Culture and heritage

It is India that gets this sad first place. A ranking that still counts a western country: the United States. What do Syria, Yemen, Somalia and the United States have in common? In addition to the ban on traveling in the latter, they are among the 10 most dangerous countries …

Halloween Day Halloween is a feast that is celebrated on October 31st, Eve of All Saints Day. Very important festival in most English-speaking countries. Halloween is originally a Celtic feast of Irish origin: the Celtic New Year! About 3000 years ago, the Celtic calendar did not end on December 31st, …

The scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. Scarecrows are used across the world by farmers, and are a notable symbol of farms and the countryside in popular culture. Its …

1/ The Ancient Seven Wonders : The  Ancient Greeks opened most of the ancient world in the fourth century BC, making it easier for Greek tourists to visit most of these countries and to identify ancient civilizations such as the Persian, Babylonian, and Pharaonic civilization. They recorded and excavated the …

What is the death penalty?  It is a statutory penalty to take life away from a person who has been recognized guilty of a misconduct described as a “capital crime” it is usually pronounced at the end of a trial by the competent judicial authority but this is not and …

Norway: Having Your Cake and Drinking It Too In this Scandinavian country, it’s typical at weddings to serve a towering special-occasion cake called a kransekake. It’s made with iced almond cake rings to form a cone shape, and a wine bottle is often placed in its hollow center. Norway: Tinkle, Tinkle, …

Russia: Chew on This Being a big mouth can pay off. Newly married Russian couples share a wedding sweetbread called karavaya (decorated with wheat for prosperity and interlocking rings for faithfulness). Whoever takes the biggest bite — husband or wife — without using their hands is considered the head of the family. …

Armenia : Break Bread  As the bride and groom entered the house, they would break a plate which brought good luck. The couple were to be greeted by the groom’s mother who offered them Lavash—a type of Armenian bread—and honey. Eating a spoon of honey symbolized happiness for the newlyweds. …