In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and of doorways. The worship of Janus is believed to have been started by Romulus, one of the legendary founders of Rome. Usually depicted with two faces, one looking forward to the future and the other looking back to the past, his image appeared on an early Roman coin with a ship’s prow on the reverse side. During the festival in honor of Janus known as the Agonalia, the rex sacrorum, or officiating priest, sacrificed a ram. Offerings of barley, incense, wine, and cakes called Januae were also common. Discuss
Month: January 2022
Simone de Beauvoir (1908)
De Beauvoir was a prominent French writer and feminist, as well as a leading existentialist. Among her most celebrated works is the profound analysis of the status of women The Second Sex, which was completed in 1950 and has become a classic of feminist literature. De Beauvoir is also noted for her lifelong polyamorous relationship with famed existentialist thinker Jean-Paul Sartre, whom she met while studying at the Sorbonne. What had de Beauvoir wanted to do with her life until age 14? Discuss
an/the olive branch
A symbol, expression, or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc. Used most commonly in the phrase “hold out/offer (someone) an/the olive branch.” Watch the video
Free Falling
Though often associated with skydivers, a free fall in physics is any motion of a body upon which gravity is the only force acting—such as a ball thrown up in the air. Though free falls from great heights are incredibly dangerous for humans, they can be survivable, especially if one lands on a surface of high deformity, like snow or water. In 1972, a flight attendant miraculously survived—despite 27 days in a coma—after the plane she was on exploded, hurtling her how many feet to the ground? Discuss
favored
Definition: (adjective) Preferred above all others and treated with partiality.
Synonyms: best-loved, pet, preferred, favorite.
Usage: My sister is clearly the favored child—she has a later curfew and gets away with things I never could!
Discuss
tremble
The African National Congress Is Founded (1912)
The African National Congress (ANC) is a South African political party and black nationalist organization. Founded as the South African Native National Congress in 1912, the ANC began as a nonviolent civil rights group. After government massacres of demonstrators, however, the ANC began carrying out acts of sabotage and guerrilla warfare. As a result, its leaders were exiled, but in 1994, the ANC swept the country’s first elections based on universal suffrage. Who was the ANC’s famous leader? Discuss
Frank Nelson Doubleday (1862)
Doubleday was an American publisher best known for founding the Doubleday & McClure Company. Doubleday was so fascinated with printing as a boy that he saved up and bought his own printing press, and he began working at famed publishing house Charles Scribner’s Sons at age 14. In 1897, he formed his own company with Samuel S. McClure, publisher of McClure’s Magazine, and their firm became a prominent publishing house. What strange nickname did Rudyard Kipling give Doubleday? Discuss
salty dog
A sailor, especially a man, who is older and/or has had a lot of experience on the seas. Watch the video
The Maypole
The maypole is the center of activity during the celebration of May Day. The tall wooden pole is often decorated with flowers, greenery, and streamers. Dancers hold the loose ends of the streamers and weave intricate patterns as they encircle the pole and pass each other in dance. May Day festivities also include a May king and queen and people carrying garlands. The maypole probably originated in ancient fertility rites, but its symbolism has long been debated. What are some interpretations? Discuss