Month: November 2019

Barbados Independence Day

After having been a British colony since the 17th century, Barbados became independent on this day in 1966. A ceremony took place near the capital city of Bridgetown, during which the British flag was lowered and replaced by the Barbados flag, and the national anthem was sung. Today, festivities extend through the month of November with the National Independence Festival of the Creative Arts. On Independence Day, festivities culminate with a parade and the final appearance of performers, and exhibits of art work and photography are on display. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Blue Angels

In 1946, the US Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, performed for the first time. Intended to enhance Navy recruiting and to represent American armed forces as international ambassadors of good will, the Blue Angels perform aerial demonstrations involving highly precise maneuvers while flying in formation. During the stunts, the jets can sometimes come within 18 inches of each other. Why is it that pilots in the Blue Angels squadron do not wear G-suits? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

St. Andrew’s Eve (Poland)

The eve of St. Andrew’s Day is a special night for young Polish girls who want to find husbands. They play Andrzejki, or “Andrew’s games,” a kind of fortune telling. They break off dry branches from cherry trees, place them in wet sand, and tend them carefully for the next few weeks. If the branch blooms by Christmas, it is believed that they will marry within the year. Pouring liquid wax into cold water is another popular method of foretelling their romantic futures. The shapes into which the wax hardens often provide clues with which they can read their fate. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Yoruba Twins

While the birth rate of monozygotic—identical—twins is relatively constant worldwide, the rate for dizygotic—fraternal—twins varies widely. Fraternal twins are most common among persons of African ancestry, and the highest incidence of fraternal twins is among the Yoruba peoples of Nigeria, with a frequency of more than 40 per 1,000 births. This has made twins an important part of Yoruba culture, in which twins are said to share one soul. What traditions do the Yoruba follow regarding twins? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Albania Independence Day

The Albanian people proclaimed their independence from the Turks on this day in 1912. The Turks first invaded this part of Europe around 1400, and they ruled the country for more than 400 years. It wasn’t until the end of the Balkan War that Turkish rule was abolished and a proclamation of independence issued on November 28, 1912. Independence Day is a public holiday observed throughout Albania and is marked by a festive parade in Tirana, the capital. It is followed by Liberation Day on November 29, the day on which the invasions of German and Italian troops during World War II were ended in 1944. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

King Oedipus

In Greek mythology, Oedipus was a king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. In the most familiar version of the story, Laius, king of Thebes, was warned by an oracle that his son would kill him. He abandoned the infant Oedipus on a mountain, but the baby was saved by a shepherd and adopted by the king of Corinth. When Oedipus learned from the Delphic oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother, he fled Corinth to escape this fate. What happened next? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Seged (Sigd)

Seged is a religious festival observed only by Ethiopian Jews known as the Beta Israel. The participants wear clean, preferably white, clothes, symbolic of the state of purity in which they have kept themselves for seven days. The priests who lead the procession sing prayers and carry the Orit (the Jewish scriptures in Geez) and other holy books wrapped in colored cloth. Everyone who climbs the hill carries a stone, which is placed on a circular wall marking the holy area where the Orit will be placed. The ceremony includes a commemoration of the dead and readings from the Orit. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary