WHY DO WE CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY? (or, How to Impress Your Friends with Useless Trivia) The St. Valentine's Day Story.... ---by Professor B.H. Pontefract "…the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last, Writ in remembrance more than things long past." --William Shakespeare You too can sound really smart when you quote dead people like the poet and playwright William Shakespeare.… read more
Jelly beans are another historical mystery—no one is really sure when or how they were invented. We do know that it has seen many different forms. Turkish delights—made of jelled sugar and rosewater and coated with powdered sugar—are the ancient, famous cousin of jelly beans. They have been enjoyed ever since the times of ancient Rome, and are even mentioned… read more
For centuries Rock Candy has been recognized as having marked therapeutic and preservative qualities. In fact, in the West, sugar was used only as a medicine or preservative up to the middle of the 18th century when people "discovered" it made a sweet treat as well. The earliest known date that white sugar was refined was about 200 C.E. so… read more
From earliest antiquity, mint leaves have been used in medicine and for culinary purposes? The Greeks also regarded it as a sign of hospitality; Romans crowned themselves with mint leaves during feasts and are responsible for introducing the herb throughout Europe. In sanitation sparse medieval times, mint was highly valued as an aromatic herb. Home were strewn with mint, and… read more
Licorice has been around since ancient times and is believed to give vitality and longevity. It is sometimes used as a beautifying agent and aphrodisiac- an "elixir of life." Great quantities were found with the fabulous treasures of King Tut, and other Egyptian rulers -- for it was believed that the licorice could be used to prepare a sweet drink… read more
Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days. Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great… read more
Some of the slang words used by the very coolest kids in the 1950s still infiltrate popular culture today, though others have fallen by the wayside. But just because some of these words are still around doesn't mean that everyone understands them. Once you learn these terms, however, you might just find yourself using them, too. Actor: Most people hear… read more
