Annual Holiday Research Articles

Posthumous Veneration of King Leonidas in Sparta

This article examines several narratives about the posthumous veneration of King Leonidas in Sparta. The details of the funeral ceremony held for him are analyzed. Leonidas was the only ruler to be commemorated with three tombstones and three funerals, all in different locations. These unprecedented honors emphasized the exceptional importance attributed to Leonidas by the Spartan authorities. They affirmed his commanding role in strengthening Sparta’s reputation as the leader of the Greek resistance. Leonidas’ recognition and the annual holiday in his honor were fundamental in shaping the mentality of the Spartan citizens. He and the three hundred Spartans who perished with him at Thermopylae embodied the ideal of a noble death in defense of the homeland and showed the Spartans that they were expected to either triumph over the enemy or meet their fate. This concept became ingrained in the ideology of the Spartiates. The intrigue surrounding the transfer of Leonidas’ remains from Thermopylae to Sparta is discussed. Due to a gap in Pausanias’ text, the identity of those responsible for this action and its timing are still unknown. The speculation is fueled by the discrepancy between the name and date provided in the manuscript. Here, several different options to fill the gap are considered. Out of all the options, the one that involves the least amount of intervention, i.e., simply replacing one digit in the manuscript, stands out.

Towards the digital factory twin – design guide for creating a 3D factory model

AbstractShorter product lifecycles are also leading to even shorter planning times for the development of production systems. In most companies, the restructuring is carried out within a few weeks during the annual holidays. Digital tools such as simulations or the digital twin are used to avoid delaying the restructuring during this time. However, the introduction of a 3D model of the factory is often the first point of failure for many companies. This article proposes a six-step process model that enables the transition from 2D to 3D design. The process model was evaluated in a research project.

Ślady kultu św. Rajmunda z Penyafort w przepowiadaniu Fabiana Birkowskiego. Przyczynek do badań nad dominikańskim piśmiennictwem hagiograficznym w dawnej Polsce

St. Raymond of Penyafort is not contemporarily a well-known figure in Poland. Neither was he in the days of Old Poland, when he enjoyed popularity only within rather narrow circles. Without a doubt, in that period he was known in the environment of scholars connected with the Faculty of Law of Cracow Academy, where the chair dealing with his compilation of The Decretals of Gregory IX, stipulated in the foundation act issued already by Casimir III the Great, survived until the reform introduced by Hugo Kołłątaj (the second half of the 18th century). If he was regarded as an outstanding legal theorist in the circle of lawyers, he was worshipped as a saint primarily in the Order of Preachers, the third General in the history of which he had been. The evidence of the presence of his cult among the Dominicans are, among others, the two texts of Fabian Birkowski, OP, a Baroque preacher, which are discussed in this article. They are Kazanie na dzień S. Raymunda [A sermon for the Feast Day of St. Raymond] included in the collection Kazania na święta doroczne [Sermons for Annual Holidays] (Cracow 1620) and the Latin speech under the title S. Raymundus sive mare liberum Sanctis, from the collection Orationes ecclesiasticae (Cracow 1622). In both texts, while making a presentation of the figure of St. Raymond, the preacher concentrated his attention on the Saint’s crossing the sea between Majorca and Barcelona on his Dominican’s cape. The miracle attributed to the Saint made for Birkowski the starting point for further considerations which – in the case of the sermon – concerned the spiritual light, whereas in that of the Latin oration – the missionary’s activity of the Church and in particular – Dominicans’ missions. In the sermon devoted to St. Raymond, the preacherappears as a theologian, skillfully making use of various quotations from the Bible and theological literature. In turn, the oration reveals his potential of an experienced erudite, skillfully combining biblical motifs with elements drawn from the literature of Greek-Roman antiquity. The comparative analysis of the texts confirms the Maria Rowińska-Szczepaniak, The traces of the cult of St. Raymond of Penyafort… 41 particular character of the collection Orationes ecclesiasticae in the output of Father Birkowski, encouraging scholars to conduct further studies on the speeches included in it, as well as on their place in the literature written in Latin in the days of Old Poland.

