Bride in Red: Hindu Wedding Ceremonies

Before the ceremony:

Before getting married, the bride at a Hindu wedding ceremony does everything to make sure her wedding day is a lucky one. A holy mam studies the horoscopes of the bride to choose the right day for the wedding, so that the marriage will be long and happy. Will the marriage be a happy one if the wedding takes place on Wednesday, or would it be better to wait until the full moon on Friday?

On the wedding day itself

After checking all the signs very carefully, the wedding day is chosen. There are the weeks of preparation and excitement that are common to all cultures, and then finally, on the wedding day itself, before helping her with her dress, the bride's sisters and female friends paint her hands and feet with henna. Henna is a reddish-orange dyestuff prepared from the dried and ground leaves of the henna plant. When she is ready, she puts on a red sari, the colour which will bring her good luck for the marriage. A sari is an outer garment worn chiefly by women of India and Pakistan, consisting of a length of lightweight cloth with one end wrapped about the waist to form a skirt and the other draped over the shoulder or covering the head. Red is believed to be a lucky colour since it is supposed to provide protection against the evil eye.

During the ceremony

During the ceremony, the groom's relatives place a small mark of red paste on her forehead to show she is a married woman. After decorating the bride with jewels, they cover both her face and and that of the groom with a veil. And then she is married. During the reception, the guests enjoy a feast of food and drink, while the bride and groom sit together and share their meal.

Did you know?

When an Indian bride first steps into her new home, she has to undergo the ritual of her having to dip her feet in red water and walk bare feet on the floor of the house. That custom symbolizes the beginning of her new role as a married woman.

Cool Link:

More about this topic at:
India - The Color Red: Simplicity, Purity and Candor

* This blog post is also featured on the COLOURlovers Wedding Forum.

French-Canadian Influence in the Kitchen: Cajun Cuisine

Cajun is a member of a people living in Louisiana in the US, who were originally French-Canadian. Cajuns have their own language, which is related to French, and they are also known for their lively music, and for their cooking, which is spicy and uses a lot of fish and shellfish. Traditonal dishes of Cajun cuisine are gumbo (a stew or soup whose key ingredient is okra, the African plant okingumbo) and Jambalaya, which is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence consisting of rice.

Cool Link:

Learn more about Cajun Cuisine.

Cool Links: Famous Stories Retold

A link containing stories from History retold by James Baldwin. It includes the famous story of Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth.

Cool Link:
Fifty Famous Stories Retold

Shopping for Fun: Punny Store Names

Classical rhetoricians favoured the important-sounding term paronomasia -playing on the sounds and meanings of words. Linguists refer to them as homophones - different words that are pronounced the same way (not weigh). And psychologists use phrases like ambiguity resolution and bistable illusion.
We simply call them puns. And whether or not you're a fan of word play, puns are inescapable.
Here are some sites featuring the shamelessly punny names of English-speaking shops, bars, hair salons, restaurants, dog groomers and service stations.
The 50 Best Pun Stores
Shop Horror - The Best of the Worst in British Shop Names

Celebrity Gossip: Fears & Phobias

What do celebrities fear? A little known fact about Oprah Winfrey is that you will never see her chewing a stick of gum. Ever. Sometime in her childhood, the time in a person's life when fears often start, Winfrey developed a chewing gum phobia. Learn about celebrities' fears and phobias at this link:
Fears and Phobias of 25 Big Celebrities

Very British: The Deerstalker

The deer·stalker is a tight-fitting hat with visors in the front and back, originally worn by hunters. It is popularly associated with the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

Cool Links:

More about the deerstalker:

Deerstalker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History of Valentine Cards

It is believed that the "valentine" was the first greeting card.

Valentine's Day is the second largest card sending and receiving day each year only surpassed by Christmas. One billion valentine cards are sent each year.

The first written valentine is attributed to a young Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans. From his confinement in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, Charles fought his lonely confinement by writing romantic poems or rhymed love letters to his wife in France. About sixty of them remain. They can be seen among the royal papers in the British Museum.

During the fifteenth century, one valentine showed a drawing of a knight and a lady, with Cupid in the act of sending an arrow to pierce the knight's heart.

By the sixteenth century written valentines were so common that St. Francis de Sales, fearing for the souls of his English congregation, sermonized against them.

During the seventeenth century people made their own valentines using original verse or poems copied from booklets with appropriate verse. The Victorians took the cards to elaborate lengths, trimming them with lace, silks and satins and embellishing them with special details like feathers, flowers, Cupids and hearts, gold leaf, hand painted details and even sweetly perfumed sachets.

The first commercial valentines appeared circa 1800 and were rather simplistic. Cards were hand-delivered. Until the mid-1800's, the cost of sending mail was beyond the means of the average person, and the recipient, not the sender, was expected to pay the cost of mailing. It wasn't until the advent of the penny posts that the modern custom of sending Valentine's cards really gained critical mass.

By the 1830's and 1840's Valentines contained delicate and artistic messages. Valentines made of fine papers and decorated with satin, ribbon, or lace commanded high prices. They had pictures of turtledoves, lovers' knots in gold or silver, bow and arrows, cupids, and bleeding hearts. All of these symbols have become associated with love and lovers.

In the 1840's the first mechanical valentines were introduced. By pulling a tab, a figure or object on the card could be made to move. Some had elaborate honeycomb pop-outs or various other three-dimensional features.

Manufactured Valentine cards didn't appear until the end of the nineteenth century.

"Penny" postcards, which were popular from about 1890 to 1917, were called penny postcards because they were mailed with a one-penny postage stamp.

It was very "proper" at that time to collect and display your collection of postcards and trade cards in the parlour. Friends and guests would often sit for hours, leafing through the album while they visited.

The penny postcard became so popular during this era that photographers, studios, printers, and business were always trying to find new and exciting subjects to satisfy an audience that was hungry for new ideas to impress their friend at home.

To make their cards stand out, people often sought out real photographic postcards. Instead of mass-produced lithographs, these were actual photographs made with a postcard printed back.

The photography studios often employed women to hand tint and colour the black & white photo postcards. Some of the best photo postcards came from Germany, which was also famous for its detailed and colourful lithography. Popular subjects for these photo postcards were women, children, flowers, and young lovers, posed and arranged in an effort to portray the idealized virtues of the Victorian Era.

A Mount Holyoke College student, Miss Esther Howland, crafted the first U.S. made valentines. Her father, a stationer in Worcester, MA, imported valentines every year from England. Esther, however, decided to create her own valentine messages. Around 1830 she began importing lace, fine papers, and other supplies for her valentines. She employed several assistants and her brothers helped market her "Worcester" valentines. As one of our first successful U.S. career women her sales amounted to about $100,000 per year in 1847 not bad for that era!!

A purchased valentine became the most popular way to declare love during the early decades of the nineteenth century.

We've seen a change from the heavy sentimentality of earlier days to what can best be described as a light touch. Nowadays a valentine usually accompanies a more elaborate gift of candy, flowers, perfume, etc.

American school children usually celebrate St. Valentine's Day with a party at school. Prior to the party the children make a decorated box with a slot in the top. During the party the children distribute valentines to their classmates' Valentine's Box.

Valentine cards are manufactured on an enormous scale today that range from the sentimental to sophisticated to humorous valentines. There is a valentine for everyone--sweetheart, spouse, children, parents, teacher and even your pet!

Symbols Found on Valentines

* Ribbons, Laces and Frills
Ribbons and frills have been associated with romance since the days of knighthood when a knight rode into battle with a ribbon or scarf given him by his lady fair. The word "Lace" comes from a Latin word meaning a “noose” or to "snare".
Victorian women carried lace handkerchiefs, if a woman dropped her handkerchief a man might pick it up and return it to her thus giving a reason to meet him or talk. She might even drop her lace handkerchief on purpose!

* Rings
In some countries men and women exchange rings when they become engaged or marry. Valentines Day has been traditionally a popular day for giving an engagement ring.

