National Old-Time Country Music Contest and Festival

Created by Bob Everhart as part of America’s bicentennial celebration in 1976, the National Old-Time Country Music Contest and Festival in Avoca, Iowa, is now the largest gathering of public domain music-makers and listeners in the United States. The festival’s purpose is to preserve the music that, in Everhart’s words, has been “in many instances altered so dramatically that it is no longer recognizable as a traditional American art form.” There are more than 30 competitions in such varied musical genres as ragtime, polka, Cajun, mountain, folk, cowboy, Western, yodeling, and gospel. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Black Swans

In Europe, where there are no black swans, the bird was historically thought to be an impossibility, leading to its use as a metaphor for something that does not exist. Then, in 1697, Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh sighted one on a river in Australia, where it is found in wetlands. Today, it is an important cultural symbol of Western Australia, where its image has been used on stamps, signs, currency, and the state flag. How does the black swan appear in the legends of aboriginal peoples? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Ksamavani

Jainism, a religion that originated in ancient India, advocates peaceful coexistence. Forgiveness is thus regarded as a sacred act and is foundational to spiritual health. In the spirit similar to that of Paryushana, a better known Jain festival, Ksamavani invites believers to ask for and receive forgiveness. Every member of the Jain community approaches family members, neighbors, colleagues, and co-workers and asks them for forgiveness for harms done, irrespective of their social standing. The ritual is intended to help repair severed ties and relations. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Brigandine

A brigandine is a lightweight, flexible piece of body armor consisting of a coat of mail or small metal plates sewn into quilted cloth or leather. The rivets that secure the plates to the fabric are visible on the exterior of the garment. The brigandine was invented in the Middle Ages and derives its name from foot soldiers, then known as brigands. Though brigandine-like armor was rendered obsolete in Europe in the 1600s, it was still considered useful to colonists in the New World. Why? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary