If you are planning to travel abroad this summer, you should brush up on some of the traditional superstitions. Try your hand with these.
1. Those of you who attend a Jewish wedding might be surprised at the sight of the groom stepping on a glass and breaking it at the end of the event. What is the commemoration of this custom? The birth of his mother-in-law; the ruin of the first Holy Temple; The Wall Street crash; The great Safed earthquake.
2. A traveler sojourning through the northern sections of Canada is likely to find numerous rock piles dotting the landscape. What is one of these piles of rocks called? An inuksuk; a Spirit Bear; an igloo; a mukluk.
3. The Maloik is an extremely popular gesture with fans of heavy metal. By what other name is it known? Loser; Iron fist; Devil’s horns; Peace.
4. Who supposedly created the well near the palace at Oxford in Kent by striking his staff against the ground? Thomas A. Becket; Henry II; Oliver Cromwell; Moses.
5. The copper statues of the Liver Birds, perched atop Liverpool’s Liver Building, are said to rise up and fly at midnight only when the moon is red. When they’re resting on the buildings, though, these 18-foot tall statues resemble which birds? Eagles; cormorants; emus; mourning doves.
6. The last one of which of these was alleged to have been killed at Humphrey Head, a limestone cliff and cave complex near Allithwaite in Cumberland? Dragon; Viking; dwarf; wolf.
7. What profession do leprechauns traditionally have? Banker; Barber; Bartender; Shoemaker.
8. What makes people “pucker their lips” and plant a great, big, wet smacker on the piece of ancient limestone called the “Blarney Stone?” To bring the power of eloquent speech to that person; to bring luck in money, love and health; to heal the broken hearts of spurned lovers; to bring an adventurous and interesting life.
Answers:
1. The ruin of the first Holy Temple. In 586 BCE, Jerusalem was sacked by Babylon, the first Jewish Holy Temple was ruined and Jews were deported to Babylon to the first exile. This exile brought with it lovely dirges of longing to return to Zion (Jerusalem) such as Psalm 137. It is an excerpt from this psalm that the groom recites while breaking the glass. 2. Inuksuk. Traditionally found in the barren north, inuksugait (plural) are formed from rocks, with each piece being chosen to fit together without benefit of mortar or glue. They can be a simple as a single, erect stone, or carefully crafted to resemble a human being with outstretched arms. They originally served to mark areas that were good for hunting and fishing, or used for navigational purposes, pointing to the way of safe passage. Sometimes, they were just used to indicate that a group or a family of Inuit had been there. 3. Devil’s horns. The name “maloik” is a mispronunciation of the Italian term “malocchio” which means “evil eye”. 4. Thomas A. Becket. The actual well emanating from the spring comes from Roman times, and was rebuilt early in the 16th century. 5. Cormorants. Created in 1910 by German designer Carl Bartels, the birds might reflect the cormorants who frequent Liverpool’s docks and waterways. 6. Wolves have almost always been reviled creatures in Western mythology. 7. The most famous of the Irish little people, these cute creatures are handy cobblers, and the other fairies put up with their many bad habits (smoking, drinking, bad language and many more unmentionable ones) due to necessity. If a human manages to catch one, they can demand that it hand over any stashes of treasure, and it is duty bound to comply. 8. It is said to bring the power of eloquent speech to that person. Apparently, if this stone is kissed, then those shy and retiring, quiet persons will develop the “gift of the gab” and will not shut up.
If you are planning to travel abroad this summer, you should brush up on some of the traditional superstitions. Try your hand with these.
1. Those of you who attend a Jewish wedding might be surprised at the sight of the groom stepping on a glass and breaking it at the end of the event. What is the commemoration of this custom? The birth of his mother-in-law; the ruin of the first Holy Temple; The Wall Street crash; The great Safed earthquake.
2. A traveler sojourning through the northern sections of Canada is likely to find numerous rock piles dotting the landscape. What is one of these piles of rocks called? An inuksuk; a Spirit Bear; an igloo; a mukluk.
3. The Maloik is an extremely popular gesture with fans of heavy metal. By what other name is it known? Loser; Iron fist; Devil’s horns; Peace.
4. Who supposedly created the well near the palace at Oxford in Kent by striking his staff against the ground? Thomas A. Becket; Henry II; Oliver Cromwell; Moses.
5. The copper statues of the Liver Birds, perched atop Liverpool’s Liver Building, are said to rise up and fly at midnight only when the moon is red. When they’re resting on the buildings, though, these 18-foot tall statues resemble which birds? Eagles; cormorants; emus; mourning doves.
6. The last one of which of these was alleged to have been killed at Humphrey Head, a limestone cliff and cave complex near Allithwaite in Cumberland? Dragon; Viking; dwarf; wolf.
7. What profession do leprechauns traditionally have? Banker; Barber; Bartender; Shoemaker.
8. What makes people “pucker their lips” and plant a great, big, wet smacker on the piece of ancient limestone called the “Blarney Stone?” To bring the power of eloquent speech to that person; to bring luck in money, love and health; to heal the broken hearts of spurned lovers; to bring an adventurous and interesting life.
Answers:
1. The ruin of the first Holy Temple. In 586 BCE, Jerusalem was sacked by Babylon, the first Jewish Holy Temple was ruined and Jews were deported to Babylon to the first exile. This exile brought with it lovely dirges of longing to return to Zion (Jerusalem) such as Psalm 137. It is an excerpt from this psalm that the groom recites while breaking the glass. 2. Inuksuk. Traditionally found in the barren north, inuksugait (plural) are formed from rocks, with each piece being chosen to fit together without benefit of mortar or glue. They can be a simple as a single, erect stone, or carefully crafted to resemble a human being with outstretched arms. They originally served to mark areas that were good for hunting and fishing, or used for navigational purposes, pointing to the way of safe passage. Sometimes, they were just used to indicate that a group or a family of Inuit had been there. 3. Devil’s horns. The name “maloik” is a mispronunciation of the Italian term “malocchio” which means “evil eye”. 4. Thomas A. Becket. The actual well emanating from the spring comes from Roman times, and was rebuilt early in the 16th century. 5. Cormorants. Created in 1910 by German designer Carl Bartels, the birds might reflect the cormorants who frequent Liverpool’s docks and waterways. 6. Wolves have almost always been reviled creatures in Western mythology. 7. The most famous of the Irish little people, these cute creatures are handy cobblers, and the other fairies put up with their many bad habits (smoking, drinking, bad language and many more unmentionable ones) due to necessity. If a human manages to catch one, they can demand that it hand over any stashes of treasure, and it is duty bound to comply. 8. It is said to bring the power of eloquent speech to that person. Apparently, if this stone is kissed, then those shy and retiring, quiet persons will develop the “gift of the gab” and will not shut up.