Category: Bazaar News

Much of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, but the main calendar alteration that paved is one made by Julius Caesar. In some sense, the first new year’s celebration can be dated back to his reign – 45 BCE, to be exact.

Altering the calendar

In the 7th century BCE, the Romans introduced a calendar that followed the lunar cycle. Of course, people didn’t have these things hanging on their walls. The calendar was mostly helpful in planning crops and collecting taxes.

While the lunar calendar eventually fell out of sync with the actual seasons and needed some tweaks, there was a bigger problem. Politicians would add days to the calendar at will, mainly to extend their reigns or mess around with political terms.

When Julius Caesar became dictator of Rome, he decided to change things. His calendar was solar-based.

According to History.com (cited below), “In designing his new calendar, Caesar enlisted the aid of Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer, who advised him to do away with the lunar cycle entirely and follow the solar year, as did the Egyptians. The year was calculated to be 365 and 1/4 days, and Caesar added 67 days to 46 B.C., making 45 B.C. begin on January 1 rather than in March. He also decreed that every four years a day be added to February, thus theoretically keeping his calendar from falling out of step.”

January 1 was also a way to honor the Roman god Janus, the double-faced god (looking backward and forward).

What was the first New Year’s celebration?

So, the first January 1 that marked the new year wasn’t exactly a celebration so much as a bureaucratic decision. However, people would still offer sacrifices to the gods.

There were no ball drops and bubbly and no New Year’s resolutions. Still, 46 BCE is the first year New Year’s day started on January 1.

Months were renamed when Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE, but the calendar was still largely intact.

However, the “Celebration of New Year’s Day in January fell out of practice during the Middle Ages, and even those who strictly adhered to the Julian calendar did not observe the New Year exactly on January 1. The reason for the latter was that Caesar and Sosigenes failed to calculate the correct value for the solar year as 365.242199 days, not 365.25 days. Thus, an 11-minute-a-year error added seven days by the year 1000, and 10 days by the mid-15th century.”

Calendars are far more complicated than most of us realize!

The second New Year’s correction

History.com continues the explanation: “The Church became aware of this problem [of the calendar not lining up to the solar year], and in the 1570s Pope Gregory XIII commissioned Jesuit astronomer Christopher Clavius to come up with a new calendar. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was implemented, omitting ten days for that year and establishing the new rule that only one of every four centennial years should be a leap year. Since then, people around the world have gathered en masse on January 1 to celebrate the precise arrival of the New Year.”

Celebrating the New Year goes back to 2000 BCE, when the Mesopotamians celebrated the vernal equinox towards the end of March. If you really want to play fast and loose with definitions of NYE celebrations, you could go back to the Babylonians in 4000 BCE and their 11-day, end-of-March festival called Akitu.

But if you’re looking to trace New Year’s Day back to January 1, you have Julius Caesar to thank for that.— WTF fun facts

Source: “The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time on New Year’s Day” — History.com

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CNN) — US Customs and Border Protection officers seized zebra and giraffe bones from a woman at Washington’s Dulles International Airport, the agency said in a news release.

The woman was traveling from Kenya and had kept the bones as souvenirs, according to the release.

Customs agriculture specialists discovered the bones after X-raying her baggage on November 10.

After the Fauquier County, Virginia, woman admitted the items were zebra and giraffe bones, officers detained the bones and referred them to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Fish and Wildlife Service determined possession of the bones violated the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Endangered Species Act, and the Lacey Act, according to Friday’s release. The woman was not criminally charged but the Fish and Wildlife Service ordered the seizure of the bones.

Kim Der-Yeghiayan, the acting area port director for Customs and Border Protection’s Washington, DC, port area, said bringing in souvenirs like the giraffe and zebra bones may be illegal or bring disease into the country.

“I can appreciate travelers wanting to keep souvenirs of their vacations,” said Der-Yeghiayan in the release.

“But those souvenirs could violate United States’ or international law, or potentially expose our families, pets or our nation’s agriculture industries to serious animal or plant diseases.”

