Category: LEGENDS

The Easter Egg

Published April 4, 2007 in British, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Celtic, Christian, Egyptian, Estonian, European, Fertility, Finnish, German, Good Luck, Greek, HOLIDAYS, Indian, Iranian, LEGENDS, Latin American, Latvian, New Year Celebrations, Origin Legends, Persian, Polynesian, Roman, Spring | Comments [1]
Easter celebrations are filled with many traditions, but nothing has come to symbolize the Easter holiday as much as the colored or painted Easter egg. Many children spend their Easter Sunday hunting for Easter eggs, rolling them, or running races while carrying their eggs in spoons. Across Eastern and Western cultures, eggs have long symbolized [...] Read More »

Culture News March 21 ‘07

Published March 21, 2007 in American, British, Business, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Chinese, Good Luck, Indian, LEGENDS, Muslim, NOTES | Comments [0]
Veils banned in English schools English schools win the right to ban Muslim veils Hispanic digital culture US Hispanic youths embrace the web, increasing the digital generation gap within the Hispanic immigrant community Chinese culture explained: sneezes and the color red Jordan’s Chinese colleague explains the meaning of sneezes in Chinese culture to an Indian colleague and Renmenbi [...] Read More »

Norooz: the Persian New Year

Published March 20, 2007 in Afghani, Albanian, Azerbaijani, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Fertility, Georgian, Good Luck, Iranian, Iraqi, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, LEGENDS, New Year Celebrations, Pakistani, Persian, Spring, Tajik, Turkish, Turkmen, Uzbeki | Comments [2]
The Persian New Year holiday, alternately spelled Norouz, Nowruz, Nevruz, Newruz, or Navruz, coincides with the rebirth of nature on the first day of spring. It is celebrated by some communities on March 21st, or on the exact day of the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 20th, 21st or 22nd. Traditions include spring cleaning, [...] Read More »

Snake Day: the Day the Earth Opens

Published March 14, 2007 in Animals, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Good Luck, HOLIDAYS, Irish, LEGENDS, Romanian, Spring | Comments [1]
In Romanian folklore, March 17 is Snake Day, the day on which the ground opens, and animals that burrow in the ground emerge at the end of winter. It is a day on which people traditionally clean their fruit trees and their households. Storks return to build their nests, fish begin to swim, [...] Read More »

Old Dochia, or Why March Weather is so Changeable

Published March 6, 2007 in CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Elders, HOLIDAYS, LEGENDS, Romanian, Spring | Comments [1]
Have you ever wondered why early March weather is can change from spring to freezing and back again, all in a day? The answer is Old Dochia--a Romanian figure that personifies mankind's impatience in waiting for the return of spring. Her holiday is celebrated in Romania from March 1 to March 9, which [...] Read More »

Groundhog Day

Published February 2, 2007 in American, CULTURES, Canadian, Celtic, French, German, HOLIDAYS, LEGENDS, Native American, Origin Legends, Spring, Winter | Comments [2]
February 2 is Groundhog Day in the United States and in Canada. The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax), is a member of the squirrel family. According to American legend, the local television news and Hollywood, he is also a weatherman. If he sees his shadow when he emerges from his [...] Read More »

Lucyfest: Santa Lucia’s Festival

Published December 13, 2006 in CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Catholic, Childhood, Christmas Traditions, German, Harvest, Italian, LEGENDS, Lanterns and Lights, Norwegian, Parades, Swedish, Winter | Comments [3]
On December 13th, one of the shortest, darkest days of winter, Sweden celebrates Lucyfest, in honor of Saint Lucia, the Queen of Lights, in a festival that also has roots in Italy, Germany and Norway. Traditionally, each village had its own Santa Lucia: a young woman, dressed in a white gown, wearing a red [...] Read More »

St. Andrew’s Day: Scotland’s National Day

Published November 28, 2006 in CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Christmas Traditions, HOLIDAYS, LEGENDS, Scottish, Winter | Comments [0]
November 30 is St. Andrew’s Day in Scotland. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and it is celebrated as Scotland’s National Day. St Andrew is credited with spreading the gospel to Romania, Greece and Russia, and is also the patron saint of those countries. St. Andrew is also said to [...] Read More »

The Legend of the White Stag, or, Why Rudolph Has a Red Nose

Published November 21, 2006 in American, British, CULTURES, Celtic, Chinese, Christian, Christmas Traditions, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Iranian, Irish, Japanese, LEGENDS, Persian, Winter | Comments [1]
The legend of the white stag is part of the mythology of many cultures, originating with early European and Asian cultures who depended on hunting for their survival. Star Mythology The most ancient legend of the stag revolves around the "great hunter" (the constellation of stars known as Orion), who hunts the heavenly stag (Ursa Major), [...] Read More »

All Souls’ Day (Defuncts’ Day)

Published November 2, 2006 in Autumn, Belgian, Bolivian, Brazil, CULTURES, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, Death, Ecuadorean, European, French, German, HOLIDAYS, Haitian, LEGENDS, Lanterns and Lights, Latin American, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Parades, Salvadorean, Uruguayan | Comments [6]
All Souls’ Day is a Roman Catholic holiday celebrated on November 2nd. (If that day falls on a Sunday, then All Souls’ Day is moved to November 3rd, since it is not permitted to wear black clothing on Sundays.) Like All Saints’ Day (November 1st), it is celebrated in many countries, including Belgium, [...] Read More »