The Perchtenlauf in Austria is usually held on Epiphany. The Perchten are old masks, usually of witches and fearsome animals, that have been handed down for generations. People wearing the masks run through the village beating drums, ringing bells, singing, shouting, and making as much noise as possible to scare winter away—an ancient custom that can be traced back to pre-Christian times. The procession of masked figures stops in the main square of the village and everyone begins to dance wildly, making even more noise than before. Discuss
Month: January 2021
the jet set
A group of wealthy individuals who travel globally, especially by private jet, to frequent fashionable resorts, social events, and the like. Watch the video
Checkpoint Charlie
From 1961 until 1990, Checkpoint Charlie served as the main crossing point for Western personnel leaving West Berlin to enter the Soviet East. Necessitated by the building of the Berlin Wall in an effort to stop an exodus of defectors, the checkpoint became a symbol of a divided Berlin. The Allied side consisted of little more than a temporary hut and a now-iconic sign that read, in four languages, “You are leaving the American sector.” What chilling 1962 incident sparked protests there? Discuss
feral
songs
episode – First a Greek dialogue between two songs, it is from eis, “into,” and hodos, “way.” More…
lyric poetry – Characterized by an expression of the poet’s personal feelings—and originally descriptive of songs accompanied by the lyre (examples are John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley). More…
melodrama – Meaning “song play,” it has a Greek origin—from melos, “music, song”—and it started out as a sensational play interspersed with songs. More…
vaudeville – Comes from a French composer calling his songs “chanson du Vau de vire”—”song of the valley of Vire (in Normandy)”—later shortened to “vau de ville.” More…
Peter Sutcliffe Charged in the "Yorkshire Ripper" Case (1981)
From 1975 to 1981, the Yorkshire area of England was terrorized by a string of murders. Though hundreds of investigators worked to find the killer, they were hampered by false leads, and the case generated so much paperwork that real clues were buried. After Sutcliffe was arrested for having stolen license plates, police noticed his similarity to the killer. What item found in a victim’s purse allowed investigators to narrow down the search to a group of 8,000 people—one that included Sutcliffe? Discuss
Día de Negritos and Fiesta de los Blanquitos
In Popayán, Colombia, the Christmas season ends with wild festivities that take place on January 5 and 6. On January 5, known as the Día de Negritos or Day of the Black Ones, boys with black shoe polish chase girls and try to smear them with their blackened hands. There are parades in the afternoon with people in costume and chirimíasi (roving groups of musicians who play traditional Columbian music). The following day, January 6, is known as the Fiesta de los Blanquitos (Festival of the White Ones). Instead of chasing the girls with shoe polish, the boys use talcum powder and flour. Discuss
Jersey justice
A punishment or act of justice that is or appears to be much more severe than the offence warrants. Primarily heard in UK. Watch the video
Chryselephantine Sculpture
Developed by the Greeks in the 6th century BCE, chryselephantine is a form of sculpture in which an inner core of wood is overlaid with ivory to simulate flesh. It is then trimmed with gold to simulate clothing and other adornments. The technique was used to make colossal religious statues for temples, but because the materials were so valuable, few examples remain intact today. There is a reproduction of one famous chryselephantine statue, the gigantic Athena Parthenos, in what US city? Discuss