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🎃✨ Unveil the ancient festival that inspired modern Halloween. Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter that is celebrated from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November. Originating over 2,000 years ago among the Celtic people, Samhain is considered a time when the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. During Samhain, communities gather to light bonfires, offer sacrifices of crops and animals, and wear costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits. These traditions were meant to protect families and livestock during the harsh winter months and to honor ancestors and departed loved ones. As centuries passed, Samhain evolved and blended with other cultural and religious practices, especially after the spread of Christianity. This fusion gave rise to All Saints' Day and, eventually, the modern celebration of Halloween. Many customs enjoyed today – such as dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, and sharing stories of spirits and the supernatural – have roots in these ancient traditions. Learn more ➡️ https://w.wiki/9CZc

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🪔 Will you celebrate the “Festival of Lights” this year? Diwali is one of the most significant festivals in Hindu and other Indian religions, celebrated by millions of people across the world. Its origins date back over 2,500 years. Diwali is rooted in various ancient stories and legends that symbolize the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. In 2024, the festival will take place from 30 October to 3 November. The festival typically spans five days, each with its own meaning and rituals: 🌟Dhanteras: The first day is dedicated to prosperity. People clean their homes and purchase precious items like gold or new kitchen utensils, symbolizing good fortune. ✨Naraka Chaturdasi (Choti Diwali): On the second day, people wake up early to apply aromatic oils before bathing, believed to remove impurities and prepare for the festivities. 🪔Lakshmi Puja (Main Diwali): The third day is the main event. Families light diyas (oil lamps) and candles around their homes, perform puja (prayers) to goddess Lakshmi, and enjoy fireworks to ward off evil spirits. 🌧️Govardhan Puja: The fourth day commemorates Lord Krishna’s lifting of Govardhan Hill to protect villagers from torrential rains. People build small mounds of cow dung or clay, symbolizing the hill, and worship them. 🔥Bhai Dooj: The fifth and final day celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters perform aarti (a ritual with light) for their brothers and pray for their well-being, while brothers give gifts in return. Learn more ➡️ https://w.wiki/3APB

Uncover a bread that connects the worlds of the living and the departed 🍞💀 Pan de muerto, or “bread of the dead,” is a sweet Mexican bread baked for Día de los Muertos. This special bun is often decorated with bone-shaped designs and dusted with sugar, symbolizing the cycle of life and death. Families across Mexico come together to bake and share pan de muerto, honoring their loved ones who have passed away. It is commonly placed on altars, known as ofrendas, alongside marigolds, candles, and photographs, serving as a tribute to ancestors. Different regions add their unique touches to pan de muerto, incorporating various flavors and designs into the tradition. Some versions are infused with orange blossom water or anise seeds. Read more about this delicious piece of Mexican heritage that sweetly unites the realms of the living and the dead ➡️ https://w.wiki/BDnY

Emerging from the rich spiritual traditions of Central Africa, zombies have a fascinating history that extends far beyond their current pop culture fame 🧟♂️🎃 In Central African beliefs and Haitian Vodou, zombies were seen as beings connected to the mysteries of life and death, often thought to be revived through powerful spiritual forces. These figures were part of a deeper cultural and mythological narrative, very different from the iconic creatures we recognize in films today. Over time, the concept of zombies traveled across cultures and transformed into modern-day legends. From horror films and TV series to books and video games, zombies have become an essential part of our collective imagination. They also appear as a metaphor in music and other works of art, symbolizing mindless adherence to authority, and are featured in a prolific subgenre of horror named “zombie apocalypse” – the breakdown of society as a result of an initial zombie outbreak that spreads quickly. This Halloween, take a journey through the history of zombies – from their ancient origins in African and Caribbean traditions to their rise as pop culture icons. It’s a story that reminds us how folklore and modern entertainment often go hand in hand. Discover the full story of the undead ➡️ https://w.wiki/3p7G 

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🧪 Discover the unofficial holiday celebrated among chemists, chemistry students, and chemistry enthusiasts on this day. Mole Day is inspired by the Avogadro constant, approximately 6.022 × 10²³ and, therefore, celebrated annually on 23 October from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. The Avogadro constant represents the number of particles – usually atoms or molecules – in one mole of a substance, a fundamental concept in chemistry. The celebration was created to spark interest in chemistry, especially among students. By connecting the date (23 October, or 10/23 in the month-day order) and time (6:02) to the Avogadro constant, Mole Day brings this important but abstract concept to life in a fun and engaging way. Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro (pictured) is the namesake of the constant, even though he did not calculate the number himself. His work laid the foundation for the concept of the mole, allowing chemists to count particles by weighing them. Read more about the Avogadro constant and the origin of Mole Day ➡️ https://w.wiki/3tw7

ON THIS CAPS LOCK DAY, LET US DELVE INTO THE FASCINATING WORLD OF ALL-CAPITAL LETTERS. 📢 🔠 In typography, a text in all caps (short for “all capitals”) contains capital letters without any lowercase letters. Historically, all caps have been used in legal documents, advertisements, newspaper headlines, and book titles to grab attention and convey importance. They make words appear bolder and louder, which is why they sometimes feel like “shouting” to readers. But here is an interesting twist: studies have shown that all caps are actually harder to read than lowercase text. Our brains recognize words by their shapes, and lowercase letters help form distinctive word outlines. That is why reading sentences in all caps can slow us down – it forces us to read letter by letter. The association of all caps with shouting is not just an internet phenomenon. As far back as the 19th century, writers used capital letters to indicate shouting in print. With the rise of social media and texting, this practice became even more pronounced, leading to etiquette guidelines that frown upon USING ALL CAPS FOR ENTIRE MESSAGES. In professional writing, alternatives like small caps, italics, or bold text are often preferred for emphasis without the “shouting” effect. If all caps are necessary, adding extra space between letters (a practice called letterspacing) can improve readability. Read on to celebrate the rich history of ALL CAPS ➡️ https://w.wiki/BDnX

From the depths of the Oort Cloud to the skies above, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS is dazzling astronomers and stargazers alike 🌌🌠✨ Discovered by both the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and ATLAS in South Africa, this comet has traveled over a billion kilometers to light up our skies. Its journey peaked on 9 October 2024, when it reached an impressive magnitude of -4.9, making it one of the brightest comets in the last century! 🔭✨ As Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS moves further away, its bright show may have faded, but it won’t be forgotten anytime soon. This rare event reminds us that there’s always something new to discover in the universe, even when we least expect it. Explore the stunning story of this celestial wanderer ➡️ https://w.wiki/BYeq

🍎🏆 Why is there a Nobel Prize-style award for food and agriculture? The World Food Prize was established in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug to honor an “individual achievement that advances human development with a demonstrable increase in the quantity, quality, availability of, or access to food.” Highlighting efforts in fields such as nutrition, food production, and agricultural science, the prize started as a $200,000 monetary award – later raised to $500,000 – and is presented annually. Over the years, the World Food Prize has been awarded to individuals from diverse fields, including scientists, policymakers, and humanitarian workers. The prize continues to raise awareness about global food challenges and celebrate innovation aimed at feeding the growing global population. World Food Prize is a featured list, which means it has been identified as one of the best lists produced by the Wikipedia community. Read about prize winners from across the years ➡️ https://w.wiki/BDnW