О роли АНО «НОИВ» в решении проблем горного и взрывного дела (итоги XXIII международной конференции по взрывному делу)

On the eve of the established annual holiday of explosive specialists – the DAY of the BOMBER from September 18 to 22, 2023, the XXIII International conference on mining and explosives was held. It was held in the nearest Moscow region on the basis of the chain hotel Amaks "Krasnaya Pakhra". A distinctive feature of this conference was the discussion of topical issues related to the production and supply of initiation means, ammonium nitrate and explosives to mining enterprises and objects of geophysical work, as well as the problems of the development of mining technologies under the conditions of sanctions and terrorist threat to dangerous production facilities, as well as one of the main problems under consideration, the problems related to development of the northern territories of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and construction of facilities in the development of the Northern Sea Route.

Creating the spectacular city in everyday life: A governance analysis of urban public space in China

Chinese cities are making a name for themselves through what Guthman calls an ‘accumulation by spectacle’. Studies elucidate the fast change of the urban fabric and the interconnection of commercial profits with pro-state propaganda during mega-events. The spectacle appears as a once-in-lifetime chance for a city, orchestrated during a specific time and in purpose-built venues. This article, however, argues that efforts of spectacularisation expand to everyday life. I take the marginalisation of the urban poor in Guangzhou, that is, street vendors and beggars, as a starting point to understand governmental ideals, strategies and patterns of controlling public space. The data is based on fieldwork, government documents, yearbooks and newspapers. Engaging in the discussion on what Debord termed the ‘society of the spectacle’, I explain how urban management concentrates on areas serving (1) tourism and commerce, (2) memorial politics, (3) government relations and (4) transport and traffic; and follows the pulse of (1) annual events and seasonal holidays, (2) recurring political dates, (3) exceptional mega-events and (4) regular urban development campaigns. These zones and periods of increased control intertwine and culminate in an ‘ideal’ public space excluding poverty and other elements contesting the city’s success images.

‘Tis the season: enhancing the workplace holiday party

PurposeThe annual holiday party is a long-standing tradition in many organizations, yet academic research has largely left the holiday party unexamined. The present study sheds light on this significant social event by exploring what factors help differentiate successful events from less successful ones.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the authors developed a taxonomy of characteristics of good holiday parties using a critical incident technique in which stories of holiday party experiences were analyzed following a mixed-method approach. Second, the authors quantitatively examined the relationships between these characteristics and three outcomes, including perceived organizational support, positive interpersonal interactions, and experienced fun.FindingsThe critical incident analysis revealed 11 key characteristics that distinguish good from bad holiday parties. Primary findings from the quantitative study are that games and activities, music, good food, and notable positive leader behavior are key characteristics of more successful events.Research limitations/implicationsAs the data were obtained using a traditional survey methodology, further research would be valuable that adopts an experience sampling methodology to capture employee experiences, perceptions, and feelings about holiday parties in real-time before, during, and after an event has occurred.Practical implicationsFrom an event planning standpoint, this research provides a framework for designing holiday parties and provides evidence as to which features matter most. From a strategic leadership perspective, this research signals that different features of holiday parties can influence different outcomes.Originality/valueBeyond merely identifying important characteristics, this research provides a framework for further research on holiday parties and identifies theories that can be used in future research to explore the mechanisms that influence how and under what conditions holiday parties impact employees’ experiences at work.

Chrononyms and Some Features of the Calendar Cycle of Makarevsky District, Kostroma Region

The article examines the local holiday tradition recorded in an area of the Upper Volga basin, namely in the Makaryevsky district of the Kostroma region. It particularly focuses on the linguistic representation of this tradition: chrononyms (holiday names), related proverbs, and chrononymic derivatives. The research is based on field materials collected by members of the Toponymic Expedition of the Ural Federal University during several field trips (in 2004 and 2021–2023). The local calendar system is subject to selective rather than complete description that focuses on the factors that shape the originality of the local tradition. Among these are the unique chrononyms exclusively specific to Makaryevsky district, including those naming the annual holidays of Makaryevsky settlements (such as Yarilova Plesh, Ostannoye Voskresenje, Revun (day)). Another feature of the local calendar are the names of holidays referring to locally significant shrines or saints (revered in the vicinities of Unzha and Vetluga rivers or in Kostroma land in general). These are, for example, Makariev (Macarius) Day, Varnaviev (Barnabas) Day. High concentration of settlements celebrating these as patronal holidays in the region displays the significant role of the Rev. Macarius and Barnabas for these places. The paper also touches upon the local character of some all-Russian holidays, particularly the well-known Ilyin’s (Elijah’s) Day and the Day of St. Spyridon-the-Turner as the most notable for the festive tradition of the Makaryevsky district. For chrononyms with an obscure original meaning, the article provides motivational comments.

Prescriptions and Prohibitions in Calendar Narratives of the Hubcha Village (Khmelnytskyi Region)

The article deals with normative texts that coordinate, regulate and govern human behavior both in everyday life and in certain sacred time intervals. They reflect the people’s worldview on casual relationships in the surrounding world and in human life. These are beliefs, signs, omens, superstitions, calendar and oneirologic narratives. All these texts contain recommendations and prohibitions on what should and should not be done at different time periods. The subject of the study are the calendar narratives from the Hubcha village (Khmelnytskyi Region) that contain original plots reflecting the system of prescriptions and prohibitions, as well as punishments for their violation. The material for the research are the prose narratives and small folklore forms representing the local tradition of one village and recorded by the authoress in the late 20th – early 21st century. By their content, they are clearly divided into two categories: 1) texts that regulate the tradition, such as a ban on certain types of food and leisure during fasting, or recommendations for performing certain types of work during the calendar year; and 2) texts that describe punishment for violating behavioural norms. The most common prohibitions recalled by the pillars of this village’s tradition include: sweeping out the garbage and whitewashing in the hut, especially the stove, on Christmas holidays; overhearing cattle’s chatter on New Year’s Eve; performing any kind of work on holidays, especially on Mavka’s Easter; and disrespecting any (even a minor) holiday, including Sunday. A violator of these prescriptions and prohibitions will face an inevitable punishment, such as illness, or even death. A number of abnormal natural phenomena (drought, torrential rain, crop failure, pests) are also explained by violations, during annual holidays, of certain prohibitions, such as blocking a fence on Radunytsia (Saint Thomas Week); or a woman was the first to enter the house on a big holiday, etc. All these instructions are often combined with initial and prognostic magic techniques. In some cases, the calendar narrative is contaminated with dream interpretation. These are mostly plots about almsgiving: the deceased in a dream reports receiving alms, he thanks or reproaches for improper alms, or asks for alms through a dream. Sometimes, people see in their dreams the afterlife of their relatives, who were generous or greedy. These texts are rooted in the Christian worldview and are narrated mainly during the Great Lent. Another series of contaminations of the calendar narrative with dream interpretation is attached to the Feast of the Jesus Transfiguration. These are plots common throughout the Slavonic world that dead children are not given apples in the other world if their mothers ate them before the Apple Feast of the Saviour. All the regulations available in the texts may be divided into three groups: a system of prescriptions, a system of prohibitions, and a system of punishments. All these texts had a pedagogical function, transmitting behavioural stereotypes and fixing certain customs that became an everyday norm.

