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April 20 AltenburgAltenburgFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Altenburg
GeographyAltenburg is bounded by Windischleuba, Nobitz, Saara, Altkirchen, Göhren, Lödla, Rositz, Wintersdorf and Gerstenberg. HistoryThe town (civitas Altenburg) was first mentioned in a deed to the Bishop of Zeitz in 976. Remains of a Slavic castle on the Schloßberg demonstrate that the town was probably a Slavic foundation, the capital of the shire of Plisni, taken over during the conquest of Meißen by Henry I. As shown by place names, the surrounding area (Osterland) was mainly settled by Slavs. The town's location on the imperial road between Halle and Cheb in Bohemia gave Altenburg economic importance in the salt trade. The first castle, located under the present day church St. Bartholomäi, was destroyed after the Battle of Hohenmölsen between Henry IV and Rudolph of Swabia. It was rebuilt on the Schloßberg outside of the town. The 11th century Mantelturm tower is still preserved. The castle later became an imperial palatinate and played an important part in the German takeover and settlement of the area between the Harz-mountains and the Elbe. In the middle of the 12th century, the Hohenstaufen emperors patronized Altenburg, allowing the town to become a market and a mint. Together with the Royal forests Leina, Pahna, Kammerforst and Luckauer Forst, lands of the Groitzsch family bought by Frederick Barbarossa, Altenburg, Colditz, Zwickau and Chemnitz were turned into the Terra Plisnensis. Altenburg and Chemnitz as Imperial towns were intended to reduce the importance of Leipzig held by the Margrave of Meißen. Under Frederick Barbarossa much building took place, especially in the market area, and the town grew rapidly. An Augustine priory was founded and the church was finished in 1172. The twin towers (Rote Spitzen) are still preserved. A town wall was constructed at the end of the 12th century. During the Interregnum, the Terra Plisnensis was impounded, but bought back by Rudolph I of Germany, who desired the crown of Thuringia. Together with Zwickau and Chemnitz, Altenburg was part of the anti-Meißen Pleiße-city Union of 1290. After the Battle of Lucka in 1307 against Friedrich (der Freidige) of Meißen and his brother Diezmann, King Albert I lost Altenburg and the Pleiße-lands to the margraves of Meißen. 
In 1455 Altenburg saw the division (Altenburger Teilung) of the Meißen lands between Elector Frederick II (the Gentle) and Duke Wilhelm that led, after a failed attempt at reconciliation (Hallescher Machtspruch) to a war (1446-1451) between the two brothers (Bruderkrieg). In the second division of the Wettin lands between Ernest and Albert at Leipzig in 1485, Altenburg fell to Erenst, together with the Electorate (Kurland), Grimma, the Mutschener Pflege, Leisnig, Thuringia and the Vogtland. From this time on, Altenburg was historically connected with Thuringia. During the Peasants' War of 1525, the Altenburg Augustine monastery was attacked. In the summer, four peasant rebels were executed at the marketplace. From 1603-1672 Altenburg was the residence of the Ernestine line, after that, it fell to Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. During the Napoleonic wars it was a scene of a brief Allied raid by the Saxon General Johann von Thielmann. When the Ernestine lands were re-divided in 1826, Altenburg became the capital of Saxe-Altenburg. The last duke abdicated on 13 November 1918 after being promised 12 million Marks and the ownership of numerous castles. The free-state Saxe-Altenburg was merged with Thuringia in 1920. During World War II, several subcamps of the Buchenwald concentration camp were located here. They provided slave labour for HASAG, the third largest Germany company to use concentration camp labour.[1] In 1952, Altenburg fell to the Leipzig District, but became part of Thuringia again in 1990. Historical population
SightsAltenburg's town hall is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Germany. It was built between 1562 and 1564 by the architect Nikolaus Grohmann. The Schenkendorffsches Palais (1724) and the Alte Amtshaus (1725) are remarkable Baroque structure. There is also a castle, which is the scene of the famous "Prinzenraub", related by Carlyle in his "Miscellanies". The Western main wing (1706-1732) contains an exhibition on the history of playing cards and card games and a historical museum. The Lindenau Museum in the palace of Bernhard August von Lindenau (1799-1854), built in 1875 houses Italian paintings of the 13th-15th centuries, a collection of classical antiquities and cast and modern art.
CultureAltenburg is called the playing cards town. The game of skat is said to have originated here, based on the Bavarian tarock. Because of the influence Emperor Frederick Barbarossa had on the town, it is nicknamed a "Barbarossa town". Economy
Altenburg is noted for produced playing cards. The Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik was founded in the year 1831. Today it is a subsidiary company of Cartamundi and market leader in Germany. In Altenburg is the headquarters of the Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur. Since 2005 the supercar Gumpert Apollo is produced by Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur. Transport
In the vicinity of the city are two airports. Sister cities
Notable natives
References
See also
[edit] External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altenburg"
RositzRositzFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Rositz is a municipality in the district Altenburger Land, in Thuringia, Germany. An RAF raid bombed the oil refinery in Rositz on February 14/15, 1945 as part of Operation Thunderclap.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rositz"
EislebenEislebenFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552. It lies midway along the rail line from Kassel to Halle. Eisleben is divided into old and new towns (Altstadt and Neustadt); the latter of which was created for Eisleben's miners in the 14th century. Eisleben was the capital of the district Mansfelder Land and is the seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft ("collective municipality") Lutherstadt Eisleben.
HistoryEisleben was first mentioned in 997 as a market called Islebia and in 1180 as a town. It belonged to the counts of Mansfeld until it passed to the Electorate of Saxony in 1780. It was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815 and was administered within the Prussian Province of Saxony. It became part of the new state of Saxony-Anhalt after World War II. Martin LutherThe Protestant reformer Martin Luther was born in Germany on November 10, 1483. His father, Hans Luther, was a miner like many of Eisleben's citizens. Luther's family moved to Mansfeld when he was only a year old and he lived in Wittenberg most of his life, but by chance he was in Eisleben when he preached his last sermons and died (1546). Eisleben was a pioneer of "heritage tourism" — it took steps to preserve its Luther memorials as far back as 1689. Together with the Luther sites in Wittenberg, the "Birth House" and "Death House" of Martin Luther in Eisleben were designated a World Heritage Site in 1997. Also in Eisleben is the St. Peter and Paul Church, where Luther was baptized (the original font survives) and St. Andreas Church, where he preached his last sermons. People
External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisleben"
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April 11 PossumPossumFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Possum (disambiguation).
For the Western Hemisphere marsupial, see opossum.
A possum (plural form: possums) is any of about 69 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi (and introduced to New Zealand and China). The name derives from their resemblance to the opossums of the Americas. (The name is from Algonquian wapathemwa, not Greek or Latin, so the plural is possums, not possa.) Possum is also used in North America as a short form of Opossum. The possum's rank odour is due to its large musk glands located behind each ear. Possums are small marsupials with brown or grey fur, ranging in size and weight from the length of a finger or 170 grams (6 ounces) (pygmy possums and wrist-winged gliders), to the length of 120 centimetres (four feet) or 14.5 kilograms (32 pounds) (brushtails and ringtails). In general, though, the larger possums are about the same size as a well-fed domestic cat. All possums are nocturnal and omnivorous, hiding in a nest in a hollow tree during the day and coming out during the night to forage for food. They fill much the same role in the Australian ecosystem that squirrels fill in the northern hemisphere and are broadly similar in appearance. The two most common species of possums, the Common Brushtail and Common Ringtail, are also among the largest.
Interaction with humansThe animal has been a part of Australian culture and folklore since the original indigenous inhabitants of the country. Aboriginal Australians once used possum hides whilst playing the traditional game of Marn Grook. Possum-skin cloaks were important clothing for Aborigines from the south-east, as well as being important clan heirlooms. Possums are commonly found in suburban areas, where they are often considered pests owing to their habit of eating fruit, vegetables, flowers and tender young shoots from gardens, and nesting in roofs. The loud hissing, crackling territorial call of the male Common Brushtail may also be a problem for suburban residents. Natural deterrents which play upon the possum's acute sense of smell are often employed to discourage them. These include cloves of garlic, camphor or naphthalene. As a native species in Australia, possums are protected by Australian regulations, even when they reside in urban neighbourhoods, and cannot be baited. If captured, regulations stipulate that they must be released within a small radius of the capture site as they are territorial creatures. Preventative measures such as blocking off their access to the roof spaces or building a possum nesting box for an alternative home are instead recommended. Although the Common Brushtail and (to a lesser extent) ringtail possums have adapted well to the urban environment, many of the lesser-known species are reduced in number, threatened, or endangered. Introduction into New ZealandThe Common Brushtail Possum was introduced to New Zealand by European settlers in an attempt to establish a fur industry. They soon escaped into the wild where they have thrived as an invasive species with great numbers: around 70 million individuals estimated in 2009. There are no native predators of the possum in New Zealand. There have been numerous attempts to eradicate them because of the damage they do to native trees and wildlife, as well as acting as a carrier of bovine tuberculosis. For New Zealand, the introduction of possums has resulted in as much of an ecological disaster as the introduction of rabbits has been in Australia.[citation needed] Since 1996, efforts have been made to utilize possum fur in clothing. A blend of Australian brushtailed possum fur with merino wool was developed by Untouched World, a New Zealand fashion label. The product is called merinomink, eco-possum, possumdown, eco fur or possum wool and accounts for 95% of all commercially caught possum fur. Possum fur is also used for fur trim, jackets, bed throws, and possum leather gloves. All the fur is obtained from wild-caught possums, which are considered pests.[2] Classification
About two-thirds of Australian marsupials belong to the order Diprotodontia, which is split into three suborders: the Vombatiformes (wombats and the Koala, 4 species in total); the large and diverse Phalangeriformes (the possums and gliders) and Macropodiformes (kangaroos, potoroos, wallabies and the Musky Rat-kangaroo).
References
See alsoRetrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum"
On the Beach (novel) by Nevil ShuteOn the Beach (novel)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search
On the Beach is a post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world novel written by British-Australian author Nevil Shute after he had emigrated to Australia. It was published in 1957. The novel was adapted for the screenplay of a 1959 film featuring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, and Fred Astaire, and a 2000 television film starring Armand Assante and Rachel Ward. BBC Radio 4 broadcast a full cast audio dramatisation in two hour-long episodes as part of their Classic Serial strand in November 2008.[1] Plot summaryThe story is set in what was then the near future (1963, approximately a year following World War III). The conflict has devastated the northern hemisphere, polluting the atmosphere with nuclear fallout and killing all animal life. While the nuclear bombs were confined to the northern hemisphere, global air currents are slowly carrying the fallout to the southern hemisphere. The only part of the planet still habitable is the far south of the globe, specifically Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, and the southern parts of South America, although all of these areas are slowly succumbing to radiation poisoning as the fallout continues to circulate southwards. From Australia, survivors detect a mysterious and incomprehensible Morse code radio signal originating from the United States. With hope that some life has remained in the contaminated regions, one of the last American nuclear submarines, the USS Scorpion, placed by its captain under Australian naval command, is ordered to sail north from its port of refuge in Melbourne (Australia's southernmost major mainland city) to try to contact whoever is sending the signal. In preparation for this long journey the submarine first makes a shorter trip to some port cities in northern Australia including Cairns, Queensland and Darwin, Northern Territory, finding no survivors. The American captain, Dwight Towers, leads the operation, leaving behind a woman of recent acquaintance, the alcoholic Moira Davidson, to whom he has become attached, despite his feelings of guilt regarding the certain deaths of his wife and children in the U.S. He refuses to admit that they are dead and continues to behave as though they are still alive, buying them gifts and imagining his children growing older. The Australian government makes arrangements to provide its citizens with free suicide pills and injections, so that they will be able to avoid prolonged suffering from radiation sickness. One of the novel's poignant dilemmas is that of Australian naval officer Peter Holmes, who has a baby daughter and a naive and childish wife, Mary, who is in denial about the impending disaster. Because he has been assigned to travel north with the Americans, Peter must try to explain to Mary how to euthanize their baby and kill herself with the pill should he be killed on the ocean voyage. The submarine travels to an abandoned naval installation in Seattle, where a crewman sent onto land with oxygen tanks and protective gear discovers that, although the city's residents have long since perished in the fallout, some of the region's hydroelectric power is still on-line, owing to the primitive automation technology available at that time. The mysterious signal is the result of a Coca-Cola bottle being nudged by a window shade teetering in the breeze and occasionally hitting a telegraph key. The expedition members then sail to the Gulf of Alaska in the northern Pacific Ocean, where they determine that radiation levels are not decreasing. Doing so disproves the "Jorgensen Effect," a scientific theory which posited that radiation levels would gradually decrease due to weather effects and might allow for human life to continue in southern Australia or at least in Antarctica. After a brief stop at Pearl Harbor, (most of) the submariners return to Australia to live out the little time that remains before lethal levels of radioactive contamination arrive and kill the remaining Southern Hemisphere survivors. One crew member, who is from one of the coastal areas the expedition visits, jumps ship to spend his last hours in his hometown. The characters make their best efforts to "enjoy" what time and pleasures remain to them before dying from radiation poisoning, speaking of small pleasures and continuing their customary activities, allowing their awareness of the coming end to impinge on their minds only long enough to plan ahead for their final hours. The Holmeses plant a garden that they will never see; Moira takes classes in typing and shorthand; scientist John Osborne and others organize a dangerous motor race that results in the violent deaths of several participants. In the end, Captain Towers chooses not to remain with Moira but rather to lead his crew on a final mission to scuttle their submarine beyond the twelve-mile (22 km) limit, so that she will not rattle about, unsecured, in a foreign port, refusing to allow his coming demise to turn him aside from his duty and acting as a pillar of strength to his crew. Moira watches the departure of the submarine from an adjacent hilltop as she takes her suicide pill, imagining herself together with Dwight as they die. The Holmeses get sick together, and take their pills simultaneously, so they can die as a family. Typically for a Shute novel, the characters avoid the expression of intense emotions and do not mope or indulge in self-pity. They do not, for the most part, flee southward as refugees but rather accept their fate once the lethal radiation levels reach the latitudes at which they live. Finally, most of the Australians do opt for the government-promoted alternative of suicide when the symptoms of radiation-sickness appear. In the book, the war is said to have involved the bombing of the United Kingdom and the United States by Egypt. The aircraft used were obtained from the USSR and so the attack was mistakenly thought to have been led by the Soviets, leading to a retaliation on the USSR by the NATO powers. This may have been a reference to the then-contemporary Suez Crisis. The book also hints at a strike by the People's Republic of China against the USSR, aiming at occupying Soviet industrial areas near the Chinese border; this strike leads to a Russian retaliatory strike. ReferencesExternal links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(novel)" October 22 Keukenhof, NLKeukenhof (pronounced [ˈkøːkənˌhɔf], in Dutch: Kitchen garden), also known as the Garden of Europe is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world's largest flower garden. According to the official website for the Keukenhof Park, there are approximately 7,000,000 (seven million) flower bulbs planted annually at the park. [1] Keukenhof is located in South Holland between the towns of Hillegom and Lisse, south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam. It is accessible by bus from the stations of Haarlem or Leiden. It is located in an area called the "Dune and Bulb Region" (Duin- en Bollenstreek). The flower garden was the idea in 1949 of the then-mayor of Lisse, a small town south of Amsterdam. The idea was to have a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids which will help the Netherlands as it is the world's largest exporter of flowers. Keukenhof has been the world's largest flower garden for over fifty years. Keukenhof is open annually from the last week of March to mid-May. The best time to view the tulips is around mid-April, depending on the weather. In 2009 the Keukenhof will be open from March 19 to May 21.
Keukenhof
Small shelter and a well in Keukenhof From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaCoconuts and Copra“The Tree of Life” - Coconuts and Copra
The life history of a coconut treeThe vegetation on the islands and coasts of the South Pacific is dominated by the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). All of us are familiar with the typical “Robinson Crusoe-style” desert island – a mound of golden sand with a solitary palm tree growing on it, and in fact, this is not just a picture book scenario, coconut palms really do grow on islands like that -the coconuts tolerance to the salt environment and poor sandy soil is incredible. Coconuts can float for thousands of miles until they are cast up onto a sandy shore. After lying quiescent for a while, in the heat of the tropical sunshine, the coconut eventually sprouts into life. Roots sprout out of two of the eyes in the nut, plunging down into the sand, seeking water and nutrients. Through the third eye, a green shoot grows upwards towards the sunlight. Once established, the embryo palm grows rapidly, and within five to six years the coconut will have matured into a graceful palm tree. Palmae, the palm family, to which the coconut belongs, is one of the oldest and most diverse of the plant families. Palms have many botanical characteristics such as a woody trunk, perennial growth, leaves which are folded like a fan and the production of a single ‘seed leaf’ which, along with grasses, lilies and other families classifies them as monocotyledons. There have been sixty other species under the genus Cocos, but the coconut palm stands by itself and is monotypic - meaning that within the genus Cocos only one species, nucifera, is recognized. Consequently, every coconut palm in the world is taxonomically the same species, which probably makes it most abundant single food tree in existence. The distribution of the coconut palm extends over most of the tropical islands and coasts. In South America however it has been recorded as far south as 27° and in North America, as far north as 25°. Two major classes of coconut palm are typically recognized on the basis of stature: tall and dwarf. The ones most commonly planted for commercial purposes are the tall varieties, which are slow to mature and first flower six to ten years after planting. They produce medium-to-large size nuts and have a life span of sixty to seventy years. The dwarf varieties may have originated as a mutation of tall types. The dwarf variety may grow to a height of twenty-five to thirty feet and begin flower after three years, when they are only about three feet tall. Their life span is only about thirty years. Although highly difficult to grow, the dwarf varieties are valued because they bear fruit early and are resistant to the lethal “yellowing disease”. The coconut palm is not simply an attractive addition to tropical islands and coasts, it is one of the most valuable plants to man. In Sanskrit the coconut palm is called “kalpa vriksha”, which roughly translated means “Tree of Life” On most small islands in the South Pacific for example, the islanders depend on the coconut palm, not just as a means of income, but also for providing food and shelter. In fact, in Polynesia especially almost every part of the tree is used for something. The fibrous trunk produces a wood known as porcupine wood, which is prime building material, and the huge frondy leaves are woven together to produce roof thatches, which last up to three or four years. When the fronds are stripped they can be used for lashing logs together, making baskets, mats and many other household items. The fibrous husk of the coconut known as “coir”– which is there to cushion the inner nut when it falls several meters to the ground, produces fibers for a kind of rope called “sennit”. The meat and liquid obtained from the fruit are used for a variety of foods and beverages, and the empty shells are made into household utensils such as spoons and bowls. The empty shells can also be used to make an excellent charcoal, which works as a cooking fuel and is also used in the production of gas masks and air filters. A coconut takes a full year to develop from a flower into a ripe nut. During this time the fruit of the coconut passes through four food phases; (1) Even before the nut is ripe, when it is bright green in colour, the juice or milk can be drunk. It is sweet and refreshing, and one green coconut can contain up to 1 liter of milk. Green coconut milk has the advantage of being perfectly sealed in a hygienic container and in some places it is therefore used in place of sterile water for medicinal purposes, or with salt added, for the rehydration of fever or gastroenteritis cases. (2) After the green stage the nut begins to ripen – on the outside, it turns slowly brown, and on the inside a thin white layer of meat or pulp begins to develop – this can be eaten and has a consistency rather like that of a soft boiled egg. (3) If the nut remains on the tree it continues to ripen, the outside becomes harder and the meaty inner lining thickens and hardens while the milk turns to tasteless water. The mature pulp can be shredded at this stage and the fresh meat used in various dishes, or the shells are split and the meat is left to dry in the sun, becoming “copra” from which coconut oil is extracted (see below). (4) If a coconut is allowed to fully ripen on the tree, and then falls onto a suitable surface, it will start to germinate; this forms the last food phase. As the coconut germinates a white sponge-like ball develops within the shell, absorbing the liquid and hard meat. The sponge can be eaten. It is sweet and is, in taste and texture, rather like spun sugar candy. Care must be taken with this part of the fruit however, because after a certain point in its development it becomes poisonous. A more exotic product of the coconut palm is used in “millionaires salad”. This is made from the hearts of the newly sprouted embryo palm trees. Extracting the heart kills the tree – but this is often done when thinning of new growth is required. The making of Copra Copra is the local south pacific name for dried sections of the meaty inner lining of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It is the principal commercial product derived from the coconut palm, and is used primarily as a source of coconut oil. The resulting residue, coconut oil cake, is used as livestock feed. Coconut oil was introduced as a source of edible fat in northern Europe in the 1860’s because of a shortage of dairy fats. Early in the 20th century it became known in the United States. Western Europe now imports about half a million tons annually, principally from the Philippines, but it is also an important export in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu (formerly the New Hebrides), Mozambique, Malaysia, and the Pacific Islands. The economy of many small islands in the Marquesas and Tuamotus for example, is heavily dependent on the production of copra. Harvesting copra is a tedious, beak-breaking business. The ripe coconuts are split with a machete and laid out to dry in the sun. The meat is then scraped out and dried once more on raised wooden platforms, which protects the meat from land crabs. On the atolls, the coconut forests are divided into “parcels” so that each family has sufficient trees from which to harvest a crop. In French Polynesia the price of copra is kept artificially high by subsidies from Tahitian government, this is in an attempt to keep people on the smaller islands by providing them with a worthwhile income. At the moment, Polynesian islanders are paid three times what the copra is actually worth. In the villages, after the copra is harvested, it is packed into burlap bags, weighed and recorded in the local shopkeepers ledger. The shopkeeper often acts as an intermediary, giving credit at the shop in exchange for the crop, which is eventually shipped to Tahiti on “copra boats”. To remove the oil, copra is pulverized between rollers, steamed, and pressed at a pressure of about 500 kg per sq cm (about 6500 lb per sq in). High-quality copra usually contains about 60 to 65 percent oil. The remaining residue is utilized to feed livestock. The raw coconut oil is subsequently refined, either by the producing country or by the importer. Coconut oil makes up about 20 percent of all vegetable oils used in the world. It is a common ingredient in margarines, vegetable shortenings, salad oils, and confections. Coconut oil is also used in the manufacture of soaps, detergents, and shampoos because it has high levels of lauric acid, an ingredient that gives soap a quick-lathering property. Another big market for coconut oil is in the production of cosmetics. It can also be added to glues, epoxies and lacquers to provide flexibility. References / Acknowledgements Child, Reginald (1974) “Coconuts” (Second Edition) Longman Group LTD. Woodruff, Jasper Guy, (1970) “Coconuts: Production, Processing, Products.” The Avi Publishing Co. Inc. Landfalls of Paradise, Cruising guide to the Pacific Islands (Fourth edition) E.R. Hinz. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. Microsoft Encarta Reference Suite 99
Thanks to Megan Robertson (South Cheshire College, UK) for searching the Web for reference material. This page will be updated if I receive further informationDr. Janet Sumner-Fromeyer October 08 Halloween (History of -)HALLOWEEN HISTORY Halloween's origins date back 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, meaning the summer's end. The event was celebrated on the night of October 31st. In the seventh century, Christianity had grown significant influence and Pope Boniface IV designated November 1st as All Saints' Day, commemorating the deaths of saints and martyrs. The celebration was called "All-hallows Eve" and it eventually became known as Halloween. Incorporating the traditions of Samhain, the event was celebrated with bonfires, parades and costumes of saints, angels, and devils. *** Introduction to America Halloween was introduced to America in the 19th century by European immigrants, who brought their traditions for dressing in Halloween costumes. Different cultures and customs have shaped the America version of Halloween; however, the most influential tradition "trick-or-treating" came from the Irish & English traditions. Throughout the twentieth century, Halloween was transformed into a community celebration with games, costumes and parties for both children and adults. Halloween has now become the second largest commercial holiday with billions of dollars spent on decorations, costumes, parties, candy, and more. Text published by: anna85 on TagWorld October 8, 2006. October 04 MSN SpacesMSN SPACES
Is just as userunfriendly as MSN MESSENGER 7.5.
Another point is the standard language of the headers and the text of the invitations made by SPACES. I'm living in The Netherlands, the language is than automatic set to Dutch, no questions asked about what I prefer to set as primary language. You may change it to English by adding "?mkt=en-us" to your username for spaces:
http://spaces.live.com?mkt=en-us. But it is not permanent. |
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