills. If the “St. Barbara’s grain” grows quickly, it means a good year for crops. There is a similar custom in Germany and the Czech and Slovak republics, where cherry branches are placed in water and tended in the hope that they will bloom on Christmas Eve. In Syria, St. Barbara’s Day is for feasting and bringing food to the poor. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the most popular stars of the musical stage in her day, Russell debuted in New York as a teenager and soon became a star. She was known for her flamboyant personal life, her hourglass figure, and her voice. Though she was married four times, her affair with “Diamond Jim” Brady has become legendary. She also wrote a syndicated newspaper column and was a popular lecturer. She died shortly after completing a fact-finding mission—on behalf of US President Warren Harding—to investigate what? 
Found in warm regions, especially in the Americas and Africa, the herbs, trees, and vines of the Amaranthaceae family are characterized by stems and leaves colored by a lasting red pigment. With a name derived from amarantos, the Greek word for “unfading,” plants of this genus have been a poetic symbol of immortality from the time of ancient Greece. They can be preserved dry and are often used in everlasting bouquets. What other uses have been found for these plants? 
When East Pakistan demanded greater autonomy from West Pakistan in 1971, civil war erupted. Millions of East Pakistanis fled to India, which West Pakistan then attacked. India responded by attacking both East and West Pakistan, occupying the eastern half and throwing its support behind the independence movement. The war lasted 13 days and ended with Pakistan’s surrender. East Pakistan then declared independence and became Bangladesh. Why was the Taj Mahal covered with burlap during the conflict? 
The youngest daughter of renowned psychologist Sigmund Freud—the founder of psychoanalysis—Anna Freud went on to become a pioneer in child psychology. In 1938, she and her terminally ill father escaped Nazi-controlled Austria for London. There, she founded and directed a clinic for child therapy. Her writings include Normality and Pathology in Childhood and three books on the effects of war on children. Her own childhood was marked by what her father called her “age-old jealousy” of whom? 
Ventriloquism is the art of projecting one’s voice in such a way that the sound seems to come from a source other than the speaker, often a dummy or doll whose mouth is moved by the ventriloquist. Dating to ancient times, ventriloquism was initially associated with divination and only evolved into a performance art around the 16th century. It later developed through Vaudeville into the comedic style common today. How do ventriloquists mimic sounds that require the lips to be pressed together?