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On 2/2/2022 at 12:28 PM, holdingyourdrink said:

Ahhh lucky you! And geez you have a strong household having two tigers in the family. 
 

I’m a rat (yeah, great zodiac for the Western world :facepalm:), my brother is a horse, my father a pig and my mum is a dragon. Yeah, that was tough when I was younger :lol3: 

This intrigued me, so I looked it up. Apparently I'm a water ox. Diligent, dependable, strong, good sense of justice and observational skills. :dunno: I'm not convinced. :lol3:

 

Apparently my best romantic matches are rats and roosters! Hey Michelle, hola CJ. 👋 😂

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2 hours ago, holdingyourdrink said:

You don’t have shoe size 43 - I’m sorry, you are not my type :biggrin2:

Darn my dainty feet! :lol3:

 

I don't believe all that stuff anyway. I mean, if there was anything in it, I'd be matched with a pig, right? :biggrin2: :mf_rosetinted:

Edited by Hero
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I do have to admit that I did make a point of my partner to not be the opposite of me (6 years age difference) in the Chinese Astrology Chart.
 

Of course it doesn’t mean you can’t love eachother, but I have found that general personality traits really do kind of clash with mine :teehee: 


My husband and I are 6.5 years apart, but he’s not the opposite of me Chinese astrology wise. I do kind of joke though, that in the 3.5 months in the year that we have a 6 year age difference instead of a 7 year one, we don’t get along as well as the other months :lol3: (but that’s winter, I don’t think anyone is in the best mood then :biggrin2:)

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On 2/2/2022 at 2:14 PM, holdingyourdrink said:

I’ve just realized that Mika is a pig.

 

His Chinese zodiac sign! Nothing else!

 

I'm a pig too... :lol3: But a wood pig, Mika is a water pig. Apparently most compatible with goats, tigers and rabbits. Least compatible with snakes. 

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1 March

 

Chalandamarz

 

Chalandamarz is a traditional spring festival in Romansh-speaking and Italian-speaking parts of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is celebrated on, and named for, the First of March (Calendae Martis) and marks the end of winter.

 

It is celebrated in much of the Romansh-speaking area, including the Engadin, Val Mustair, Albula (Surmeir), and formerly in the Posterior Rhine valley, as well as in the Italian-speaking parts of Grisons (Poschiavo, Bregaglia and Mesolcina). It is not known in the Surselva. Trin in the Sutselva has a similar tradition, known as the Muntinadas.

 

On the first of March, and often at least one day before, the boys of each village go around and ring bells and sing. The object is to mark the beginning of a new year in spring, to scare away the evil spirits of winter and wake up the good spirits of spring. Girls traditionally don’t take part in this, but in some villages girls carry baskets around to gather money, and in some villages they carry bells too. Often the boys march around the village fountains, and go into the old houses and sing. After this, there is often whip-cracking. In the evening on the first of March, there is often a party with dancing. The procession of boys at Chalandamarz is often led by the oldest boys who are due to leave school the following year. These are known as Patruns ("patrons, masters").

Use of cowbells to drive out winter is known from other Alpine folklore, such as the Perchten or Fasnacht traditions of Alemannic and Austro-Bavarian speaking areas. The Chalandamarz in Ftan, Lower Engadin, shows influence from Fasnacht traditions in the wearing of masks. In Poschiavo and Mesolcina, formerly also in Scuol, Tschlin and Innerferrera, a straw effigy symbolizing winter is burned.

 

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Although I grew up in the same canton where it takes place, I only know the tradition from a famous children's book and from hearsay. They don't know the carnival in return. Sure, there are parallels, both things take place at about the same time and have the same goal and that is to drive away winter.

 

The children were happy that it could finally take place again this year after a two-year break due to the pandemic. :original:

 

Schellen-Ursli (A Bell for Ursli) is the most famous Swiss children’s book after Heidi. Written by Selina Chönz and illustrated by painter Alois Carigiet, the children’s book was first published in 1945 and even today is considered an indispensable addition to many Swiss children’s nurseries. It has been translated into 14 languages and over 1 million copies have been sold.

 

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Shrove Tuesday here - otherwise know as Pancake Day.  It was a way of using up eggs, fat etc before Lent, when you had to fast.  They were originally plain cakes, but over the centuries people started adding honey, sugar etc.  The UK tradition is to eat them with sugar and lemon juice.

 

They were tossed in the frying pan to cook the other side (the pancake has to be properly cooked on the first side otherwise it won't toss in one piece).  And of course a fair number of them either land back on the same side :doh: , folded :rolleyes:, or miss the frying pan altogether :facepalm:

 

Lots of places have pancake-tossing races - you have to run and flip the pancake as you go.

 

image.jpeg.5d432dff0dff3dbc7bdd066d0ff300f3.jpeg

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I can’t believe I forgot to post yesterday! It was BUN DAY MONDAY (bolludagur) in Iceland.

