Mickeys

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by Macy’s. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States, tied with America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than the 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. The three-hour event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.

for more info on Macy’s Parade visit Wikipedia

First Mickey Mouse balloon to appear in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Originally the Macy's Christmas Parade), Thursday, November 29, 1934. Location: Broadway and 105th Street, New York City, NY.

Cape Town – The organisers of the Out in Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Cape Town say the removal of their posters is an act of “homophobia”, Eyewitness News reported on Monday.

Festival organisers claimed about 700 posters advertising the event had been removed from lampposts across the Peninsula just days before the festival.

The event, in its 16th year, kicked off on Thursday last week in the Mother City, 702 said.

Festival director Nody Murphy said they had laid a charge with police as they believed whoever was behind this wanted to prove a point.

“Somebody who’s got too much time on their hands, somebody very organised, I have to say, because it takes a long time to take down 700 posters, and go up and down every street of Cape Town removing my posters. I can only believe that it is a homophobic act.”

Cape Town police spokesperson Carin Loock said the matter was being investigated.

“Saps can confirm that a case of malicious damage to property has been opened after several posters have been removed from lamp poles in the city as well as nearby areas in Cape Town. The case is currently under investigation.”

taken from News24

As South Africans we are the first to admit that our customs can seem a little strange. From a good sokkiejol to makaraps and vuvuzelas, we are an intriguing lot.

But sometimes we have nothing on the rest of the world. Take a look at 10 of the world’s weirdest festivals..

Cheese-a-rolling – England

The face of 650 foot high Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester is the site of one of the UK’s stranger pastimes. Apparently a centuries old tradition, a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese is sent down the hill with scores of young men in hot pursuit. The winning cheese-chaser receives, you guessed it, the cheese.

Check it out if you are in the area on the last Monday in May.

The radishes turn to shine – Mexico

This traditional Oaxacan Folk Art festival takes place during the Christmas season and is known as Noche de Rabanos or the Night of the Radishes. The entire town of Oaxaca is decorated with scenes to celebrate the ancient tradition of market advertising via hand-crafted radish sculptures. The scenes are either nativity related or an expression of Oaxacan history. The winner gets his or her picture in the morning paper.

Don’t miss it if you are in Mexico on the 23rd of December.

Monkeying around – Thailand

November is a special month for the monkeys of Lopburi in Thailand. A feast of grilled sausage, fresh fruit, ice cream and other treats is offered to just over 600 monkeys in thanks for the thousands of tourists they bring to the area each year.

Apparently the monkeys do share, so join in every November.

It’s hammer time – Portugal

Portugal’s second largest city of Porto is also home to one of the country’s oddest festivals. It all sounds normal – the town is decorated, lit up and good food and wine is served – and then the hammers come out. When you fancy someone you have to smack them with a big plastic hammer – all in honour of St John, the patron saint of lovers.

If you are lucky enough to be there on the 23rd of June, don’t forget to try a road-side grilled sardine, apparently a real treat.

Jump-a-baby – Spain

Apparently Spanish babies are quite naughty, as they have their very own festival to cleanse them of sin. During the Feast of Corpus Christi in May or June, men dress up as whip-bearing devils and literally jump over babies laid out in the street. The event, ‘El Colacho’ leaves the babies sin free and has been going on since 1620 in Castrillo de Murcia.

Bring your baby along on the Sunday following Corpus Christi in June in 2010.

Nothing rhymes with orange – Italy

In 1266, the peasants of Ivrea revolted against a violent tyrant by pelting the feudal lords with rotten fruit – the ultimate sign of disrespect. Every year this act is recreated and remembered – medieval costumes and all. Everyone pelts each other with oranges and participants are fed with free beans to keep their energy levels up.

Have a fruit fight at the Battle of the Oranges in February 2010 – just don’t wear white.

It’s a testy festy! – Montana, USA

Yes, you read that right. Only in America can there be a Testicle Festival. Naturally it is an ‘adults only’ event and actually revolves around Rocky Mountain Oysters. That’s bull testicles to you and me. Roughly 6500 people attend this festival every year and feast on deep fried bull testes and other delicacies. Oh, and of course most people are naked at the time. Everything from wet t-shirt contests to mud wrestling and ‘boob-o-meter’ competitions can be expected.

The festival starts in August 4th in 2010, running for 5 days – but don’t miss ‘No Panty Wednesday’ when you can swap your undies for a free drink.

Dropping a moose – Alaska

Talkeetna, Alaska must be home to one of North America’s strangest festivals. The basic premise is to drop moose poop on numbered targets from a hot air balloon. If your number gets ‘pooped’ – you win. There is also a market of art and jewellery made out of moose poop and many other festive activities. Why? No idea.

Check out flying moose poop in the second week of July every year.

Wild goose chase – Spain

Antzar Eguna or Geese’s Day is celebrated in the village of Lekeitio every year. Basically contestants hang onto a dead goose while being dipped into the ocean on a long rope. The first person to decapitate their goose is declared the festival winner. No one really knows the history behind this festival and perhaps it is better not to ask.

Check out this strange event on September.5th during the San Antolin festival.

Pinch and a punch – Bolivia

The traditional Tinku Festival takes place high up in the Bolilvian Andes in the tiny city if Macha. At first glance, this festival could just look like a bunch of people beating each other up, but it is actually deeply rooted in ancient religion. In pre-Hispanic times the earth Goddess Pachamama demanded blood to ensure a good harvest – dictating that a fight or two break out, for the greater good. These fights often ended in death, but today they are more controlled and stop at the first sign of blood.

Head to Macha in May to join in the fight.

Think you would prefer something a little closer to home? There are plenty of South African festivals still to come in 2009:

• Cellar Rats Wine Festival – Magaliesberg
• Arts Alive – Johannesburg
• Aardklop Arts Festival – Potchefstroom
• Woodstock – Hartbeeshoek
• Gariep Kunstefees – Kimberley
• Hermanus Whale Festival – Hermanus
• Awesome Africa Music Festival – Durban
• Knysna Gastronomica – Knysna
• Prince Albert Agricultural Show – Prince Albert
• White Mountain Folk Festival – Estcourt
• Vrede Paddadors – Vrede
• Bosman Weekend – Groot Marico
• Ficksburg Cherry Festival – Ficksburg
• Umdwebo Lifestyle Festival – Ballito

story from GoTravel24

May 1 is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar.

There are 244 days remaining until the end of the year.

May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers’ Day, or Labour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labour movement. As a day of celebration the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that in the Northern Hemisphere it falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.

for more info on May Day visit Wikipedia

Happy Easter To All

Easter (Greek: ?????, Ethiopic:  Pascha) is an important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead three days after his crucifixion. Many Christian denominations celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday (also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday), two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday. The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between A.D. 26 and 36. Easter also refers to the season of the church year called Eastertide or the Easter Season. Traditionally the Easter Season lasted for the forty days from Easter Day until Ascension Day but now officially lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. The first week of the Easter Season is known as Easter Week or the Octave of Easter. Easter also marks the end of Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and penance.

Easter is a moveable feast, meaning it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar. Easter falls at some point between late March and late April each year (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity), following the cycle of the Moon. After several centuries of disagreement, all churches accepted the computation of the Alexandrian Church (now the Coptic Church) that Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first moon whose 14th day (the ecclesiastic “full moon”) is on or after March 21 (the ecclesiastic “vernal equinox”).

Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover not only for much of its symbolism but also for its position in the calendar.

Cultural elements, such as the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts, have become part of the holiday’s modern celebrations, and those aspects are often celebrated by many Christians and non-Christians alike. There are also some Christian denominations which do not celebrate Easter.

for more on Easter visit Wikipedia

May the blessings of the Lord shine upon you on this Holy Day and may He always keep you in His Loving care!

Good Friday, also called Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday (“Pascha”). This religious holiday commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Golgotha, an event central to Christian theology.

Based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most probably on a Friday. The exact year of Good Friday has been estimated as AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon.

for more information on Good Friday visit Wikipedia

Passover (Hebrew, Yiddish: ??????,  Pesach), Tiberian: p?sa?, Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish: Peysekh, Paysokh) is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating God sparing the Hebrews when he killed the first born of Egypt, and is the seven day Feast of the Unleavened Bread (it lasts eight days in the diaspora) commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan (equivalent to March and April in Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Hebrew calendar’s festival year according to the Hebrew Bible.

In the story of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves, with the tenth plague being the killing of firstborn sons. The Hebrews were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term “passover”. When Pharaoh freed the Hebrews, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is also called (Hag haMazot), “The Festival of the Unleavened Bread”. Matza (unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday. This bread that is flat and unrisen is called Matzo.

Together with Shavuot (“Pentecost”) and Sukkot (“Tabernacles”), Passover is one of the three pilgrim festivals (Shalosh Regalim) during which the entire Jewish populace historically made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Samaritans still make this pilgrimage to Mount Gerizim, but only men participate in public worship.

information taken from Wikipedia

Music lovers can look forward to seeing their favourite local and international bands at Riversands, Fourways, Johannesburg, on Friday, 10 April and at the Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West just outside Cape Town on Monday, 13 April 2009 as the Coke Zero Fest kicks off this Easter weekend.

The line-up includes Snow Patrol who sky rocketed to the top of the UK charts after playing an opening slot at U2’s Vertigo Tour of Europe in the summer of 2005.

Another headline band at the fest inlcudes Oasis, who have sold over 50-million records worldwide, have eight UK number-one singles and have collected 15 NME Awards, five Brit Awards, nine Q Awards and four MTV Europe Awards.

Featuring prominently this year will be Panic at the Disco – the Grammy-nominated, multiple-MTV- Award winning American rock band characterised by its pop-influenced songs with theatrical touches, quirky techno beats and perceptive lyrics.

The Fest also introduces local fans to the band that Q Magazine dubbed “The best British metal band to emerge in years”, the Welsh metal-core band Bullet For My Valentine as well as The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

While local bands Zebra and Giraffe, The Dirty Skirts, Foto Na Dans, Cassette and aKing also earn their slots in the spotlight.

for more information visit Cokezero

Here are some random facts that you can use to fill an awkward conversation lull at your next dinner party.

Chilli… contains seven times more vitamin C than an orange.

Chilli… can help you lose weight. The Capsaicin in chilli helps burn fat as it increases circulation and boosts your metabolism.

Chilli… can make you fat. No, I am not confused. Doctors say that chilli enhances the taste of food so much that many people tend to overeat and get fat. So, control yourself people!

Chilli… can fight cellulite. Sounds like rubbish, no? Chilli helps your body to eliminate toxins and waste, smoothing the skin. So try nibbling on a chilli while balancing on your bosu ball.
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