Month: December 2001
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
Hogmanay: Biggest Day of the Year
Scottish culture preserves New Year’s Day as the most important family holiday.
December 28, 2001Hogmanay
According to Scottish legend, visitors to your door on the night of Hogamanay, will determine your luck for the New Year.
December 27, 2001Listener Initiative
Our listeners are invited to share their seasonal observances on our new toll-free number, 1-877-PULSE99.
December 26, 2001Kwanzaa – Traditions
This week, millions of people around the world celebrate Kwanzaa, a relatively new holiday with roots in the ancient harvest festivals of Africa.
December 25, 2001Christmas: History
Believe it or not, there was a time when the singing of Christmas Carols could land you in jail.
December 24, 2001Christmas: Trees & Mistletoe
Some of our most enduring Christmas traditions may date back to the days before that holiday even existed.
December 21, 2001Jonkonnu: Safety Valve
In the early 1800’s, letting off steam at the annual Jonkonnu celebrations may have been a social safety valve.
December 20, 2001Jonkonnu: Reconstructing
A widely celebrated event during the 1800’s inspired historians and local residents of eastern North Carolina to reconstruct its spectacle.
December 19, 2001Jonkonnu: Kome
Revelers of the Jonkonnu masquerade sing and dance through neighborhoods, visiting homes where their pageantry might be favored with a gift of money.
December 18, 2001Yoiks – Memories
For the Sami people of Scandinavia, yoiking is a sonorous characterization of loved ones.
December 17, 2001Yoiks – Reindeer Jazz
An indigenous style of singing created by nomadic reindeer herdsman is kept alive in contemporary Scandinavia.
December 14, 2001Jonkonnu: Origins
In North Carolina, the festival of Jonkonnu is celebrated with influences from West Africa, England, and the Caribbean.
December 13, 2001Santa Lucia: Waking Up
Serving sweet bread and wearing a crown of candles, young Swedish girls represent Saint Lucia in an early morning ritual.
December 12, 2001Santa Lucia: History
The ancient legends of Santa Lucia are still embraced by the Swedish culture, with rituals of light in the darkness of winter.
December 11, 2001Quietude – Solutions
If there is a right to quiet in our common spaces, how can we best preserve it?
December 10, 2001Quietude – The Commons
Our atmosphere is replete with vibrations from unnatural sources.
December 7, 2001Patagonia Penguins: Raising Chicks
For Patagonian penguins, parenting requires manic intensity to insure survival of their chicks.
December 6, 2001Patagonia Penguins: Adapting to Survive
Penguins have adapted to the harsh conditions of Patagonia where they flourish as adept ocean dwellers.
December 5, 2001Patagonia Penguins: Life Histories
Patagonia is home to over one million penguins who spend much of their lives on the surface of the ocean.
December 4, 2001E.O. Wilson – Electric Fish
A surprising explanation on how a unique kind of fish communicates and captures their prey.