The release did not say how the woman had obtained the bones. Several zebra species and giraffe subspecies are native to Kenya. The plains zebra, one of two zebra species found in the country, is categorized as “near threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, while the Grevy’s zebra is “endangered.” Kenya is also home to the reticulated giraffe (considered “endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature), the Masai giraffe (considered “endangered”), and the Nubian giraffe (considered “critically endangered”).

The Endangered Species Act generally bans the importation of endangered species, including animal parts and souvenirs, into the United States, with some exceptions, including antiques that are over 100 years old.

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The snowiest city in the world is in Japan. And we’re not sure why, but we really didn’t see that coming. We would have guessed someplace in Siberia or Canada. But the award for the snowiest city goes to northern Japan’s Aomori City.

More about the snowiest city in the world

Aomori City averages 312 inches (that’s about 26 feet) of snow each year! And it has a population of over 280,000 people. That’s A LOT of shoveling that needs to happen to keep a city moving.

On an island nation, you might wonder where they put all that snow. The answer is right into the bay.

If you’re interested, here’s a quite long video showing how it all goes down:

Now, there are likely snowier places on Earth, but people don’t live there. Aomori City is the snowiest place where people actually live.

Why is Aomori City so snowy?

According to CNN (cited below), “The extreme snowfall is caused by chilly Siberian winds that sweep into Japan from the northwest every November. As the cold air crosses over the warmer waters off Japan’s mountainous coastline, it gathers moisture, then rises and turns into snow.”

You may have heard of “lake effect snow,” but what Japan gets is “sea effect snow.” Since the sea doesn’t really freeze, they get thick, powdery snow until all the way up until April. And the city’s suburbs get blanketed as well.

Like so many snowy cities, residents aren’t thrilled about the snow, but they’re prepared for it. And the city makes the most of it. Things don’t close down easily, and the city takes advantage of tourism dollars from skiers and other snow-lovers. They also have amazing seafood, which is especially plentiful during the snowy months. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Aomori, Japan: Life in one of the world’s snowiest cities” — CNN

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‘Tis the season again to be jolly. Christmas trees are going up in households, and colorful blinking lights are brightening up the night skies.

But that’s if you live in a Catholic household, though. But what about our Jewish brothers and sisters?

Of course, they also celebrate during the winter, but it isn’t Christmas.

The Jewish community has its festivity called Hanukkah, which they celebrate for eight days and nights.

Let’s find out how and why the Jewish faith celebrates this holiday by taking a closer look at its history.

What is Hanukkah?

Firstly, Hanukkah is not the Jewish version of Christmas. At least not in the religious sense.

Hanukkah or Chanukah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, is a celebration of remembrance of the victory of Jewish rebels against their Greek-Syrian oppressors and the rededication of their Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

This rededication occurred on the 25^th day of the month of Kislev and every year since then.

Some may be confused why it falls on different dates every year, but it doesn’t, according to the Hebrew calendar, which follows the lunar cycle.

Because the lunar and solar cycles do not align precisely, Hanukkah falls anytime from late November to late December.

As the story goes, their temple required a holy light to shine inside of it at all times, but the Jewish people only had oil that would last for one night.

Miraculously, the light kept shining for eight days, which is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and is the reason it’s also called the Festival of Lights.

The story of Hanukkah does not appear in the Torah, the Holy Book of the Jewish faith, because it is said to have happened after it was written.

Instead, it can be found mentioned in the Bible’s New Testament when Jesus attended a celebration called the “Feast of Dedication.”

What are the different traditions of Hanukkah?

During each night of Hanukkah, a Menorah will be lit to commemorate the holiday.

This candelabra holds nine candles, one at its center that should be used to light the four others on each side. This candle is called the shamash.

One candle is lit each night until all eight are lit together on the festival’s final night.

It has always been the tradition to give money to one another during Hanukkah.

And, because of how the popularity of Christmas grew, the Jewish community has also adopted its tradition of gift-giving.

The Jewish people would also play the dreidel during this holiday.

This is their version of the teetotum, a gambling toy found in many European cultures.

During dinners, most of the traditional food served is fried and is meant to symbolize the miracle oil that kept the lights burning for eight days.

Over 175 million jelly donuts, or sufganiyot in Hebrew, are consumed in Israel during the holiday.

What types of food are served during Hanukkah?

Much like any significant holiday celebration where a large amount of food is served during gatherings, Hanukkah is no different.

Besides everyone’s favorite sufganiyot or the jelly donut, other traditional Hanukkah dinner staples consist of latkes, which are potato pancakes or fritters; the applesauce that goes with latkes; and challah, a braided bread eaten during ceremonial occasions.

Main courses can include braised beef brisket, salmon with lemon and dill, crispy rosemary chicken and fries, and roasted green beans.

It is also customary for the traditional delicacies being served to be cooked not only symbolically with oil but also kosher.

Kosher is a term used to describe food that complies with the strict dietary rules of traditional Jewish law, derived from Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:1-12.

How has Hanukkah been portrayed in popular culture?

There’s been plenty of Hanukkah representation in pop culture throughout the years.

One of the instances that got mainstream recognition was the song Chanukah Song by the renowned comedian Adam Sandler.

The song’s goofiness is beside the point. It has paved the way for many more Hollywood writers and actors to embrace their Jewish identity more openly.

The 2000s kicked it into high gear by giving Hanukkah more visibility.

There’s the critically panned but now-considered cult classic movie, Eight Crazy Nights, which coincidentally also starred Adam Sandler.

Then there’s the teen TV drama, The OC, watched by millions weekly, where broody, hipster teens celebrate an all-inclusive holiday dubbed Chrismukkah.

Meanwhile, people gathered to see rockers like Perry Farrell of the band Jane’s Addiction host the now annual New York City celebration A Jewcy Hanukkah.

There’s also Hanukkah-themed pop punk band The LeeVees, who released their CD Hanukkah Rocks! in 2005 to some acclaim.

So, whether through music, film, or television, the spirit of Hanukkah is undoubtedly alive and well. Hanukkah indeed rocks!

 

Hanukkah has a long history in the Jewish community that celebrates miracles and their triumphs.

It is an important holiday, and its observance is something festive with plenty of singing, eating, and family time.

So the next time you meet a Jewish friend this season, be sure to greet them with a Chag sameach or a Happy Hanukkah!

Hopefully, you get invited to at least one of the eight days of celebration!

In 2011, Chile’s Atacama Desert in Chile got a rare snowfall. In fact, it received 32 inches of snow as the result of a very rare cold front from Antarctica. This wasn’t the only instance of snow in the desert, but it’s interesting and bizarre since the Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth.

What caused snow in the desert?

According to the Washington Post (cited below), “The uniqueness of this event is that the Atacama Desert is a 600-mile-long plateau known to be one of, if not the driest and most sterile deserts on Earth. Because moisture is blocked from the east by the Andes mountains and from the west by the Chilean Coast Range, the average rainfall is just 0.04 per year and skies are almost always cloud-free.”

The 2011 snowfall occurred when an Antarctic cold front (the strongest in 30 years) broke through the region’s rain and snow shadow. It is wildly cold there (with an elevation of 10,000 feet), but it just doesn’t typically get moisture).

Other parts of Chile got a crippling 8 feet of snow, cutting off access to the area and stranding residents without supplies. The Washington Post quoted one regional governor as saying, “In four days we have had four months’ worth of snowfall.”

It’s so dry in this desert that Atacama’s weather stations had never even recorded rain, and “research suggests that some identifiable river beds have been dry for 120,000 years.”

What’s special about the Atacama Desert?

If you’ve heard of the Atacama desert, it might be related to any interest you have in NASA and space exploration. The desert is used to simulate Mars, and NASA uses it to test Mars mission instruments.

It’s also been a movie set because it simply doesn’t look like Earth. For example, it was used in Space Odyssey. — WTF fun facts

Source: “Rare snowfall on Earth’s driest desert in Chile” — Washington Post

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From the man who donned a Santa suit and went on a bloody rampage to the 15-year-old executed for witchcraft, these grisly murders turned the cheeriest time of the year into a nightmare.

