Category: Curiosities
-
Groundhog Day: What Did the Groundhog See?
Punxsutawney Phil – the famous groundhog that observes the weather – woke up and did not see his shadow on Friday morning (2), which means that spring this year should start earlier. Every February 2nd, Groundhog Day, members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club make a pilgrimage to Gobbler’s Knob – Phil’s official home. The group…
-
Chica da Silva, The Freed Brazilian Slave
—
by
In some works, she has been portrayed as a seductive woman who was able to enchant one of the most powerful men of the mining era. On the other hand, she was said to be an exemplary mother and a woman who broke the paradigms of her time. Chica da Silva is one of the…
-
Mineiridade. What is that?
Estava eu quieto no meu canto, aí aparece alguém e me pergunta o que mineiridade. Tomei algumas palavras emprestadas aqui e acolá para poder explicar com jeito e na mais singela tradução um pouco do nosso mineirês… O escritor mineiro João Guimarães Rosa, traduziu Minas Gerais por meio daquilo que os mais de 20 milhões…
-
Dona Beija
—
by
Legend has it that Dona Beija was one of the most beautiful women of the Brazilian Empire. She enchanted men and infuriated women, became the name of a book, a soap opera character, and gained an almost folkloric status in Brazilian history. 146 years after her death, the story of Dona Beija still captivates those…
-
The Truth About Santa Claus
—
by
Santa Claus (Brazilian Portuguese) or Father Christmas (European Portuguese), also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, or Santa Claus, is a legendary character originating from Western Christian culture who is believed to bring gifts to children during the night on Christmas Eve of toys and sweets or coal or nothing, depending on whether they are…
-
Thanksgiving: Some Curiosities About the Most Celebrated Holiday in the USA
—
by
The most celebrated holiday in the United States has arrived. And even if you weren’t born in this country, it’s impossible to let such a symbolic date go by unnoticed. In a nutshell, Thanksgiving began as a celebration to give thanks for the harvest of that year. Over time, it became a day to express…
-
November 20: A Day to Remember the Tragic Injustices Imposed on Black and Transgender Communities
—
by
For generations, the transgender population has suffered various forms of abuse (and even death) for challenging views, notions, and stereotypes surrounding what constitutes “masculine” and “feminine” identity. As such, every year, the United States sets aside November 20 to remember and honor the transgender community, which faces discrimination and stigma across the country. The date…
-
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC
Throughout the year, New York surprises its residents and visitors with many parades and processions. And the most anticipated and contested of them is undoubtedly the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (the largest department store in the world), which takes place every 4th Thursday of November. The Thanksgiving Day, known in English as Thanksgiving Day, is…
-
Does Brazil Celebrate Thanksgiving?
—
by
Thanksgiving is a harvest festival that originated in England and was brought to the Americas by European settlers. It is now a national holiday in the United States and Canada, and is also celebrated in other countries around the world, such as Grenada, Liberia, Saint Lucia, Australia (Norfolk Island), the Netherlands (Leiden), the Philippines, and…