Month: December 2019

St. Thorlak’s Day

Thorlak Thorhalli (1133-1193) was born in Iceland and, after being educated abroad, returned there to become bishop of Skalholt in 1177 or 1178. He was canonized by the Icelandic parliament five years after his death. His day traditionally marks the climax of Christmas preparations for Icelanders. It is associated with housecleaning, as well as the preparation of special foods. The hangiket, or smoked mutton, for Christmas was usually cooked on this day, and in the western fjords, the smell of skate hash cooked on St. Thorlak’s Day is still considered a harbinger of the holiday season. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805)

Smith was the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 1827, he claimed that an angel directed him to buried golden plates containing God’s revelation, which he translated as the Book of Mormon. He led converts to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and introduced the custom of polygamy. When in 1844 he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the US, he and his brother were thrown in jail, where they were killed by a lynch mob. What happened to the church after his death? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Steam Engine

In a steam engine, hot steam expands under pressure, and part of the heat energy is converted into work. The idea to harness steam’s power and convert it to mechanical energy dates back 2,000 years to Hero of Alexandria and his aeolipile, but the concept was not successfully applied to the building of a power source until about 1700. Improvements to the steam engine over the next century allowed it to play a major role in the Industrial Revolution. Why is there renewed interest in steam power? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Capac Raymi

The Capac Raymi was an Inca festival observed around the time of the December Solstice (the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere). The Inca Empire flourished in the Andean regions of South America, including Peru, Ecuador and the northern parts of Chile and Argentina during the 15th and 16th centuries, until the Spanish arrived in 1531. The Capac Raymi served as an initiation ceremony for the young men of the ruling class. When the solstice arrived, the boys’ ears were pierced in order to insert the large ear spools worn by Inca royalty. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Lion Dance

The lion dance is a form of traditional Chinese dance in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in an elaborately decorated lion costume. Originally performed as entertainment or as part of a ceremony to disperse evil spirits and bring good luck, the dance is often performed today during cultural celebrations and incorporates movements found in most Chinese martial arts. The lion dance is often mistaken for the dragon dance. What is the difference between the two dances? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day

Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council have sponsored this day to bring attention to the plight of the nation’s homeless population and to encourage the public to act on their behalf. Local groups across the country are encouraged to arrange a ceremony to remember the homeless persons in their community who died in the previous year. Candlelight marches, vigils, graveside services, religious services, and public policy advocacy are suggested ways of remembering. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Missorium of Theodosius I

The Missorium of Theodosius I is a silver ceremonial dish that is 29 in (79 cm) across and weighs about 34 lb (15 kg). It was probably made in Constantinople in 388 CE to commemorate the rule of Theodosius I, the last Roman emperor to rule both the Eastern and Western Empires. The ornate dish is one of the best surviving examples of late antique imperial imagery and features Theodosius flanked by his co-emperors, an iconography that was later adopted by Western Christianity and given what name? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary