Holidays
I admit I was a little surprised several years ago when I toured the entire island of Ireland and discovered that St. Patrick — the patron saint of Ireland and largely credited with bringing Christianity to he country — actually did much of his missionary work in and is reputedly buried in County Down, which is now part of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
It was a quarter-century ago (April 1998) that “The Troubles,” as they were called — an often violent class-related and sectarian three-decade conflict in Northern Ireland between those who wanted to remain in the UK (mostly Protestants) and those who wanted to break away and join the Republic of Ireland (mostly Catholics) — ended in the Good Friday Agreement to settle the issue peacefully.
Because my grandfather was a Protestant born in County Fermanagh, in what is now Northern Ireland, before he… Continue reading
Here are the answers to our previous post, A Ghoulish Halloween Travel Quiz.
1. If you want to visit the countries where Halloween originated, where would you go?
a. Romania and Bulgaria
b. Germany and France
c. Ireland and Scotland
d. Hungary and Slovakia
The correct answer is C, Ireland and Scotland. Halloween has its roots in ancient Celtic myths, and modern-day American Halloween traditions evolved from those brought by 19th-century Irish immigrants to the U.S.
2. Where would you find the world’s longest, deepest haunted “house”?
a. Lewisburg, Ohio
b. Rapid City, South Dakota
c. Blackfoot, Idaho
d. Lexington, Kentucky
The correct answer is A, Lewisburg, Ohio. The haunted “house” is actually located in a 3,500-foot-long cave located some 80 feet underground, complete with thousands of bats.
3. What European castle is said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula?
a. Neuschwanstein, Germany… Continue reading
If you’re looking to expand your Halloween fun beyond handing out candy to trick-or-treaters or dressing up like ex-presidents at costume parties, take our Halloween travel quiz. You might even pick up an idea or two for your next ghoulish holiday.
Some questions are easy, some are harder — but we’re betting you don’t stand a ghost of a chance of getting all the answers right without ghoulgling!
1. If you want to visit the countries where Halloween originated, where would you go?
a. Romania and Bulgaria
b. Germany and France
c. Ireland and Scotland
d. Hungary and Slovakia
2. Where would you find the world’s longest, deepest haunted “house”?
a. Lewisburg, Ohio
b. Rapid City, South Dakota
c. Blackfoot, Idaho
d. Lexington, Kentucky
3. What European castle is said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula?
a. Neuschwanstein, Germany
b. Bran Castle, Romania
c.… Continue reading
Photo from timelesstuvalu.com.
The usual April 1 routine among publications is to write up some ridiculous story and try to convince readers that it’s true. Today I’m going to reverse that.
All of these 12 travel trivia items have previously appeared in some form on clarknorton.com. Only one of them is false.
See if you can figure out which one is strictly for April Fool’s Day:
* St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually born in Britain.
* Some of the most coveted and prestigious student residences at the University of Virginia have no bathrooms.
* Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa had 16 children; her 11 daughters were all named Maria or Marie.
* The small South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu has made millions of dollars by selling its Internet URL suffix .tv to companies that stream videos… Continue reading
I admit I was a little surprised several years ago when I toured the entire island of Ireland and discovered that St. Patrick — the patron saint of Ireland and largely credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland — actually did much of his missionary work and is reputedly buried in County Down, which is now part of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
It was less than a quarter-century ago (April 1998) that “The Troubles,” as they were called — an often violent class-related and sectarian three-decade conflict in Northern Ireland between those who wanted to remain in the UK (mostly Protestants) and those who wanted to break away and join the Republic of Ireland (mostly Catholics) — ended in the Good Friday Agreement to settle the issue peacefully.… Continue reading
Today (February 12 in 2021) is the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year — also known as the Spring Festival, which lasts for 15 days.
This is the Year of the Ox, the second sign of the Chinese Zodiac. Legend has it that when the Jade Emperor summoned the presence of a dozen animals, he declared that the one that arrived first would head the 12-sign Zodiac. The ox was kind enough to give the rat a ride, but the tricky rat hopped off to cross the finish line first. Thus the ox goes second.
According to the Travel China Guide, the ox is the symbol of diligence, persistence, and honesty, and people born under that sign are industrious, cautious, faithful and always glad to offer help — even to rats.
For baby boomers, ox sign years are 1949 and 1961. So we wish oxen readers an… Continue reading
Chinese New Year parades are always colorful, noisy, and popular in much of the world.
Chinese New Year (also known as Spring Festival), starts on January 25 this year and continues for 15 days.
It’s the most important festival time of the year in China — when millions of Chinese travel to their home villages and cities to be with family or friends for holiday reunions. (We can only hope the coronavirus now threatening China is safely contained and allows for such visits this year.)
This is the Year of the Rat, the first of the 12 rotating Chinese Zodiac signs. The mythological rat is said to have used his cleverness to trick his way to the top of the zodiacal order — and, though more maligned today, is considered a symbol of wealth and fertility in traditional Chinese culture. The rat also symbolizes getting a fresh start.
Chinese New… Continue reading
The original St. Nicholas was a bishop in what is now modern-day Turkey, and is sometimes depicted with a Santa Claus beard.
From all of us here at clarknorton.com!
May your stockings be full and your travels be fulfilling, and please remember those in need during the holiday season and throughout the coming year.
Thanks for reading and
With best wishes,
Clark, Catharine, Rocky, and Jake
Here are the answers to the Happy Thanksgiving Day Quiz in my most recent post. Let me know how you did!
1.Which historical figure is most identified with Thanksgiving in America?
a. The Earl of Cranberry
b. Davy Crockett
c. The Sultan of Turkey
d. Governor William Bradford
Answer: D — Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony, who is said to have declared the colony’s first Thanksgiving feast in 1621.
2. Who invented the green bean casserole, and when?
Dorcas Reilly’s recipe has sold countless cans of mushroom soup.
a. Betty Crocker in 1949
b. Dorcas Reilly in 1955
c. Fanny Farmer in 1930
d. Julia Child in 1963
Answer: B — Dorcas Reilly in 1955. Reilly was a product developer for the Campbell Soup Company, where she came up with the idea for green bean casserole, which of course uses Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup.… Continue reading
How many Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Yes, it’s time for another Thanksgiving Day Quiz, in which we delve into the history and mystery of this beloved and occasionally berated travel-related holiday, when most everyone in the United States either heads to Grandma’s house or Grandma flees to the buffet at Golden Corral.
Either way, there’s bound to be turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and at least one relative who hits the sauce too much, cranberry or otherwise. It’s a quintessential American holiday, epitomized by gluttonous portions of food, football, parades, family, friends, and, of course, traffic jams and overcrowded airports.
But how much do you really know about it? Here’s the quiz, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Cranberries
1. Which historical figure is most identified with Thanksgiving in America?
a. The Earl of Cranberry
b. Davy Crockett
c. The Sultan of Turkey
d. Governor William… Continue reading
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