March and Rome

Did you know #13

March (Mars) month is named after the Roman God of War – Ares. 

Festivals in Rome occurred in the Spring and the Fall – the beginning and the end of both the agricultural and the military seasons. The month of March was especially filled with festivals wholly or partially in this honour.

Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera. Ares was the lover of Aphrodite (Venus) To the more militaristic Romans, Mars was second only to Jupiter in power. 

He was the father and protector of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. As the God of strength, Ares, guarded Rome’s borders. 

Camomile tea

Did you know # 12

When I was in Japan, I got to taste Camomile tea. Though it tasted a bit bland, it had a unique fruity odour. Are you wondering what it is?

 Camomile tea

The word camomile is derived from the Greek word 'chamos'(ground) and 'melos' (apple) referring to its low growing habit and apple scented blooms. Its daisy like flowers reminded the ancient Egyptians of the sun, calling it 'herb of the sun' !

Christmas facts!

Did you know # 11

The Christmas season has set in and we look forward towards celebrating this festival of joy and celebration on December 25.

Here are some enlightening facts related to Christmas:

1)     Thomas Nast was the cartoonist who created the traditional image of Santa Claus.

2)     There are nine reindeer's in the sleigh of Santa Claus.

3)     Santa Claus is associated with Saint Nicholas of Myra. The birthplace of this saint is Demra in Lycia, a part of modern Turkey.

4)     There is a placed called ‘Christmas’ in Orange county in USA.

5)     There is an island in the Indian Ocean, called Christmas Island.

6)     The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace) it is known as the ‘Flower of the Holy Night’

The 'traditional' Christmas flowers

7)     In France, Christmas is called ‘Noel’

8)     The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531

9)     In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria

10)Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the company was founded.

11)The popular Christmas song ‘Jingle Bells’ was composed in 1857 by James Pierpoint and was originally called ‘One-Horse Open Sleigh.

Topiary - a form of art

Did you know # 10?

Topiary is the art of clipping hedges and bushes into ornamental shapes. Thickly leaved evergreen shrubs are used in topiary. It is said to have been invented by a friend of the ancient Roman emperor Augustus. It is known to have been practised in the first century AD.

Reference: Wisdom magazine

Cool elephants

Amazing art

The first railway!

Did you know # 9?

The first passenger carrying railway in the world was the ‘Oystermouth Railway’ running to and from Oystermouth and Swansea in South Wales. Started in 1806, its carriages were pulled by horses.

World’s Oldest book

Did you know # 8?

The Codex Vaticanus Bible written in Greek around 350 AD is the world’s oldest book! It is preserved in the Vatican museum, in Rome.

Only one book has been distributed more than the Bible, it is the IKEA catalogue!

Solar energy facts!

Did you know # 7

    -         The site of the world’s first solar and wind powered bus shelter is in Scotland.

by JESS3.

Most visited paid monument in the world!

Did you know #4?

On March 31, 2014 - the Eiffel Tower, located in Paris, France, turned 125 years old. 

It is the most visited paid monument in the world - over 250 million visitors and more.....

The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it.
- Lord Chesterfield

Network facts!

Did you know #3?

Finland was the world's first country to make broadband a legal right for every citizen.

In Estonia, Finland and Spain, access to the internet is a legal right for citizens.

Doug Engelbart invented computer networks, time sharing, graphical user interfaces and the mouse - all while driving to work one day in 1951!

 “The journey not the arrival matters.” – T. S. Eliot

Facts about our unique Prithvi (Earth) ....

Dear Readers

The world is a vast place to travel in a lifetime !Nevertheless, we can always read and gain insight about the wonders of this beautiful, wonderful and unique planet.
I would be sharing such queer and unique facts about India and other places around the world in my upcoming posts, soon !
Thus lookout for such snippets and information in my ‘Did you know (DYN)’ series.



We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
Swami Vivekananda