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April Fool's Day
April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. Mass media can be involved with these pranks, which may be revealed as such the following day. The custom of setting aside a day for playing harmless pranks upon one's neighbor has been relatively common in the world historically. Origins Although many theories have been proposed throughout the years, the origin of April Fools' Day is not exactly known. A disputed association between 1 April and foolishness is in Geoffrey Chaucer's ''The Canterbury Tales'' (1392). In the " Nun's Priest's Tale", a vain cock, Chauntecleer, is tricked by a fox "Since March began, full thirty days and two," i.e. the 32nd day from 1 March, which is 1 April. However, it is not clear that Chaucer was referencing 1 April since the text of the "Nun's Priest's Tale" a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Aubrey
John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He was a pioneer archaeologist, who recorded (often for the first time) numerous megalithic and other field monuments in southern England, and who is particularly noted for his systematic examination of the Avebury henge monument. The Aubrey holes at Stonehenge are named after him, although there is considerable doubt as to whether the holes that he observed are those that currently bear the name. He was also a pioneer folklorist, collecting together a miscellany of material on customs, traditions and beliefs under the title "Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme". He set out to compile county histories of both Wiltshire and Surrey, although both projects remained unfinished. His "Interpretation of Villare Anglicanum" (also unfinished) was the first attempt to compile a full-length study of English place-names. He had wider interests in applied mathematics and astronomy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a postcard for a lower fee than a letter. Stamp collectors distinguish between postcards (which require a postage stamp) and postal cards (which have the postage pre-printed on them). While a postcard is usually printed and sold by a private company, individual or organization, a postal card is issued by the relevant postal authority (often with pre-printed postage). Production of postcards blossomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As an easy and quick way for individuals to communicate, they became extremely popular. The study and collecting of postcards is termed ''deltiology'' (from Greek , small writing tablet, and the also Greek ''-logy'', the study of). History 1840 to 1864 Cards with messages have been sporadically created ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zoroaster, Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the world's oldest organized faiths, its adherents exalt an Creator deity, uncreated, Omnibenevolence, benevolent, and List of knowledge deities#Persian mythology, all-wise deity known as Ahura Mazda (), who is hailed as the supreme being of the universe. Opposed to Ahura Mazda is Ahriman, Angra Mainyu (), who is personified as a List of death deities#Persian-Zoroastrian, destructive spirit and the adversary of all things that are good. As such, the Zoroastrian religion combines a Dualism in cosmology, dualistic cosmology of good and evil with an eschatological outlook predicting the Frashokereti, ultimate triumph of Ahura Mazda over evil. Opinions vary among scholars as to whether Zoroastrianism is monotheistic, polyth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sizdah Be-dar
Sizdah Bedar (), also known as Nature's Day (, ), is an annual Iranian festival held thirteen days after Nowruz, which is on the thirteenth day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian calendar (and the first month of spring), during which people spend time picnicking outdoors. It marks the end of the Nowruz holidays in Iran. While it is celebrated thirteen days after Nowruz in Iran, it is generally celebrated on a weekend day near the thirteenth day by the Iranian diaspora. History Generally, among Iranian festivals, "Sizdah Bedar" is a bit vague in terms of historical roots. There is no direct mention of such a celebration in history books prior to Qajar era. But in ancient sources, such as Shahnameh, there is a reference to "the thirteenth day of Farvardin". The popular belief is that ancient Iranians celebrated the 13th day of Nowruz after twelve days of celebrating, each day represents a month of the year. It was an official ending to Nowruz and a beginning to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Persian Calendar
The Iranian calendars or Iranian chronologies (, ) are a succession of calendars created and used for over two millennia in Iran, also known as Persia. One of the longest chronological records in human history, the Iranian calendar has been modified many times for administrative purposes. The most influential person in laying the frameworks for the calendar and its precision was the 11th century Persian polymath, Omar Khayyam. The modern Iranian calendar is the Solar Hijri calendar, currently the official civil calendar in Iran. Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, begins at the midnight nearest to the instant of the northern spring equinox, as determined by astronomic calculations for the meridian of Tehran (52.5°E). Thus the calendar is observation-based, unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is rule-based. This equinox occurs on or about 20 March of the Gregorian calendar. The time zone of Iran is Iran Standard Time, UTC+03:30. Ancient calendars The earliest evidence of Ir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Farvardin
