Welcome to our Online Newsletter: Life Science Talk. I am glad that so many of you liked our new design that we launched last month. This issue is packed full of the latest information including our upcoming and on demand webinars and the latest news within the industry.
In this month’s spotlight interview we would like to introduce Paul Daniel from Vaisala. Paul will be discussing his thoughts on their upcoming webinar.
Easter is fast approaching and with all the preparation and excitement that comes with this popular global celebration, I have dedicated my blog to discuss some thoughts with you.
In our December issue I gave you all an insight into the distinctive Christmas traditions of the Czech Republic. If you thought that our Christmas traditions were unique, then you are about to be in for a treat (pun intended) as I describe for you how we Czech Republicans celebrate Easter!
Since its origins, Easter has been a time of celebration and feasting where many different traditional Easter games and customs have been developed. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a tradition of “patting” or “tapping” is carried out on Easter Monday. During the morning, men will attempt to tap women with a special handmade whip called a pomlázka (Czech) or korbáč (Slovak). Additionally, men from eastern Moravia and Slovakia also throw cold water on women.
The pomlázka/korbáč consists of eight, twelve or even twenty-four withies (willow rods) – usually ranging from half a meter to two meters in length and decorated with a variety of coloured ribbons at the end. It’s important to note that tapping is not a painful act, rather a fun tradition. In fact, it is stated through ‘legend’ that women should be tapped with a pomlázka in order for them to keep their health and beauty for the following year.
An alternative purpose for this tradition is a chance for men to demonstrate their attraction to the women they like. In return, the women give the men a coloured egg, a shot of alcohol and sometimes a small amount of money as a sign of her thanks. In some regions women gladly take their revenge on the man during that afternoon or the following day by pouring a bucket of cold water on any man they wish; this habit slightly varies across Slovakia and the Czech Republic. A similar tradition also existed in Poland (Dyngus Day), but has since changed to become more of an all-day water fight.
Another tradition and symbol of a Czech Easter is our signature hand-painted eggs (Kraslice). Girls decorate these Easter eggs to give to boys on Easter Monday. There are many different Easter egg decorating techniques; with the more elaborate designs requiring a high level of skill. The range of materials used include: bee’s wax, straw, watercolours, onion peels and picture stickers. Most commonly, designs consist of geometrical patterns, but you can also see flowers, leaves and snowflake patterns using a whole array of different colours. The sky is the limit when decorating eggs – the more flamboyant the better! A nationwide Easter egg contest is held in Prague and other Czech cities.
If your country, your town or even your family has a unique Easter Tradition please email me, as I would love to hear about it. Maybe it will feature in our next newsletter!
Thank you to everyone who commented on our blog and participated in our quiz question last month. For those of you who missed it our question was:
Carbon dioxide can be used as a preservative. For which kind of food is this appropriate?
The answer is that it is used for storing grains. By storing grain in a carbon dioxide-rich, oxygen poor atmosphere, the grain will be protected from insects, mold and oxidation.
If you fancy your chances at winning a voucher, simply answer this month’s quiz question – Good luck!
One last point to mention; this month we are launching our new Knowledge Sharing Webinars. This is an opportunity for key industry speakers renowned for their expertise and innovative thoughts within the Life Science’s to share their ideas and opinions to people all around the world. For more information on how to get involved please feel free to contact us.
We hope you enjoy this issue and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming webinars.
Kind Regards,
Aneta Manningtonova| Marketing Manager | Business Review Webinars
Phone: +44(0)20 7936 6890
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.business-review-webinars.com
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