Tommorow is Fat Tuesday (or Shrove Tuesday, or the French Mardi Gras), which marks the last day before Lent on the Christian calendar. Carnival ends tomorrow, and all of the partying in New Orleans will end as well.

The name Shrove Tuesday evolved from the practice of "shriving" (purification through confession). There are other names for this day. Pennsylvania Dutch call it Fasnacht, where adults and children eat fasnacht kuchen, a doughnut with a slit in the middle, raised without yeast. Another traditional food is pancakes
At Fasnacht, Pennsylvania Dutch children get up early to avoid being the last one out of bed. Adults and children eat fasnacht kuchen, traditionally a rectangular doughnut with a slit in the middle, raised without yeast. Pancakes are another traditional food on Fat Tuesday, baked to use up the cooking fats forbidden during Lent.

For Polish-Americans, Paczki Day means eating paczki, jelly-filled buns. In Poland, they actually celebrate what they call Tlusty Czwartek, "Fat Thursday", celebrated the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. The foods eaten during the celebration and Poland are different in some way, but both Polish citizens and Polish-Americans enjoy paczki.

By Anne-Marie Dingemans

The frequent visitors among you know that I live in Valencia, Spain. AmeriSpan offers 10 destinations in Spain, neatly spread out all over the country. For most people, Spain has the (fortunate) image of nice, pleasant Mediterranean weather year-round. Alas! This is not true for the entire year in the entire country, so I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little more about what the reality of winter in Spain is, to avoid disappointment and pneumonia for those students that are thinking about coming here during the winter months.

Climate-wise, we can divide Spain in 4 regions: North (Pyrenees and the North and Northwestern provinces bordering the Gulf of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean), Center (the High Plateau that covers most of central Spain), East (the Mediterranean provinces) and South (Andalusia). The Northern region has a climate that is similar to Northern Europe, just a little milder. So you can expect rain almost year-round, temperatures close to freezing in winter and warm (but not boiling hot) weather in summer, but no guaranteed sunshine or beach weather! This part of Spain is most suited to the more active traveler, as the landscape is always green and fresh and it's usually not too hot to be out and about. The Center region, in which Madrid and Salamanca lie, has very much a desert climate. Little rain, of which most falls in winter (leaving nothing for the other 9 months of the year!), pretty cold in winter. Snow is rare in Madrid but there's plenty in the mountains surrounding Madrid and ski resorts are only 1 and a half hours away. Summer is hot and dry. In August, stepping out into the streets felt like standing in front of a giant hair dryer! Don't forget the Chap Stick if you come to this region! I actually enjoyed it very much, as I never sweated (too dry!) and didn't have any allergies (mine are dust mite, pollen and mold-related. None of that around!). The Mediterranean is fantastic most of the year, so if you're thinking about Barcelona or Valencia you can't go wrong. Just don't forget that we do have in fact a winter and you do have to bundle up between November and March. You will not be comfortable in a light autumn jacket. We're talking sweaters, coats and scarves here. That said, with the right Southern wind and a bit of sunshine we can hit 20 degrees Celsius during the day (that's about 70 Fahrenheit)! Lastly, the south. This is the part that resembles Africa the most, both in architecture as in climate. Still, the four seasons are clearly marked and you won't be able to sun on the beach (or wear only T-shirt) between November and March. The temperate weather does allow for comfortable traveling and if you want to explore the sights of the region, October through May are perfect as there will be fewer tourists around.

So, by all means, take advantage of low airfare and the various discounts that our schools offer, and come and explore Spain! Just make sure you're comfortable so pack a wool coat and an umbrella in addition to your camera and dictionary.

The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story about Egypt in its Travel section yesterday, and it piqued my interest because we just finished covering the ancient Egyptians in my Art History class.

Here's a little history from The World Factbook by the CIA:

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt.

And now, some facts about Egypt (also from The World Factbook):

Country Name
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)

Climate
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Population
77,505,756 (July 2005 estimate)

Median Age
total: 23.68 years
male: 23.31 years
female: 24.05 years (2005 estimate)

Currency Code
Egyptian Pound (EGP)

By Connie Marianacci

When going to Germany we can ask ourselves, where should we go? There is definitely lots to see for the little time that we normally have, so we have to choose. In my personal list, the must-see locations are:

- Berlin
- Hamburg
- Bamberg

And even though you are probably saying, "Where is Bamberg? Who has seen this town?" it is a very traditional town in northern Bavaria. It is considered one of the most romantic of German cities, very colonial – typical German. It is a very interesting location and was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO.

