Word: customs
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...society so that everyone knows she is now wife material. It generally happens during a woman's first year of college. However, most social beings have spent many a night doing the Harvard social scene. Does a woman's ability to romp around late at night render this custom less necessary? Perhaps. Even so, there is no shortage of Harvard debutantes. Unfortunately, as debutante balls have been the victims of quite extensive criticism, last names are omitted to protect those sources who have attended deb balls as either debs themselves, friends or escorts (the guys conned into being dates...
...ancient Chinese custom that turns patients into human pincushions, acupuncture is surprisingly popular these days. America's growing interest in alternative medicine and the quasi endorsement of the Food and Drug Administration (which last year took acupuncture's extra-fine needles off its list of "experimental" medical devices) have helped create a sharp spike in demand for the prickly procedure. About a million Americans spend $500 million a year on acupuncture for complaints ranging from gallstones to migraines to low-back pain; today even dogs and horses are trotting off to see their acupuncturists...
...medieval times, a series of customs developed around "Hallow E'en" (Hallow Evening), many deriving at least in part from the holiday's earlier pagan incarnation. It became traditional to eat nuts and apples; the nuts were especially important because young girls were encouraged to watch them as they roasted, interpreting their behavior as an omen of the faithfulness or inconstancy of their beloveds--if the nut cracked or jumped, one was thought to be in trouble. The relationship between this custom and the Celtic belief in the power of New Year prophesies seems clear enough. Other traditions of note...
...year-old associate producer for NBA Entertainment, went to see the movie Soul Food at the Sony Meadows 6 in Secaucus, N.J., last week, she ended up doing something she never does: she talked back to the screen. Now, creative commentary during a film is an established custom among some urban moviegoers--catch a showing of Gang Related (the late Tupac Shakur's last film) in a major city, and it's a fair bet the action will not go unremarked on--but Stallings would rather listen. However, during Soul Food, there was just something about that part where...
...vision to see that things can be done better, a belief in principle, the conviction that comes with confidence in the correctness and value of what one is doing, and a strength of spirit that overcomes the inertia of long-established custom--these are ingredients without which the work cannot be accomplished. While genius is somes a factor, the tales in this issue tell of doggedness, common sense and the simple wish to help the sick or injured...