Dating back centuries, simnel cake is a fruit cake that was originally eaten on Sunday during Lent throughout the United Kingdom.
The cake is topped with a layer of toasted marzipan and 11 or 12 marzipan balls, which represent the 12 apostles.

United Kingdom: Simnel cake

Pascua is Spanish for Easter, so Tarta Pascualina means "Eastertime Tart." <ul><li>The savory pie is filled with ricotta, hard-boiled eggs, spinach, artichoke, and parsley. S</li><li>ince it is meatless, it's a common dish during Lent, and the many eggs used to make it symbolize the resurrection of Jesus Christ.</li></ul>

Argentina: Torta pascualina

Recipes for capirotada — a bread pudding served on Good Friday — vary across the country, but it's usually made from:<ul><li>Bread similar to a baguette (bolillo), which has been soaked in mulled syrup made from sugar, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. </li><li>Nuts, dried fruit, and sprinkles are common toppings.</li></ul>Capirotada is meant to signify the crucifixion: the cinnamon sticks represent the cross, the cloves represent the nails, and the bread represents Christ's Body.

Mexico: Capirotada

The French have a particular Easter recipe for leg of lamb known as "le gigot d'agneau Pascal:" The meat (lamb being known as a sacrificial animal) is seasoned with garlic and herbs such as rosemary and then roasted.

France: Leg of lamb

Those making mämmi for Easter need to start the preparation days in advance, as it needs to be stored chilled for three to four days before being served. The traditional dessert is made from water, molasses, malted rye, rye flour, and Seville orange zest for seasoning. It's usually eaten cold with milk or cream.

Finland: Mämmi

<ul><li>White borscht isn't exclusively made at Easter, but it's common during the holiday. Made from soured rye flour, sausage, and hard-boiled eggs, the soup is hearty and filling.</li><li>Although babka has become a year-round dessert favorite in many countries, the spongy yeast cake has traditionally been served on Easter Sunday in Poland for years. Typically, the babka is round and covered in a sweet glaze.</li></ul>

Poland: White borscht (zurek) and babka wielkanocna

Sweet breads are common holiday food in Italy. There's panettone at Christmas and colomba di Pasqua at Easter. Shaped like a dove, a symbol of peace, colomba di Pasqua is stuffed with candied fruit and then sprinkled with almonds and pearl sugar.

Italy: Colomba di Pasqua

This is a hearty soup that consists of a variety of grains and beans as well as bacalao, dry salted cod. The exact ingredients differ from household to household, but common ones include fava beans, squash, corn, rice, garlic, onions, peas, and milk.Ideally, 12 different kinds of beans are used to make the soup, representing the 12 apostles. The bacalao symbolizes Jesus.

Ecuador: Fanesca

Tsoureki is a braided sweet bread. The three-strand braid symbolizes the Holy Trinity, while the hard-boiled eggs that the bread is commonly served with are meant to symbolize the blood of Christ, which is why they're dyed red.

Greece: Tsoureki

<ul><li>Known as kerbelsuppe in German, chervil soup is made from chervil, a herb related to parsley. </li><li>The soup is typically eaten on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter), which is known as Gründonnerstag, or Green Thursday in German — hence the green soup.</li></ul>

Germany: Chervil soup

Rosquillas de Semana Santa, or Easter doughnuts, taste more like cake than doughnuts since they're made with fermented flour instead of yeast. How they're served differs across Spain, but a common preparation is a dusting of sugar on top.

Spain: Rosquillas

The ham is sweet, thanks to either a glaze made from honey and brown sugar or from being covered in sliced pineapple.Before fridges existed, animals were slaughtered in the fall, and their cured meat wasn't ready to eat until Easter — hence the tradition.

United States: Baked ham

Pinca is a popular Easter treat used to celebrate the end of Lent in many Eastern European countries, like Slovenia and Croatia. Before it's baked, the sign of the cross is carved into the dough at the top of the bread.

Slovenia and Croatia: Pinca

Made with cottage cheese and cream cheese, pashka is a savory dessert that can either be eaten alone or with bread. The cheese mound is often decorated with dried fruit and the letters XB, which mean "Christ is risen."

Russia: Pashka

A combination of both pizza and pie, pizza chiena means filled pizza in the Neapolitan dialect. The Neapolitan specialty is stuffed with a variety of cured meats and cheeses.

Naples, Italy: Pizza chiena

These sweet, spiced buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday to signify the end of Lent, and have been an Easter tradition for centuries. Currants or raisins dot the bun, and a glaze is used to make a cross on top, which signifies the crucifixion of Jesus.

United Kingdom: Hot cross buns

This sweet and salty Brazilian candy is made from only a few simple ingredients: ground peanuts, salt, sugar, and sometimes cassava flour.

Brazil: Paçoca de amendoim

When did Christians start celebrating Easter? How is it celebrated around the world? Where do Easter eggs and bunnies come from? Here's everything you need to know about the most important Christian holiday

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History

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Society, Arts & Culture

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Food

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

The Easter Celebration

From a marzipan-topped fruit cake in the UK to a stuffed savory pie in Argentina, here's what Easter meals look like across the globe.

travel

Travel

What people eat for Easter in countries around the world

Inclusive content is any form of media (such as a blog post, a video, an image, etc.) that speaks to a broad and diverse audience without excluding anyone.When it comes to blog posts, that means the words do not hurt or divide, the images represent as many different people as possible, and the structure makes the content as accessible as possible (through clear fonts, image alt tags, etc). Inclusive content is NOT a political statement or a personal take on social justice topics.

What Does “Inclusive Content” Mean?

There’s a lot more to gain when you write in a way that includes as many people as possible.For one, it can grow your business. You significantly widen your target markets by opening the door to previously marginalized communities.At the same time, it raises the profile of your brand with everyone. More than half of consumers want to purchase from companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion, according to a report by Zendesk.Millennials are even more loyal to inclusive brands. Seventy percent of them will choose a brand that demonstrates inclusion in its marketing efforts.

What Are the Benefits of Inclusive Content?

Inclusive content sells better, too.The Psychology of Inclusion and the Effects in Advertising by Microsoft Advertising found that the purchase intent of the most inclusive ad in their study was 13 percent higher than the next most appealing ad and 23 percent higher than the average.Finally, creating inclusive content demonstrates your brand’s commitment to change. Fail to do so, and you’ll look like a brand unwilling or unable to learn or grow (or worse, paint your brand as one that doesn’t care about social issues).

What Are the Benefits of Inclusive Content? (contd.)

Having a target audience may help narrow your focus and improve your PPC campaigns. But a customer persona rarely fits every potential customer. If the language & imagery you use only appeals to a specific demographic, you risk alienating potential new customers.Writing for a wider audience will make your content more thoughtful & appealing. Most marketing efforts still lack diversity & inclusivity, esp. when it comes to content marketing. Just identifying & fixing your blind spots can breathe new life into your efforts, & help you build important relationships with a variety of stakeholders.

1. Look for Blind Spots

Start by making your entire site accessible.Ensure the following:<ul><li>screen readers can interact with every page on the site but esp. your blog. Alt text on the images & captions on videos is relevant. & not just used to stuff keywords into your article. Screen readers rely on alt text or captions to describe pictures, videos & other visual content.</li><li>the website is navigatable by keyboard</li><li>reduce excessive motion in design elements</li><li>the site doesn’t ignite physical triggers</li><li>improve the website’s color contrast</li><li>the site works with all browsers and accessibility tools</li></ul>

2. Make Your Content Accessible

The words you use matter. They have the power to inspire, but they also have the ability to divide and exclude. When it comes to creating inclusive content you have to be careful about the language you choose.Adopting gender-neutral language should be the bare minimum. Instead of words like “mankind” and “salesman”, use “humankind” and “salesperson.” You should also avoid making gender-based assumptions. Politicians are not always male. A parent is not necessarily a woman. A gender-neutral pronoun like “they” is the safest bet in these scenarios.

3. Use Inclusive Language

Encourage and embrace feedback. The more you discuss your work openly & invite readers to have their say, the quicker you can start creating genuinely inclusive content.It’s not just your audience you should consult, however. A sensitivity reader can be a huge help when reviewing your writing for poor phrasing and insensitive language.

4. Ask for Audience Input and Additional Help

Stock images are known to often feature middle-class caucasians. It’s not enough to just write in an inclusive manner. People will identify with your company & product more when they see people like themselves included in your content marketing efforts. It also makes it clear that you are writing for them specifically.Make your blog posts more exclusive by including photos of people from different backgrounds. That can include people of color, non-traditional families, & people of different sizes & abilities.

5. Use Diverse Images

The format and structure of your writing can also exclude readers. Flowery language and complex clauses aren’t going to cut it if you’re writing for laypeople.Instead:<ul><li>Use short words & short sentences.</li><li>Keep paragraphs short and use lots of subheadings to make it easy for readers to skim your content.</li><li>Avoid industry jargon, abbreviations, & other specialized terms that the average consumer won’t understand.</li><li>Use bullet points to break down lists of information.</li><li>Write in the active advice to keep your writing as concise and clear as possible.</li></ul>

6. Write in an Accessible Way

The last thing you’d ever want to do is exclude a person or group of people through your marketing. Yet many marketers and writers have made this mistake. Divisive & exclusive words & phrases have become so baked into our language that many of us don’t realize when we use them or the harm they cause. This article, explains what inclusive content really means, why you need to be creating it, & how to do it in a meaningful way.

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

How to Create Inclusive Content for Everyone

Sometimes it can be hard to separate fact from fiction, especially when so many of the "facts" we've spent our whole lives believing are actually enduring <a href="https://bestlifeonline.com/tag/myths/">myths and misconceptions</a>. These common myths seem true because we've heard them time and time again—we may have even learned them from our parents, or been taught them at school. Nevertheless, it's more important than ever to call out the false facts that far too many people still believe, whether they're related to our <a href="https://bestlifeonline.com/cow-tipping-animal-myths/">furry friends</a> or the <a href="https://bestlifeonline.com/coronavirus-myths/">current pandemic</a>. Read on to discover the truth behind some of the most persistent common myths

50 Well-Known "Facts" That Are Actually Just Common Myths

1 Bulls get angry when they see the color red.You're hardly alone if you believe that it's the bright color that incites their anger. But, according to the American Science Guide, <a href="https://www.asgmag.com/news/raging-bull-how-to-survive-a-bull-charge/">bulls are red-green colorblind</a>. What actually triggers the bull's anger is the movement of the cape.2 Goldfish only have a three-second memory.Goldfish have a reputation of having bad memories. But not only has <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/4158477/Fishs-memories-last-for-months-say-scientists.html">this false fact been debunked</a> by several studies throughout the years—some research even indicates goldfish could have a memory span of up to five months long.

3 We only use 10 percent of our brains.Neurologist Barry Gordon told Scientific American that humans "use virtually every part of the brain" and most of the brain is "active almost all the time."4 George Washington had wooden teeth.It turns out our nation's first president wasn't rocking a pair of wooden chompers. The historians at the Washington Library say that while George Washington did suffer from dental problems, his dentures were composed of ivory, gold, lead, and even other human teeth—but never any wood.

5 Women accused of witchcraft were burned the stake during the Salem Witch Trials.The <a href="https://www.history.com/news/were-witches-burned-at-the-stake-during-the-salem-witch-trials">myth that they were burned at the stake</a> is most likely due to the fact that during the Medieval witch trials in Europe, it was common practice to execute the accused by savagely setting them on fire.6 You need to drink at least eight glasses of water every day.If you're struggling to get to your eighth glass of water every day, don't feel bad—the quota isn't really a hard and fast <a href="https://bestlifeonline.com/100-ways-to-be-a-healthier-man/">rule for healthy living</a>. The <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256">amount of water you need daily</a> depends on many other factors.

7 You'll get cramps if you go swimming right after you eat.Yes, the body requires extra blood in order to digest, but not nearly enough to prevent the muscles in your arms and legs from working as they should.8 In the days of Christopher Columbus, everyone thought the world was flat.Allegedly, around 500 B.C., the Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras was the first person to <a href="https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200606/history.cfm">propose the theory that the Earth was flat</a>. But not long thereafter, in the middle of the third century B.C., Aristotle declared with certainty that the Earth was, in fact, spherical.

9 Dogs only see in black and white.No, your pup isn't seeing the world in black and white. Veterinarian Barbara Royal explained to HuffPost that dogs "don't see all of the colors that we see, but <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pet-myths-barbara-royal_n_56b91658e4b04f9b57dad537">they can actually distinguish between colors</a>."10 Adding salt to water makes it boil faster.Chemistry professor Lesley-Ann Giddings explained to LiveScience, "The temperature of saltwater will get hotter faster than that of pure water, but it still has a higher boiling point, and the mass is still greater when you add salt to the same volume of water. This <a href="https://www.livescience.com/56214-does-salt-make-water-boil-faster.html">doesn't mean that the saltwater boils faster</a>."

11 It takes seven years for your body to digest gum.You no long longer have to fret over that piece of gum you accidentally swallowed a couple years back. You see, gum doesn't stay in your stomach—it just moves quickly through your digestive system and exits through your stool.12 You swallow eight spiders a year while sleeping.According to Scientific American, they don't intentionally try to come into contact with humans, and the vibrations that come from a sleeping person would probably frighten a spider.

13 The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space.According to Snopes, this <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/great-wall-from-moon/">false fact</a> most likely developed as an attempt to convey the grand scale of the wall. From low space at 180 miles high, the Great Wall is not the only visible object, nor is it the most distinguishable. 14 Marie Antoinette said "let them eat cake" to spite the poor.She's long been a loathed symbol of royal decadence for replying to the news that French citizens had no bread in 1789 with the callous phrase, "Let them eat cake." But historians aver that the Queen of France made no such comment.

15 Napoleon Bonaparte was extremely short.However, <a href="https://www.history.com/news/napoleon-complex-short">Bonaparte was most likely average height</a> at just over 5'5" tall, History says. Historians suppose the <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/367748">myth that he was uncommonly small</a> is derived from a series of caricatures of the general by British cartoonist James Gillray in the early 1800s.16 A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building could kill someone.According to Scientific American, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/could-a-penny-dropped-off/">a penny is too small and flat for it to gain enough natural momentum</a> to make any kind of fatal impact. At most, if you were hit, it might feel like being flicked in the forehead.

17 Albert Einstein failed math class.It's fun to imagine that Albert Einstein was a poor student. Einstein himself claimed that he was at the top of his class in primary school. "Before I was 15, I had mastered differential and integral calculus," he added.18 You have to wait 24 hours before submitting a missing person's report.Fortunately, this is only a "fact" in the fictional world of entertainment. Apparently <a href="http://childfindofamerica.org/my-child-is-missing/">there is no time period in which someone must wait before reporting a person missing</a>. In fact, acting within the first 48 hours is crucial to successfully locating a missing person.

19 Touching a toad will give you warts.Sadly, kissing a toad won't turn it into a handsome prince. But the good news is, touching one won't give you unsightly bumps. National Geographic says <a href="https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/nature/animal-myths-busted/">this rumor probably originated from the fact</a> that toads themselves have wart-like bumps on their skin.20 The forbidden fruit in the story of Adam and Eve is an apple.The <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/30/526069512/paradise-lost-how-the-apple-became-the-forbidden-fruit">apple depiction was the result of some confusion</a> with the Hebrew Bible being translated into Latin, using the term "malus," which translates to both "evil" and "apple."

21 Your hair and fingernails continue to grow after you die.It's true that a person's hair and nails may appear longer after their death. But, according to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, that's only because the skin around a person nails and hair retracts over time due to dehydration of the body, <a href="https://uamshealth.com/healthlibrary2/medicalmyths/dohairandnailsgrowafterdeath/">not because their hair and nails are actually growing</a>.22 If you touch a baby bird with your bare hands, its mother will reject it."In general, wild animals bond with their young and do not quickly abandon them," Laura Simon of the Humane Society of the United States explained.

23 Drinking alcohol raises your body temperature.While you may feel warmer when you drink alcohol, that's the booze and your brain getting together and playing tricks on the rest of your body. In reality, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16377461">alcohol actually lowers your core body temperature</a>.24 Cracking your knuckles too much will cause arthritis.Knuckle crackers of the world can rest easy, at least on the arthritis front, because, according to Harvard Medical School, <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/does-knuckle-cracking-cause-arthritis">cracking your knuckles doesn't increase your risk</a> of developing the painful joint condition. That <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/knuckle-cracking-annoying-and-harmful-or-just-annoying-2018051413797">cracking noise actually comes from collapsing gas bubbles</a>.

25 Georgia produces the most peaches of any state in the U.S.According to the <a href="https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/peaches">Agricultural Marketing Resource Center</a>, California grew 541,000 tons of peaches in 2017. Meanwhile, Georgia wasn't even in the top three, even though <a href="https://www.todayingeorgiahistory.org/content/georgia-peach-official-state-fruit">peaches are its official state fruit</a>!26 Sugar causes hyperactivity in children.Many parents will blame their children's rowdy behavior on an overabundance of sugar, but there's no actual evidence to support those claims. A definitive 1995 meta-analysis found that <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/391812">sugar in children's diets does not affect their behavior</a>.

27 Bats are blind.Contrary to popular belief—and the idiom "as blind as a bat"—these nocturnal creatures can absolutely see. In fact, as Rob Mies, former executive director for the Organization for Bat Conservation, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141031-bats-myths-vampires-animals-science-halloween/">told National Geographic</a>, bats "can see three times better than humans." So joke's on us!28 Lightning never strikes twice.You've probably heard someone say that "lightning never strikes twice," but, it's not true. NASA <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0107lightning.html">debunked this myth</a> in 2003, reporting that "lightning definitely strikes more than one place." In fact, it does so about a third of the time!

29 Humans only have five senses.Many of us were taught that humans have five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. But those are only the five basic senses. While this concept of the "five" senses <a href="https://aeon.co/videos/aristotle-was-wrong-and-so-are-we-there-are-far-more-than-five-senses">originated with Aristotle</a>, many scientists argue that <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/question242.htm">humans actually have between 14 and 20 senses</a>.30 Shaving your hair makes it grow back thicker.<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hair-removal/faq-20058427">Shaving your hair doesn't make it change</a> in color, rate of growth, or thickness, says the Mayo Clinic. All it does is give the hair a blunt tip, which might feel more coarse as it grows out.

31 Chameleons change colors to blend in with their surroundings.Yes, chameleons do have the ability to change colors, but the falsity here lies in why they do so. According to Wired, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/04/how-do-chameleons-change-colors/">chameleons change colors to regulate their temperatures</a> or communicate with other chameleons, not to camouflage themselves.32 The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th.﻿While Congress indeed approved the final declaration on July 4, 1776, the <a href="https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-declaration-of-independence/fascinating-facts/">document wasn't signed until Aug. 2</a> of that year.

33 Bananas grow on trees.We all know that money doesn't grow on trees, but many of us believe that bananas do. Sadly, we're mistaken again. Though they may look similar to trees, the <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/pictures/bananas-from-bunch-to-breakfast">Rainforest Alliance</a> says that the plants bananas grow on are in fact "giant herbs related to lilies and orchids."34 Dogs sweat through their tongues.﻿But, according to the American Kennel Club, <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/do-dogs-sweat/">dog's merocrine sweat glands function similarly to humans'</a> and are located on their paw pads. They also have apocrine sweat glands, but these are located all over the body, not solely on their tongues.

35 It's safe to eat food that's been on the floor for five seconds or less.When researchers at Clemson University left bologna and bread on a surface contaminated with salmonella in a 2017 study, they found that "<a href="https://newsstand.clemson.edu/clemson-researcher-5-second-rule-means-food-is-safe-right-dont-bet-your-life-on-it/">a substantial amount of bacteria transferred to the food within five seconds</a>."36 All deserts are hot.﻿Deserts are not defined by their temperatures, but by their lack of precipitation. And while most of the world's most famous deserts are indeed hot, <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-and-where-are-the-polar-deserts.html">there are some deserts that also experience brutal cold</a>.

37 Fortune cookies originated in China.But the <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2010/07/origins-of-a-fortune-cookie.html">National Museum of American History</a> points out that the creator of the fortune cookie was Suyeichi Okamura, a Japanese immigrant who ran a confectionary store in Northern California during the early 1900s. 38 The sun is yellow.﻿In reality, "the sun is essentially all colors mixed together, which appear to our eyes as white." The reason we see the sun as yellow or orange most of the time is because those colored wavelengths, which are longer, are the only ones that make it to our eyes.

39 Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's independence day. On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army successfully defeated France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Though the country's victory was short-lived, people all around the globe partake in celebrations commemorating this battle each year with fireworks and fiestas.40 You should urinate on someone if they get stung by a jellyfish.﻿According to the Cleveland Clinic, the <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17821-jellyfish-stings/management-and-treatment">proper way to treat a jellyfish sting is with hot water</a>. Not only is urine not an effective treatment method, but it can even <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/summer-myths-such-as-one-shouldnt-swim-for-30-minutes-after-eating-are-bunk/2012/06/18/gJQAKLKwlV_story.html">worsen the sting</a>!

41 President Richard Nixon was successfully impeachedOfficial impeachment hearings against Richard Nixon began in May 1974, but the 37th <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/house-begins-impeachment-of-nixon">president announced his resignation</a> on Aug. 8 before anyone could successfully force him out of office.42 Brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs.﻿Brown eggs are no healthier than white eggs. The color of an egg's shell is simply <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/why_are_chicken_eggs_different_colors">determined by the type of chicken laying them</a>. And here's a fun fact: Chickens with white earlobes typically lay white eggs!

43 Going outside with wet hair makes you sickStepping outside in <a href="https://bestlifeonline.com/coldest-temperature-ever-recorded/">sub-zero temperatures</a> right after you wash your hair might make you chilly—and it might cause your hair to freeze—but it won't get you sick. <a href="https://bestlifeonline.com/difference-between-cold-and-flu/">Colds are caused by a virus</a>, and they don't care whether your hair is wet or dry.44 Peanuts are a type of nut.Despite the misleading name, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/peanut">peanuts are actually a type of legume</a>. Though they're commonly served with nuts like walnuts and almonds, they are more closely related to clovers and chickpeas.

45 Twinkies have no expiration date.As Theresa Cogswell, former vice president for research and development at Interstate Bakeries Corp, told The Washington Post, the sweet <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46062-2005Apr12.html">snack only has a shelf life of 25 days</a>.46 There is one universal sign language.Sign language is a manual form of communication, and there are variations depending on the country you're in. In the U.S., for instance, you'll find American Sign Language (ASL), which uses a one-handed finger-spelling alphabet, whereas British Sign Language (BSL) in the U.K. is a different language altogether that <a href="https://www.startasl.com/british-sign-language-bsl/">uses a two-handed alphabet</a>.

47 Sugar causes headaches.It's <a href="https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/trigger-factors/hypoglycaemia/">not the sugar itself that's causing your headache</a>; it's a rapid drop in your blood sugar levels that wreaks havoc on your head. For some people, eating a carbohydrate-heavy meal causes excess production of the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, which in turn makes glucose levels drop and results in that throbbing headache you so often experience after consuming one too many cupcakes.48 Putting your laptop on your lap will cause infertility.This <a href="https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(11)02678-1/abstract">myth gained traction</a> in 2011 when Argentinian researchers published a study in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

49 The odds are always 50-50 in a coin toss.Stanford University researchers <a href="https://statweb.stanford.edu/~susan/papers/headswithJ.pdf">proved this wrong</a> in 2007 when they flipped a lot of quarters and found that a coin was more likely to land on the face that it started on. The researchers put your actual odds at closer to 51-49.50 Every living thing dies.While yes, most living things do die eventually, there is one species of jellyfish that doesn't technically perish. Known as the Turritopsis dohrnii, this essentially <a href="https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-immortal-jellyfish">immortal sea creature reverts back into a juvenile state after adulthood</a>—so it can live out yet another life alongside its offspring!

You may have gone your whole life believing these false facts, but discover the truth about some of the most common myths that just won't go away.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

𝟓𝟎 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 "𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬"

As a predominantly Catholic country, France has various Easter traditions of note.<ul><li>According to legend, French children receive chocolates on Easter morning not from the fabled bunny, but from flying church bells. </li><li>It’s said that when the bells do not ring from Good Friday to Easter Sunday (to mourn Christ's death), they are flying to Rome to fetch the goodies. </li><li>In Alsace, charming markets are whimsically decorated and teeming with fluffy rabbits, goats, and ducks you can pet. </li><li>The village of Bessières makes a giant omelette each year from 15,000 eggs—and a dozen cooks.</li></ul>

Easter in France

The most striking Easter tradition is the intricate sand designs called alfombras that line the streets.The multi-chromatic creations come in patterns of all kinds—geometric, floral, and illustrative—and local artisans spend days creating the masterpieces using a mix of dyed sawdust and sand. They are erased on Good Friday as the procession walks over them, kicking up the sand and erasing the designs in the process.

Easter in Guatemala

<ul><li>One of the island’s most beloved is the Good Friday kite flying festival on Horseshoe Bay Beach. Hundreds of Bermudians turn out to fly their kites, which are kaleidoscopic, hexagonal wonders with long tails that hum once aloft. The wooden sticks that provide the structural integrity form a cross or star shape, and their annual flight symbolizes the resurrection.</li><li>Traditional Easter dishes in Bermuda include hot cross buns and codfish cakes.</li><li>The island grows Easter lilies and gifts bouquets of the white flowers shaped like trumpets to Buckingham palace every year.</li></ul>

Easter in Bermuda

<ul><li>It all starts on Palm Sunday when churchgoers receive dried flower bouquets or willow branches in lieu of palms. </li><li>Their version of Easter eggs is much more elaborate and intricate. Called pisanki, they are painted with delicate, ornamental floral patterns. </li><li>On Easter Monday, the Poles celebrate “Wet Monday,” in which boys and men pour water on women and girls, although in recent years the tradition has evolved into water fights where no one is safe. </li><li>Warsaw also is home to the Beethoven Easter Festival, which hosts a classical music program through Holy Week.</li></ul>

Easter in Poland

<ul>
<li>Florence holds a ritual called Scoppio del Carro, in which white oxen carry a centuries-old wagon to Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. After mass, the archbishop sends a mechanical dove into the wagon, which explodes in a spectacular fireworks display.</li>
<li>A parade through the city follows, and most Easter celebrations don’t stop when the night ends.</li>
<li>Easter Monday, called Pasquetta (or little Easter), is for packing picnics of leftovers and getting outside to relax. Or, in the Umbrian village of Panicale, rolling four-kilogram wheels of cheeses through an obstacle course.</li>
</ul>

Easter in Italy

<ul><li>The island of Marinduque’s Moriones Festival takes place during Holy Week each year, and a major cornerstone of the festivities is inspired by Longinus, a Roman executioner of Christ.</li><li>Men and women impersonate Roman soldiers, by donning masks, helmets, and gladiator-inspired garb, and wander the streets.</li><li>According to legend, Saint Longinus was blind, and was cured when a drop of Christ’s blood fell in his eye during the crucifixion, as he pierced Christ's side with a lance. He then declared his faith and was later beheaded. This specific tale is often reenacted during the festival.</li></ul>

Easter in The Philippines

In Mexico and throughout Latin America, the Easter holiday is an opportunity to cleanse oneself of evil.<ul><li>On Holy Saturday, it’s typical to re-enact the burning of Judas by hanging an effigy and burning it at the stake.</li><li>Theatrical renditions of the rest of Easter’s tales, called passion plays, are performed, too. One of the largest and most elaborate of them all is in Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City, which has 5,000 participants and 150 speaking roles. The tradition began in 1843 to rejoice the end of a cholera epidemic. Now, the performances begin on Palm Sunday and last through Holy Week<warningtag>.</warningtag></li></ul>

Easter in Mexico

Eastern Orthodox communities follow the Julian calendar's holiday schedule instead of the Gregorian's. <ul><li>The Holy Fire, which is said to emit from the tomb of Jesus Christ every Holy Saturday, is flown from Jerusalem to Athens and then delivered throughout Greece. </li><li>During midnight church service, the flame is passed from the priest to worshippers’ candles. People say Christ has risen" and "Truly, He has risen".</li><li>Easter marks the end of 40 days of fasting, and the dishes served that day are appropriately indulgent and symbolic: roasted lamb, sweet and fluffy braided bread,  and red hard-boiled eggs.</li></ul>

Easter in Greece

<ul>
<li>Since 1930, Angelenos have celebrated Holy Saturday with a Blessing of the Animals on Los Angeles's Olvera Street—the procession is full of flamboyantly costumed pets and a cow decked out in flowers leads it.</li>
<li>But New York City is home to perhaps the splashiest of all Easter events in the country: the Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival. Around St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown, hundreds of revelers sport towering, whimsical hats.</li>
</ul>

Easter in the United States

From passion plays in Mexico to kite-flying in Bermuda, these countries have incredible Easter traditions. Here's how to recreate them at home.

How Countries Around the World Celebrate Easter

This is the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It is the first day of Holy Week and celebrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem riding on a colt, often referred to as a donkey.Crowds of people greeted him, throwing palm branches on the road.

Palm Sunday

This is the Thursday before Easter Day. Christians remember when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples, breaking bread and drinking wine.
Many Christians remember this event by sharing bread and wine in a service called Holy Communion, Eucharist or Mass. It is a reminder that Jesus sacrificed his life for mankind.

The Last Supper

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday when Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion. During Good Friday services, they reflect on the meaning of the crucifixion and the central message of Christianity.This message is that through his death on the cross, Jesus atoned for the sin of mankind which came into the world when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, and through Jesus' sacrifice mankind is reconciled with God.

Good Friday

Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection.
<ul>
<li>After Jesus was crucified, his body was placed in a cave, guarded by Roman soldiers and an enormous stone was put over the entrance.</li>
<li>On Sunday, Mary Magdalene followed by some of Jesus' disciples visited the tomb to find that the stone had been moved and Jesus' body had gone.</li>
<li>Christians call this the Resurrection and they believe that God raised Jesus from the dead as a sign that He accepted Jesus' sacrifice for the redemption of sin and that mankind is forgiven and will have eternal life in Heaven.</li>
</ul>

Easter Sunday

During the Holy Week, Christians remember the last week of Jesus's life

Learn and revise about the different ways Christians celebrate festivals with BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies.

Easter Celebrations: The Holy Week

There was a time when the internet was seen as a source of good. It propelled progressive social movements and set information free. But today, the internet plays a vital role in steering mindsets and retreating democracy - from fake news bots to misinformation to conspiracy theories. The paradox - that the internet is both saviour and executioner of democracy - can be understood through the lenses of classical economics and cognitive science.

The shift of the internet

In traditional markets, firms make goods to satisfy the preferences of consumers. But the market on social media and the internet exists to serve the needs of the advertisers, not the consumers. These markets sell information about their users to advertisers. On social media, users"pay" for free services by giving up their data to unspecified third parties who use it to expose them to tailored ads. This economic model is driving online platforms to exploit their users' cognitive limitations and vulnerabilities.

The internet as saviour and executioner of democracy

A strategy to maximize advertising revenue when the interests of the online platform do not align with the user's interests is to present users with surprising or sensational content to keep them engaged. A study by Mozilla researchers found that YouTube actively recommends sensational content to keep users engaged. Our attention is negatively captured by either negative or awe-inspiring news. To grab our attention, digital platforms offer misinformation that feeds outrage and anger. For example, Facebook's newsfeed curation algorithm favours content eliciting anger and negative ads.

In pursuit of our attention

When people use social media, they are not always aware that they are the passive subjects of commercial transactions between the platform and advertisers involving their own personal data. Users are also often unaware of how their news feed on social media is curated. Even people who are aware of algorithmic curation tend not to fully understand what that involves. However, people often object to collecting sensitive information and data for personalization.

Users are often unaware

Protecting citizens from manipulation and misinformation and protecting democracy itself requires redesigning the current online “attention economy”. The redesign must restore the signals that are available to consumers and the public in conventional markets: users need to know what platforms do and what they know, and society must have the tools to judge whether platforms act fairly and in the public interest.

Shifting the balance of power 

<ol><li>There must be greater transparency and more individual control of personal data. </li><li>Platforms must signal the quality of the information in a newsfeed so users can assess the risk of accessing it. “Endogenous” cues could alert us to emotionally charged words designed to provoke outrage.</li><li>The public should be alerted when political speech circulating on social media is part of an ad campaign. Paid ads masquerading as independent opinions distort that marketplace.</li><li>The public must know exactly how algorithms curate and rank information. The public should be able to shape their own online environment.</li></ol>

Online regulation 

There is considerable public and political scepticism about regulations. Governments that step in to regulate social media content, if done improperly, could result in censorship. In liberal democracies, regulations must not only be proportionate to the threat of harmful misinformation but also respectful of fundamental human rights. The best solution lies in shifting control of social media from unaccountable corporations to democratic agencies that operate openly, under public oversight.

Concerns with online regulation

Attaining a more transparent and less manipulative online media.

Achieving a more transparent and less manipulative online media may well be the defining political battle of the 21st century.

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

softwareengineering

Software Engineering

Algorithms, lies, and social media

Arts and humanities are fundamental pillars of any education system and more important than ever. While education in Science, Technology, Engineering and math (STEM) is important, it is not enough. Tomorrow's generations need to become versed in empathy, imagination, and creativity. Integrating the arts into STEM education is a necessary strategy to reduce the skills gap of the next generation. But empathy, imagination and creativity are required to ensure that science and technology are developed in a human-centred way.

Reducing the skills gap

Art is necessary to build an emotional framework to make sense of the dialogues at the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Art and culture build the trust needed to bridge conflicting views and interests, overcome obstacles with dynamic and innovative approaches and understand the value embedded in any process of technological innovation.

Trust in technology

Art and design enable us to deep dive into the consequences of futuristic “what if” scenarios. A series of artworks can express and critique values before they are embodied in technology. Art provides cognitive and emotional tools to design the future and make creative breakthroughs in unexpected and emotional ways.

Embedding art and design into prototyping

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming health. It has the potential to make it more patient-centric, affordable and accessible. Agi Haines designed a series of speculative designs that imagine which parts of various animals could be used in combination with human tissue to solve common health problems. Circumventive Organs show the messy reality behind commoditizing biological material, and its potential to help people in need.

Shaping the future of health

We need the arts to stimulate debate over the impact of technological breakthroughs on society

Here’s how art is inspiring the Fourth Industrial Revolution

“The United States is experiencing an extreme teenage mental-health crisis. From 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” rose from 26 percent to 44 percent, according to a new CDC study. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded.”

Teenage Mental-Health Crisis

“In the 2020 Atlantic feature “What Happened to American Childhood?,” Kate Julian <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/childhood-in-an-anxious-age/609079/">described </a>a related phenomenon that affects families a bit more broadly: Anxious parents, in seeking to insulate their children from risk and danger, are unintentionally transferring their anxiety to their kids.”

The “Rug Rat Race”

“I want to pull out two points from Julian’s complex essay. First, children are growing up slower than they used to. Today’s children are less likely to drive, get a summer job, or be asked to do chores. The problem isn’t that kids are lazy (homework time has risen), or that scrubbing dishes magically dispels anxiety disorders. Rather, Julian wrote, these activities “provide children with two very important things”: tolerating discomfort and having a sense of personal competence.”

Children Are Growing Up Slower In Real Life, But Faster Online

“Second, researchers have noted a broad increase in an “accommodative” parenting style. If a girl is afraid of dogs, an “accommodation” would be keeping her away from every friend’s house with a dog, or if a boy won’t eat vegetables, feeding him nothing but turkey loaf for four years (<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/childhood-in-an-anxious-age/609079/">an actual story from the article </a>). These behaviors come from love. But part of growing up is learning how to release negative emotions in the face of inevitable stress. If kids never figure out how to do that, they’re more likely to experience severe anxiety as teenagers.”

Accommodation Is Breeding Anxiety

”Why American Teens Are So Sad" made me realize the big lesson from a movie I recently enjoyed. This beautiful man, King Richard, protected his daughters from early pressure and burn out. Let kids be kids. The combination of working hard from a young age, but keeping the work manageable and fun turned Venus and Serena into some of the greatest athletes of all time.

Learn From King Richard 

This article was amazing. Many of these ideas have been on my mind recently.

Four forces are propelling the rising rates of depression among young people.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Why American Teens Are So Sad

Relationship is the fundamental truth of this world of appearance.

Relationship is what makes <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2017/12/08/the-songs-of-trees-david-haskell/">a forest a forest</a> and <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2017/02/28/undersea-rachel-carson/">an ocean an ocean</a>. To meet the world on its own terms and respect the reality of another as an expression of that world as fundamental and inalienable as your own reality is an art immensely rewarding yet immensely difficult.How to master the orientation of heart, mind, and spirit essential for the art of sincere and honorable relationship is what philosopher Martin Buber explores in his 1923 classic <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743201337/braipick-20">I and Thou</a> — the foundation of Buber’s influential existentialist philosophy of dialogue.

Philosophy of dialogue: Relationship

<a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/01/06/alan-watts-reality/">Life and Reality are not things you can have for yourself unless you accord them to all others</a>.

To the man the world is twofold, in accordance with his twofold attitude. The attitude of man is twofold, in accordance with the twofold nature of the primary words which he speaks. The primary words are not isolated words, but combined words. The one primary word is the combination I–Thou. The other primary word is the combination I–It; wherein, without a change in the primary word, one of the words He and She can replace It. Hence the I of man is also twofold. For the I of the primary word I–Thou is a different I from that of the primary word I–It.

I–It establishes the world of experience and sensation.I–Thou establishes the world of relationship, which asks of each person a participatory intimacy. Thou addresses another not as an object but as a presence.

I - Thou. I - It.

“Real isn’t how you are made… It’s a thing that happens to you.”

To address another as Thou, Buber suggests, requires a certain self-surrender that springs from inhabiting one’s own presence while at the same time stepping outside one’s self. Only then does the other cease to be a means to one’s own ends and becomes real. The primary word I–Thou can be spoken only with the whole being. Concentration and fusion into the whole being can never take place through my agency, nor can it ever take place without me. I become through my relation to the Thou; as I become I, I say Thou.

All real living is meeting

Another perspective to look into relationship:  the fundamental truth of this world of appearance. 

philosophy

Philosophy

communication

Communication

I and Thou: Philosopher Martin Buber on the Art of Relationship and What Makes Us Real to One Another

Find 100+ Facts about Art - Curated by others from trusted sources like Books, Podcasts & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!

What people eat for Easter in countries around the world

How to Create Inclusive Content for Everyone

𝟓𝟎 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 "𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬"

How Countries Around the World Celebrate Easter

Easter Celebrations: The Holy Week

Algorithms, lies, and social media

Here’s how art is inspiring the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Why American Teens Are So Sad

I and Thou: Philosopher Martin Buber on the Art of Relationship and What Makes Us Real to One Another

Why are there two Easter Dates?

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

What people eat for Easter in countries around the world

How to Create Inclusive Content for Everyone

𝟓𝟎 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 "𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬"

How Countries Around the World Celebrate Easter

Easter Celebrations: The Holy Week

Algorithms, lies, and social media

Here’s how art is inspiring the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Why American Teens Are So Sad

I and Thou: Philosopher Martin Buber on the Art of Relationship and What Makes Us Real to One Another

Why are there two Easter Dates?

It's time to Read like a Pro.

It's time to
Read like a Pro.