June marks the beginning of the intensely hot and humid season in Japan. At the same time, and possibly to help cope with this weather, the entire country celebrates countless summer festivals or natsu matsuri (夏祭り) from June to August. These festivals are rooted in ancient Shintō beliefs and ...

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First celebrated in 1910 to recognize the important role of fathers and to complement Mother’s Day, Father’s Day only became a permanent national holiday in the U.S. in 1972. It has been annually observed every third Sunday of June ever since. Today, several countries worldwide have adopted the A...

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A time dedicated to pay tribute to mothers all over the world and celebrate motherhood, Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914 and usually falls on the second Sunday of May in most countries worldwide. The date changes annually because it is linked to Easter, which is different ever...

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After the cold bleakness of winter, nothing gets the Japanese more excited than the blooming of the cherry blossoms, or sakura, in spring. Not only is it an indicator that spring has officially arrived, but it’s seen as a unique part of Japanese culture dating back more than a thousand years.

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As the sixth most widely spoken language in the world in 2016, French has over 220 million speakers worldwide and is estimated to rise to over 700 million by 2050. In celebration of UN French Language Day also known as International Francophonie Day on 20 March, we’ve put together a list of topno...

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It’s Valentine’s Day once again, the time of the year when romance is in the spotlight and declarations of love are all over social networks. While love is a universal emotion, romantic words have unique connotations and nuances in different languages. This is because culture can have a profound ...

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