Month: December 2003
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
Mummers Parade: String Bands
Since 1902, the “String Band” of the Mummers Parade has been revered by Mummers and townspeople alike.
December 30, 2003Hogmanay: Biggest Day of the Year
Scottish culture preserves New Year’s Day as the most important family holiday.
December 29, 2003Hogmanay
According to Scottish legend, visitors to your door on the night of Hogamanay, will determine your luck for the New Year.
December 26, 2003Kwanzaa – 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, 2003Christmas: History
Believe it or not, there was a time when the singing of Christmas Carols could land you in jail.
December 24, 2003Christmas: Trees & Mistletoe
Some of our most enduring Christmas traditions may date back to the days before that holiday even existed.
December 23, 2003Skating Canal: Winter Beauty
The Rideau Canal in Ottawa offers skating enthusiasts miles to glide while enjoying the beauty of winter.
December 22, 2003Skating Canal: Winter Tradition
A skating canal in Ontario has become a national symbol of winter in Canada.
December 19, 2003Bears: Birthing
For bears in hibernation, giving birth and nursing newborns is a slumberous activity.
December 18, 2003Bears: Slowing Down
Bears have unique mechanisms for self-preservation during their months of hibernation.
December 17, 2003Egg Hatchery: The Ultimate Egg Timer
When it comes to fulfilling orders for a hatchery, you’d better be able to count your chickens before they’re hatched.
December 16, 2003Egg Hatchery: Mail Order Chickens
The biology of the chicken makes it possible for newly hatched chicks to be sent through the mail.
December 15, 2003Sea Otter: Fur
A sea otter’s layered fur is waterproof and warm even in frigid conditions.
December 12, 2003Santa Lucia: Waking Up
Serving sweet bread and wearing a crown of candles, young Swedish girls represent Saint Lucia in an early morning ritual.
December 11, 2003Santa 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 10, 2003Horseshoe Crabs – Part of The Food Web
Horseshoe crabs are being harvested for bait, threatening their survival as well as the migrating birds which depend upon them for food.
December 9, 2003Horseshoe Crabs: Free Lunch To Birds
The breeding grounds for horseshoe crabs is a vital stopover for thousands of migrating birds.
December 8, 2003Horseshoe Crabs: Mass Spawners
They’re older than dinosaurs, and part of the secret to their success is the way they breed.
December 5, 2003Jonkonnu: Safety Valve
In the early 1800’s, letting off steam at the annual Jonkonnu celebrations may have been a social safety valve.
December 4, 2003Jonkonnu: Reconstructing
A widely celebrated event during the 1800’s inspired historians and local residents of eastern North Carolina to reconstruct its spectacle.
December 3, 2003Jonkonnu: 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 2, 2003Jonkonnu: Origins
In North Carolina, the festival of Jonkonnu is celebrated with influences from West Africa, England, and the Caribbean.
December 1, 2003Yoiks – Carrying On The Tradition
The nomadic Sami herdsmen of Scandinavia have preserved their oral history in a unique form of story-song called a “yoik.”