You know it as the shortest month of the year—or, depending on where you live, the coldest. But, do you know where the name February came from? First, some calendar-related history. The original Roman calendar only had 10 months, because, curiously, the Romans didn’t demarcate winter. (Sometimes, we wish we could do the same.) In the 700s BCE, the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, …
The word zodiac is used in astronomy and astrology to refer to the band of sky over which the sun, moon, and planets move—as seen from Earth, at least. The zodiac contains a number of constellations, and the sun (or other celestial body) is said to be “in” a constellation when it moves into the portion of the zodiac that includes that constellation. The zodiac …
Known for recaps and resolutions, each new year often starts with retrospection and … the month of January. But where did the name January come from, and can we learn anything about the name of this first month to inspire us to actually keep those New Year’s resolutions intact? January, as we know, is the first month of the year and contains 31 days. The …
Christmas is that special time of year that brings us joy—and at least a month and a half worth of hummable, merry carols to us all. Yes, Christmas is a magical time of good cheer, indeed! We’ve got mistletoe (for sneaking kisses), ugly-sweater competitions, and of course, the timeless traditions of decorating a tree, hanging up lights, and reminding kids to be nice so that Santa …
Ah, December, that time of year when storefronts are festooned with holiday decorations, and another year is reaching its close. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, December might mean pulling off your boots so you can curl up with your smartphone and read Dictionary.com (hey, we can dream). But, what does the word December mean in the dictionary? And, where did the 12th month of …
The republic of Turkey (look north of Egypt, east of Greece) isn’t exactly a breeding ground for the bird that Americans associate with Thanksgiving. In fact, the turkey is native to North America … so, why do they share the same name? Meleagris gallopavo domestico or the domestic turkey is an odd-looking bird that’s known for its bare head, wattle, and iridescent plumage. It’s descended from a …
November is Native American Heritage Month, a monthlong observance dedicated to celebrating, honoring, and learning about Native American heritage and culture and its diversity. Recognition and preservation of such heritage is particularly important given the history of Indigenous Peoples in North America and their continued efforts to preserve their rich cultures—despite the many acts of genocide, systemic oppression, and erasure they have been targeted with …
November 11 is Veterans Day, a federal holiday honoring all military veterans and originally commemorating the end of World War I. It’s marked on 11/11, an interesting date with a bit of history associated with its numbers. World War I was a massive military conflict in Europe between 1914–18. Joining France and Great Britain, the US fought on the Allied side against the German and Austria–Hungary …
Every fall, cities and towns throughout India are illuminated with string lights and oil lamps as people give gifts and share sweets. This is Diwali, or as it’s also commonly known, the Festival of Lights. Diwali, pronounced either [dih-wah-lee] or [dih-vah-lee] has a few variant spellings. There’s Divali and Dewali, as well as Deepavali and Deepawali. At its core, the name Diwali comes from the …
If you take a cursory glance at almost any sheet music, particularly for classical music, you will see a hodgepodge of Italian terms such as piano, staccato, crescendo, just to name a few. How did the Italian language come to dominate musical notation? To answer this question, we need to know a little bit about the history of music. The music staff (a set of …