There are also many activities to do: sports, sight seeing, going to museums and theaters, and enjoying the different breweries in town. The people here where very nice, and I really enjoyed my time there.

In regards to Hamburg, it was just beautiful. Being a port city makes it even more beautiful than any other city I have visited. It is a combination of port with the colonial and modern architecture. There are endless activities to do here: walking on the docks, taking a boat to the nearby sites, and sightseeing. There is a lot of night life, and it is all condensed within one region of the city so it is very easy to go from place to place. There is a lot of green in the city: parks, flower park arrangements, and they are very well taken care of.

Regarding Berlin, all in all it has its own beauty, not just because it is the capital, but there is so much history in this city. Everywhere you go there is history, and everything is interesting. Activities are endless and you never finish going around the city since it is so large.

By Sue Lavene

In the late 80s on two separate occasions, we witnessed two bullfights during our trips to Spain. Even though I would not go to see it again – because it was disturbing to me to see the bulls slowly tortured – I am glad to have seen this very Spanish tradition in action. It is a very controversial topic because of the nature of the game.

Both were held at the Plaza Monumental de Toros (La Plaza de Toros) in Madrid which receives some of the best matadors in Spain.

Starting in the late afternoon, tickets are purchased in the sun (sol) or shade (sombra) – the shady seats being the more expensive choice – or sol y sombra, which are those seats that start off in the sun and then become shady seats as the fight progresses.

Dating back to ancient days, its season from March/April to October, this popular sporting event continues to thrive despite its opponents.

Each fight is comprised of 3 stages after the initial procession and ceremony – with the paso doble (popular two-beat dance music) – of matadors and their teams.

The picadores, presenting on padded horses, attack the bull to weaken their neck muscles, then the banderilleros stick their banderillas (brightly adorned, barbed sticks) in the bull's shoulders in order to lower its head for the eventual kill by the matador. Lastly, the matador does his thing with cape to try to "cleanly" kill the bull.

The reward to the matador comes first from the audience who waves white handkerchiefs to signify that the matador performed well and ultimately from the president of the bullfight sitting high up in a box, who will reward the matador with an ear or tail.

Normally speaking, I am respectfully amused by differences in culture and allow people to be who they are without judgment; however, in this instance, with a sporting ritual that has a goal to kill bulls, personally I do not agree with it.

Take it from me, though, some Spanish are very proud of this long-standing tradition: During one particular fight, when the matador was being pursued by a feisty bull and for a moment, his life seemed on the line, I innocently – though out loud (my mistake!) – cheered for the bull.

Let's just say that the next several moments being sneered at by insulted spectators was quite uncomfortable, to say the least! If you are going to go see a bullfight – which I do recommend that you do – try not to make the same mistake as me and root for the bull (and get caught!).

By Beth Klemick

The origins of Carnival (Carnaval, as it's spelled in Portuguese) are not well known, but have been thought to have originated as a pagan celebration in ancient Rome or Greece. From there Carnival was imported from Italy in nineteenth century to Rio, where the golden age and height of Carnival took place from there from the 1930-1950s. I was fortunate to have traveled to Brazil, but as my luck would have it I missed Carnival by a couple of days. During my Brazilian travels and encounters, the collective consensus of tourists and natives was that Carnival in Bahia (Salvador) was the place to be. Rio de Janeiro is the most famous destination for Carnival with its legendary samba parade and fancy balls, and although Carnival in Bahia does not display the grandeur of floats and fancy costumes, it gives natives and tourists alike the opportunity to be there on the streets dancing the samba until they drop! Carnival in Brazil starts on Thursday, February 23rd, and it runs through Tuesday, February 28th.

By Elizabeth Gregory

So, most of us that have that special Valentine in our lives are making big plans for tonight. Although a recent poll suggested that the majority of Americans find Valentine's Day to be more of a "Hallmark holiday" than anything else, flowers and chocolates are flying off the shelves and the better restaurants have been booked for days.

Knowing how the holiday is celebrated here in the US made me curious to know how other countries celebrate the day. I found a great website that lists traditions from countries all over the globe: Nova Reinna. I like Japan's the best, which I've pasted in below. Enjoy.

In Japan, Valentine's Day is celebrated on two different dates…February 14 and March 14. On the first date, the female gives a gift to the male and on the second date…known as White Day and supposedly introduced by a marshmallow company in the 1960s…the male has to return the gift he received on February 14. Thus, strictly speaking, a Japanese female has the luxury of actually choosing her own gift. Chocolate is the most popular gift in Japan. However, since most Japanese females believe that store-bought chocolate is not a gift of true love, they tend to make the confection with their own hands.