Atenas, la ciudad-estado por excelencia de la antiguedad, la cuna de la civilización occidental. La ciudad de los grandes filosofos Socrates, Aristoteles y Platón , del escritor Sofocles o del político Pericles. La ciudad consagrada en honor de la disosa de la sabiduria Atenea, la ciudad del olivo y la lechuza…..la ciudad con más de tres mil años de historia.

La Atenas moderna es una ciudad, con sus casi cuatro millones de habitantes alberga más de un treinta y cinco por ciento de la población total de Grecia.
Sus modernos y populosos barrios y calles, no hacen honor al glorioso esplendor que un día vivieron los más antiguos, sin embargo,  no por ello deja de ser una ciudad interesante, intensa y con la vitalidad mediterránea.

Sin lugar a dudas, el lugar más emblemático de Atenas es la Acrópolis, ("Ciudad en Alto"). Imperturbable domina todo el Ática, siendo el último vestigio de la Edad Dorada griega, en la que gobernó Pericles y a la que Fidias dio forma en piedra.
La Acrópolis es una de las maravillas que, aún hoy, tienen ese aglo especial que las hace singulares.
La subida a la Acropolis y la entrada por los Propileos es una experiencia inolvidable para todo amante de la historia o no, pasear entre el Erecteion y el Partenón hace que nos transportemos por un pequeño momento,  hasta sientirse inmerso en esa época de oro de la Antigüedad.

Pero la historia no acaba en la Acrópolis, el reconstruido Estadio Olímpico ofrece al visitante curioso, la posibilidad de imaginar como fueron las condiciones en que compitieron los primeros atletas de los Juegos Olímpicos de la  era moderna.
La vista nocturna del estadio es espectacular.

Ell lugar más encantador de la ciudad, es sin discusión el Monte Likavetus, desde cuya cumbre se divisa una de las panóramicas más excepcionales de Atenas. A la cima se puede acceder tanto en coche como en funicular, en ella se encuentra un pequeño centro turístico y la iglesia ortodoxa que posee un encanto particular.

El centro moderno de la ciudad se articula en torno a la plaza de Sintagma (Parlamento) y el tradicional barrio de Placa justo a los pies de la Acropolis, lleno de tiendas y cafes.

No se debe ir ningún turista de Atenas, sin degustar la comida griega.  Abundan los  productos semejantes a los típicamente españoles, tales como,  hortalizas, quesos, aceites, y demás.
Merecen la pena probarse, especialmente todas las variedades de queso Feta, el Zaziki y la increible Mousaka (pastel de berenjenas).
También hay distintas especialidades griegas de masas de hojaldre y pasteles calientes de inspiración turca.

                                                                                
  Parlamento de Atenas

                                           
  Atenas, vista general con la Acrópolis

Colloseum

El Partenón

Las Cariátides

Atenas, Vista aérea

FROM THE ORIGINS TO CARLO EMANUELE I

The Castello di Rivoli stands on the remains of an ancient medieval castle that Emanuele Filiberto had taken over to adapt into a residence for the House of Savoy. At the beginning of the 17th century, Carlo Emanuele I, who was born in Rivoli, decided to build a great palace on the site.
Ascanio Vittozzi worked on the project but it was Carlo di Castellamonte who did the actual construction. The Rivoli Castle is described in the Theatrum Sabaudiae which contains two images showing a long building beside the residence crowned by its four angular towers. This long building was the Duke's Picture Gallery and today is known as the Manica Lunga.


THE JUVARRA PROJECT

In 1693, during the war against the French, the castle was set on fire by Marshal Catinat's troops and was partially destroyed.
The great palace that Filippo Juvarra planned for Vittorio Amedeo II was meant to restore the residence in Rivoli to its former dignity and add a grandeur which would rival the magnificence of the great European courts.
The project, which dates from 1718, was never completed and construction was halted one third of the way through; the parts most representative of the royal palace like the atrium and the great staircases were left unfinished.
The interruption of the construction luckily prevented the Manica Lunga from being torn down so that today we can still see the work carried out in the 1600s. Juvarra's sketches and drawings fully illustrate the palace's architectural conception, reproduced in the great paintings of Giovanni Paolo Pannini and the impressive wood model constructed by Carlo Maria Uglieno. In 1793 Carlo Emanuele III of Savoia commissioned Carlo Randoni to complete the Juvarra design. Randoni did carry out some work on the castle but the occupation by Napoleon's troops at the end of the century put a halt to this attempt as well. A broken stump is all that remains of Juvarra's grand plans, separated from the Manica Lunga by the atrium where the unfinished plinths betray the moment construction was ceased.

1800

At the beginning of the 19th century with the changing of the political situation after the period of French domination, the residence in Rivoli, without even its central part constructed, became a great burden for the Savoia family to sustain. It suffered the fate of the great Savoia properties, split up or turned over to the state so that the high costs of upkeep would not have to be paid out of the royal coffers. In 1860 the complex was
rented to the community of Rivoli which quartered an infantry battalion there and built a covered passage from the castle to the Manica Lunga. The community purchased the entire property at a price of 100,000 lira.

1940

Several contingents of troops resided in the entire building until 1943, improvising the arrangements and continually damaging the furnishings.
During the last war the castle was hit by fire bombs and occupied by German troops while the Manica Lunga, already disfigured by the construction of lofts on the upper level, was divided into lodgings for the homeless and then utilized inappropriately, at one time or another being the site of a saw mill, a grocery store and a barn for animals. With the decisive intervention of the Region of Piedmont and the decision to house the Museum of Contemporary Art at the castle in 1978, work finally began on the restoration of the castle.

1960

The first signs of interest in the castle began. Umberto Chierici, the Superintendent of Historical Monuments, considered including the castle's restoration in the plans for "Italia '61", the centenary celebrations of the Unification of Italy, and commissioned the architect Andrea Bruno to study the project.

1967

With contributions from the local authority for the Superintendence of Historical Monuments and the Community of Rivoli the atrium was cleared of the various superimposed additions to bring the 18th century structure back into view. This was the first step of a long journey that would lead to the castle's complete renovation.

1978

Thanks to the decisive intervention by the Region of Piedmont and the decision to house the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Castle, the project first planned in 1961 was finally able to be put into effect. Andrea Bruno's project was to re-establish the building to its early 18th century form, when Juvarra's project was interrupted. The truncated structures of the entrance hall and the flights of the great stairway ending in empty space have been kept exactly the way they used to be to maintain their authenticity, as has the great end wall of the uncompleted main body of the castle
where we can see where the uncompleted arches and vaults were to have been placed. The use of modern materials and techniques were allowed to stress the differences between the old and new structures. The stairway, marking out the various levels and suspended in mid-air, the walkway that crosses through the great 18th century vault and the observation point made of steel and glass that juts out of the rough wall, all underscore the separation of the contemporary from the antique. The atrium plan was carried out according to Juvarra's design and the decorations of the interior have been kept as the were.


Savoia's Residence

Introduction:

The architectural variety of the rooms in the Rivoli Castle provides an original context for contemporary art works that are either on permanent or temporary display.

The museum galleries, are located in thirty-eight rooms of the main building and on the third floor of Manica Lunga which together provide an exhibition space of approximately seven thousand square meters.

The Castello is an ideal frame in which to display today's works of art, one which opens new and unexpected dialogues with the culture of the past.


Italiano:

La varietà architettonica delle sale del Castello di Rivoli costituisce un originale contesto per le opere d'arte contemporanea che vi trovano collocazione permanente o temporanea.

Il Museo, un luogo unico al mondo proprio per queste caratteristiche, dispone di trentotto sale e del terzo piano della Manica Lunga, che insieme compongono uno spazio espositivo di circa settemila metri quadrati.

Esso diviene la cornice ideale peresporre le opere d'arte di oggi che ogni volta svolgono un dialogo diverso ed imprevisto con la cultura del passato.




