RenoVous

  This is a traditional Taoist and Buddhist celebration to honor ancestors and ensure their spirits rest easily. Families set out rice, fruit, and meat on altars for wandering souls. Joss paper is a special paper offering, known as ghost or spirit money.  Pieces are burned in a ritual to provide wealth for their loved ones in the afterlife.  Lotus lanterns are placed in the rivers to help guide spirits home. Traditional performances run throughout the lunar month, but today's Ghost Day is the peak.  Sets include Chinese street opera (wayang), puppet troupes (piyingxi), variety shows (getai), as well as dragon and lion dances. Front row seats are left empty for any ghost guests.

 An event held annually on the Drina River in Serbia, it is the largest and most popular water event of its kind. It is a carnival on the river, with a non-competitive descent ending with live music on Raca Beach.  You can row solo or with a team - or you can just float along on a traditional raft, called a splav . Throughout the day in the town square, there are cultural programs, such as folklore dancing.  Food stands offer local treats like cevapi - a grilled dish of minced meat sausages. There is also a fish soup cook-off, which is a competition called the "Golden Kettle."  The event is a celebration of the old timber rafters and honors the scenic heritage of the Drina. *** We saw quite a few people floating the Truckee River over the weekend.  We did it once years ago and had fun - but it's not usually high enough to avoid all the rocks, and then my sister's raft got caught by some old rebar.

 Sacred Celtic Knot Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. Celtic knots and spirals have been used in art and architecture for centuries.  Interlacing patterns spread out from Roman art, and have been found in Byzantine art, Ethiopian art, and Russian art. The knots are symbolic and carry different meanings.  The Celtic Cross was used long before Christianity came to the Celts, and it represented the four elements and four cardinal directions.  The circle represents the sun, moon, and the infinite cycles of nature.  It was then known as a Sun Cross, or Solar Wheel. The Book of Kells is a 9th century manuscript, containing the four gospels of the New Testament.  Almost all of the folios contain some decorative art, such as within letters. The Dara knot is a modern design based on lore and tradition.  Ancient oaks were considered a symbol of strength, wisdom, and endurance.  It represents the roots. The oldest is the Celtic spiral, also known as triskele, dating ...

 So many cheeses to choose from! I recently learned that Parmesan is the most protein-dense food on earth - it also has all nine essential amino acids and is high in calcium.  But before we get carried away, there's also the fat and sodium.  Mozzarella is lower in sodium than most, and it contains helpful probiotics. Cottage cheese is your best bet for a low fat option. In college, I took a Basque Culture class, and we learned about making traditional sheep's milk cheese.  There are three types, based on location.  We focused on Roncal, from the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. In the summer, Laxtas sheep feed on high mountain pastures, and in the winter they go south.  This has been the practice since the 9th century. Lambing season starts in December, so this is when milk is collected to make the cheese, which is then aged 6-10 months (minimum of four months, as the video mentions).

Nestinarstvo is a firewalking festival in southeast Bulgaria and northern Greece. It celebrates the feast of Saints Constantine and Helena. (Some things say that is today, while others indicate June 4th). The nestinari, or performers, walk and dance across the embers, carrying icons for the saints. This practice is a mix of Eastern Orthodox beliefs and pagan traditions.  It is recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity's intangible cultural heritage.

  Walpurgisnacht is celebrated primarily in Germany, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. It is the eve of the traditional St. Walpurga feast, protector against witchcraft. The bonfires ward off evil spirits and witches believed to be gathering on the Brocken mountain. Brocken is the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, often covered in mist, thus producing what's been called the Brocken spectre - shadows are magnified in the fog and cast upon the mountainside or a cloud bank. Folklore dates back to ancient Pagan myths, and includes another site known as Teufelsmauer, or Devil's Wall. I mention horror in the tags because you can catch Joe Bob's "Wicked Witchy Wingding" on Shudder.  He has made it his mission to establish this as an American horror holiday as well, a spring Halloween, if you will.