Farvardin (, ) is the Iranian Persian name for the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar, the official calendar of Iran, and corresponds with Aries on the Zodiac. Farvardin has thirty-one days. It is the first month of the spring season (''Bahâr''), and is followed by Ordibehesht. The Afghan Pashto name for it is Wray. In three out of every four years, Farvardin begins on March 21 and ends on April 20 of the Gregorian calendar. In most Gregorian leap years, it begins 20 March following the leap day of 29 February. Otherwise, very rarely, Farvardin begins on March 19 or 22, and ends on April 18 or 21. Its associated astrological sign in the tropical zodiac is Aries. Events * 25 - 1244 - Assassination of Abraham Lincoln * 18 - 1275 - The first Summer Olympic Games of the modern era begins in Athens, Greece, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence. * 24 - 1291 - The British passenger liner RMS Titanic hits an iceberg in the North Atlant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armenian Culture
The culture of Armenia encompasses many elements that are based on the geography, literature, architecture, dance, and music of the Armenian people. Armenia is a majority Christian country in the Caucasus. Creative arts Literature Armenian literature began in 405 A.D. when Mesrop Mashtots created the Armenian alphabet, according to tradition, probably basing it on the Pahlavi and Greek alphabets. Movses Khorenatsi (Moses of Khorene) was a prominent Armenian writer of the 5th century and the author of the '' History of the Armenians''. Modern writers include the Russian-Armenian author, poet, and philosopher Mikael Nalbandian, who worked to create a new Armenian literary identity in the 19th century. Dance From the fifth to the third millennia B.C., in the higher regions of Armenia there are rock paintings of scenes of country dancing. The energetic Armenian Yarkhushta is a martial dance mentioned in the medieval works of Movses Khorenatsi, Faustus of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lunisolar
A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, that combines monthly lunar cycles with the solar year. As with all calendars which divide the year into months, there is an additional requirement that the year have a whole number of months (Moon cycles). The majority of years have twelve months but every second or third year is an embolismic month, embolismic year, which adds a thirteenth Intercalation (timekeeping), intercalary, embolismic, or leap month. Lunisolar calendars are lunar calendars but, in contrast to purely lunar calendars such as the Islamic calendar, have additional intercalation rules that reset them periodically into a rough agreement with the solar year and thus with the seasons. Examples The Chinese calendar, Chinese, Buddhist calendar, Buddhist, Burmese calendar, Burmese, Assyrian calendar, Assyrian, Hebrew calendar, Hebrew, Jain calendar, Jain, traditional Nepali, Hindu calendar, Hindu, Japanese calendar, Japanese, Korean calendar, Korean, Mongolian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as '' yahrzeits'' and the schedule of public Torah readings. In Israel, it is used for religious purposes, provides a time frame for agriculture, and is an official calendar for civil holidays alongside the Gregorian calendar. Like other lunisolar calendars, the Hebrew calendar consists of months of 29 or 30 days which begin and end at approximately the time of the new moon. As 12 such months comprise a total of just 354 days, an extra lunar month is added every 2 or 3 years so that the long-term average year length closely approximates the actual length of the solar year. Originally, the beginning of each month was determined based on physical observation of a new moon, while the decision of whether to add the leap month was based on observation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Public Advertiser
The ''Public Advertiser'' was a London newspaper in the 18th century. The ''Public Advertiser'' was originally known as the ''London Daily Post and General Advertiser'', then simply the ''General Advertiser'' consisting more or less exclusively of adverts. It was taken over by its printer, Henry Woodfall (1713–1769), and relaunched as the ''Public Advertiser'' with much more news content. In 1758, the printer's nineteen-year-old son, Henry Sampson Woodfall took it over. H. S. Woodfall sold his interest in the ''Public Advertiser'' in November 1793. A successor ''Public Advertiser, or Political and Literary Diary'' was printed for some months by N. Byrne but was out of business by 1795. The anonymous polemicist Junius sent his public letters to the ''Public Advertiser''. Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Ralston Balch
William Ralston Balch (pseudonym C. C. C.; December 9, 1852 – March 7, 1923) was an American journalist and author who wrote ''The Complete Compendium of Universal Knowledge'', among other reference works. A supplemented edition of James Sanks Brisbin's biography of James A. Garfield, published in 1881, was credited wholly to him. Biography Born on December 9, 1852 in Leetown, Virginia, he began his newspaper work in the composing room of the ''Concord Monitor'' as a boy in 1871. He was connected with the London Bureau of the Associated Press for several years. Balch was responsible for the raising of the $500,000 fund of the Daily Mail, ''London Daily Mail'' during the Second Boer War, Boer War. In this work he secured the co-operation of Rudyard Kipling, whose poem, "The Absent-Minded Beggar, The Absent-minded Beggar," which he wrote especially for this cause, brought so much money into the office of the ''Mail'' that it was decided to found a veterans' hospital at Portsmouth, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
