A Brief History As Christmas (December 25th) approaches, we ask, “Who doesn’t like the holidays?” In general, holidays are viewed as fun and relaxing, as people have a chance to exchange presents and eat scrumptious food. They get to do fun things like enjoying free spins at casinos, watch fantastic parades, and take a break from their daily routine, but although holidays have a positive connotation nowadays, it was not always the case. Some holidays were born out of hideous events that took place centuries ago, and with time, people forgot what had led to the celebrations in the first…
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A Brief History On December 11, 2012, an Alawite village in Syria, Aqrab, was the scene of horrific tragedy as terrorist bombs went off and killed about 125 people and injured an additional 200. Known as the Aqrab Massacre, this sad series of events were but a smaller part in the ongoing Syrian Civil War that began in 2011. Other estimates of fatalities in the Massacre range up to 300 dead. In the West, the Islamic religion is often portrayed as a monolithic entity, and when differences in Islamic theology are recognized it is usually in the context of the…
A Brief History On December 4, 1829, the British Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, representative of the King of the United Kingdom in India, made a ruling that was vehemently opposed by local Indian people (presumably men) that made the traditional practice of suttee (also known as sati) illegal. This practice being outlawed was a time honored Indian tradition of a widow sits or lays on top of the funeral pyre of her husband, sacrificing herself by being incinerated along with the body of her deceased spouse. Suttee was a traditional practice in the Bengal region of India and had no…
A Brief History On December 2, 2019, if you have not already waited in line for an hour or more, or more likely was smart and ordered yours online long ago, you may not be enjoying your wine, beer, cheese, candy, or even Hot Wheel Car from your commercially purchased Advent Calendar! What is the deal with these “Advent Calendars” you keep seeing in ads and hearing about from your friends? (Note: There are no commercial links in this article.) Digging Deeper In the Christian religions, the term “Advent” means a coming, usually regarding the coming birth of Jesus Christ…
A Brief History On November 28, 2002, Islamic terrorists struck at Israeli targets in Mombasa, a port city on the East coast of Africa in the country of Kenya. Supposedly upset over the 55th anniversary of the creation of Israel, an event that by definition also meant the dissolution of Palestine and the separation of the Palestinian people, Army of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attacks, an all-terrain vehicle suicide bombing and the attempted downing of an Israeli charter jet. Digging Deeper The all-terrain vehicle was loaded with explosives and driven through a protective barrier to reach the Paradise Hotel,…