 I made a call to an insurance company in Hawaii and found out they're closed today. He was born on this day in 1871, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawai'i. Overthrown in 1893, the prince became a delegate of the Territory of Hawaii in the United States Congress. He authored a bill in 1919 for statehood, which did not pass, but he succeeded with the Hawaiian Homes Act, setting aside 200,000 acres of land for Hawaiian homesteaders.  This was passed in 1921. During his time in politics, he helped shape the modern government structure of Hawaii.  He instituted the county system that is still in place today, which is unique to this country. There is only the State and four counties, each with a mayor and a council. *** Celebrations typically honor his love of surfing, particularly at his namesake beach in Waikiki.

 A cultural icon, born on this day, 1946. Of course, being the daughter of another icon helped pave the way, but "the original nepo baby" still had to work hard to make it on Broadway. In 1965 she made history as the youngest actress to win a Tony, for Flora the Red Menace. She was first on the silver screen in 1949 with her mother, and her first credited role came in 1967, in Charlie Bubbles.   She was nominated for an Oscar for The Sterile Cuckoo  in 1969. She would win it in 1972. And two days ago, she released her memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! You can bet she has stories to tell.  From a childhood steeped in Hollywood and addiction, to her times with Andy Warhol, Halston, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson - to name a few. "I survived it," she says, while a social media account marks all the things she continues to outlive.

Specifically, the Fire Horse. Known for fostering growth, independence, and strong, swift progress. This one's a rare combination, occurring every 60 years, symbolizing intense energy, passion, and change. While the animals of the calendar follow a 12 year cycle, there is also the 5 element cycle.  And, as we learned last year, there is a Yin and a Yang. Bing-Wu is the Yang Fire Horse, and this is known as a Double Fire year.  A year when the sun shines brighter, intuition sharpens, and life refuses to stay in old forms.

 The Calennig apple is a traditional Welsh New Year's gift, carried door to door by children who sing rhymes for good luck.  They may receive treats or coins in return. The apple, with a tripod of sticks, represents the sun's rays.  The studded cloves are for fragrance and health, while the sprig is for perennial life and good fortune. Today is known as "Hen Galan" or Old New Year. The Gwaun Valley is one of a handful of places that still celebrates according to the Julian calendar. Celebrations continue at the pub, the historic Dyffryn Arms, whose interior is listed as having "outstanding national historic importance." Beer is poured from a jug, which is filled directly from the barrel.  Just like the old days.

Artes Mundi is an organization in Wales that offers "opportunities for individuals and local communities to engage creatively with the urgent issues of our time." Every two years artists gather to share their work, and the exhibition is being held from October 24 through March 1. Six international artists have an installation that will be judged and one will receive £40,000 grand prize. This year's theme is regarding land use, territory, migration, and displacement. Jumana Emil Abboud "draws on folklore, myths and storytelling to celebrate heritage and identify interconnectedness" Anawana Haloba "explores the positions of different societies within varied political, social, economic, and cultural contexts" Kameelah Janan Rasheed "will explore the poetics, politics and pleasures of communication" Sancintya Mohini Simpson "navigates the complexities of migration, memory and trauma" Antonio Paucar "creates a unique artistic langua...

  The Pushkar Camel Fair takes place annually this time of year in Rajasthan. There are camel races as well as beauty contests, with traditional Rajasthani music and dance performances. There is reference to a Kalbelia folk dance, which is snake charming.  The Ghoomar dance is performed by women, and means "to twirl."  Also performed by women, the Chari dance. The event initially served as a gathering place for local communities to trade livestock and celebrate their heritage.  Food stalls sell local specialties such as dal baati churma and malpua. The fair coincides with the Hindu month of Kartik, when believers go to Pushkar Lake for a holy dip. Camels are part of the cultural identity of the desert, not to mention economically important to the people who live there.  To protect declining populations, Rajasthan declared the camel the official state animal back in 2014.  But apparently legislation in 2015, meant to prohibit slaughter and export, has made i...

 With the continued insistence on Columbus Day, I wanted to acknowledge the real heritage of our country, which comes from the people who were here before. Many of us were raised with stories of how, in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue - but much of the narrative was fictionalized.  They left out the murder, enslavement, and cultural destruction. In recent years, more of that culture is being reclaimed and celebrated. To keep it on Monday's usual topic, there was a strong showing at New York Fashion Week last month, a stage that hasn't really been given to Indigenous designers before. Jontay Kahm is Plains Cree, born in Saskatchewan and now living in Santa Fe, NM. Lily Gladstone wore this piece.

