Whether you celebrate Imbolc, St. Brigid’s Day, Candlemas, Groundhog’s Day, or all of them, the beginning of February is a busy time on the calendar. So where did these all originate? I’ll start with the easy one; Groundhog’s Day. This celebration began in the United States in 1887. It seems to have nothing to do […]
I should know better. I’ve seen Roman sites in Italy, Great Britain, Germany, and even on the island of Crete. So why was I surprised to find them in The Netherlands? Granted, it was the frontier, but Romans were there when Julius Caesar conquered the tribes between 57-53 BC. The subsequent 450 years of Roman
The Limes the Limit! Read More »
Folk traditions help you learn about different cultures. Our village celebrated Kirwa (kir-vah) this past weekend, a uniquely Bavarian tradition. So I decided to see if I could describe it to someone who had never attended one. At a glance, it looks like a miniature Oktoberfest with bratwurst and beer, singing and dancing. Initially, they