It’s that time of the year again! Time for a spring festival that brings us closer, heals ruptured relationships, spreads joy and laughter, and signifies the victory of good over evil. Holi , the festival of Colors is celebrated in different corners of India with pomp and gaiety on Full Moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar. This festival has great cultural, social, mythological and scientific significance. The three major traditional rituals of Holi comprise of Holika Dahan, Singing songs and Dancing, and Splashing of Colors. Everyone is aware of the Legend of demon King Hiranyakashyap, his sister Holika and his son Prahlad. Lord Krishna used to celebrate Holi in Vrindavan with colors. You know the religious and mythological reasons to celebrate Holi, but do you know the scientific reasons? Is Holi just about splashing colours and having fun? The first scientific reason for celebrating Holi pertains to the tr...
‘Friday the 13 th ’ is a feared phenomenon. The fear of ‘Friday the 13 th ’ is called “paraskevidekatriaphobia,” a word derived from the Greek words Paraskeví (Friday) and dekatreís (thirteen), attached to phobia (fear). Some people are so paralyzed by paraskevidekatriaphobia that they avoid normal activities, and some even refuse to come out of their homes. The origin of the link between bad luck and ‘Friday the 13 th ’ is vague. ‘Friday the 13 th ’ is thought to be a day of unlucky events, although the origins of such ideas are unclear. Consequently, several theories have been proposed about its origin. One theory states that it is a modern amalgamation of two older superstitions: that Thirteen is an unlucky number and that Friday is an unlucky day. Combining two unlucky elements into one day would make it all the more fearsome, and so it has become. The number twelve is considered as the number of completeness, as reflected in...