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Chapter 56 Custom Custom Culture (9)
300 years later, Cosimo of the Medici family in Florence annexed Siena, and the feud ended.Cosimo becomes Tuscany's first great meritorious service.To celebrate this momentous victory, the Florentines instituted a Festival of Paper Lanterns.At that time, people gathered from all over the place with lunch.Lunch includes cheese, bread, fruit and sweets with anise and anise added.At night, they took colored paper lanterns and walked to the banks of the Arno River, letting the paper lanterns float on the river.Today's festivities still include picnics and lanterns - as well as floats, folk singing and street dancing.

Exercise
In Italy, about one-third of the days of the year belong to festivals.Do you know of any other festivals unique to Italy?

13 Greek New Year's Day Greek New Year
The people of Greece hail September 1 as their New Year's Day because it marks the start of the Greek sowing season, a time of hope and promise.
To start things off right, farmers' families take plates of seeds to church for the priest to bless. On the island of Kos, people fashion first-of-the-year wreaths of pomegranates, grapes, quinces, garlic bulbs, and plane- tree leaves—all of which are traditional symbols of abundance. Just before dawn on September 1, island children carry their house-holds' wreaths down to the shore, the old year's wreaths and the new ones, and they throw the old ones out to sea. They briefly immerse the new ones, for luck. Then they carry sea-water and pebbles home in a jar, to serve, along with the new wreath, as protective devices. Tradition calls for exactly forty pebbles and water collected from the tops of exactly forty waves. This is also a time of trepidation. One old folk belief is that on this day the Angel of Death writes down the names of all those unfortunates destined to die within the coming year.
Vocabulary
wreaths [ri: ez, ri: θs] n. garland, wreath (plural of wreath)
pomegranate ["p? mɡr? nit, "p? mi"ɡ-] n. pomegranate
quince [kwins] n. [plant] quince, citrus

pebble ["pebl] n. pebble, crystal lens;

vt. to pave with pebbles
Trepidation ["trepidei??n] n. panic, fear, worry, trembling

Practice
There are still some unique customs in different parts of Greece. For example, residents of the Crete Island should carry a boulder to master, and bless them have ample food and clothing, have a gold as big as huge stone. Do you know any other customs of Greek New Year?

Translation
Greeks celebrate New Years on September 9, as the day marks the beginning of the Greek planting season, a season of hope and anticipation.

To get off to a good start, the farmers put the seeds on a plate and took them to church to be blessed by the priest.On the island of Kos, it is popular to weave New Year's wreaths with pomegranates, grapes, garlic, leaves of plane trees, etc.All of these are traditionally symbols of abundance. Before dawn on September 9, the children on the island brought all the old and new garlands from their homes to the beach.They toss the old garlands into the sea and give the new ones a quick dip in the sea for good luck.Afterwards, they took home jars of sea water and pebbles, which together with new garlands would help them ward off evil spirits.Tradition calls for picking up exactly 1 small pebbles and water drawn from exactly 40 breakers.It was also a day of dread.There is an old folklore that holds that on September 40st, the Angel of Death will write the names of all the unfortunate people who will die in the coming year.

Exercise
There are also some unique customs throughout Greece.For example, the residents of Crete will bring a boulder to the owner when they pay New Year's greetings, and wish his family sufficient food and clothing, and will have a piece of gold as big as a boulder.Do you know of any other Greek New Year's customs?

14 Pied Piper Day
One summer day in the Middle Ages, a strange man in multicolored (that is, pied) clothing strode into the German town of Hamelin. Learning that the town was infested with rats, the stranger offered to dispose of the rodents (for a fee. When the burg hers gratefully agreed, the stranger whipped out a flute and played a mysterious tune that proved an irresistible rat lure. Rats swarmed out of every house in Hamelin and followed the Pied Piper to the banks of the Weser River. into the swirling waters and were drowned.
When the burgers refused to pay the piper, he devised a plan of revenge. Once again putting his pipe to his lips, he played yet another air—one that seduced not rodents but children. Parents watched helplessly as the Pied Piper, playing merrily, led all of Hamelin's youngsters out of town, after which they were never seen again.
Although opinions vary on the exact date of the piper's revenge, the German government holds with June 26, 1284. The town of Hamelin stages Pied Piper plays every Sunday from June to September. Children form the bulk of the cast, but as 130 was the alleged number who went with the piper on that fateful day in 1284, the cast of today's productions is ritually limited to 130.
Vocabulary
multicolored["m?lti"k? l? d] adj. colorful, colorful

flute [flu:t] n. flute;

vt. to play with the flute;
vi. to play the flute

irresistible ["iri" zist? bl] adj. Irresistible, irrepressible, extremely tempting

Seduce [si"dju: s, -"du: s-] vt. lure, lure, instigate
alleged [? "led? d] adj. The so-called, claimed;

v. assert, claim (past tense of allege)

Practice
There is a story The Piper of Hamelin in Grimm's Fairy Tales roots in this legend, you can read it if interested.
Translation
On a medieval summer day, a stranger in many colors strides into the German town of Hameln.He had heard that the town was infested with rats and offered to get rid of them--but for a fee.When the townspeople gratefully assented, the stranger immediately produced a flute, which blew a magical tune.The tune was irresistible to the mice.Then the mice ran out in groups from every house in the town, and followed the Pied Piper to the bank of the Weser, and followed him into the rapids, where they all drowned.

But the townspeople refused to pay him, so he thought of a way to get back at them.He brought the flute to his lips again, and blew another tune--this one was not for mice but for children.The parents watched helplessly as the Piper Piper played the flute cheerfully and led all the children out of the town of Hameln.The children have not been seen since.

The exact date of the flute's revenge is disputed, but the German government places it on June 1284, 6.Every Sunday from June to September every year, the town of Hameln puts on the Pied Piper play, starring children.It is said that 26 people followed the flute player on that catastrophic day in 6, so the number of actors in a play is usually limited to 9.

Exercise
"The Piper in Colorful Clothes" in "The Grimm's Fairy Tales" is derived from this legend. If you are interested, you can find it and read it.

(End of this chapter)