For many, Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. But for some, the holiday has summoned fatal family grievances, mysterious disappearances, and death. These nine Christmas crimes clearly show that even sparkling lights and presents under the tree can’t prevent tragedies.

Many of the Christmas crimes on the list below erupted from long-held personal grudges, as in the case of Bruce Pardo, who dressed as Santa Claus and murdered his ex-wife and eight members of her family on Christmas Eve in 2008 following his divorce. Then there’s the story of Ronald Gene Simmons and Michele Anderson, who used Christmas gatherings as a way to take out multiple family members at once.

Yet other crimes in this roundup linger on as tragic mysteries. To date, no one knows exactly what happened to the Sodder children, who seemingly vanished from their family home after a fire on Christmas Day in 1945, just as the murder of six-year-old child beauty pageant star JonBenét Ramsey, who was found dead on the day after Christmas in 1996, remains unsolved.

The Christmas Murder Of Child Pageant Queen JonBenét Ramsey

One of the most infamous Christmas crimes of all time happened in 1996 when six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was allegedly kidnapped from her family’s Boulder, Colorado home. JonBenét’s lifeless body was soon found in the family’s basement, launching a mystery that endures to this day.

According to JonBenét’s parents, Patsy and John Bennet Ramsey, the family first realized that something was wrong around 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 26. when Patsy reportedly found a ransom note in the family’s home declaring that JonBenét had been kidnapped and was being held for a $118,000 ransom.

Hours after the Ramseys called the police, John found JonBenét’s body in the family basement. The six-year-old had been bound and gagged, bludgeoned over the head, strangled, and possibly sexually assaulted.

Before long, the mystery of this shocking Christmas murder gripped the entire nation. JonBenét had participated in a number of child beauty pageants, and magazines quickly printed photos of the six-year-old in costumes and full makeup. Some critiqued her parents for letting JonBenét participate. And others levied much more serious accusations.

As the case unfolded, suspicion fell on the Ramsey family. Not only did the paper and pen used for the ransom note come from the house, but the alleged kidnapper asked for a specific amount — $118,000 — that happened to be the same amount of money that John Ramsey had received as a bonus that year. Some even suspected that JonBenét’s parents had covered up her murder after her nine-year-old brother, Burke, killed her by accident.

Multiple suspects have been considered in the decades since, from the family’s housekeeper to a local sex offender who told a friend that he’d “hurt a little girl.” But to date, this tragic Christmas murder remains unsolved.

Have you heard the lore of the Blizzard of 77? Maybe you even lived through it. If so (and you’re like my family), no other storm could ever be like it again. (Meanwhile, we played a board game called The Blizzard of ’77 with glee as kids.) So what happened, exactly, during that storm?

There’s no need to make light of this storm – it was deadly and heartbreaking to many families. At least 23 people died as a direct result of the blizzard. That’s part of the reason it holds such a solid place in the memories of those who felt it.

The Blizzard of ’77 hit Western New York and Southern Ontario at the end of January. The snowfall during the storm was minimal, but the winds blowing off the frozen Lake Erie blew around the 60 inches of snow already on the ground to create snowdrifts.

Where did the blizzard happen and how bad was it, really?

The Blizzard of 77 happened around the Great Lakes in the U.S., and more specifically the western side of Lake Erie. Western New York and Southern Ontario felt the brunt of its wrath. But most people associate the city of Buffalo, NY with the notorious blizzard.

If you dislike snow (or even if you do like it, just not when it’s in your driveway/on your car), you know even 4 or 5 inches can be enough to wreck your day. But the blizzard brought 100 inches to some places in Western New York. Just not from the sky. More on that in a minute.

Some stories that came out of the event are endearing, others tragic.

Kids gleefully climbed snowbanks to stand on the roof of their houses (back in a time when parents would still kick you outside during the day). Many parents regretted the roof damage that was wrought, especially since if you were going to climb the roof, chances we you were taking the top of the trash can to use as a sled.