* Hearts
To a beloved, there is no symbol as important as the heart. To give someone your heart means to give to him or her one's whole being, for the heart is at the center of one's existence. The heart stands for the most profound and noblest of human emotions- that of love. Thus a heart, pierced by the cupid's arrow, has become the most famous of the valentine's symbols.

* Cupid
Cupid, the mischievous son of the Goddess of Love, Venus, is supposedly responsible for people falling in love. According to the myths, anyone being hit by Cupid's arrow falls in love with the first person he/she sees. His mischievous intentions have led to some entertaining situations in various legends. Cupid in the Roman mythology has Eros, the son of Aphrodite, as his counterpart in the Greek Myths. The names of both these Gods are used synonymously with the concept of love today.
Cherubs are descendants of Cupid. They are depicted as lovable little winged creatures without arrows and quivers. Cherubs were typically not mischievous like Cupid.

* The Rose
The rose, which is undoubtedly the most popular flower in the world, speaks of love and has been the choice of lovers in every century. If you rearrange the letters of the word rose you get Eros, the god of Love.
The rose was a favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red is a color that stands for strong feelings. Thus a red rose is a flower of love.
There are formal meanings of different colored roses in some cultures. Each of these meanings is still used in society today, so choose your color with care.
White roses are for true love and purity of the mind.
Red roses are for love and passion.
Yellow roses are for friendship.
Black roses mean farewell.
Pink roses mean friendship or sweetheart.

* Love Knot
A series of winding and interlacing loops with no beginning and no end. It is a symbol of endless lover. People made love knots from ribbons or drew them on paper. Often a message was written on the love know. The message had no beginning or end it could be repeated endlessly.
Young women in strict Muslim households used to send their pledges of love to young men through messages woven through the knots of a carpet in an Arab tradition.

* Hands
A lady's hand was a favorite decoration that depicted "femininity." Adding a frilly cuff and a jeweled ring on the third finger enhanced its beauty. Clasped hands represent those of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and were symbols of the friendship between their countries of Germany and England.
When a man proposed marriage he “asked for her hand” The hand became a symbol of marriage and lover. Soon gloves also became a symbol of love.

* Love Birds and Doves
It was thought that birds chose their mate on February 14.
Lovebirds are colorful parrots found in Africa. They are called lovebirds because they sit closely together in pairs.
Doves were thought to be favorite birds of Venus. They remain with the same mates all their lives. The males and females both care for their babies. Because these birds are symbols of fidelity, loyalty, and love, they have become the most endearing symbols of the spirit of Valentine's Day.

* Puzzik
A puzzik is a quaint sort of homemade valentine circa 1840, which was a puzzle that the receiver had to solve. Not only did she have to decipher the message but also to figure how to refold the paper once it was opened. The order of the verses was usually numbered, and the recipient had to twist the folds to determine what was being said.

* Rebus
Although it had many forms, a rebus usually was a romantic verse written in ink with certain words omitted and illustrated with a picture. Meant to be a riddle, they were not always easy to decipher.

* Watch Papers
Popular when men carried pocket watches, these were made to fit the back or front of a pocket watch.

Cool link to another blog:

Vintage Valentines

Cool Link to another site:

History of the Card

Royals: Hampton Court

A large building southwest of London, which belonged to Henry VIII and was used as a royal palace until the 18th century. It is open to the public, and there is a famous maze (= a system of narow paths, separated by tall hedges, which is difficult to find your way through.)

Cool Link:

Visit Hampton Court Palace

Cool Links: Fruit Liqueurs

Liqueur is a flavoured and sweetened distilled liquor (an alcoholic beverage made by distillation rather than by fermentation) with alcohol content ranging from 24 percent to 60 percent by volume. Liqueurs are produced by combining a base spirit (an alcoholic beverage, especially distilled liquor), usually brandy, with fruits or herbs and are sweetened by the addition of a sugar syrup composing more than 2 1/2 percent of the total beverage by volume.
The word liqueur is derived from the Latin liquefacere, meaning “to make liquid.” Liqueurs were probably first produced commercially by medieval monks and alchemists. They have been called balms, crèmes, elixirs, and oils and have been used over the centuries as medicines and tonics, love potions, and aphrodisiacs.
Fruit liqueurs are produced by the infusion method, in which fruit is steeped in the spirit, which absorbs aroma, flavour, and colour.