Exterior:

Ituated in a dominant position at the entrance of the Susa Valley, the Castle is a powerful baroque building that is part of a grandiose project begun in 1718 by the architect Filippo Juvarra on the request of Vittorio Amedeo II. The project was eventually taken up by the architect Carlo Randoni at the end of the 18th century but was left unfinished due to the Napoleonic invasion.

Esterno:

Situato in posizione dominante all'imbocco della Valle di Susa, il Castello è costituito da un imponente edificio barocco, parte di un grandioso progetto avviato nel 1718 dall'architetto Filippo Juvarra su incarico di Vittorio Amedeo. Il progetto fu ripreso dall'architetto Carlo Randoni alla fine del Settecento ma non fu portato a termine a causa dell'invasione delle truppe napoleoniche.




Strium:

In the atrium an elevated slate floor and some white marble slabs show the history of the staircase's construction. It was designed by the architect Carlo Randoni at the end of the 18th century and replaced Juvarra's original wood structure.
Of the five flights designed for the project only the two leading up to the first floor were completed.

Atrio:

Un piano di ardesia in elevazione e alcune lastre di marmo bianco indicano, sul pavimento dell'atrio, l'andamento delle strutture murarie della scala progettata dall'architetto Carlo Randoni alla fine del XVIII secolo, in sostituzione dello scalone in legno fatto costruire da Juvarra.
Delle cinque rampe previste dal progetto vennero completate solo le prime due, sino al primo piano del Castello.




Stairwell:

The current metallic staircase, suspended by steel tie-beams, designed by the architect Andrea Bruno and completed in 1984, can be found in the same space once occupied by part of the 18th century staircase. From Juvarra's original design only the foundation and the first flight of stairs outside the castle were built. Some writing can still be seen on the walls which relates to the planning of the staircase support system designed at the end of 18th century by Carlo Randoni but left incomplete.

Scala:

L'attuale scala metallica sorretta da tiranti in acciaio, progettata dell'architetto Andrea Bruno e ultimata nel 1984, è inserita nello stesso vano in cui si trovava parte di uno scalone settecentesco.
Dell'originario disegno juvarriano furono impostate solo le strutture di fondazione e il primo rampante, oggi esterno.
Sulle pareti sono visibili graffiti che corrispondono ai tracciamenti delle strutture di sostegno della scala progettata alla fine del Settecento da Carlo Randoni e compiuta solo in parte.

First Floor:

The Castle floors are accessed by a metallic staircase suspended by steel tie-beams designed by the architect Andrea Bruno. Galleries 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16 and 17 are painted white and were never decorated due to interruptions in construction during the tenure of both architects, Filippo Juvarra and Carlo Randoni. From these we proceed to gallery 7, known as the State Room or Room of the Grotesques. The decoration of this room was begun with Juvarra and completed at the end of the century when the court chambers were prepared. The vault preserves a fresco which has been attributed to the workshop of Filippo Minei and Nicolò Malatto.
Gallery 8, the Room of the Cages, along with the three adjacent rooms, made up the chambers of Vittorio Amedeo II.

Primo piano:

Ai piani del Castello si accede tramite la scala metallica sorretta da tiranti d'acciaio realizzata dall'architetto Andrea Bruno. Le sale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, tinteggiate in bianco, non sono mai state decorate a causa dell'interruzione dei cantieri juvarriano e randoniano. A queste seguono la sala 7, Sala di Parata o A grottesche, la cui decorazione, iniziata in epoca juvarriana, fu completata alla fine del secolo quando furono preparati gli appartamenti per la corte. La volta conserva un affresco attribuito al cantiere di Filippo Minei e Nicolò Malatto.
La sala 8, Sala delle Gabbie, costituiva con le tre seguenti l'appartamento di Vittorio Amedeo II.

