Dimitris Xygalatas University of Connecticut The mere thought of holiday traditions brings smiles to most people’s faces and elicits feelings of sweet anticipation and nostalgia. We can almost smell those candles, taste those special meals, and hear those familiar songs in our minds. Ritual marks some of the most
Joan Fitzpatrick Loughborough University Charles Dickens popularised the traditional, English Christmas in 1843 in his novel A Christmas Carol, when Bob Cratchit and his family sit down on Christmas Day to eat a dinner of goose with mashed potatoes and apple sauce accompanied by sage and onion stuffing and followed
William Keylor Boston University The Christmas Truce is no stranger to popular entertainment – 2014 more than any other as its 100th anniversary is marked. The famous moment when British and German soldiers climbed out of the trenches in peace on Christmas Day 1914 has been replicated and ruminated upon in
Wherever you are today, with family or not, working or relaxing, I wish you all a warm and peaceful day.
The word for today is… Xmas (noun): Informal Christmas - now used chiefly for brevity in advertisements, headlines, etc. Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : X (symbol for Christ, from the Greek letter chi (X), initial of Christos Christ) + -mas (in Christmas). First known use was in 1721 If you enjoyed this
The word for today is… induce (verb): 1a: to move by persuasion or influence b: to call forth or bring about by influence or stimulation 2a: effect, cause b: to cause the formation of c: to produce by induction 3: to determine by induction Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English,
The word for today is… apropos (adjective, preposition, adverb): adjective : being both relevant and opportune preposition : with regard to (something) : apropos of adverb 1: at an opportune time : seasonably 2: by way of interjection or further comment : with regard to the present topic Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : We get loads
The word for today is… denigrate (verb): 1: to attack the reputation of : defame 2: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The word denigrate has been part of English since the 16th century and can be traced back to the Latin nigrare, meaning "
The word for today is… philanthropy (noun): 1: goodwill to fellow members of the human race especially, active effort to promote human welfare 2a: an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes b: an organization distributing or supported by funds set aside for humanitarian purposes Source : Merriam -Webster
The word for today is… curriculum (noun): 1: the courses offered by an educational institution 2: a set of courses constituting an area of specialization Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Curriculum is from New Latin (a post-medieval form of Latin used mainly in churches and schools and for scientific coinages), in
The word for today is… Promethean (adjective): : of, relating to, or resembling Prometheus, his experiences, or his art. especially, daringly original or creative Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : As some versions of the story go in Greek mythology, Prometheus (one of the Titan giants) modelled humans from clay and then taught
The word for today is… decadent (adjective, noun): adjective 1: characterized by or appealing to self-indulgence 2: marked by decay or decline noun 1 literature : one of a group of late 19th century French and English writers tending toward artificial and unconventional subjects and subtilized style 2: one that is
The word for today is… alibi (noun, verb): noun 1: the plea of having been at the time of the commission of an act elsewhere than at the place of commission also : the fact or state of having been elsewhere at the time 2: an excuse usually intended to avert
The word for today is… quid pro quo (noun): : something given or received for something else also : a deal arranging a quid pro quo Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Quid pro quo means "something given or received for something else." There is nothing inherently illegal in giving or receiving
The word for today is… proliferate (verb): intransitive verb 1: to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring 2: to increase in number as if by proliferating : multiply transitive verb 1: to cause to grow by proliferating 2: to cause to increase in number or extent
