Ideas and Travelling

Good Luck Charms   Nazar bracelet, Bulgaria The blue evil eye amulet is believed to protect a person from bad luck, a headache or other negative influence caused by envious people. Amulet from the Mediterranean and the Middle East The evil eye amulet, or “nazar”, represents a round sphere. It is usually dark blue with the silhouette of an eye in the middle. Today it is made of glass or plastic and can be found in various souvenir shops. However, if you go around the Middle East, you can see the nazar in women's jewelry as hamsa bracelet or necklace, hand of Fatima pendant. Such things as door-knockers and plentiful embroidery may display the devil’s eye as well. Hamsa pendants. Nazar beads. Israel What is the nazar? While the Nazar Boncuğu is a Turkish name, it is not only a Turkish tradition of owing such amulets. That’s a cultural object widely spread in Israel , Egypt, Bulgaria , Greece , India and some other countries . Nowadays the nazar is very pop...

Maslenitsa or the Pancake week is a traditional Slavonic holiday. The celebration lasts for a week which is the last week before the spring Lent. Why is it a pancake week? The answer is simple. People cook and eat pancakes the whole week each day of which has its own name. Why do they make pancakes?  Well, a good pancake is supposed to be round and yellow like the sun up in the sky. Much earlier in the pagan times the god of Sun was very powerful and meant a lot to the ancient Slavs. Joyful week of Maslenitsa Maslenitsa or the Pancake Week is still a joyful week. Every day is special. Long ago Monday was intended for making a huge straw effigy of a woman. It symbolized Winter. On Tuesday people paid visits, went sledging and enjoyed bear performances. On Wednesday sons-in-law would visit their mothers-in-law who had to be nice to their daughter’s choice of life. On Thursday people would take part in jolly events like singing, fisticuffs, snowballing and various...

“Errare humanum est” Teacher: Please read an article about Einstein. Student: Oh, I know! I know! I have seen him in Van Helsing . Teacher: I can’t say you are right. Dr. Frankenstein is a fictional character. Einstein is a scientist. Student: Oh, right. The one with a tongue out in the poster. See? No matter how much you do in your life for the society, there is likely to be someone who remembers you thanks to commercial things which are not always really clever. I am not much surprised if Che Guevara is probably recognized as a guy from some T-shirt or bag which lucky tourist brings from some trip, even though Che was a revolutionist, diplomat, military theorist etc. Audrey Hepburn’s image representing a gorgeous lady with a cigarette is met everywhere from cell phone covers to enormous bags. Is it really right to remember the great actress, humanitarian, only as a pretty woman on your dress? Art, pencil craft The more you read, the more you learn. Howeve...