Traditions questions

In the years of splendor in Venice there was a law that allowed only one building to wear the name of the palace - it was the Doge's Palace, the residence of the rulers of Venice. The rich Venetian families lived according to this law in the so-called houses (Casa abbreviated Ca). Currently, most residences of Venetian patricians carry the word "palace" in their name, although there are exceptions and some Venetian monuments are still called according to old traditions, eg Ca'Rezzonico or Ca 'd'Oro. Over 100 survived to modern times.

Kokeshi are simple wooden dolls with no arms or legs that have been crafted for more than 150 years as a toy for children. Japanese dolls, originally from the northeastern region of Japan. They are handmade from wood, have a simple trunk and head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face.

The ichthys, from the Greek ikhthýs is a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish. The symbol was adopted by early Christians as a secret symbol. It is now known colloquially as the "sign of the fish" or the "Jesus fish".

Nambudiri Brahmin families practised a more strict version of primogeniture than Brahmin communities elsewhere in India. Under this custom, only the eldest son could marry a Nambudiri woman and thus produce an heir to the family property. Younger sons were restricted to sambandam relationships with non-Brahmin women, whom the Nambudiris considered to be concubines and whose offspring could not inherit.

"Women and children first" is a code of conduct dating from 1852, whereby the lives of women and children were to be saved first in a life-threatening situation. HMS Birkenhead was wrecked on 26 February 1852, while transporting troops to Algoa Bay at Danger Point. There were not enough serviceable lifeboats for all the passengers, and the soldiers famously stood firm on board, thereby allowing the women and children to board the boats safely and escape the sinking.Only 193 of the estimated 643 people on board survived; including all women and children

The Book of Caverns is an important Ancient Egyptian netherworld book of the New Kingdom. Like all other netherworld books, it is also attested on the inside of kings’ tombs for the benefit of the deceased. It describes the journey of the sun god Ra through the six caverns of the underworld, focusing on the interaction between the sun god and the inhabitants of the netherworld, including rewards for the righteous and punishments for the enemies of the worldly order, those who fail their judgment in the afterlife.

There are various forms of rosary, always based on multiples of ten, plus the additional separator beads and/ invitatory beads or knots and/or a cross or crucifix. Rosaries typically are based on five decades plus separator beads, for a total of 59; however, you may find some with as many as ten or even fifteen decades. The basic layout, however, is the same — groups of ten with separator beads and cross.

Chol HaMoed a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays of the festival" refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. Chol HaMoed combines features of weekday (Chol) and festival (Moed). On weekdays during Chol HaMoed, there are variant customs regarding whether tefillin should be worn, reflecting the dual nature of the day.

Lingchi translated variously as the slow process, the lingering death, or slow slicing, and also known as death by a thousand cuts, was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly 900 CE until it was banned in 1905. In this form of execution, a knife was used to methodically remove portions of the body over an extended period of time, eventually resulting in death.

Karni Mata Temple s also known as the Temple of Rats. The temple is famous for the approximately 25,000 black rats that live, and are revered, in the temple. In the temple, there are a few white rats, which are considered to be especially holy. They are believed to be the manifestations of Karni Mata herself. Sighting them is a special blessing and visitors put in extensive efforts to bring them forth, offering prasad, a sweet holy food.