On the Far Frontiers

The author describes an ethnic Chukchi village of Meynypilgyno, located on the border of the Chukchi and Kamchatka Peninsulas. In recent decades, the ethno-linguistic picture of this village has significantly deteriorated: there are no speakers of the Kerek language left. According to the 2010 census, there was one person in Meynypilgyno who considered himself a Kerek. Over 90% of the villagers are Chukchi. The Chukchi language remains the language of communication for the older generation. The newcomers tend not to settle in this remote area. So far, the inhabitants have preserved some elements of traditional nomadic reindeer breeding and sedentary coastal cultures: they hold annual holidays, such as Kilway, the day of reindeer birth, and Vylgyk'oranmat, the day of fine-wool reindeer slaughter, continue to perform some rites and rituals, such as the burning of the dead, as well as go fishing and hunting for small pinnipeds.
 The work provides a description of the phenomena occurring in the life of the village: its rapid renovation of the infrastructure, including the construction of a new school, new houses and a modern floating fish processing plant; its changes in everyday life; the formation of new lifestyles, including the “revival” of marine mammal hunting and the creation of deer farming; and, finally, its adaptation to the market conditions, including an attempt to create private farms as well as develop trade and services.

Peter Satir (1936–2022), cell biology pioneer and mentor

Peter Satir (1936–2022), cell biology pioneer and mentor

‘What Do You Mean by Calendar Holidays?’ – Towards the Nomenclature, Popularity and Research History of Annual Festivities in Lithuanian Ethnology

The historiographical paper focuses on the history of popular and academic research of calendar year holiday celebrations in Lithuania as well as on the classification and terminology used for defining them. Changes in relevant popular and academic interest, certain circumstances of the popularity of examining holidays and their customs are discussed, and scientific discourse is contrasted with public discourse. The cultural, social, and ideological circumstances of the development and dissemination of terminology related to the topic are explored. In addition, the influence of certain personalities and institutions that formed the terminology of calendar year celebrations will be reviewed. The paper is based on the analysis of academic and popular science literature, internet resources, as well as the public discourse of annual holidays.

The Theme of Magic in Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher Saga Cycle of Novels

The role of magic in Andrzej Sapkowskiʼs fantasy series “The Witcherʼs Saga” has been studied in the article. In his text, the author focuses on the types of magic, magical rituals, and the magic of the annual cycle holidays. The magical rituals which form the composition of the novels have been researched.The peculiarities of the writerʼs perception of the sphere of magic have been revealed. It has been proven that the image of magic is closely related to reality and has signs of aetiology (the key difference between myth and fairytale).The importance of magic in the construction of the fantasy genre in the example of “The Witcherʼs Saga” by A. Sapkowski has been highlighted and compared with other fantasy narratives. One of the defining features of “The Witcherʼs Saga” is that the protagonists are born from magic. The article studies how the magical origins of the protagonists influence their development and story.Magic in A. Sapkowskiʼs novels is not only sorcery. It is also associated with the impact of one person on another, the impact of a human being on nature and is an important component of rituals. These facts prove the mythologization of A. Sapkowskiʼs text.It has been highlighted that in A. Sapkowskiʼs octalogy features of neomythologism are connected with the depiction of fantastic creatures whom A. Sapkowski gives human traits, such as the ability to love. Love in A. Sapkowskiʼs novels is the strongest magic because the highest manifestation of magic is the magic of human relationships.

Tox and Detox

Tox and Detox

Animalsnas sacrifices in the Serbian annual calendar

In ritual practice, which is the part of the celebration of annual holidays, Serbs usually choose different types of animals. Thus, a pig is most often sacrificed on Christmas, on St. George?s Day - a lamb, on St. Elijah - a rooster, on St. Mrata - chicken, etc. The ritual slaughter of a certain animal, which is carried out by the wider community on a certain day of the year, in the Bulgarian-Macedonian-Serbian area is known as kurban. The paper discusses which animal species are sacrificed on a particular holiday in the annual calendar. Regional variations or parallels were also observed (cases of sacrificing the same species on different holidays). Attention was paid to the way the animal was treated before the act of sacrifice, then the rite of sacrifice itself was analyzed (who performs it, in what place, at what time, in what way), as well as its purpose. Also, later procedures with the sacrificed animal were analyzed and the role that is given to certain parts of the animal?s body (head, shoulder, bones, feathers, legs) in folk beliefs, and especially their usage in magical practice. The corpus of research consists of monographs, studies and scientific papers on the folk culture of the Balkan Slavs.

