Month: November 2019

St. Leopold’s Day

St. Leopold (1073-1136), the patron saint of Austria, was buried in the abbey he had established in Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria. His feast day is observed there with the ceremony known as Fasselrutschen, or the Slide of the Great Cask, in the abbey’s wine cellar. Participants climb the narrow staircase that leads to the top of the cask and then slide down its smooth surface to a padded platform at its base. The faster the trip down, according to tradition, the better luck the person will have in the coming year. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Head and Shoulders Above the Crowd

In the Spanish region of Catalonia, one tradition stands above all others: the building of castells—human towers. Traditionally built during festivals, these multi-tiered structures can contain as many as 10 levels, each composed of people linked together in a circle. This dangerous activity requires teamwork and planning. A tower is only considered complete once the final casteller has climbed to the top and extended one hand with four fingers raised in a gesture symbolizing what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tomb KV62

Tomb KV62 is the tomb of Tutankhamen, a 14th-century BCE Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. Because his name was stricken from the royal lists during the 19th dynasty, his tomb’s location was forgotten until 1922, when Howard Carter discovered it in the Valley of the Kings. Carter and his patron were the first people to enter the tomb in over 3000 years, and the objects they found inside afforded a new store of knowledge on Egyptian sculpture and life. What were some of the tomb’s treasures? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Black Army of Hungary

Elected king of Hungary in 1458 after a series of foreign rulers, Matthias Corvinus reigned for 32 years in what became a glorious period in Hungarian history. Matthias won a reputation as a crusader against the Ottomans. He conquered Moravia, Silesia, Lusatia, Vienna, Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola—successes largely due to his establishment of a standing army. Known as the Black Army of Hungary, it consisted of thousands of paid soldiers, including Hungarians as well as mercenaries from where? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Palio di Siena

The Palio di Siena is a horserace held twice annually in the Tuscan city of Siena. Dating from the Middle Ages, the race is the centerpiece of festivals held in the city’s Piazza del Campo in July and August. During the race, 10 jockeys riding bareback circle the piazza three times. The race usually lasts no more than 90 seconds, and it is not uncommon for jockeys to be thrown off their horses while making the piazza’s treacherous turns. What forms of sabotage are allowed in this race? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Polish Independence Day

This national holiday commemorates the re-creation of the state of Poland at the end of World War I. On November 11, 1918, Poland was granted independence after having been partitioned under the rule of Prussia, Austria, and Russia for more than 100 years. After the Soviet system took over the country, the holiday was abolished. But in 1989, after the Communist government fell, Independence Day was once again a national holiday. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary