Occasional Digest

This article explores the historical roots and cultural evolution of Valentine's Day, tracing its origins to a blend of ancient Roman rituals and early Christian martyrology . The text highlights various legends surrounding Saint Valentine , a figure who allegedly defied imperial law to perform clandestine weddings or sent the first romantic message from prison. It also explains how the holiday li...

Unfortunately, the history of this day has become somewhat obscured over time, so it is not widely known why it came to be considered unlucky. The “Thirteen Club”: In the late 19th century, a group in New York, led by Civil War Captain William Fowler, formed the “Thirteen Club” to actively defy the superstition. Members held their first meeting on Friday, January 13, 1882, in room 13, sat down to...

In 1886, Myanmar (then called Burma) came under British control, but the British made a distinction between how central Burma and the various outlying ethnic groups were ruled. Following the end of the Second World War, General Aung San, head of the interim Burmese government and representatives from the Shan states, the Kachin hills and the Chin hills met in Panglong to determine the future of Bu...

Iran had been an absolute monarchy ruled by the Pahlavi dynasty since 1925. In the 1960s, a series of reforms intended to modernise Iran had failed to improve the economic conditions. Large-scale rioting took place following the arrest of the cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who had made a speech attacking the Shah. Khomeini was sent into exile in November 1964. In 1978, resistance against the...

Paul was being transported to Rome as a prisoner on a ship that had sailed from Adramyttium in modern-day Turkey. On the journey, the ship had been damaged by storms and was driven aground in Malta. Paul was made welcome by the islanders. When making a fire, Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake and the locals were astonished that he suffered no ill-effects. Paul then healed the father of an island...

The Royal Hobart Regatta is a series of aquatic competitions and displays held annually in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and is Tasmania’s oldest sporting event. The event runs for three days, ending on the second Monday in February, and dominates the whole river for the duration of the event. The Monday is a public holiday in southern and eastern Tasmania. The areas are South of and including Oatla...

This holiday commemorates the death of France Prešeren (1800 – 1849), a Slovene poet who is regarded as the greatest Slovene classical author. The day also serves as a time to reflect on all Slovene cultural achievements. Prešeren was noted for his sonnets and his poem Zdravljica (A Toast) was adopted as Slovenia’s national anthem. During World war II, Slovene artists had been repressed and were f...

Before the Europeans arrived in the Americas, Grenada was home to the Indigenous peoples. Christopher Columbus sighted it during his third voyage to the Americas in 1498. Grenada had been occupied by various European nations since the start colonization of the new world in the sixteenth century. In 1649, France took full control of the island becoming one of the wealthiest colonies due to its suga...

The Treaty made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, guaranteed Māori rights to their land and gave Māori the rights of British citizens. The treaty was signed in Waitangi, a town in the Bay of Islands, by a group of Maori chiefs and the British Government, as represented by Lieutenant-Governor Hobson. In February 1840, it was at Te Tii marae where Ngāpuhi (the largest Māori iwi – tribe) host...

Burundi gained full independence from Belgium in 1962. This began a period of instability in the fledgling landlocked nation. It moved from a constitutional monarchy to a republic and lurched into civil war and ethnic cleansing. In 1987, Major Pierre Buyoya led a military coup d’état to overthrow Col. Bagaza, who himself had come to power in a military coup. Before returning to a democratically el...

Portuguese colonisation of this west African country began with coastal settlements and trading posts founded in the 16th century., though it wasn’t until the 1920s when Portugal could claim control of the whole region now known as Angola. By the start of the 1960s, several African nations had gained independence from colonial control, such as Ghana and Angola’s neighbour, Congo. While the movemen...

Europeans first visited Mozambique during the voyages of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco Da Gama at the end of the fifteenth century. By 1530, Portugal had established a strong presence in the region effectively controlling the area. In September 1964, growing unrest amongst many Mozambicans together with similar movements in other Portuguese territories led to the start of an armed guerrilla campa...

St. Brigid is one of the three Patron Saints of Ireland, the other two are St. Columba and of course, St. Patrick. Brigid is a Catholic and Orthodox saint. She was a pupil of St. Patrick and became famous for her kindness, mercy, and her miracles. In addition, Brigitte founded Ireland’s most famous mixed (male and female) monastery in County Kildare. In The Life of Brigid, her biographer, Cogitosu...

Guru Ravidas was born at the end of the 14th century in Seer Govardhanpur village, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was born into a low caste family who were regarded as untouchables. Guru Ravidas was one of the first people to argue that all Indians should have a set of basic human rights. He became an eminent figure in the Bhakti Movement and taught spirituality and tried to bring forward a message of e...

This has been one of the most important festivals of the Ahom since at least their arrival in Assam in the 12th century. It is a festival to show respect to the departed ancestors and remember their contribution to society. The word ‘Me’ means offerings. ‘Dam’ means ancestors and ‘Phi’ means gods. So while this festival is seen as ancestor worship, the name reflects the Ahom belief that ancestors...

A REFORMED character has admitted he cannot bring to mind the last occasion when he exposed his bare buttocks to the world as a statement.

During the 11th century, a debate raged in Christian churches over which of the three hierarchs was indeed the greatest. Some people believed it was Saint Basil, while others were firmly in the corner of John Chrysostom. Each of these saints had their own feast day in January—with St. Basil having his on January 1st , Saint Gregory on January 25th , and John Chrysostom on January 27th . The Easter...

Saint Valerius was a bishop of the capital city of Saragossa and was a part of the Council of Elbira. He, along with his deacon Vincent of Saragossa, was imprisoned under Roman Emperor Diocletian around the year 306. He was venerated by the people of Zaragoza and is the patron saint of the city.

In September 1991, a referendum for independence in Armenia ended nearly 70 years of Soviet rule. By December 1991, the State Committee of Defense was established by the order of the President of the Republic of Armenia, Vazgen Sargsyan became the Minister of Defense. The Armenian National Army was established on January 28th 1992, by decree of President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan.