The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is an important holiday that is observed by devout Christians all over the world. In India, it is a regional public holiday in the state of Goa. It is observed on 3 December every year. St. Francis Xavier was a very important missionary who was instrumental in propagating the Christian faith and the Roman …

Thanksgiving is a holiday in the United States and Canada when people give thanks. In the United States, it is on the fourth Thursday of November. In Canada it is on the second Monday of October. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln said the last Thursday of November would be a national Day of Thanksgiving for the United States. American immigrants brought …

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer: Thanksgiving is the time when we thank the Almighty for his continuous grace. It is a festive occasion celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy in US, Canada and many other countries. On this occasion, families offer prayers to the great Lord, at churches as well as in homes. Customary Thanksgiving prayers are quite popular before the …

Ningol Chakkouba a popular festival of the state of Manipur; for the Meitei community, it is certainly one of the premier festivals. It is celebrated on the second day of the lunar month of Hiyangei (which falls in October-November of the Gregorian Calendar), and is comparable to Bhagini Hasta Bhojanam of South India. “Ningol” means the daughter of a family, …

Halloween Festival Greetings: Halloween is celebrated almost all across the world. However, different countries celebrate the holiday according to their own customs and traditions. For instance, in Ireland, Scotland and parts of Northern England, the cultural event has been celebrated for centuries and the practice is still going strong. It is also celebrated in Central and South America, Mexico, Australia, …

History of Trick-or-Treating Pumpkins Are Here Poem: Trick-or-treating—going from house to house in search of candy and other goodies—has been a popular Halloween tradition in the United States and other countries for an estimated 100 years. But the origins of this community-based ritual, which costumed children typically savor while their cavity-conscious parents grudgingly tag along, remain hazy. Possible forerunners to …

The Skeleton Dance: Halloween began as a holiday for individuals who practiced the occult. It has since turned into something completely different. Halloween is about the fun of dressing up and pretending to be someone else for a night. Trick-or-treating and children gorging themselves on way too much candy. Attending costume parties and the thrill of a good scare. Carving …

Education & Reference Questions & Answers Are elephants afraid of mice? Butter, cheese or milk? By which name do we know Theodor Jozef Konrad Korzeniowski? Can all dogs bark? Did Rob Roy really live? First Impressions was the title Jane Austen gave to her first book but under what title was it published? How did ‘Hello’ come to be used as …

Rafia Naz: NAME YOGA EXPERIENCE: Since 2004 LANGUAGE: Bengali, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, English, Santhali, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Hindi EDUCATION: M.Com Accounting, Ranchi, Jharkhand FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/naaz.rafiya WWW: yogabeyondreligion.org SOCIAL MEDIA: naaz.rafiya (Instagram) / NaazRafiya (Twitter) “When I walk on the road, they humiliate me by calling me the mistress of RSS”, said Rafia to media. Rafia Naz, a Yoga teacher from Hatia area in Ranchi, …

The Greatest of These: Joseph Mills Hanson – Two cantankerous farmers sit in their small farmhouse on Christmas Eve, reliving fond childhood memories of the season. When they learn of a poor neighboring farmer whose family will do without this holiday, the two of them resolve to play Santa Claus in this charming story of friendship and good will. The …