Archive for 'Culture'
The history of Thanksgiving Posted by Gabriele on Nov 22, 2012
Today is the American holiday of Thanksgiving, which is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in November (in Canada a similar Thanksgiving Day holiday is celebrated on the second Monday in October). This American holiday traces back* to 1621, before the United States of America was even a country. The holiday was first…
A Thanksgiving Art Project (Video) Posted by Gabriele on Nov 20, 2012
To get ready for the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday (this Thursday) here is a video with step-by-step instruction on how to make an easy Thanksgiving Day turkey using one’s own hand. Turkey’s are associated with Thanksgiving because they are eaten on this day. Did you know turkey’s are an animal that is native of North…
Going apple picking and bobbing for apples Posted by Gabriele on Nov 13, 2012
A very common fall activity for families in the United States is apple picking. This is an activity that gets people who live in the suburbs or the city out to a farm or orchard enjoying the season of fall. Apple picking is a fairly easy activity. Apple orchards where people can go to pick…
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Posted by Gabriele on Nov 8, 2012
In my a previous post this month I introduced the idea of pumpkins being symbolic with the fall season in America. Pumpkins are certainly associated with both Halloween and Thanksgiving, the two big fall holidays, but there are other foods associated with this season too. Today I am going to start a two-part serious…
It’s Election Day! Posted by Gabriele on Nov 6, 2012
After over a year of campaigning, the United States presidential election is finally here! As I’ve mentioned before all national (and most regional) elections in the United States are held on the first Tuesday in November, which is today. So, today people around the United States will be going to their polling places to cast…
Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins! Posted by Gabriele on Nov 1, 2012
There are a number of symbols associated with fall in the United States, but the pumpkin is one of the most important of them all! Pumpkins are certainly important for the fall holiday of Halloween, as they are used to make jack o’ lanterns, but they are also important for the fall holiday of Thanksgiving…
Halloween Costumes Posted by Gabriele on Oct 31, 2012
Happy Halloween everyone! Dressing up in costumes and going around to from house-to-house asking for treats or playing tricks on people on Halloween was common in Ireland and Scotland as early as the 1800s. This tradition became popular in the United States in the early 1900s and by 1930 the first mass-produced* Halloween costumes were…