Two reindeer at the Buffalo Zoo decided to prance out onto the huge snowdrifts. They waltzed out of their pens and the zoo itself. Maybe they thought they had finally made it home.

On the other hand, nine people were found buried in their cars. Others had heart attacks while trying to shovel the snow. Car accidents took even more lives (there was a travel ban, but not all workers got a day off). The storm cost the area economic losses in the neighborhood of $221 million. That includes $36 million in lost wages for city residents.

Buffalo became known as the city of snow mostly because of the images people saw on the nightly news.

Buffalo’s notorious blizzard of 77

Buffalo made the news around the world because of the photos that resulted from the storm. Of course, most people had to wait to see the photos because you still had to take your film to be developed at the store. And there were no cell phones to check on your family.

People were stuck on roads for hours (which is terribly dangerous if snow covers your tailpipe because you may end up dying from carbon monoxide poisoning, as some do during these types of storms). Babies were delivered at home because emergency vehicles could not get down the streets. The power went out in homes across the area. Families huddled together for warmth (no matter how mad you were at your siblings).

Buffalo and their “southtowns” (like Hamburg and Orchard Park) often get loads of lake-effect snow early in the year. This can be annoying and plentiful, and this snow is the result of the lake not yet being frozen and adding more moisture to the air.

However, during Buffalo’s Blizzard of ’77, the lake had frozen. And that was even worse because it helped the snowdrifts blow across areas where shoveling and plowing could be undone in a matter of minutes with the right (or wrong) gust of wind.

Prior to the first day of the blizzard, it had snowed just about every day since Christmas, so Mother Nature had a lot of ammo to work with. Buffalo had 33-59 inches of snow (depending on where you were) already on the ground before the blizzard even began. That made the snow even harder to move because it was densely packed. Construction equipment wasn’t enough to move some of it. There was no place to put the snow after a few hours.

The Blizzard was a regional event and not the worst blizzard

The Blizzard of 77 in Buffalo was one of the first to be broadcast around the world. This made it memorable to people well outside the region. And other regions got walloped as well.

The Blizzard of 78 was actually worse in some ways. 100 fatalities were recorded, and that nor’easter spread out farther. It affected New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Plenty of people felt it in the Midwest as well!).

Part of what made the Blizzard of 77 so memorable is the help that came from around the country in its aftermath. The National Guard set up a post in the city of Buffalo. Equipment came from as far as Colorado to help with the clean-up.

Only around 12 inches of new snow fell during the blizzard itself. But the winds of nearly 70 mph were enough to maim and kill. So were the Arctic temperatures (the wind chill made it feel like −60 °F).

Extreme weather is a fact of life, but some events stand out in people’s memories more than others. The Blizzard of 77 is one of them. — WTF fun facts

Source: “On this day 45 years ago, the Blizzard of ’77 struck – stories from the storm” — WIVB

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Are you wondering how to get from London to Cardiff, Wales? I have been to Cardiff a number of times and travelling from London is way easier than it looks. Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, is very accessible from London. Make this place your next day trip destination from London of choice because the area is teeming with towering castles waiting to be explored.

You can reach Cardiff from London by coach, train, private transfer and car. The road distance between London and Cardiff is 239.4 kilometres or 148.8 miles while the direct distance is 211.5 kilometres or 131.4 miles. It takes about 3 hours to travel this distance by car. 

Don’t know which option to choose? I am here to help you sort the details out and hopefully help you find a mode of transport which best meets your preference.

How to get from London to Cardiff

OPTION 1: How to get from London to Cardiff by Coach

• Travel Duration: about 3 hours and 16 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £8.80

You can travel from London to Cardiff by coach. The bus departs from London Victoria Coach Station and arrives at the Cardiff Coach Station in Sophia Gardens.

I search Megabus for the best deals when it comes to coach travel in the UK. I know for a fact that if you book in advance, you will be able to get a fare that’s as low as £8.80.

