Winter Holiday Fundraising, Idea 2—Not Your Average Bake Sale

Celebrate a world of beliefs by teaching through sweets. December holidays include Christian Christmas, Jewish Hanukkah, Hindu Pancha Ganapati (or Winter Solstice) and Buddhist Bodhi Day among the celebrations. Here are some ideas to spread good cheer and great lessons. 1. Assign your students a December holiday and have them do some research on the Read More …

International Dance, Part 3 of 3—Cancan

Discover the Cancan in the third part of this world dance series, which in its heyday elicited rather too much scandal in the Parisian district of Montmartre. They didn’t call this dance the Cancan (which translates as “scandal”) for nothing. Young ladies, (usually students) would shriek, provocatively throw their legs up high from beneath their Read More …

International Dance, Part 2—Tango

In the second part of this world dance series, let’s discover the romance of Tango. Though rumor has it that its humble beginnings in the lower class barrios of 19th century Buenos Aires were anything but romantic. In fact, some say that Tango got its rigid posture when ladies would dance in the crook of Read More …

International Dance, Part 1—Flamenco

International Dance Week Why wait until April 29th 2012 for World Dance Day? Put on your dancing shoes, let Explorica take the lead and one, two, three-step into this three-part series about some of the most culturally significant dances from around the world—Tango, Flamenco and the Cancan. International Dance, Part 1—Flamenco In this first of Read More …

Thanksgiving Course Three—Ancient Greece

Are you full yet? The third course of Explorica’s Thanksgiving series puts it all in the gods hands—the ancient Greek gods, that is. According to mythology, it was Demeter’s, the goddess of food grains, job to feed the world. (No pressure, Demeter.) She set the stage for women taking charge of “Thanksgiving” feasts. A little Read More …

Thanksgiving Course Two—Canada

Ready for your second course of Explorica’s Thanksgiving treat? Here’s a look at how the holiday began in Canada. The most popular stories about Canadian Thanksgiving, known as Jour de l’Action de grace in the French speaking regions, involve two explorers with dangerous adventures. You could say the fall holiday is a celebration of survival. Read More …

Thanksgiving, First Course—United Kingdom

Thanksgiving Celebrations, Now and Then Turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce may immediately conjure up the Thanksgiving table in the Unites States, but in other parts of the world, there’s more to the occasion than a fantastic feast. We’ll discover some history behind the harvest season—from making dolls in the U.K. and celebrating survival in Canada Read More …

Honoring Veterans Day by the Numbers

11/11/11 is here. Not only is this date a palindrome, more importantly it marks the truce made between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. One year later, it was commemorated as Armistice Day, but in the aftermath Read More …