Lesson 6: Gale Virtual Reference Library

Question 1: Spring Holidays Around the World

a. Spring festival traditions in different countries:

I searched for "holidays" and then used the limiters on the left side such as cultural overviews, recipes, etc.  I also tried selecting by publication title; choice included Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Junior Worldmark Ecyclopedia of Nations, and Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Holidays. And just searching for Holidays and then searching within for spring was effective.

The Encyclopedia of Islam had the following:

NAWRUZ

Nawruz, literally "new day," is the Iranian holiday that celebrates the beginning of spring

 

I was also able to use the subject limiter and limit my search to holidays.

 

Another finding:

Rose Monday Parade in Cologne

The highlight of Karneval in Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Mainz, Germany, is the Rose Monday Parade. The parade in Cologne is the largest in Europe. It starts at 11:11 A.M. on the Monday before Ash Wednesday and features floats, bands, and groups of people masquerading as fools. More than seven thousand people and three hundred horses participate in this procession. Those riding on floats throw candy into the crowd lined up along the streets to watch the parade.

And the Ukraine:

Introduction

Easter, called Velykden (pronounced vuh-LICK-den; Great Day), is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's most important holiday. The celebrations combine modern innovations with ancient traditions to render the holiday one of the most enjoyable of the year. Ukraine is famous for its elaborately decorated Easter eggs.

b. Traditional Foods and their recipes: 

 I did my search much the same as for the above question. I used some of the same titles but also found the Worldmark Encyclopedia of Food & Recipes. I browsed through the titles quite a bit longer than I planned. Very interesting. I also tried searching under spring festivals and then limiting to food and recipes. The following for Ching Ming festival:

Foods, Recipes

Cooked meals are most often offered to the dead on Ching Ming, but some families keep an old custom called the Cold Food Feast. This custom comes from an ancient story that restricts the making of all household fires on the day before Ching Ming (see "Legend of Cold Food Day" under "Folklore, Legends, Stories"). Because people could not cook any food, they prepared cold meals that did not require cooking. This feast once lasted for three days. Today, people place foods such as uncooked rice and noodles and unpeeled fruit and vegetables on the graves.

I also found the Easter holiday in Greece and a recipe for Easter honey pie or Melopitta.

c. Spring festival games: 

By this time, it was easy to find the information. Diwali is a spring festival in India:
 Because it is believed to be a time of good luck, playing games of chance involving dice is popular among Indian men on Diwali. The goddess Parvati is said to bless those who gamble on this day with prosperity throughout the year.

It was very easy to get distracted and read and browse more than I should have, but well worth it!