Coach from London to Cardiff

	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	12:30 am	3:40 am	3 hours 20 minutes	£8.80
Latest trip	11:59 pm	3:15 am	3 hours 16  minutes	£8.80

You can also take the bus serviced by Megabus. You have two routes to choose from: London Victoria Coach Station to Cardiff North Road, or London Heathrow Airport (T2 and T3) to Cardiff University.

Enjoy amenities onboard the air-conditioned bus including Wifi, toilet, charging port and wheelchair accessibility. 

Bus from London Victoria Coach Station to Cardiff North Road

	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	8:00 am	12:25 pm	4 hours 25 minutes	£8.13
Latest trip	11:59 pm	4:35 am	4 hours 36  minutes	£8.80

Bus from London Heathrow Airport (T2 and T3) to Cardiff University

	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	12:50 am	4:30 am	3 hours 40 minutes	£12:46
Latest trip	7:20 pm	10:15 pm	2 hours 55  minutes	£12.46

You can also conveniently book Flixbus tickets for your coach travel between the two cities. 

OPTION 2: How to get from London to Cardiff by Train

• Travel Duration: about 1 hour 49 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £28

Taking the train from London to Cardiff is made possible by Great Western Railway. The train departs from London Paddington Station and arrives at Cardiff Central.

This option is recommended for those wanting to arrive in Cardiff the fastest way possible. With the train, you don’t have to worry about the traffic conditions which greatly affect all the other options.

Here is a sample timetable so you have an idea:

Train from London to Cardiff

	ARRIVAL	DEPARTURE	DURATION	FARE
Earliest trip	5:23 am	8:03 am	2 hours 40 minutes	£57
Latest trip	10:48 pm	12:58 am	3 hours 16  minutes	£45
Cheapest trip	10:18 am	12:13 pm	1 hour 55 minutes	£28
Fastest trip	4:48 pm	6:37 pm	1 hour 49 minutes	£59

Book tickets and check the schedule with Trainline ahead of time so you can get the most suitable travel timings for you. Also, check if you are eligible for any Railcard deals. 

OPTION 3: How to get from London to Cardiff by Private Transfer

• Travel Duration: about 2 hours 47 minutes
• Travel Fare: from £290 for four passengers

There are many transport companies that offer private transfers from London to Cardiff. While I would not personally recommend travelling via this option, I can see how there can be a need for a private transfer on your way to Cardiff.

Maybe you are travelling as a group and would like some privacy and comfort as you travel. You might also want to travel at your own pace and time, so getting on a private transfer would definitely work for you.

Uber Taxi is one of the companies that offer this service. Their rates are fixed with no hidden charges! Simply use your app to book one.

OPTION 4: How to get from London to Cardiff by Car

• Travel Duration: about 3 hours
• Travel Fare: from £70.43

If you would like to be in charge of your whole travel, go and bring a car on your trip to Cardiff from London. To drive between the two destinations, you have to go via M4. It takes about 3 hours to travel the 148-mile road distance by car. 

If you have driven in the UK before, this distance may be an easy feat for you. However, if it is your first time driving here, I suggest you read about my UK driving tips to help you get a grip on what it’s like to journey here by car.

Looking for a rental car? Go and book with Discover Cars for great car rental deals which you can’t surely say no to!

More About Cardiff

FAQs on How to Get from London to Cardiff

A man has avoided jail after drunkenly attacking a pet tortoise at a nursery in California.

The tortoise – a 70-year-old African sulcata named Michelangelo – was found bleeding after being stabbed with six-inch shards from a wooden garden gate post.

A rake handle had been shoved between the animal’s head and leg and shattered glass put on its back.

George Robles, 42, was sentenced on Friday after he pleaded no contest to charges of animal abuse, commercial burglary and vandalism, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

He was also linked to other break-ins at the preschool in East San Jose, and stole thousands of dollars of items in the days before and after the attack in January last year.

Robles was sentenced to two years of probation and mandatory mental health and substance abuse treatment. He was also banned from having any animals for 10 years.

The defendant’s lawyer said his behaviour against the tortoise was the result of excessive intoxication, rather than animal cruelty.

The tortoise needed surgery following the attack and was said to be “doing great” by the vet who performed the operation.