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 »
Caffè sospeso (“suspended coffee”) is a tradition in Naples, sometimes regarded as obsolete, whereby someone pays for two coffees but only receives one, leaving a coffee to be given to anyone who walks in and inquires whether a caffè sospeso is available. The post Caffè sospeso (“suspended coffee”) is…. appeared first on Crazy Facts. Source
In Iceland men would have to to lift a 100 kg stone to hip height to qualify to work on a fishing boat. Some of the original stones still sit on the beach at Djúpalónssandur. This tradition became the inspiration for lifting the Ardblair Stones in Scotland, Iceland, and Wales. The post In Iceland men… Read More »