Ideas and Travelling

What is shown on flags, coins, coats of arms and why? Various plants, insects, birds and animals have been depicted on national flags, coats of arms or coins all over the world. The main rule of heraldry - encompassing the design of armorial bearings - is to take the most frequent subject typical of an area and connect it with the armory. Coat of arms of Gomel, Belarus The lynx is a symbol of Gomel, an old Belarusian city founded in 1142. The coat of arms of Gomel depicts a lying lynx . The background of the coat of arms is light-blue. Nowadays, artificial lynxes meet travellers at the entrance of Gomel, in the Central Park and in different parts of the city as well. Lynx on the light blue background of the coat of arms, Gomel A part of history of Gomel's coat of arms Much earlier, at the time of Catherine II, the Russian Empress reigning in the 18 century, there were a lot of lynxes inhabiting the territory of the present day district of Gomel. Si

Lynx: DESCRIPTION   With its long ear tufts, a smart facial expression and a bobbled tail, a lynx is one of the beautiful members of the cat family.  Lynx in winter A lynx has got long whiskers and padded paws, which are a great help for walking on the snow in winter. LOCATION AND COLOUR PEQUALIARITIES Lynx is a wild medium-sized cat which is still met in North America, Europe and Asia. Unfortunately the lynx is among threatened species today.  Lynxes differ according to their location. However, the body and limbs of most Lynx are usually marked with dark brown spots. Each kind of lynx has various coat colours. They may vary from reddish or light brown to beige. The chests, bellies and insides of their legs are white. Thickness of coat depends on the climatic conditions. The colder it gets, the thicker the fur is. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LYNX Mother-lynx brings up her cubs alone Some lynxes may reach 110 cm (39 inches) in length and 60-69 cm (2

the ritual fire on the Midsummer Night in Belarus Where do people celebrate Midsummer? Every year plenty of European people celebrate the Summer Solstice. On Midsummer Day Belarusians and Russians celebrate the so-called “Kupalie” or “Ivan Kupala”, Bulgarians have Enyovden , there is Jani or Liigo in Latvia, Ukon juhla or Juhannus is celebrated in Finland and St. Hans Day is found in Sweden. When do people celebrate Midsummer or Summer Solstice? Originally Midsummer is a pagan holiday. It was known in Ancient Greece and some other cultures as well. In Christianity the holiday is associated with John the Baptist. Catholic Christians celebrate the Summer Solstice on 24 June but Orthodox Christians celebrate it on the eve of June 7. Midsummer Rituals The main magic forces of this festival are water, fire and herbals. All of them possess magic powers which give people spiritual enlightenment and make them healthier. Protection, luck and happiness Midsumm