Second Floor:

Galleries 18, 19 and 20, bereft of decorations due to the interruption of Juvarra's building program, lead to room 21, the Audience Chamber. This latter room probably served as the bed chambers for Maria Beatrice, the eldest daughter of the Duchess of Aosta and Vittorio Amedeo I, King of Sardinia. The ceiling vault is decorated in pastel colors with eight groups of putti gathered at a faux balustrade. The entire pictorial repertoire in the room is the work of Giovenale Bongiovanni whose signature can be seen at the base of the vault, above the cornice.

Secondo piano:

Dopo le sale 18, 19 e 20, prive di decorazioni per l'interruzione dei cantieri, si succedono la sala 21, Sala di Udienza, probabilmente camera da letto di Maria Beatrice, primogenita della duchessa d'Aosta e di Vittorio Amedeo I, re di Sardegna. La volta è decorata a colori pastello con otto gruppi di putti che si affacciano da una finta balaustra. Tutto il repertorio pittorico della sala è opera di Giovenale Bongiovanni la cui firma è visibile al piede della volta, sopra il cornicione.





Third Floor:

Used as chambers for the court members and the military entourages of sovereigns, this floor was never decorated.
Its architectural layout dates back to the architect Juvarra and essentially remained unmodified until the 1800s when a decision to utilize the building for military purposes necessitated radical changes. According to the 18th century project, the large rectangular chambers contained thirteen smaller apartments that were periodically used by members of the court and the military entourages of sovereigns.

Terzo piano:

Adibito a zona per gli appartamenti della corte e dei funzionari militari al seguito dei sovrani non fu mai decorato.
La sua configurazione architettonica risale al cantiere juvarriano e resta sostanzialmente immutata sino all'inoltrato Ottocento, quando la destinazione militare dell'edificio implicò radicali cambiamenti.
Secondo il progetto settecentesco nei grandi cameroni quadrangolari, coperti da solai lignei a cassettoni, si trovavano tredici piccoli appartamenti, che ospitavano periodicamente parte della corte e dei funzionari militari al seguito dei sovrani.





Manica Lunda:

The Manica Lunga – in English “long sleeve” – gets its name from the unusual dimensions of the structure. The building was built in the mid-17th century to house the painting collection of Prince Carlo Emanuele I. Seriously compromised after transformations carried out beginning in the 19th century, the architecture has been restored to its original image by Andrea Bruno, who reinstated the windows, eliminated interior partitions and added a new roof and elements necessary for the structure to be used as a new wing of the Museum.
The Manica Lunga contains the Conference Hall, the Communication Department, the Library and the Video Library, the Bookshop and the Museum Café.

Manica Lunga:

La Manica Lunga rappresenta il secondo nucleo monumentale della residenza sabauda di Rivoli, l'unica parte superstite del complesso seicentesco a seguito dell'interruzione del cantiere juvarriano.
L'inusuale conformazione volumetrica, 140 metri di lunghezza per 7 metri di larghezza, si deve alla sua destinazione originaria a Pinacoteca, costruita per ospitare le collezioni di Carlo Emanuele I.
L'odierna destinazione espositiva rappresenta quindi un interessante caso di ripristino della funzione originaria.



Source:  Castello di Rivoli - Museo d'Arte Contemporanea

                                              Centro Histórico de Vilnius: Patrimonio de la Humanidad


Vilnius, capital de Lituania, y el resto del país entero, todavía no son del todo conocidos;  y es por ello que no son muchos los turistas que optan por  visitarlos.
En 2009, será el año en que Vilnius será Ciudad Europea de la Cultura. Es un hecho muy destacable y muy importante, ya que de esta manera, toda Lituania será el centro de atención y muchos turistas visitarán este fantástico y casi desconocido país.
 


Lituania entera se está preparando, para dar una buena imagen ante el mundo, ser más conocida y que todos puedan descubrir sus atractivos turísticos.
El programa que Vilnius nos tiene preparado es sorprendente.




Inauguración especial del 2009 en Vilnius:

Este fin de año en Lituania va a acontecer algo diferente a lo que viene ocurriendo cada año y a la manera de celebrarlo. Debido a que cuando comience el 1º de enero de 2009, Vilnius comenzará también el reinado como Ciudad Europea de la Cultura 2009, que es importantísimo no sólo para Vilnius, capital de Lituania sino también para el país entero.

Será una inauguración del nuevo año muy especial y se vivirá de una manera diferente, como nunca antes se había vivido en Vilinius, ya que en la ciudad y el país entero llevan mucho tiempo esperando este momento tan especial, ese 1º de enero de 2009, donde todas las miradas culturales se centren en Vilnius, su cultura, su arte, y sus monumentos, entre otras cosas.
En breve se comenzará el 2009 con muchas esperanzas de que Vilnius mejore en cuanto al turismo y se puedan conocer muchas más cosas acerca de su pasado cultural e histórico. Muchos turistas visitarán la ciudad lituana en navidades o en 2009. Este fin de año será especial y se vivirá con un programa cargado de eventos interesantes.





Eventos 2009:

Vilnius que es la capital lituana, y será la capital cultural de 2009, un título que otorga la Comisión y Parlamento europeo y eso significa que será sede de multitud de eventos de todo tipo, tales como exposiciones, festivales, conciertos y demás.
Será un año para que Vilnius incremente su turismo y sea centro de la cultura y turismo en 2009. Seguro que se hablará más y mejor del país y de todas las actividades culturales y de ocio que ya se están preparando y que de seguro serán del agrado de muchos turistas y de los habitantes del propio país.
Esto significará para Lituania un reto muy importante. Ya tienen su programa de todo lo que tendrá lugar durante el venidero año 2009 y así lo presentaron ya en el "Salón Internacional del Turismo de Cataluña" hace algunas semanas. Sin duda parece un buen programa cultural que gustará mucho a la gente y a los turistas que se acercarán hasta Vilnius el próximo año que serán muchos.
Están previstos numerosas obras teatrales, conciertos de música y otro tipo de actividades y eventos culturales diversos, todos de interés.
La cultura tendrá una cita el año 2009 en Vilnius y desde luego será una magnífica ocasión para hacer un viaje a este país.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada it is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In 2008, Thanksgiving is celebrated on Thursday, November 27 in the US, and October 13 in Canada.

The First Thanksgiving

When we think of Thanksgiving today, images of football, pumpkin pie, parades, and turkey dinner complete with cranberry sauce come to mind, as well as plans for a Black Friday shopping spree the following day.

Of course none of these items were present back in 1621, when the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims sat down together to give thanks for nature’s bounty. Although the celebrants at this particular meal didn’t even call it “Thanksgiving”, this particular harvest feast is the one after which we model our modern-day Thanksgiving celebrations.

People of both cultures had been giving thanks for the fall harvest and other gifts of nature for many centuries. It is interesting to note that the religious element, giving thanks to God, was not present at this particular celebration in 1621, even though the Pilgrims were devoutly religious. In fact, some early Pilgrim "thanksgiving days" were actually fasts rather than feasts. Imagine that!

However, the Native Americans had their own religious customs and beliefs. As a result, during this "first" Thanksgiving, Pilgrims and Native

Americans did not focus on what was different between them, but instead concentrated on what they all shared. The two groups of people worked side by side to hunt and prepare food as equals and friends. Their friendship and cooperation was yet another thing for which to be thankful. Other feasts such as this one took place throughout the New World, where settlers and Native Americans worked together and celebrated together as one.

When we sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner, we honor a piece of early American history. The story of the Pilgrims and Native Americans serve as a good reminder for all of us to be thankful for what we have--no matter how much or how little.

How Thanksgiving Became a Holiday

After 1621, future Thanksgiving celebrations occurred at various times throughout the year. George Washington declared a feast of Thanksgiving in 1789, and presidents issued similar yearly proclamations after that. During the Civil War, poet Sarah Hale started a campaign to celebrate the holiday on the same day throughout the country.

