Archive for November 2023

My wife, Wendy, and I recently returned from a vacation in Switzerland. In the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, grazie is the word used to say thank you. This word comes from the Latin gratia. Gratia is also the source of the word gratitude and of the word grace. In Greek and Roman mythology, The Three…

The Christian tradition in Central and Eastern Europe is to ring the church bells at dusk on All Souls’ Eve. Families go to cemeteries bringing bright yellow and orange chrysanthemums and lighting yellow, or orange votive candles to decorate …