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 […]
New Year’s Eve superstitions
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 […]
Dropping a ball to mark the start of the New Year
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 […]
The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia
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, […]
New Year’s resolutions
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 […]
Women used to dominate the beer industry…
Women used to dominate the beer industry but were forced out during the reformation as men spread rumors about them using witchcraft. Many brewed in secret in the woods after laws were passed prohibiting them from brewing. Much of the iconography of witches comes from this period.
There’s a village in the Spanish…
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.
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In New Orleans during Mardi Gras…
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.
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Caffè sospeso (“suspended coffee”) is….
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.
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It’s a tradition in Italy to watch…
It’s a tradition in Italy to watch the movie Trading Places on Christmas Eve, with millions tuning in every year.
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