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Monday, February 25, 2013

THE MEANING OF MONTHS: FEBRUARY

Since early in Roman history March was the start of the New Year, the period of February was a time to get rid of the old and prepare for the new.

When the Julian calendar was created in 46 BC, the lunar calendar was replaced with a solar calendar and February became the month that could be shortened from 28 - 23 days. Thus making it the only month that had the possibility of having no full moon at all. Lupercalia continued to be celebrated on February 15th, (a period either proximate to or covering modern Valentine's Day) regardless of the full moon.

The word February is born from the Latin word Februarius, from Latin februare meaning to "purify" or "expiate." In ancient Rome, Februarius was the "Month of Purification" and great festivities were held to reestablish the empire's focus on righteous living.

Lupercalia was a fertility rite in honor of the gods Lupercus (god of shepherds), Faunus (associated with Pan) and the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.
The celebration began at the Lupercal cave, where the wolf Lupa was said to have suckled the infants Romulus and Remus.
Afterwards, priests would sacrifice two male goats (symbol of fertility) and a dog (symbol of protection) to the gods, anoint themselves with the blood, and run through the streets whipping onlookers with a thong made from the goat's skin, which was called Februa. The whipping was believed to help ease childbirth and promote fertility.

Goats and the Lupercalia

Goats are symbols of sexuality and fertility. One of the most lascivious of the gods was Pan/Faunus, represented as having horns and a caprine bottom half. Ovid (through whom we are chiefly familiar with the events of the Lupercalia) names him as the god of the Lupercalia.

Julius Caesar, Father of Leap Year
Julius Caesar was behind the origin of leap year in 45 BC. The early Romans had a 355 day calendar and to keep festivals occurring around the same season each year a 22 or 23 day month was created every second year. Julius Caesar decided to simplify things and added days to different months of the year to create the 365 day calendar, the actual calculation were made by Caesar's astronomer, Sosigenes. Every fourth year following the 28th day of Februarius (February 29th) one day was to be added, making every fourth year a leap year.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII further refined the calendar with the rule that leap day would occur in any year divisible by 4 as described above.

Monday, February 4, 2013

SUPERSTITIONS

Do you believe in superstitions?
Thousands of people believe in superstitions although a lot off people think of them as nonsense and not based on reason. Where does the word “superstition” come from? The word superstition comes from two Latin words: “Super’’ and “Stare”. Super means above and stare means to stand.

We know that the source of the superstitions is ignorance. Do you know anyone who does not have a superstition? Most of the people, more or less, believe in them. Even though they deny superstitions, they can not help believing in them. They are superstitious. Unfortunately, we have hundreds of superstitions. Superstitions are all around the world. They change from culture to culture and they have a big influence in our lives.

There are two types of superstition. Good luck superstitions and bad luck superstitions.

Some common superstitions around the world:

Good luck superstitions

- If your right hand itches, you will earn money.

- If you find a four-leaf clover, you will have good luck.

- If you see a horseshoe which was lost, you will have good luck.

- If you throw rice on a new bride and groom, they will have so many children.

- If you dream about a white cat, you will have good luck.

- If you see a black cat which walks towards you, it brings you good luck.

- If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you.

- You can hang up garlic in your house for good luck.

- If you put a mirror just across the door, you will have good luck.

- If you put the sugar into the cup first, before the tea, you will have good luck.

- If you step on your shadow, it brings you good luck.

- If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of autumn, you will have good luck all winter.

- If you blow out all the candles on your birthday cake in one blow, you will get whatever you want.

- If the first butterfly you see in the year is white, it brings you good luck all year.

- If a girl drinks salty water then goes to sleep, she will see her future husband in her dream.

Bad luck superstitions

- If you open an umbrella indoors, it brings you bad luck.

- If you sleep with your feet towards the door, a nightwalker will steal your soul.

- If you whistle at night, a nightwalker will come to your home.

- When a cat sneezes three times indoors, it will rain in 24 hours.

- If you dream about a dog, you will have a lot of enemies.

- If you break a mirror, it will bring you seven years of bad luck.

- If an owl hoots in your garden, it brings you bad luck.

- If you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck.

- If you kill an albatross, it brings you bad luck.

- If you sleep on a table, you will have bad luck.

- If a dog howls at night, death is near.

- If you see a bird that comes towards you, you will have bad luck.

- If you drop a dishcloth, you will have bad luck.

- If you eat from the pot, it will rain at your wedding ceremony.

- If you start a trip on Friday, you will meet misfortune.

- If your left hand itches, you will lose money.

ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? TRY THIS TEST!!!!

A QUIZ ON SUPERSTITION

Origins of popular superstitions

28 superstitious taboos
French superstitions
UK superstitions
Russian superstitions
Jewish popular superstitions
Students and superstitions

FUNNY STORIES ABOUT SUPERSTITION

"My paternal grandmother was superstitious. My dad was born on January 13. One year, when he was still in grade school, his birthday fell on Friday. She wouldn't let him go to school that day for fear that something bad would happen to him.
Interestingly enough, both of my parents were born on the 13th of the month. My dad's birthday was January 13, and my Mom's is September 13."

"When I was a kid folks used to say dogs drew lighting. So, every time there was a bad storm all the dogs got thrown outside."

"My family has a rather odd custom: on the first day of the month, we greet each other with the saying "Rabbits!" for good luck in the coming days.
Apparently it's a custom handed down from my Irish grandmother on Mom's side (God rest their souls!)."

Monday, January 28, 2013

BICENTENARY OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, BY JANE AUSTEN

On 28 January 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published. 200 years later, we still can’t get enough of Jane Austen’s most famous novel. So what’s the big deal about Elizabeth and Darcy, anyway?

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?

Watch the film by clicking on the picture...

QUOTES:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Thursday, January 17, 2013

INTELLIGENCE TESTS ONLINE

How smart are you really?

An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several standardized test designed to assess intelligence.

The peak of capacity for both fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence occurs at age 26. This is followed by a slow decline.

Wechsler's classification
IQ Range ("Deviation IQ")
Intelligence Classification

130 and over Very superior
120–129 Superior
110–119 High Average
90–109 Average
80–89 Low Average
70–79 Borderline Below
69 Extremely Low

This simple TEST has been used for over 50 years and has tested reasoning and intelligence with great accuracy. If you don't score high, remember, you can always improve. It has been said Bill Gates once took this test and scored a 3 on it. Click to select your answers and Good Luck!

This other TEST will give you much greater detail about the range and variety of your mental abilities.

Another quick IQ TEST will explore your intelligence with good questions in a short time.

A TEST to practise as a game...