Funeral and Burial Rituals from Around the World
…in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. — Benjamin Franklin
Death is inevitable and, as Franklin states, so are taxes. Here in the US we’re a little over a month away from tax day, but rather than dwell on that, today’s infographic takes a look at the other side of the certainty coin – death. It’s unavoidable and we all deal with it in different ways, from our grieving process to the cultural norms and rituals that surround it. Take a look at 42 different funeral and burial rituals from around the world to see many of these different expressions. [VIA]
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Tags: anthropology, burial, culture, death and dying, funeral, history, infographic, reference, social studies, sociology, world culture
British vs. American English
Even though it’s all the same language, the differences between British and American English are many. While there are times we can decipher what each other are saying, sometimes words have completely different meanings depending which side of the Atlantic you call home. Today’s infographic takes a look at several of these differences. My Canadian friends say they’re totally confused, as they sometimes use a hybrid of both the British and American usages. [VIA]
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Tags: British, english, infographic, language, reference, world culture, world language
The Modern Cost of Iconic Landmarks
If you had the money, how cool would it be to have your own Statue of Liberty, Leaning Tower of Pisa, or Big Ben? While you would probably find more practical things to spend your money on, how much would it cost you to build an exact replica of some of the world’s most iconic landmarks yourself? The folks at Home Advisor took a look at this, taking into account the cost of the materials used to build some of the landmarks, and then adjusting the build time to account for modern equipment, but charging modern labor! The results might surprise you. (All costs adjusted for inflation and set at 2015 prices.) [VIA]
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Tags: architecture, building, construction, costs, economics, history, inflation, infographic, landmarks, world culture
The History of Cheese
If I had a nickel for every time I was called a mouse for my love of cheese, I would have retired a billionaire about 10 years ago! Today’s infographic details the long history of cheese and cheese products in the world. From the (as far as I can find), now defunct Yankee Hollow cheese subscription service, this is still a wonderful walk through — I just need some crackers! [VIA]
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Tags: cheese, culture, eating, food, general, history, infographic, reference, world culture
World Valentine’s Day Traditions
No matter how you celebrate (if you even do), today is as good a day as any to tell everyone in your life that you love and care about them. Today’s infographic shares some ways that different cultures express their love for each other, both for Valentine’s Day, or on another day. At the very least, make sure you hit the stores tomorrow for lots of discount chocolate hearts! [VIA]
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Tags: culture, history, holidays, infographic, love, reference, science, tradition, Valentine's Day, world culture
20 Breakfasts from Around the World
What do you like for breakfast? Do you go big with a full plate of bacon, eggs, and pancakes? Maybe you like small breakfasts, like a little fruit and coffee? Perhaps just oatmeal or cold cereal? Around the world different cultures obviously have different palates and ideas about what constitutes a good, healthy breakfast. Is there anything here that appeals to your palate? [VIA]
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Tags: anthropology, breakfast, culture, education, food, infographic, reference, social studies, sociology, world culture
11 Untranslatable Words from Around the World
“Words are but symbols for the relations of things to one another and to us; nowhere do they touch upon the absolute truth.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
The words we use have always been tied to our feelings, and linguists are constantly dissecting language to get to the heart of that relationship. There are some feelings, however, that we just cannot put into words and that some cultures cannot identify. Around the world, this is not always true and some cultures have been able to create single words for complex feelings. Today’s infographic presents 11 of these words for more complex feelings or subtle actions from various cultures around the world. [VIA]
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Tags: culture, education, foreign language, infographic, language, linguistics, reference, world culture
Ten Places to See Before They’re Gone
I love to sightsee and in fact just spent most of my morning scouring the Internet for new self-guided walking tour maps for what is supposed to be a beautiful weekend! There are many places that are in danger around the world, however, for a variety of reasons. Today’s infographic highlights ten sites around the world that should be on a bucket list for any tourist, but the catch is that these are endangered sites, so you might have to act quickly to see them! [VIA]
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Tags: bucket list, endangered, infographic, reference, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation, world culture, world heritage
Daily Photo — “Heidelberg Castle, Heldelberg, Germany”
Use the photos posted in this feature for writing prompts, warm-up activities, drawing templates or as part of a photo analysis
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Tags: architecture, castle, Germany photo, photos, prompt, world culture, writing
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