President Abraham Lincoln saw it as a way to unite the country, and he in 1863 he proclaimed a national Thanksgiving celebration on the last Thursday in November. It was changed from the last Thursday to the third Thursday by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 as a way to lengthen the Christmas shopping holiday. In 1941, Roosevelt finally changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November, proclaiming it a Federal holiday in 1941.

Halloween

Es una fiesta proveniente de la cultura céltica, una sociedad controlada por sacerdotes druidas que vivía en las regiones de Irlanda, Inglaterra y parte de Francia, (300 a.C.), señalando el principio del invierno (Cavendish). Se celebra en la noche del día 31 de octubre.
Los niños se disfrazan para la ocasión y pasean por las calles pidiendo dulces de puerta en puerta.
La historia se remonta a hace más de dos mil quinientos años, cuando el año celta terminaba al final del verano, el  preciso día 31 de octubre de nuestro calendario. Estas sociedades druidas adoraban y servían a Samhain, dios de la muerte. Cada año, el 31 de octubre, los druidas celebraban la víspera del año nuevo céltico en honor de su dios Samhain.
El origen de esta celebración está cargado de supersticiones y leyendas.
Los druidas se vestían esa noche con cueros y cabezas de animales. Disfrazados de fantasmas, espíritus y brujas; iban por todo el vecindario recogiendo ofrendas para el dios de la muerte y las tinieblas Samhain, para brindarle su honor y sacrificios. Si los sacerdotes no quedaban conformes o a gusto con los obsequios, ellos le hacían el TRICK o truco a la familia de la casa, quemándole su terreno, llevándose a la doncella ó matando su ganado. Este es el origen de la frase “Trick or Treat”.
Al haber recogido y reunido todas las ofrendas, los sacerdotes druidas hacían grandes fogatas ofreciendo en ellas sacrificios humanos o animales para adorar a su dios.
Ese día los druidas llevaban consigo un nabo hueco por dentro y con una cara grabada en la parte frontal, que representaba a un espíritu diabólico.
El nabo estaba iluminado por una vela dentro de él, que era usado como linterna por los Druidas cuando iban de casa en casa por la noche. Cuando esta práctica llegó a América, los nabos no eran tan abundantes, pero si tuvieron un vegetal nativo que pronto lo sustituyó:  “La calabaza”.
El ganado era llevado de los prados a los establos para el invierno. Ese último día, se suponía que los espíritus podían salir de los cementerios y apoderarse de los cuerpos de los vivos para resucitar. Para evitarlo, los poblados celtas ensuciaban las casas y las "decoraban" con huesos, calaveras y demás cosas desagradables, de forma que los muertos pasaran de largo asustados. De ahí viene la tradición de decorar con  motivos siniestros las casas en la actual víspera de todos los santos y también los disfraces.
Actualmente estas "fiestas” se fueron incorporando de a poco  a las festividades de muchos países, hasta convertirse en fiestas populares, teniendo su mayor auge en Estados Unidos y algunos países de América Latina.

