How many New Year’s traditions do you know? Obviously, we are sure you know at least two or three New Year’s traditions from different cultures. Alternatively, we would like to share with you some of the most unique New Year’s traditions that we know from around the world. And, if it wasn’t enough, take a look at this amazing page containing 50 New Year’s Traditions from around the world! Canada Firstly, we are going to mention something about Canada. A tradition started in 1920 involves jumping into the freezing waters of English Bay on New Year’s Day. This is called the Polar Bear Swim. Do you dare to? 😉 Italy In Italy, it’s a very strong New Year’s tradition to spend New Year’s Eve with friends or family, at home for dinner or at parties. In fact, they usually eat lentils for good luck, together with zampone, a typical salami from Emilia-Romagna. After that, they countdown to midnight and toast with sparkling wine. Moreover, wearing red underwear is thought to bring love, prosperity and good luck! Czech Republic The Czechs believe that, as a New Year’s tradition, it is possible to predict what is going to happen in the coming year by cutting an apple in half and looking at the shape of its core. New Year’s Traditions in Argentina and Bolivia Argentinians believe that wearing pink underwear will attract love in the new year. Moreover, eating beans will help people to keep their current job or find a better one. Different from Argentinians and Italians, Bolivians believe that wearing yellow underwear will increase their fortune for the new year....
What is a Superstition? A superstition is a belief that is considered supernatural or irrational. Over the years there have been many superstitions that have developed and some are still present. In every country there are superstitions but they may come in different forms. For example, they can be related to a number, day, colour, animal, etc. Superstitions in India: In India there are a lot of superstitions which are believed as supernatural. So here are some of the most interesting ones: Shaking of legs: If a person’s legs shake continuously, they will be left with less wealth. Washing hair on Thursday: Thursday is considered a bad day for washing your hair. The reason again is fear of losing wealth. If you see a garbage truck: If you see a truck full of garbage before leaving your home, it means that your day will pass very well. However, if you see a garbage truck that is empty before leaving your home, it is considered bad and unlucky. More superstitions in India: Colour (White and Black): The colours white and black are not considered lucky for a new bride. She cannot wear these colours for a few months because it is considered a threat on their new relationship. Whereas, in developed countries, it is tradition for the bride to dress in a white gown for the wedding. Sneeze: If you are about to leave from your home for work, and someone sneezes, it is thought to be fear of the unknown. Something will go wrong on the way or the task will not be completed. Perfumes and colognes (fancy and...
Study in Vancouver: A Great City for Students Many people dream of studying and living in Canada and often Vancouver is the city which comes to mind. Vancouver is a coastal seaport city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, also known as Beautiful British Columbia. What’s more, Vancouver offers a unique and extraordinary experience in terms of lifestyle and educational opportunities. Here are some reasons people want to live and study in Vancouver. Benefits of studying and living in Vancouver Universities and Colleges: In Vancouver, there are a few universities and colleges which are ranked high in quality of education. For example, the University of British Columbia is in the top three universities in Canada. Other institutions include Langara College, Columbia College, Kwantlen Polytechnical University, and Simon Fraser University. Moreover, there are many programs available for different types of students. Climate in Vancouver: Apart from rest of the Canada, the weather in Vancouver is pleasant and soothing. You can feel the drizzling of the rain on your face in the month of September. Here in Metro-Vancouver, there are plenty of places where you can enjoy the beauty of nature like Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park, and Capilano Suspension Bridge. Public Transportation and Lifestyle: Getting around in Vancouver is easy. All the credit goes to the government who manage a vast network of public transportation. Moreover, travelling by public transportation is cheap compared to having your own car. This means that you spend less on a monthly basis. Diversity: As people from different countries come here to study, it makes the city richer in diversity. People from Asia...
What is culture shock? As the phrase itself states, culture shock is the feeling you experience when facing a cultural situation that is new, different and unknown to you. Although the word “shock” seems rather unfriendly and negative, undergoing culture shock doesn’t necessarily have to be an unpleasant experience. Believe it or not, it can turn out to be a really enriching, positive and life learning one. But, how do you survive culture shock? Top 7 things that can cause it First of all, we need to understand that culture shock can be presented to us in both obvious and more subtle ways. We can experience culture shock when coming in contact with different: Languages – Especially when meeting somebody from a faraway country whose language is not only spoken differently but it is also written differently. For example, an English speaker being introduced to a Chinese speaker or a Korean speaker being introduced to a Portuguese speaker.Weather – This can be even harder for those used to extreme weather. For example, an Alaskan native used to very cold weather traveling to an island on the Caribbean.Landscapes – Imagine moving from a mountainous town full of lakes and forests like those in Switzerland to an arid landscape full of cacti like in Arizona, United States, or the other way around. Food – Here we’re talking not only about tastes, colours and smells, but also about quantities, meal schedules and customs. For example, in Latin American countries as well as in some European countries, people tend to have a snack between lunch and dinner called “merienda”. And don’t even get...
Travel to South America, the fourth largest of the world’s continents Ready to travel to South America? Here are some things you should know about it. Firstly, South America is located in the Western Hemisphere and constitutes the southern part of the Americas. Secondly, it consists of 12 independent countries— Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela —, the overseas department of French Guiana and some outlying islands. Thirdly, South America is connected to the rest of America by the Isthmus of Panama and is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Lastly, South America is also home to a wide variety of climates, breathtaking landscapes and rich cultures with its north-south extent of about 4,700 miles and its east-west extent of about 3,300 miles. Feel like home South American people are known to be kind and warm hearted. When greeting, they tend to go for a kiss on the cheek, even when you haven’t been formally introduced to the other person. They are used to being open with foreign people and are always willing to show their culture to the rest of the world by sharing a mate with you, teaching you some capoeira moves or making you a delicious ceviche. Language variations When traveling to South America, you must remember that the main spoken language in most countries is Latin American Spanish, but it is not the only language used in this southern continent. Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, and other languages such as English,...
More than a drink Just as British people religiously enjoy their 5 o’clock tea, some countries in the southern hemisphere share a very popular drink: “el mate.” This tea-like infusion (also known as chimarrão in Brazil) is made with yerba mate and is enjoyed by children and adults at any time of day. What’s more, it has been an integral part of the culture in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil for many years now. So, let’s learn a little more about this important drink. Origin of “el mate” and yerba mate Yerba mate was already being consumed long before the “new world” was discovered. Actually, it was the Guaraní people who inhabited parts of South America who introduced the plant to the European settlers. The settlers began to cultivate it and to make it well-known throughout the rest of the southern regions. Although the yerba mate cropping tradition almost disappeared when the Jesuits were expelled from the region, native people took over and transformed it into commercial harvesting. “El mate” is also related to the image of “el gaucho”, a popular cowboy-like figure from Argentina, Uruguay and the southern part of Brazil. El gaucho is commonly depicted as a horseman dressed in leather boots or espadrilles, a long-sleeved cotton shirt and baggy pants (bombacha), carrying a bola (best known as boleadora) or a long gaucho knife (facón). How to prepare “el mate” First of all, to start “el mate” we need the following things: Yerba mate –that is, the processed ground leaves of the yerba mate plant.A mate –that is, the receptacle where we’ll put the yerba mate....
