That title got your attention didn't it?
While sightseeing in Ukraine I was little obsessed with walkways. I couldn't help it! They all looked so gorgeous and
I imagined how pretty they'd be in the fall with leaves on the trees they reminded me of pictures I'd see someone mass marketing to be as computer backgrounds. Simply breathtaking!
See what I mean?
We also saw the
Potemkin steps (again, the pictures don't do it justice),
And a statue that the locals refer to as "Schwarzenegger's baby!"
We also learned about a couple interesting traditions. The first one was a Slovakian water tradition, where the day after Easter, if a man wanted to marry a woman he'd throw a bucket of water on her, and if she agreed, she'd give him a dyed Easter egg. (When I asked our guide what happened if she didn't agree he said she would give him nothing...and that she'd be wet for no reason!)
We also learned about this cannon. Legend says if a man brought his fiancee to this cannon it would fire if she was a virgin, but if she wasn't...it would do nothing. Apparently it never fired for anyone so the men stopped bringing women there!
It's so fun to learn about different cultures and traditions...even if they are just "legends" or outdated. Although maybe I think it's fun because I didn't have to walk by a cannon or have water thrown on me!
Have you learned any traditions while visiting another country? Did you want to (or not want to!) participate in them?
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8 comments:
I lived in Spain and they had all sorts of neat ones. In the town I lived in there was a small Virgin Mary doll in a glass box, located in the wall of an arbitrary side street..local legend said if a woman put her hairpin through a hole into the box, the Blessed Mother would help her find a husband!
And in Madrid there is a plaque in the Plaza del Sol which is theoretically the geoographical center of Spain. The tradition is that if a person touches it, he/she will return to Spain. Since I always want to go back, I am sure to touch it every time!
Ha, those are some funny traditions! Thanks for sharing! I love hearing about the traditions of other countries. I have to say, I am really glad we don't have the whole 'throw a bucket of water on you' tradition when it comes to proposing. ;)
I can't think of any traditions that I've learned about from my travels... I am sure there are some, I just can't think of anything. One thing we learned in our cultural differences class when I went to France is that in the US, if someone has a dinner party and says it starts at 8, you probably show up at 7:45-8. In France, you should up at like 8:30. They have a different approach to time!
lol! I love that eventually people decided that the cannon just wasn't telling the truth... it was broken! I kind of love that :)
Very interesting traditions indeed. I laughed out loud at the Schwarz baby. Hilarious. I would not be pleased if someone proposed to me by throwing water on me, especially if it was a dude I didn't want to marry and then was wet for no reason! But it's kind of funny imagery. Maybe cause it's not happening to me.
You know, a diamond ring does the trick, too...
Ummm, throws a bucket of water on her??? I would NOT enjoy that tradition. Lol
If someone threw a bucket of water on me, I would NOT give him an easter egg! Also, virgin cannon = FUNNY. I think whoever started that tradition secretly did not want to marry his fiancee.
I really love the story about the cannon. I love that they quit using it even more. =)
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