Tag Archives: Culture

Nautical Fashion & The Breton Stripe: Why do sailors wear stripes?

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Lior

When you think “sailors” you may picture men in Cracker Jack style Dixie cup hats and Popeye-esque anchor tattoos, or you may picture men in navy and white horizontal “sailor stripe” shirts. Have you ever wondered why nautical fashion involves … Continue reading →

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Mothering Sunday: Britain’s History of Mother’s Day

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Lior

If you’re British or are familiar with British customs, you’ll know that in the UK there is a different date for Mother’s Day celebrations than in the States. What’s more, traditionally the British day of celebration is not known as … Continue reading →

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The Peace Sign Symbol: History and Meaning of the Peace Sign

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Lior

Have you ever wondered how a circled straight line intersected by an upside down V-shape became a peace symbol? Here’s a look at the peace sign origins:

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History of cakes: The history of the Birthday Cake

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Lior

Why do we celebrate birthdays with birthday cake? Have you ever wondered why we celebrate birthdays with cake? Why not fruit salad? Or chopped liver? The answer lies in the history of birthday celebrations.

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Birthday Song History: Why do we sing the “Happy Birthday to you” song on birthdays?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Lior

The Happy Birthday song is one of the most widely sung songs in the world. But when did the tradition of singing this merry tune begin? The answer is around the late 1890s to early 1900s, but the story is … Continue reading →

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Anchor tattoo meaning: Why do people get anchor tattoos?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Lior

Anchor tattoos are one of the oldest tattoo designs in the West and they are still popular today. Why do people get anchor tattoos? What does the anchor symbol mean?

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Good luck Symbols: Maneki neko: The lucky beckoning cat

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Lior

If you’re not Chinese or Japanese, you may not have heard the term “maneki neko” but you may well have seen one; most probably in a Chinese or Japanese restaurant or shop. Maneki neko is a good luck charm in … Continue reading →

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Good Luck Charms: Why is the Rabbit’s Foot lucky?

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Lior

Even if most of us today don’t carry rabbits’ feet around with us, most of us are aware of them as a superstitious symbol of good luck. Why do we consider the rabbit’s foot lucky?

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What is a hipster? and what’s the story behind hipster fashion?

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Lior

Have you ever seen a scruffily clad teen, 20-or 30-something wearing large, thick, black glasses (perhaps even without lenses!), possibly sporting a badge featuring nothing but a mysterious black mustache? Or perhaps you’ve noticed people who look like they’ve just … Continue reading →

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Origin of the toast: Why do we toast?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Lior

If an alien landed on Earth and observed a human stand up whilst holding a glass, followed by a room full of people all holding up their glasses and taking a sip in perfect unison amidst a chorus of shouts, … Continue reading →

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