The Dedication of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major) is a feast day celebrated annually on 5 August. In earlier editions of the General Roman Calendar it was called the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary of the Snows a reference to the legendary story about the foundation of… Read More 5 August: Our Lady of the Snows
Marina was a Christian saint of Byzantine Syria, in the area now part of Lebanon, who lived in the 6th century She was the daughter of wealthy Christian parents. Her mother died while she was very young and her father, a pious man, decided to renounce the world and leave for the Monastery. To remain… Read More June 18: Saint Marina the Monk
CROSSROADS I went down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees. Down to the crossroads, fell down on my knees. Asked the Lord above for mercy, “Save me if you please.” I went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride. Down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride. Nobody seemed to… Read More CROSSROADS
THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN Some critics have said that the “Mr Tambourine Man” is about drugs, but Dylan has always denied that. Other commentators have interpreted it as a prayer to the singer’s muse for inspiration, his search for transcendence, or a reflection of the audience’s demands. “Mr. Tambourine Man” has also been interpreted as… Read More Mr Tambourine Man: cultural references (1)
Here is another tale on how THE DAYS OF THE BLACKBIRD in Northern Italy came to be: Gemma lived with her father in a house with a courtyard full of birds of all colours. Unfortunately, at the end of one summer, the man fell seriously ill. He had to stay in bed and the only thing… Read More Days of the Blackbird
– THE DAYS OF THE BLACKBIRD- (I GIORNI DELLA MERLA) There are a few Italian legends that say the last three days of January (29, 30, 31) are the coldest days of winter, thanks to the actions of a female bird. A long time ago in Milan there was a very… Read More The Days of the Blackbird
Year of the Rooster According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, we enter the Year of the (Fire) Rooster on January 28, 2017. There are several legends about the twelve animals in the zodiac calendar and their order. One of them is the following: Once upon a time, the Jade Emperor, who ruled… Read More The Year of the Rooster
The Three Princes of Serendip I tre principi di Serendippo was published in Venice in 1557 by a printer called Michele Tramezzino who claimed that one Christoforo Armeno had translated the poem “Hasht-Bihisht” from Persian into Italian It has been suggested that the Italian used Serendippo in the title of his book because it conveyed… Read More The Three Princes of Serendip
The Story of The Rainbow (Indian Legend) “Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel: all claimed that they were the best, the most important, the most useful, the favorite. Green said: “Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for… Read More The Story of the Rainbow
Rainbows (Double Rainbow – Edinburgh Castle) Rainbows (optical phenomena occurring when white light is refracted into its spectrum of colours) are the subject of many stories, In Ireland, a common legend asserts that a “pot of gold” is to be found at the end of a rainbow, for the person lucky enough to find it.… Read More Rainbows
