The most well known and beloved moon phase is that of the full moon. This is the lunar phase where it is completely illuminated from your perspective on Earth. It is when…
Tag: folklore
Lunar Phases – New Moon
The New Moon is the lunar phase where the moon is completely dark as seen from Earth. It is the first phase in the lunar cycle. In scientific terms, it is the…
Celebrating Victory Day
For many Canadians, the Victoria Day celebrations mark the beginning of summer. When I am in Canada for the holiday, I spend the day the way many Canadians do, with picnics, grilling…
Chinese New Year – Year of the Pig
As a young girl, I was always fascinated by Chinese New Year. I would read about the celebrations and often talked to some of my father’s graduate students about it and learned…
Christmas Tinsel: The Legend of the Christmas Spider
This was one of my favorite holiday stories as a child, and like all folktales there are many variations of it. This is the version I remember from my youth. The Legend…
A Brief History of Hanukkah
Hanukkah is known as the “Festival of Lights”, “Feast of Dedication” or the “Feast of the Maccabees”. It is a Jewish Holiday that commemorates the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem…