Surprising Customs and Traditions From Around the World

 

 Radik Rudnev School #1 of Putyvl, Ukraine 

St. Nicholas Day

Every year, on December 19, Ukrainians celebrate St. Nicholas Day Despite many years of attempts to "supplant" him with the fabulous Santa Claus and Santa, no one knows what he really was and how he earned the special trust of Ukrainians. St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 19, or rather, it occurs during the night of December 18-19, when, according to an old and sweet legend, a bearded old man in red travels the world with his faithful donkey helper and puts small gifts and sweets for children under pillows.

Bread and Salt Tradition

Bread and salt on an embroided towel is an ancient Slavic symbol that means the hospitality of the Ukrainian people.  The most dear guests were always greeted with bread and salt.

 A person who is served bread and salt breaks off a piece of bread, dips it in salt, and then eats it.

  "Bread and salt to your home!"  the guests say to the hosts. Nowdays this tradition still remains but mainly at some official events to give the event more hospitality and national spirit. 

Hopak

The whole Ukrainian soul is in the hopak. This dance is a visiting card of Ukrainian folk art. Spectators from all over the world applauded him many times.

Ivana Kupala Holiday

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is more than two thousand years old.  Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated on the night of July 6-7.  This holiday was celebrated throughout Ukraine according to old folk songs.  It is believed that the Kupala fire purifies.  In ancient times, if a person on the night of Ivan Kupala refused to jump over the fire, they were suspected of witchcraft.  Ivan Kupala's night is considered magical.  Weddings were held on this day.  The girls curled wreaths of herbs, and in the evening they let them into the water, watching how and where they floated.  If the wreath sinks, it means that the betrothed has fallen out of love and will not marry him

Borsch

In Ukraine there is a national dish of borsch. It is cooked with beets, cabbage, potatoes, onions, meat and water. People love to eat with sour cream and lard. It is our national dish.

 

Varenyky

Varenyky are popular Ukrainian dumplings filled with a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, meat, cheese, sauerkraut, eggs, mushrooms, and even fruit. These stuffed dumplings are usually shaped into squares or half-moons, boiled or steamed, then drizzled with oil or melted butter and paired with sour cream.

The sweet, fruit-filled version is typically served with sugar and sour cream. These dumplings are so popular that there is even a monument celebrating varenyky in the city of Cherkasy.

                

Blue Eye Bead Tradition from Turkey/Kozlu Anatolian High School

          Nazar beads, or evil-eye beads, are traditional Anatolian beads used to ward off evil, similar to evil-eye traditions all over the world. The word “nazar” is derived from the Arabic word for “sight,” and is sometimes also referred to in Turkey as a “Blue bead” or “mavi boncuk.”

Top Three Uses for Beads

1-Gifts for Newborn Babies

2-Hidden on Clothing to Ward Off Evil

3-Homedecoration and Clothing   Prepared by Ceren&Esma

 

  

 One of Our Common Traditions: Bayram Visits &  Kissing on the Hand

(Prepared by Şule & Yaren & Nazlı

                    from Tes-Is Adapazarı Anatolian High School  /Senem Sönmez)

  It is a common tradition in Turkey to visit each other during ”bayram”.

Bayram  is called as “festival /feast” in English.We have two religious  feasts.Ramadan Feast is celebrated at the end of the Ramadan.It lasts  3 days.Approximately two months later The Feast of Sacrifice is celebrated.It lasts 4 days.On these days relatives/friends visit each other,  sons /daughters kiss their parents on the hand and sometimes children /teenagers kiss  close  friends/relatives on the hand ,especially if they are old,  in order to show respect. Young people get pocket money  or presents like sweets,chocolate etc.

  In the previous years  children around the neighbourhood would  ring the doorbell, celebrate bayram, kiss elderly on the hand and after that  cologne is poured inside their hand and they were given sweets/chocolate or pocket money.Nowadays, especially after pandemic we could rarely see it.

  Cologne, chocolate, candies, baklava, coffee, ayran are some of the traditional bayram habits.(Here we are talking in general.In Turkey, there are so many bayram traditions  and traditional bayram food in each region.)

IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco 

THE BRASCIOLE

The term ‘brasciole’ indicates harse meat rolls preparated in Apulia, medium to large in size. In the Bari and Taranto province, the tradition wants that it is customary to prepare this dish on holidays, cooking them in a tomato sauce wised than to season traditional orecchiette, homemade pasta typical of Apulia.

The orecchiette with brasciole ragù represent the Sunday dish par excellence in many Apulia families.

PREPARATION

The thin slices of meat are beaten with a meat tenderizer, salted and peppered and seasoned with parsley, cheese, garlic and my mother also puts capers in it, the slices are then rolled up and then tied with sewing thread or browened with wine white and cooked in the traditional tomato sauce.

Edited by Giusy Ricci

IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco 

Cribs in Apulia 

Puglia is a world to be descovered, there are many customs and traditions that a tourist must know. One of the traditions to know, in Puglia, specifically in Castellaneta and surroundings during the Christmas period around 22 December there is the exhibition of the cribs, in the old cellars BEAUTIFUL cribs are made and seeing them is something fantastic. For a Catholic tourist, the crib event is very important. A tradition held every year in Castellaneta is the “LIVING NATIVITY SCENE”. It is an important and exciting event because all the days of today and even bigger people show us what is the story by bringing us for a moment of “real”. This representation takes place in the caves that we find in the streets of the “Historic center” of Castellaneta.

https://youtu.be/1zKiIazyDjQ

This video tells us about the tradition of nativity scenes and explains their importance.

Nativity of the “living nativity scene” of Castellaneta

Edited by Francesca Lippolis 

IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco 

Ancient Christmas Trees 

My grandmother always tells me about an ancient Apulian tradition, starting from the beginning of the twentieth century. The first Christmas trees were decorated with oranges and tangerines, embellished with silver stars, gold threads, silk or small ribbons pieces of cotton, to give the idea of ​​snow. On the branches, children found toys, gifts, candies and chocolates. After the blessing of the head of the family, they were distributed to the children. The tree was a symbol of welcome we sang, played and danced all together near the tree.Today our houses are dominated by majestic trees decorated with Christmas balls of various sizes and colors, glitter, fake snow, feathers and necklaces and chains silver or gilded not to mention the various garlands that we have throughout the house.

Edited by Asia Milano

IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco 

 Carnival 

During the carnival period in Italy the carnival is celebrated in the countries of Christian tradition and in particular in those of the Catholic rite, the celebrations take place in public streets. There are many games but one of the most fundamental is masking

In Puglia one of the most important carnivals was born in 1394, it is the CARNIVAL OF PUTIGNANO, a small town in the province of Bari, where carnival begins on the day of St Stephen on 26 December

     

     

      The Dauno or Sipontino Carnival is an event held in Manfredonia. A parade of papier-mâché allegorical floats takes place. Typical dishes are eaten.

The Massafra Carnival traditionally begins on January 17, the day when the feast of Sant'Antonio abate occurs. From January 17, the festivities were "Thursday of the monks", the "Thursday of the priests".

Edited by Vittoria Leggieri

IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco 

 Apulian wines

Italy, and Apulia as well, is famous for its wine production.

The wine production of Apulia is among the most important in Italy in terms of quantity. It started with Romans. Among the many fine wines of Apulia we find the Primitivo di Manduria, that is a DOC wine.

Primitivo di Manduria is a natural sweet wine whose production takes place in the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi, with a red color and a pleasant taste. It is drunk with first meat or vegetables courses and with meat main courses.

Other well-known red wines are: Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Salice Salentino.

Drinking a glass of wine here in Apulia is also a way to share time with friends or tho relax while you read you favorite book and taste finger foods like tarallini or bruschette. 

Edited by Monica Mayerhofer 

IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco 

 Visit Rome! 

Rome is a perfect destination for tourism and in particular for the field of visits and school trips. You can’t miss the capital of Italy if you travel to our country. 

Rome is a big cosmopolitan city with an artistic, architectural and cultural history that has influenced the whole world and that goes back almost 3000 years. The ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum bear witness to the power of the ancient Roman Empire. In the Vatican City, seat of the Catholic Church, there are St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which houses masterpieces such as the Sistine Chapel, where there are frescoes by Michelangelo.

The Colosseum is located in the center of the city of Rome, and is the largest amphitheater in the world. Capable of holding an estimated number of spectators between 50,000 and 87,000.

It is known throughout the world as a symbol of the city of Rome and one of the symbols of Italy.

The Colosseum,in the past, was used to play games during which, according to the sources, the fights between gladiators and animals in the morning, would alternate with the afternoon performances, mostly characterized by executions, representations of famous battles also naval and ritual sacrifices.

The beauties that the eternal city guards and makes available to tourists and visitors on a daily basis, in fact, are countless and some of these are symbolic places of the Capital. These destinations are for example “I Musei Vaticani” and “Basilica di San Pietro” and welcome every day thousands of tourists from all over Italy and the world.

Then there are “Il Foro”,Circus Maximus and Baths of Caracalla that are ancient places full of memory that often turn into epicenter of the cultural life of the capital with exceptional theatrical performances, Trevi Fountain, in Piazza del Popolo we can visit three churches, the obelisk and the admirable fountains.While in Castel Sant'Angelo instead we can admire the famous castle, passing through the bridge adorned by ten famous statues representing angels.

The Pantheon cannot be forgotten, its dome houses a perfectly centered oculus that illuminates the entire building with evocative plays of light.

The city is a real open-air museum, and it is no coincidence that it is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from all over the world.

Edited by Marika Gasparre