Cool Link:
Cook's Thesaurus: Fruit Liqueurs

Very British: The Willow Pattern

The willow-pattern ware, sometimes porcelain but frequently opaque pottery, originated in Staffordshire, England, c.1780. Thomas Minton, then an apprentice potter, developed and engraved the design, presumably after an old Chinese legend. It portrays the garden of a rich mandarin whose young daughter elopes with his secretary. The lovers, overtaken on the bridge by her father, are transformed by the gods into birds and flutter beyond his reach. The scene with its willow tree covers the central part of a plate, dish, or bowl, with a border of butterflies, daggers, a fret, or other motif. The blue-and-white chinaware on which it appeared became immensely popular, and the design was reproduced with variations by many European potters and even in Asia, where it is still constantly employed, most of the ware being exported to Western countries.

Cool Link:

The Willow Pattern Story

An Insight into the Victorian Era

Cool Link:

A website offering a complete insight into the Victorian era in terms of its political and social issues, gender matters and visual arts.
The Victorian Web: An Overview

Cool Links: Eating Utensils & Table Etiquette

From prehistoric times to our days, see how much eating utensils have evolved. Check out this cool link:

A History of Dining Utensils

Where do you put your knife and fork and salad fork? Who do you sit where? All about table etiquette at these two links:

Proper Table Manners
Table Manners in Different Cultures

Cool Links: Origin of Greatest Brand Names

People often wonder where the brand names of the best-selling companies come from. These two links offer some explanations.

World's greatest brand name. Where does it come from?

List of company name etymologies

Pink Panties For Xmas & Other Colour Legends

Cool Links:

A post written by me on three Christmas colour legends:

- The Robin Redbreast

- Pink Panties for Christmas

- The Poinsettia Legend

Christmas Color Legends

(addded on 31-12-2009):
The post was chosen by Disegnora as one of the great December links (category: Inspiration):
The December 2009 Finale: 50+ Great Design Links for All

Christmas Drinks: Eggnog

Eggnog is a sweet dairy drink made with milk, cream, sugar, beaten eggs, and flavoured with cinnamon and nutmeg. Alcoholic kinds are also made. Eggnog is a popular drink in the United States and Canada, and is usually drunk with winter parties such as Christmas and New Year. Its French name is lait de poule (literally "hen's milk").

Cool Link:
Eggnog

Cool Link: The Christmas Stockings Legend

The legend of the Christmas stockings as well as Christmas recipes and other Christmas traditions explained in this site.
The Legend of the Christmas Stockcings - Holidays Net

Unique & Exotic Names for Boys & Girls

Some people want to choose memorable names for their boys and girls. This site offers a guide of new, ancient, historical, mystical and magical original names for babies, including famous names and Sioux names.
Best Exotic Baby Names

Animals: Pheasants in UK and US

A pheasant a large long-tailed bird, shot for food, the male of which is usually brightly coloured. Pheasants can legally be shot in certain seasons in Britain and the US, and in Britain shooting them is considered an upper-class sport.

Cool Link:
Animal Symbolism of the Pheasant

Lucky Food: Fortune Cookies

Babygirl fortune cookies.

Chocolate-covered cookies.

Messages inside the fortune cookies.

A fortune cookie is a cookie made from a thin layer of dough folded and baked around a slip of paper bearing a prediction of fortune or a maxim.

Cool link from Wikipedia:
Fortune Cookie

Cool Link: Art & Romance

Especially for women, a collection of romantic book covers including images of excellent artistic quality as well as galleries about Christmas and Valentine's Day.

Cool Link:
Romance Book Covers