Good Friday is part of Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday. It falls between Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday. Good Friday is the most important day of this week, as it commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Given the day’s significance, it seems odd that we would use the word good to refer to this day. However, there is a, well, good reason …
Apples are a delicious snack that you can make tasty drinks from, such as apple juice and apple cider. But are these two apple drinks really all that different? In this article, we will explain the most common differences between apple cider and apple juice. apple juice vs. apple cider Apple juice is a drink made from the juice of pressed apples. In the United …
There are few figures as recognizable as Santa Claus. His red-cheeked and cheery visage is seen on TV, on posters, and at malls across the United States in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Though his name and image are just about everywhere, do you know why Santa Claus is called by that name—or Saint Nick, Saint Nicholas, Santa, or any of the other similar monikers? …
If you’re reading this in the US or Canada, you’re likely familiar with the sport of soccer. But, if you’re reading this pretty much anywhere else, then you probably know the same game rules and call it football. What’s the difference? How did we end up with two names, football and soccer, for the same sport? Let’s start in England in the 1800s. Young men, …
What’s in a name? Well, it depends on the name. There are thousands of common and popular names in English. Most have their own unique meanings, but a few have more meanings than others. That’s because they happen to overlap with common English words that are found in the dictionary. Take the name Trace, for example, which is commonly used as a boy’s name and …
Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday in May and marks the solemn time when Americans honor the soldiers that died in military service. Why is the holiday called Memorial Day? When the observance was first declared in 1868 by General John Logan, it was called Decoration Day in reference to a tradition of decorating the graves of those whose lives were lost in the Civil …
Doomsday is one of those evocative words that paint a very vivid picture. We define doomsday: “the day of the Last Judgment, at the end of the world; nuclear destruction of the world; given to or marked by forebodings or predictions of impending calamity; especially concerned with or predicting future universal destruction.” As you can see, it’s about as bottom-line as it can get. Other words associated …
During the holidays, kids hope to receive that one toy they have been dreaming of all year. Popular toys come and go, but some of them are still fondly remembered by multiple generations. When naming a toy, it is important to pick something catchy and memorable so that kids will know that yours is the best. That being said, the origins of the names of …
People around the world have been fascinated by dragons for millennia. From the snake-like dragons of the East to the dinosaur-like dragons of the West, we just can’t get enough of these gargantuan reptiles! They feature prominently in myths and legends (like St. George slaying a fearsome dragon or the Norse hero Sigurd battling the terrifying dragon Fafnir), and even after all of these years, dragons …
When it comes to disease, we’re more and more aware of symptoms, prevention, treatments, and long-term effects. But there’s another, often less-considered factor that can have far-reaching consequences for public health: a disease’s name. What we call a disease—both popularly and officially—can affect how people perceive it, whether they understand how its spread can be prevented, and whether they seek treatment for it. The fact …
A lot of questions come to mind when ordering coffee. Will the barista spell your name right on the cup? What size should you get? And what do venti, trenta, and those other sizes actually mean at Starbucks? What do grande, venti, and trenta mean at Starbucks? First of all, here are the size options traditionally offered at Starbucks: tall (12 ounces), grande (16 ounces), …
Have you been overcome with wanderlust lately? If you’re antsy to travel or are already planning a trip to a faraway locale, you might want to take a moment to consider the name of your destination. It’s possible that you may not even know how to pronounce the name of this city! As it turns out, even the most well-known cities around the globe can …