Tax Incentives Influence On Corporate Earnings: Evidence From Quoted Manufacturing Companies In Nigeria

This study examines the influence of tax incentives on corporate earnings of quoted manufacturing companies in Nigeria. The operational dimension of tax incentives adopted are annual allowance, investment allowance, and tax holiday; while the proxy for corporate earnings is earnings per share (EPS), with share capital as a moderating variable. Secondary data for this study are sourced from financial reports of 69 manufacturing firms quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange out of a population of 81 in agriculture, conglomerates, consumer goods, healthcare, industrial goods, natural resources, oil and gas operations. Results from data analysis using descriptive statistics and multiple regression, showed that EPS is influenced by the specified operational dimensions, adjusted R2 = 0.62, p < 0.05. Thus, tax incentives influence corporate earnings in quoted manufacturing companies in Nigeria. It is, therefore, recommended that tax incentives should be sustained by the government to enhance corporate revenue and improve investment. Also, investment booster agencies should do more to coordinate activities, disseminate information on available incentives, and assist investors towards optimum capacity utilization to efficiently drive the Nigerian economy to higher heights.

Megacities as drivers of national outbreaks: The 2017 chikungunya outbreak in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Several large outbreaks of chikungunya have been reported in the Indian Ocean region in the last decade. In 2017, an outbreak occurred in Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the largest and densest megacities in the world. Population mobility and fluctuations in population density are important drivers of epidemics. Measuring population mobility during outbreaks is challenging but is a particularly important goal in the context of rapidly growing and highly connected cities in low- and middle-income countries, which can act to amplify and spread local epidemics nationally and internationally. We first describe the epidemiology of the 2017 chikungunya outbreak in Dhaka and estimate incidence using a mechanistic model of chikungunya transmission parametrized with epidemiological data from a household survey. We combine the modeled dynamics of chikungunya in Dhaka, with mobility estimates derived from mobile phone data for over 4 million subscribers, to understand the role of population mobility on the spatial spread of chikungunya within and outside Dhaka during the 2017 outbreak. We estimate a much higher incidence of chikungunya in Dhaka than suggested by official case counts. Vector abundance, local demographics, and population mobility were associated with spatial heterogeneities in incidence in Dhaka. The peak of the outbreak in Dhaka coincided with the annual Eid holidays, during which large numbers of people traveled from Dhaka to other parts of the country. We show that travel during Eid likely resulted in the spread of the infection to the rest of the country. Our results highlight the impact of large-scale population movements, for example during holidays, on the spread of infectious diseases. These dynamics are difficult to capture using traditional approaches, and we compare our results to a standard diffusion model, to highlight the value of real-time data from mobile phones for outbreak analysis, forecasting, and surveillance.

Ground-Based MAX-DOAS Observations of Tropospheric NO2 and HCHO During COVID-19 Lockdown and Spring Festival Over Shanghai, China

Reduced mobility and less anthropogenic activity under special case circumstances over various parts of the world have pronounced effects on air quality. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of reduced anthropogenic activity on air quality in the mega city of Shanghai, China. Observations from the highly sophisticated multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscope (MAX-DOAS) instrument were used for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) column densities. In situ measurements for NO2, ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5) and the air quality index (AQI) were also used. The concentration of trace gases in the atmosphere reduces significantly during annual Spring Festival holidays, whereby mobility is reduced and anthropogenic activities come to a halt. The COVID-19 lockdown during 2020 resulted in a considerable drop in vertical column densities (VCDs) of HCHO and NO2 during lockdown Level-1, which refers to strict lockdown, i.e., strict measures taken to reduce mobility (43% for NO2; 24% for HCHO), and lockdown Level-2, which refers to relaxed lockdown, i.e., when the mobility restrictions were relaxed somehow (20% for NO2; 22% for HCHO), compared with pre-lockdown days, as measured by the MAX-DOAS instrument. However, for 2019, a reduction in VCDs was found only during Level-1 (24% for NO2; 6.62% for HCHO), when the Spring Festival happened. The weekly cycle for NO2 and HCHO depicts no significant effect of weekends on the lockdown. After the start of the Spring Festival, the VCDs of NO2 and HCHO showed a decline for 2019 as well as 2020. Backward trajectories calculated using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model indicated more air masses coming from the sea after the Spring Festival for 2019 and 2020, implying that a low pollutant load was carried by them. No impact of anthropogenic activity was found on O3 concentration. The results indicate that the ratio of HCHO to NO2 (RFN) fell in the volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited regime.

