The Story of Santa Claus
Every child in North America knows that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, but where does he really come from? The origin of Old Saint Nick Who would guess that Santa was Greek and a 4th century...
View ArticleThe Story of Christmas, Not a Christmas Story: How Did Christmas Become...
Angels, shepherds, a couple on a donkey, wise kings following a star. So begins one of the world’s most popular stories, and the mother of all Christmas stories. Now, to the original nativity scene,...
View ArticleThe History of New Year’s Resolutions: How and Why the Tradition of Making...
The history of making New Year’s resolutions dates all the way back to the time of ancient Rome. The Romans are responsible for the majority of the modern calendar and for the tradition of making...
View ArticleOrigin of Weekday Names for Latin-based Languages: Learning How the Days of...
Astronomy defines most of the major units of time used in daily life: a year is the time Earth takes to orbit the sun once; a month is the time the moon takes to orbit the Earth once; a day is the time...
View ArticleThe History of Medicinal Herbs: The Link Between Botany and Herbal Medicine
In the early years, there is little written evidence of the use of herbs in medicine as it was usual to pass on knowledge verbally; as knowledge grew written records began to emerge. Herbs were of...
View ArticleAromatics in the Ancient World: History Of Aromatherapy
Plants were treasures of the ancient world. Their uses were wide and varied from culinary herbs, perfumes and cosmetics to medicines and incense for sacred ceremonies. The Great Herbal of Chinese...
View ArticleHistory of Ancient Canals: Egyptians, Romans & Chinese Used Artificial Waterways
One of the easiest ways to transport heavy goods is to float them. However, rivers don’t always run from where the goods are to where they are needed. Canals became the artificial waterways that...
View ArticleThe Golden Age of Canals: Europe Embraced Canal Usage and Development
Europe may not have been the first area of the world to use canals, but they embraced the idea of canals and developed them into a profitable and effective means of transportation. The First European...
View ArticleQanats: Ancient Underground Aqueducts
Approximately 3000 years ago, clever technicians in the Middle East developed a method for moving water that was reliable, ecologically sound, pollution-free, long-lasting and so practical that the...
View ArticleThe Origins of Thumbs Up or Down: Life or Death
Thumbs up in some cultures is a sign of approval, while in others, it is a sign of disrespect. Where did it come from? The genesis of thumbs up or down can be traced as far back to ancient Rome, Egypt...
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