Las celebraciones por el día de la madre se iniciaron en la antigua Grecia, en las festividades en honor a Rhea, la madre de Jupiter, Neptuno y Plutón.
Durante el siglo XVII en Inglaterra, se celebraba el día denominado "Domingo de Servir a la Madre", en el cual se honraba a las madres de Inglaterra y, los criados tenían el permiso y el día pago para ir a visitar a sus madres.
En aquel tiempo muchos de los pobres de Inglaterra, trabajaban como criados para los ricos. La mayoría de los trabajos estaban lejos de sus hogares, y los criados vivian en las casas de sus patrones.
Fue una gran alegría para los criados. que les pagasen el día de trabajo, a la vez  que podian regresar a la casa de sus familias y pasar el día con sus madres.
Después se comenzó a preparar una torta especial, para llevar y celebrar ese día comoun acto festivo en honor de las madres.
En Estados Unidos el primer día fue sugerido en 1872 por Julia Ward Howe como un día dedicado a la paz.
El origen del "DIA DE LA MADRE" es la tierna historia de una joven que pierde prematuramente a su madre, y concibió la idea de dedicarle como homenaje, un día sin igual, para rendirle tributo.
La estadounidense Ana Jarvis de Philadelphia, luego de la muerte de su madre en 1905, decidió escribir, a maestros, religiosos, políticos, abogados y otras personalidades, para que la apoyen en su proyecto de celebrar el "Día de la Madre" en el aniversario de la muerte de su madre, el segundo domingo de mayo.
Tuvo muchas respuestas, y en 1910 ya era celebrado en casi todos los estados de los Estados Unidos.
Viendo la joven Jarvis, la gran acogida a su iniciativa, logró que el Congreso de los Estados Unidos presentara un proyecto de ley a favor de la celebración del "DIA DE LA MADRE", en todos los Estados Unidos.
En 1914, luego de deliberar y aprobar el proyecto, el Presidente Woodrow Wilson firmó la petición que proclamaba el "DIA DE LA MADRE" como día de fiesta nacional, que debía ser celebrado el segundo domingo del mes de mayo.
Posteriormente, otros países se sumanron a la celebración, pudiendo verse a más de cuarenta países de diferentes partes del mundo, celebrar este acontecimiento sentimental que no tenía otro fin que rendir homenaje y enaltecer a ese ser que da vidas, y aún su vida por el fruto de sus entrañas.





The Story of Mother's Day

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.
During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday".
Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.
During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.
A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration.
People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.
In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.
In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

Pero además,  en Argentina, se ha instaurado el 21 de septiembre como Día del Estudiante..., y hoy al igual que todos los años lo hemos festejado con todo!!!...


El Día Internacional del Estudiante es el 17 de noviembre y se celebra en más de ciento catorce  naciones...excepto en Argentina y algunos otros pocos países Latinoamericanos.

La noticia más antigua encontrada, respecto  de los inicios del festejo del Día del Estudiante, data de 1911 con la organización de un viaje fluvial a la ciudad uruguaya de Colonia para ir a una corrida de toros.
La Federación Universitaria impulsó un paseo de confraternidad de jóvenes argentinos, bolivianos, chilenos y paraguayos.
El gobierno del presidente Roque Sáenz Peña les facilitó un buque de guerra, la cañonera "Maipú".
La delegación era numerosa (unos setecientos jóvenes), y que tuvieron que usar también el vapor privado "Eolo". Viajaron durante más decinco horas hasta alcanzar la costa uruguaya. Desde el poder político y económico de la época, la celebración se vio con buenos ojos, porque se pensaba que la juventud era garantía de progreso.

No obstante, por iniciativa de José Salinas, ministro de Educación del Presidente Hipólito Yrigoyen, se comienza a conmemorar el 21 de septiembre de 1919, el Día del Estudiante.
Mas todo había comenzado varios años antes, con la celebración que hacían los estudiantes de medicina por el comienzo de la primavera. Más tarde, hicieron lo mismo los estudiantes de las demás facultades y los estudiantes de las escuelas medias. Solían terminar enfrentados con los rectores que, por esa época, se oponían a los festejos.

Por lo tanto, comparando las fechas, en Argentina se comenzó a festejar (por lo menos, oficialmente) veinte años antes de la instauración del Día Internacional.

Eiffel obtuvo un importante éxito con la construcción del puente sobre el río Duero en Oporto, lo que le permitió recibir un importante encargo en su país natal: el Viaducto del Garabit sobre el río Truyère, en la localidad de Saint-Flour. El encargo fue aceptado por Eiffel en 1879 y cinco años más tarde el puente estaba concluido. Se trata de una obra de gran atrevimiento técnico al alcanzar más de ciento doce metros de altura con un arco de ciento sesenta y cinco  metros de luz, armonizando de manera espectacular con el paisaje que rodea a la construcción. En los