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01

Dec

Culture Smart: How Did Thanksgivukkah Happen?

by Sheron Long on December 1, 2013

The hands on the dial of Prague's astronomical clock feature the Moon and the Sun, which are also the basis for calendars created by different cultures. Image © Lucertolone/iStock.

The Moon and the Sun figure prominently in the way different cultures mark time, serving as the
basis for their calendars and gracing old clocks like this one on City Hall in Prague.
© Lucertolone/iStock

Hanukkah and Thanksgiving Day converged in 2013, both falling on November 28 per the Gregorian calendar, creating Thanksgivukkah. And it all happened because of a once-in-a-lifetime calendar mash-up.

Different cultures and religions have created unique ways of marking the passage of time, basing the calendar on the Sun, the Moon, or both.  Read more...

  • Solar Calendar:  Gregorian
 

Cultural Diversity/Cultural Heritage & Traditions

24

Nov

Culture Smart: The Musical Scale Across Cultures

by Your friends at OIC on November 24, 2013

Children learning to play the violin, symbolizing the different musical scales across cultures

Learning to play different styles of music

Tonal Patterns and Changing Intervals

When you first learn to play an instrument, the first series of notes taught is called a scale. A scale is a series of ascending pitches, usually ending on the octave, the same note, at a higher pitch. Music from different cultures uses different intervals between the notes of an octave.

If you’ve seen The Sound of Music, you know the Western music major scale: do, re, mi, fa, so la, ti, do. It consists of 7 unique notes, with the 8th note being the octave. Listen to a C Major Scale:  Read more...

 

China/Cultural Diversity/Middle East/The World's Music

20

Oct

Culture Smart: How Much Power’s in a Flower?

by Sheron Long on October 20, 2013

Yellow rose, a cultural symbol whose meaning varies in different cultures

In the language of flowers, what does a yellow rose mean to you?

The Yellow Rose, Cultural Symbol of . . .

Friendship and joy. Jealousy and infidelity. New starts and love’s end. It all depends on when and where you live.  Read more...

 

Cultural Diversity/Cultural Symbols/Worldwide Sites

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