Comparing the day temperature and holiday effects on retail sales of alcoholic beverages – a time-series analysis

PurposeLittle research on the influence of external factors, such as weather and holiday periods, on retail sales on alcoholic beverages is available. This study aims to investigate how weekly retail sales of different alcoholic beverages vary in association with daily maximum temperatures and annual federal holidays across selected US counties in the years 2013 to 2015. The research provides information, which can contribute to better sales forecasts.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data of weekly retail sales (volume) of alcoholic beverages from 37,346 stores in 651 counties in the USA are analysed. The data cover on average 21% of all existing US counties and 12% of the total US off-trade retail sales of alcoholic beverages in the period studied (Euromonitor, 2017). Additional data of federal holidays and meteorological data are collated for each county in the sample. Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models with exogenous regressors (SARIMAX) are applied to develop forecasting models and to investigate possible relationships and effects.FindingsThe results indicate that off-trade retail sales of beer, liquor, red and white wine are temperature sensitive throughout the year, while contrary to expectations rosé, sparkling and other wines are not. Sales sensitivities to temperature also differ by geography. In the warmest regions, liquor and white wine sales do not respond to temperature changes, as opposed to the coolest regions, where they are responsive. Public holidays, particularly Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays, represent a constant influencing factor on short-term sales increases for all investigated alcoholic beverage categories.Originality/valueThis is the first large-scale study of weather and holiday-related sales variations over time, across geographies and different alcoholic beverage categories. Seasonal and non-seasonal short-term sales variations are important for retailers and manufacturers alike. Accounting for expected changes in demand accommodates efficiencies along the supply chain and has implications for retail management, as well as adjusting marketing efforts in competing categories.

Museum of Folk Architecture / Open-air Museum next to the Ľubovňa Castle

The goal of the construction of the Museum of Folk Architecture in Stara Lubovna was to document the material and spiritual culture of Slovaks, Spis Germans, Ruthenians, Gorals, Jews and Roma who lived here side by side for centuries and created cultural values of this region. The dominant feature of the exhibition is a national cultural monument - the Byzantine Rite Catholic Church of Matysova from 1833. Houses from the period (1900-1935) with furnished interiors show the way of life, daily activities, celebrations of important annual and family holidays. Agricultural and industrial buildings showcase exhibits related to their original use. During the summer season the museum complex holds events presenting customs, traditional activities, crafts and folklore. Thanks to its location right next to the medieval Lubovna Castle and unobstructed view of the High Tatras, the exposition presents a unique site in Slovakia.

Cognac and the comportment of the quality Chinese consumer

The French cognac producer Hennessy recently staged a pop-up promotional event called Hennessy Declassified at the Galaxy Resort in Macau. The event coincided with the annual Golden Week holiday that in October 2019 commemorated the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, and aimed to educate Chinese tourists in Macau about the formative role of geography in the process of creating fine cognac. In this article, I provide a first-hand account of the immersive event and its efforts to cultivate consumer taste among a select group of post-Mao Chinese tourists. I demonstrate the ways in which China’s central government and the producers of Hennessy cognac both share a concern with the generative function of terroir and the relationship among topography and taste, and cooperate in a pedagogical program to produce discerning Chinese consumer-citizens.