  The ancient Armenian New Year is celebrated from August 11th-September 9th. It is the first month of the Armenian calendar, marking the start of a new cycle. The Navasardian deity represents the new harvest and hospitality, protector of the crops and feeder of the hungry. Festivities include athletic games, such as horse racing, hunting, and fire jumping. The great center of Navasard was the temple in Bagavan. Today it is considered a pagan sanctuary, but Christianity did take it over.  It was pillaged in 1877, and then destroyed completely in 1915 during the Armenian genocide. St. Hovhannes Cathedral was later built on the site.

  One of the ways scientists protect our planet's wild ecosystems is by collecting vast amounts of audio, dense with vocalizations from birds, frogs, insects, whales, fish and more.  Google has designed an AI model called Perch which is meant to help conservationists analyze bioacoustic data.  The Australian Acoustic Observatory has been using the program to help identify a number of unique species, and even enabled the discovery of a new population of the Plains Wanderer. Biologists in Hawaii have used it to monitor and protect populations of honeycreepers, which are facing extinction from the threat of avian malaria, spread by non-native mosquitoes. In Hawaiian mythology, the 'I'iwi and 'Apanane are symbols of status and spirituality.  The demi-god Maui was the only man who could see their colors, and he enjoyed listening to their songs.  One day a god from another island came to visit and commented on the mysterious harmonies, so Maui lifted the veil and for ...

 Celebrated from March 20 through April 13 in Washington D.C. As you may know, the trees were gifts from Japan received in 1912. They line the tidal basin of the Potomac River leading to the Jefferson Memorial. Peak bloom is anticipated for this weekend. My photo is here in town though.  There are gardens on the UNR campus and San Rafael Park. There is a festival in San Francisco as well, April 12-13 and 19-20. Being on the west coast, where many Japanese Americans were interned, the purpose is more about a commitment to peace - in D.C. they symbolize friendship and cultural exchange.  Of course, being in Japantown, you will be celebrating culture in SF as well. Called sakura, it is the national flower of Japan.  They have been referenced for centuries in poetry and literature, with their fragility seen as a symbol of life, death, and rebirth.

  The Tapati Festival is also called Rapa Nui Week, celebrated on Easter Island for the first two weeks of February. The festival began in the 1970's as a way of maintaining and promoting the Rapa Nui culture, generating interest and a sense of identity for the children. There are numerous dancing and singing competitions, as well as traditional sporting events such as canoeing, horse racing, and the island triathlon. Haka Pei is an old rite of passage, proving oneself to be an adult and a warrior, by riding down the side of a volcano on a banana trunk sled.  As training for warriors, this was called "Ma'ari." Only in the last few years has the festival become known among travelers, and the locals encourage visitors to join the events.

  Enter the Year of the Wood Snake! Each year alternates between Yin and Yang - last year's dragon was Yang Wood, "a rigid, divisive and often angry nature," whereas this year's Yin Wood is associated with flowers, "easygoing, flexible and diplomatic." The snake also contains Yin Fire, predicting a "highly creative, collaborative and exciting year." The snake itself is most commonly associated with intelligence, resilience, and love.  A potential for self-cultivation, shedding bad energy.

 There are a lot of dragon books in the fantasy genre, and while Smaug from The Hobbit  may be the most famous, it was a different series that inspired the day. In 2004, Donita K. Paul released her first in a series, The DragonKeeper Chronicles. I have not read a single one, or really much fantasy at all, but I've always liked the representation of dragons, the mythology. They appear in the folklore of many cultures.  In the Western, they're typically winged, horned, and fire breathing.  In Eastern, they are wingless, four-legged serpentine creatures.  They appear as far back as in ancient Mesopotamian art. The "mushussu" was actually a hybrid - a scaly animal with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, lion-like forelimbs, a long neck and tail, two horns and a snake-like tongue. Considering the origin of the term is "draco" for serpent, and that many depictions are serpentine and reptilian, anthropologist David E. Jones suggests humans create them as ...