Lesson 6.
Gale Virtual Reference Library.


1.) "Spring Holidays Around the World," a typical spring holiday from many countries around the world is Carnival. In Brazil it is known as "Carnaval," in Germany it has many name such as "Karneval," "Fastnacht," "Fasching," or "Fasnet." In Italy it is known as "Carnevale." In the United States it is commonly known as "Mardi Gras."  This is a Christian festival in preparation of Easter.
Before Easter us a forty day period of Lent, during Lent people abstain from certain types of foods or certain behaviors. And it is a time for asking forgiveness. Before Lent it is Carnival, a time of celebration. In most countries Carnival begins on a Sunday, Monday or "Shrove Monday," and "Shrove Tuesday," also known as Fat Tuesday.  It is a time of eating, drinking, parties, parades, dancing, and costumes.  Symbolic opening and closing ceremonies accompany Carnival celebrations everywhere. Opening ceremonies include the eating of king's cakes in New Orleans on Epiphany. King's cakes are round or oval cakes striped with frosting in purple, gold, and green, the symbolic colors of Carnival, which represent justice, power, and faith. A tiny figure is hidden inside the cakes; the person who finds the figure in his or her cake must buy the next cake or host the next king's ball.  In Great Britain, Shrove Tuesday became known as Pancake Tuesday, because families used up these ingredients by making feasts of pancakes. Fritters, doughnuts, and other pastries, deep-fried and coated with powdered sugar, are traditional Carnival foods in Germany, France, Italy, and New Orleans. Traditional meat, bean, and vegetable dishes are often prepared in large quantities for Carnival feasts. In Italy, whole towns are invited to come out and share in these feasts. Such foods often have historical or folkloric significance. For example, in Brazil, people cook dishes made from various cuts of pork, because leftover pork was once given to African slaves in that country during Carnival.  Since the early days of Carnival, people have amused themselves and their fellow citizens with a number of Carnival games and pretend fights. Italy had some of the most interesting diversions. One tradition involved sliding a paper dove down a rope from the town bell tower. As the dove progressed down the rope, it spilled confetti on the crowds. Bullfights were held in the narrow streets of Venice, and the famous Carnival orange fights are still held in the town of Ivrea.

Throwing favors, such as cheap plastic bead necklaces and imitation doubloons (old gold coins of Spain and Spanish America), from parade floats into the crowd is a major part of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In Germany, people are pelted with flowers, candy, and other throws. In Binche (pronounced BANSH), Belgium, the otherwise-dignified Gilles throw oranges at the crowd. In times past, throughout Europe and the Americas, such strange things as flour, eggs, dirt, plaster-coated seeds, and onions have been hurled at festival-goers.   I found these things by using an advanced search under the keywords spring holidays.

2.)  Using the advanced search criteria, I put in the holdings must be after 2012, the subject area History, target audience General, and publication language as English.  I clicked on the results and got 3035 titles that fit into my criteria.