Nebuta Matsuri, the main festival of Aomori Prefecture in Japan, features processions of huge, elaborately painted papier-mâché figures called nebuta. In the capital city of Aomori, the nebuta figures, up to 49 feet wide and 26 feet high, depict ferociously scowling samurai warriors. Illuminated from within by candles, they glow as they are carried through the streets at nightfall. Spectators wear hats made of flowers and dance in the streets. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In 1835, Vuitton moved to Paris, where he became an apprentice malletier, or trunk-maker, crafting luggage for the French aristocracy. In 1854, he founded the company that would become a worldwide fashion icon. By 1885, the company had opened its first store in London. He introduced a line of innovative traveling trunks, and his designs soon became the subjects of widespread imitation—a trend that continues even today. What percent of the items bearing the Louis Vuitton monogram are counterfeit? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port. Located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of South America, it is the most heavily industrialized city of Argentina. It is a major food-processing center with huge meatpacking plants. It was first settled in the 16th century and was subordinate to the Spanish Viceroy of Peru. The criollo citizens of Buenos Aires successfully ousted the Spanish Viceroy in what year? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A year.
Synonyms: year.
Usage: But wilt thou not give me another twelvemonth to pay my debt?
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
By his early 30s, Columbus had become a master mariner in the Portuguese merchant service. Convinced that he could reach land by sailing west, he requested ships to attempt such a voyage from both John II of Portugal and Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain but was repeatedly rebuffed. Finally, after eight years of supplication by Columbus, the Spanish monarchs decided to risk the enterprise. He sailed from Spain with three small ships and, after sailing for more than two months, reached what island? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This harvest festival in Barbados was originally celebrated in the 1800s by slaves at the end of the sugar-cane harvest. Today, Crop Over is a civic celebration which takes place during the last three weeks of July and usually ends on the first Monday in August. There are historical displays, craft shows, fairs, open-air concerts, calypso music and dancing, and “stick licking”—a self-defense sport similar to fencing. The first Monday of August is the finale, known as the Kadooment, which includes the judging of costumed bands at the National Stadium and a grand calypso procession. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Paxton was an English architect noted for his use of glass and iron in a manner that anticipated modern methods. He began his career as a landscape gardener and built two innovative greenhouses for the duke of Devonshire. These “glass houses” later served as a model for the Crystal Palace, made of iron and glass, which Paxton designed and built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. He was knighted for the success of his design. One of Paxton’s greenhouses was designed solely to house what plant? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Alternative medicine is the treatment and prevention of disease using practices that do not follow generally accepted medical methods and may not have a scientific explanation for their effectiveness; acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, biofeedback, massage, and chiropractic therapies are just a few examples. The scientifically oriented, modern medical establishment has typically been skeptical about, and often opposed to, these treatments. What is the appeal to nature fallacy? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) An organlike keyboard instrument that produces tones with free metal reeds actuated by air forced from a bellows.
Synonyms: reed organ.
Usage: She had played the harmonium for years, but her arthritic fingers could no longer master the keys.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
While on patrol in the Pacific during WWII, USS PT-109 was run down by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. The much smaller American boat was torn apart by the impact, and two seamen perished. The surviving crew, commanded by future US President John F. Kennedy, swam to safety on a nearby island and survived on coconuts for days before Solomon Islanders scouting the area found them. Kennedy’s actions made him a war hero. What did he use to send a message to Allies requesting a rescue? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary