The rumor/caveat: French people allot the most minimal of efforts to personal hygiene and thus smell icky. This international legend dates back to the 16th century, an epoch during which Parisians disposed of their household wastes by nonchalantly hurling it out of their windows, not really bothering to forewarn the unsuspecting pedestrians strolling below. Furthermore, [...]
Archive for category History
The origin of coffee?
Jul 29
According to historical discoveries, coffee first appeared in Ethiopia (more precisely, in the province of Kaffa) in the east of Africa. It seems that the locals of this region have been getting jittery with it since about the 8th century. These Ethiopians then summarily introduced the delightful caffeinated concoction to Yemen, but it wasn’t imported [...]
In our time, it’s common to see someone spontaneously getting a piercing simply for it’s aesthetic appeal. However, piercing has an astoundingly ancient origin and has even been assimilated into rituals within certain tribes. Ear piercing: The story goes that sailors would don a golden earing so that they might sell it to finance their [...]
Why do we toast?
Jul 25
Whether during the drinks before a meal or at the end of a meal, it’s pretty common for guests at a dinner party to toast while wishing each other good health. This practice dates back to the Middle Ages. During this epoch, it wasn’t too rare to die from being poisoned or from inadvertently ingesting [...]
Equestrian Statues
Jul 22
It’s always amusing to note how certain things are bursting with information even if you’re completely incognizant of it. That’s the case with equestrian statues. Yes, these statues do much more than display guano stains of various thickness depending on their location; they actually inform you of the cause of death of the mounted figure [...]