English Translation of Finland's Epic Poem, The Kalevala (1898) 8 things you should know about Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year celebrations are about to start.
As we live in an interconnected world, where the cultures spread and mix in different places, you do not have to be in Asia to join the festivities. These eight facts will help you better understand what this big yearly festival is all about. 1. Chinese New Year’s date changes every year Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is determined by Chinese lunisolar calendar which is based on the phases of the moon. This means when converted to the Gregorian calendar we use in everyday life, the date of the Chinese New Year changes each year, but always falls between January 21 and February 20. 2. 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac Unlike the Western astrology zodiac, where the specific signs are assigned to months, Chinese Zodiac has signs assigned to whole years. 3.
Chinese New Year decorations are usually red as red is China’s lucky colour. They’re abundant and exist in different forms, all of them having a meaning. 4. A map of myth, legend & folklore. Fairytale Facts and Faux Pas. Fairytales: they are beloved by almost everyone. Well, everyone but me. See, I did my thesis on Cinderella, and after a few years of research and a lot of rewrites, you could call me a bit of an amateur folklorist. What that means is that people often end up repeating some really common myths and misconceptions about fairytales to me, that I will inevitably correct like the whiny self-serving intellectual that I am.
Now, dear reader, I would like to pass that burden on to you and correct some really common misconceptions about fairytales, that you may now go forth and ruin parties (1). Here are some fun facts about fairytales. via GIPHY You Know It When You See It A folk tale, a fairytale, a fable. Anyway, the “genre” of fairytale or folk tale is a very varied genre.
Via GIPHY. 18 Classic Myths Explained with Animation: Pandora’s Box, Sisyphus & More. Greek myths have an incredible shelf life.
We may not retain all the players’ names or the intricacies of the various plot lines, but the creative punishments the gods—Zeus, in particular—visited upon those who displeased them have provided modern mortals with an enduring shorthand for describing our own woes. Tempted to sneak a peek inside a lover’s diary? Take a teeny swig from the liquor cabinet whilst housesitting? Go snooping in your teenager’s Internet history? But if curiosity compels you to explore beyond the famous punchlines of mythology’s greatest hits, TED-Ed’s animated Myths from Around the World series is a recommended rummage. Averaging around five minutes per tale, each episode is packed tight as a snake in a can of mixed nuts. Take Pandora’s box, above. (Actually it was a jar, but why quibble?) Not to unleash too many major spoilers, but how many of us remembered that the thing contained a bit of good along with all that evil?
Remember Prometheus? Watch the full playlist here. The Lindworm: A Story Told by Martin Shaw. Tall Tales at Americanfolklore.net. The 45 most disturbing mythical creatures from around the world. Greek Constellations. Andromeda The Princess She is the beautiful daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus of Ethiopia (aka Philistia).
The Queen, being very vain, boasted about her own beauty, saying she was even more beautiful than the Nereids (sea nymphs). This angered Poseiden. To cool his anger, Cassiopeia chained her daughter to a rock on the beach as a sacrifice to the sea monster Cetus, also known as The Kraken. Andromeda was saved at the last minute by her hero and love interest, Perseus, who killed Cetus by showing him the severed head of Medussa and thus turning him to stone. Andromeda eventually married Perseus and went on to become the mother of Perses who founded the kingdom of Persia, and she is also became the great grandmother of Hercules. Aquila The Eagle This is a bird who has the power to bring rain and is the keeper of Zeus' lightning bolts.
Ara The Altar It was predicted that Cronus would die at the hand of his own child so he swallowed five of them as they were born.