Queen Elizabeth’s first birthday Today is Queen Elizabeth II’s 91st birthday – her first one of the year. Yes, the monarch celebrates her birthday twice: although she was born on April 21 1926, her “official” birthday, marked by the “Trooping the Colour” ceremony, takes place in the summer. This tradition was started by George II… Read More Queen Elizabeth’s first birthday
Today, in Italy, we celebrate “Lunedi dell ‘Angelo” ( Monday of the Angel) or Pasquetta, which can literally be translated into little Easter (Pasqua). It is part of the Easter holiday celebrations and it is a time to take short breaks to the countryside with friends and family, and have picnics. Easter Monday… Read More Easter Monday
February 3: Saint Blaise’s Feast Saint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Turkey) who died in 316 AD. Little is known about this Saint prior to his mention in a court physician’s medical journal at the end of the 5th century, where his aid is invoked in treating objects… Read More February 3: St. Blaise’s Feast
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
On 21 January, in Poland, they celebrate Grandma’s Day”, while “Grandpa’s Day” is observed the following day later, January 22 In Italy , Grandparents’ Day, established in 2005, is celebrated on October 2, which is Guardian Angels’ Day in the Catholic Church
On January 14, medieval Christians celebrated the Feast of the Ass (Latin: Festum Asinorum or Asinaria Festa ) commemorating the various accounts in the Bible where a donkey (or ass) is mentioned, in particular the donkey that carried Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt. This feast may represent a Christian adaptation of a… Read More 14 January “The Feast of the Ass”
Boxing Day is celebrated on 26th December, the day after Christmas It is a bank holiday, a time to recover from the excesses of Christmas Day and an opportunity to spend time with family, friends, and neighbours. Traditionally, it was a day when employers distributed money, food, cloth or other valuable goods to their employees.… Read More 26 December: Boxing Day
