This Weekend Assignment revolves around the theme of calendars. When was the first calendar created? Why was it created? How many types calendars are used today? These are few questions you can explore.

But first let’s look at the previous assignment, food.


Almost all major holidays around the world have one similar component, food. They can range from using food to celebrate to celebrating the food itself.

In the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah a traditional food is latkes (potato pancakes). The custom comes from eating foods that are either fired or baked in oil to commemorate the miracle of a small flask of oil keeping the Second Temple’s Menorah alight for eight days. Other foods eaten in and around Hanukkah include jam filled doughnuts and cheese latkes.

According to folklore the candy cane became associated with Christmass when a German choirmaster had the candy made to quiet children during the Christmas Eve service. He asked the candy maker to bend the candied sticks to look like the staffs of the shepherds present at Jesus’s birth.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting. Meals served before sunrise are called suhoor and meals after sunset are called iftar. The types of food served depends on the region of the world.

Thai Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival celebrated during January to thank the sun god Surya. The traditional food is Pongal, a sweet rice dish made with cardamom, raisins, and cashews.

If you look at Twitter these days almost every day is dedicated to one food or another. Who can say no to celebrating with food?


Share what you learn with us on Twitter by tagging us and using #SaylorAssignment or start the conversation on Discourse.