May Day

Traditionally the beginning of summer, this is a European festival situated between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.

The earliest May celebration recorded was Floralia, the festival of the Roman goddess of flowers (Flora), which was held from the 27th of April through to the 3rd of May. The festival would open with various theatrical performances and, according to Ovid, hares and goats would be released. The festival would include a ritual, called Florifertum, in which a bundle of wheat ears would be paraded around before getting presented to a shrine. The whole event concluded with a series of competitive events and a sacrifice to Flora.

Did you know…there are 422 as many trees as humans on the Earth?

Sadly, the total number of trees is falling yearly, what with deforestation, wildfires, urbanisation…

St George

According to tradition, George was a knight who performed several deeds. He first appears in Bebe’s writings, as suddenly appearing to lead the crusaders into battle. The will of Alfred the Great is also said to refer to him, in reference to the church of Fordington, Dorset. The church also contains a stone over the south door, recording George’s appearance to the crusaders.

Perhaps one of the most well-known legends about St George, however, is the dragon:

The story goes that a village was terrorised by a dragon, who demanded tribute. Once they’d run out of livestock, gold and precious stones, they began to give a human tribute once a year. These tributes were selected via drawing names, with all the possible candidates being entered (the dragon wanted younger tributes, as opposed to the elders).

The story begins properly with a princess being chosen as the next tribute. Due to this, St George arrives, slays the dragon, and rescues the princess. A very similar story to that of Andromeda, in the Greek Myths…

Halley’s Comet

A short-period comet, visible from Earth every 75-79 years, Halley is one-of-a-kind, as it can appear twice in a human lifetime, and is visible to the naked eye during its passing. Numerous events in history have recorded the comet, and at one point, it was considered both a bad and a good omen.

Probably one of the most well-known sightings is in 1066, before the death of King Edward and the Battle of Hastings. Due to this, it was included in the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which recorded the events leading up to, and including, the Battle from the Norman side.

World Heritage Day

Stonehenge is amazing, and has several theories surrounding it. Even the Romans were confused by the standing stones, and left the site as they’d found it, instead of reusing the stones for something else.

It is thought to be over 5,000 years old, and, due to recent findings, experts believe it took about 1,500 years to build…

Did you know…There are over 1,300 bat species? This makes bats the second most-common group of mammals on Earth!

Christopher Columbus

‘In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue’ - Up and down the country, rhymes like this used to be chanted as a way to remember various dates and events throughout history. Some were short and sweet, and others, such as ‘Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve’ were long, and grew as time went on.

Born in 1451, Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. By the time he died in 1506, he had completed no less than four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Surprisingly, his explorations were sponsored by the Spanish Monarchs, leading the way for the Spanish colonisation of the New World.

Edward Wightman

The last public burning in England was in 1612, when a radical Anabaptist minister (Edward Wightman) was executed at Lichfield for heresy.

Wightman came up with a new theology, about the ‘mortality of the soul’, and wrote to many people. Unfortunately, he wrote to King James I as a last resort when no-one else would listen. Due to this, he was condemned for heresy, with 16 charges placed against him.

It is said, that when he was placed on the stake, he called out to recant the hearsay, and was saved from the fire. Only to return to his previous views once healed, and burned again.

The Ming Dynasty

Officially known as the Great Ming, this was the imperial ruling dynasty of China from 1368 through to 1644, the last dynasty of the Han people.

During the dynasty, several pieces of pottery - known as Ming - were created, which tend to be rather expensive these days. There were also several paintings and embroideries made, and prominent advances in art.

Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection after he was crucified. Nowadays, it is celebrated by chocolate, eggs and hunts.

The word ‘Easter’ is derived from the Saxon Ēostre, which was known as the spring festival. Often depicted as a bunny, Ēostre was the pagan goddess of fertility, and laid eggs.

The Mayflower

Setting sail in September, 1620, the Mayflower was a merchant ship, which was used by the pilgrims to travel across the Atlantic to America. The journey took roughly 10 weeks, starting at Plymouth and ending near the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Edward the Confessor

Crowned in 1043 AD, Edward the Confessor was one of the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, and considered the last king of the House of Wessex. His death in 1066 AD caused several battles for the English throne, with the Battle of Hastings being the last.

Roughly a century after his death, Edward was canonised by Pope Alexander III, and became one of England’s national saints until King Edward III replaced him with Saint George (AKA George of Lydda) in 1350.

Palm Sunday

This feast commemorates the triumphal entry to Jerusalem of Christ, one of the events mentioned in each of the four Gospels. It also marks the first day of Holy Week. Many churches celebrate with crosses made from palm leaves (and sometimes the leaves themselves), along with set songs - a favourite being ‘Ride on! Ride on in Majesty!’

According to the Gospels, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This was important, as the Jews were waiting for the Messiah, a prophesied figure. To their minds, it would be a warrior, who would come to deliver them from the Romans. However, a donkey was a symbol of peace, not war…