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I’m not Icelandic, nor have I ever actually celebrated it, but ever since I heard about it from my Icelandic friend a few years ago I’ve wished we celebrated it here in the USA  ….well, the bun eating part at least, maybe not the spanking part

https://www.helloiceland.is/2020/02/the-curious-icelandic-tradition-bolludagur-or-bun-day/

 

 

Edited by kreacher
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March 1 is carnival holiday here in Uruguay. It begins in January with a competition of Murgas, which are groups of artists who sing and act wearing amazing costumes and makeup.

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Then another competition begins in the streets (my favourite), more focused on choreography, musical instruments, dance, and more. It is divided into two categories, samba from Brazil and candombe from Uruguay. Then the participants of both competitions and even small groups that don't participate join the party around the country for three months.

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I'm grateful to be able to experience this as an spectator and also as a participant, this is the only party that I would never leave.

 

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Ash Wednesday

 

Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day of prayer and fasting. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent[2] (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by Western Christians. It is observed by Catholics in the Roman Rite, Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Methodists, Nazarenes, as well as by many from the Reformed tradition (inclusive of the Congregationalist, Continental Reformed, and Presbyterian traditions).[3]

As it is the first day of Lent, many Christians begin Ash Wednesday by marking a Lenten calendar, praying a Lenten daily devotional, and making a Lenten sacrifice that they will not partake of until the arrival of Eastertide.[4][5]

Many Christians attend special church services. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the placing of ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."[6] The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.

 

My memory of it as a child? That you are not allowed to eat meat on that day and that you get ashes in church and the priest says: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

 

And since I ate meat twice a day as a child, that was a thing. :teehee: Today it's more like twice a week. :biggrin2:

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I don't know exactly if it's considered a custom because it's a sporting event, but in any case it has great significance for the region and it could not take place for two years because of the pandemic. :dunno_grin:

 

Engadin Skimarathon

 

The Engadin Skimarathon is the largest mass sporting event in Switzerland and the second largest cross-country event in the world. Since 1969, thousands of participants have been running the marathon course on the second Sunday in March. Switzerland's largest sporting event attracts around 14,000 cross-country skiing enthusiasts from over 65 nations to the high valley of Grisons every year. On the 42 km marathon course, the runners move across frozen lakes, past typical Engadine villages and through a unique winter landscape. Professionals and amateurs take part.

 

I have never participated as I have never stood on a cross-country ski in my life. :biggrin2:

 

The oldest participant this year was 93. :old:

 

When I was a child, I knew the event mainly because of videos like this :teehee::

 

 

And of course I would get in line in the same way. :yes:

Edited by Prisca
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13 minutes ago, Prisca said:

I don't know exactly if it's considered a custom because it's a sporting event, but in any case it has great significance for the region and it could not take place for two years because of the pandemic. :dunno_grin:

 

Engadin Skimarathon

 

The Engadin Skimarathon is the largest mass sporting event in Switzerland and the second largest cross-country event in the world. Since 1969, thousands of participants have been running the marathon course on the second Sunday in March. Switzerland's largest sporting event attracts around 14,000 cross-country skiing enthusiasts from over 65 nations to the high valley of Grisons every year. On the 42 km marathon course, the runners move across frozen lakes, past typical Engadine villages and through a unique winter landscape. Professionals and amateurs take part.

 

I have never participated as I have never stood on a cross-country ski in my life. :biggrin2:

 

The oldest participant this year was 93. :old:

 

When I was a child, I knew the event mainly because of videos like this :teehee::

 

 

 

And of course I would get in line in the same way. :yes:

With the costumed participants, open to all, it's like the ski version of the London marathon. With more falling over.

I like yours better. :yes:

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3/14

 

Pi Day

 

Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of π. It was founded in 1988 by Larry Shaw, an employee of the Exploratorium. Celebrations often involve eating pie or holding pi recitation competitions. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. UNESCO's 40th General Conference designated Pi Day as the International Day of Mathematics in November 2019. Alternative dates for the holiday include July 22 (22/7, an approximation of π) and June 28 (6.28, an approximation of 2π or tau).

 

:facepalm:  :lol3:

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14 March

Commonwealth Day 2022

I just found out that today is Commonwealth Day 2022. I don't know how important this day is for people who live in a Commonwealth country? :dunno_grin:

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4 hours ago, Prisca said:

3/14

 

Pi Day

 

Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi). Pi Day is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant figures of π. It was founded in 1988 by Larry Shaw, an employee of the Exploratorium. Celebrations often involve eating pie or holding pi recitation competitions. In 2009, the United States House of Representatives supported the designation of Pi Day. UNESCO's 40th General Conference designated Pi Day as the International Day of Mathematics in November 2019. Alternative dates for the holiday include July 22 (22/7, an approximation of π) and June 28 (6.28, an approximation of 2π or tau).

 

:facepalm:  :lol3:

 

Mmmmm.... pie day... 🥧  :licks_lips:

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11 hours ago, Prisca said:

14 March

Commonwealth Day 2022

I just found out that today is Commonwealth Day 2022. I don't know how important this day is for people who live in a Commonwealth country? :dunno_grin:

 

I don't think there are any huge celebrations anywhere - in the UK there is just a service at Westminster Abbey, and often a speech from the Queen (not sure about this year, Prince William attended the service in her place).

 

EDIT:  Apparently Prince Charles was representing the Queen, but William was there too

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