For more than a hundred years, spanning from colonial times to shortly after World War II, New York City witnessed a peculiar annual event called “Moving Day.” Every May 1st, the city’s streets transformed into a chaotic scene as a result of an oddity in New York law. With almost all rental agreements ending at… Read More »
The country of Ghana is home to just one natural lake, which was created by a meteorite impact around 1 million years ago. The lake is considered sacred and there is a traditional taboo against touching the water with iron. Modern boats are not considered appropriate and traditional wooden boats are used instead. Despite this,… Read More »
New Year’s Eve is usually celebrated with parties, fireworks, and other festive activities. In many cultures, it is also a time for making resolutions for the coming year, and for looking back on the past year. One somewhat unusual tradition that takes place on New Year’s Eve in some parts of the world is the… Read More »
Traditionally, New Year’s Eve is a time for superstitions and rituals believed to bring good luck in the coming year. Some people believe that eating certain foods, such as beans, lentils, or pork, can bring prosperity and good fortune. Others believe that performing certain actions, such as wearing red underwear or jumping over waves at… Read More »
In Times Square in New York City, the tradition of dropping a ball to mark the start of the New Year has been a longstanding tradition. The first ball drop was held on December 31, 1907, and it has been a staple of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square ever since. The ball is… Read More »
The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which took place in December, was a time of revelry and inversion of social norms. During the festival, slaves and masters would swap places, with slaves being treated to elaborate feasts and given temporary freedom to speak their minds. The festival was also marked by gambling, drinking, and gift-giving,… Read More »
The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions dates back to ancient Babylon, where it was believed that the gods would bestow good fortune upon those who demonstrated a willingness to improve themselves. The ancient Babylonians would make promises to their gods at the start of the year to pay off debts, return borrowed items, and… Read More »
There’s a village in the Spanish region of Málaga, Andalusia that celebrates 4th of July. Macharaviaya was the birthplace of Bernardo de Gálvez, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, who supported the colonists and their French allies in the American Revolutionary War. The post There’s a village in the Spanish… appeared first on… Read More »
In New Orleans during Mardi Gras they serve an iced, multi-colored cake called King Cake. Inside the cake there is a small baby figurine called a fève which represents baby Jesus. Whomever gets the fève is said to have luck and prosperity for the rest of the year. The post In New Orleans during Mardi… Read More »