Can you honestly say that you’ve never felt a slight pang of concern when waking up on the morning of Friday the 13th? You’re not alone. Maybe it’s triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, that gets you down. But, if 13s don’t bother you unless it’s Friday, you might be susceptible to what’s sometimes known as paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, instead. Whether you plan on …
On Bastille Day, the world parties in the name of France. But do you know what makes Bastille Day so important—not just for France but the history of all democracies? The occasion is typically honored with military parades and copious consumption of libations. This mix of weapons and wooziness arguably sums up the legacy of July 14, 1789. Bastille is French for “fortress,” “castle,” or “bastion.” The Bastille …
William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and was baptized on April 26, 1564. His exact birthdate remains unknown, though it is conventionally taken to be the same as the day his “bones were interred.” In his honor, we wanted to share some words popularized by the man himself. Did Shakespeare coin the following terms? Probably not. These words may have already been in conversational …
For pranksters and mischievous older siblings all around the world, April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, is as eagerly anticipated as Christmas. After all, what other holiday encourages you to think up practical jokes and fool’s errands, from swapping your spouse’s keys to tricking your friend into thinking their car got towed? (Not cool, Steve.) But how did this odd, prank-centric holiday come …
No, Maundy Thursday is not a typo for Monday Thursday. Maundy Thursday—also known as Holy Thursday and Sheer Thursday, among other names—is a Christian holy day that commemorates events known as the Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper. This day is part of the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Maundy Thursday comes after Holy Wednesday, and is followed immediately by Good Friday, …
Every spring, the skies explode in bursts of color as people around the world celebrate the Hindu holiday Holi. Friends, family, and strangers alike gather together to joyfully toss brightly colored powders, water, and water balloons, and it doesn’t take long for revelers to be covered in color from head to toe, and the streets to become a wild haze of blue, yellow, red, and green. It’s quite …
March 17 marks the annual celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, or Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Irish. The holiday honors its fifth-century namesake, Saint Patrick, Ireland’s shamrock-loving patron saint, who is believed to have died on this date in 461 CE. For those curious about the origin of the holiday, the basic facts we have gathered here—from the lowdown on Saint Patrick to the official language …
March 15 is known as the ides of March. But why do we need to “beware” of them? What’s so inauspicious about this otherwise normal day? Why has this humdrum mid-month point become a harbinger of ill fortune? Where did the phrase ides of March come from? First, let’s talk calendars—specifically, the ancient Roman calendar. Unlike today, the ancient Romans didn’t simply number their calendar days in …
Held on March 8, International Women’s Day celebrates the progress women have made over the last century, and the inspiring women who helped make that progress happen. Likewise, the entire month of March celebrates Women’s History Month. From the suffragist movement of the 1800s to the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, women have used the power of language and oration to inspire countless people. Early …
Black history is American history, but it’s also bigger than that. The reach and influence of Black culture is global. Black history is too vast to be covered or contained in a single month, or a single article. Black History Month is nevertheless a reminder to engage in a year-round, lifelong celebration and exploration of Black history and its many facets. It’s an opportunity to …
Every year since 1986, the United States has observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the third Monday in January. The national holiday honors a man who not only was an inspirational civil rights activist during the 1960s, but also one of the greatest orators of our time. King wrote five books during his lifetime, and at one point was estimated to deliver up to …
Fittingly, everything about Halloween is a bit bizarre. Kids put on costumes and demand candy from strangers. People decorate their houses with spiderwebs and gravestones. Even the word itself sounds weird. Where does Halloween come from? And how did the celebration of all things spooky come to have a history that’s intertwined with an ancient Celtic festival and a Christian holiday in honor of saints? …
