Schedule an escape from the city during when you visit Prague. Historic towns and castles await beyond the bustle of the capital.
Easter in Eastern Europe is celebrated according to different religious traditions, with special meals, and of course, with Easter eggs.
Easter in Romania is a colorful and tasty affair. Easter breads and other Easter foods appear in bakeries and on dining tables. Easter eggs, decorated either according custom or to the whim of the artist, can be found at Easter markets. Traditions, like knocking Easter eggs together, predict who can look forward to good fortune in the future.
Romanian Easter Eggs photo credit: iStockphoto/Razvan
Even if you won't be traveling to Poland for Easter, you can still celebrate Easter in Poland from home. Polish Easter foods can be made in your own kitchen. Easter babka, made with more than a dozen eggs, impressively celebrates the end of Lent. Easter lamb cake appears in shops in Poland and elsewhere in East and East Central Europe for Easter time. Mazureks are flaky pastries that are also traditionally served at Easter.
Or, if you're looking for a feast for the eyes rather than the stomach, check out Polish Easter photos, which show how Poland springs to life with colorful eggs, Easter palms, and Easter baskets in honor of this special holiday.
If you haven't yet heard of the "Trololo Man," it's time to brush up on your internet memes. Russian culture met internet culture when a video of Edward Khil singing "Я очень рад, ведь я, наконец, возвращаюсь домой" (I'm Very Glad to Be Back Home) shot to popularity after appearing on websites and television. The song has also been used to rickroll the unsuspecting in a variation of the prank once reserved for Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up." The video shows Khil singing in a style called "vokaliz" or "vocalise" in which vowels are sung to a tune in place of words, and many have interpreted a portion of the lyrics as "trololo."
To audiences not familiar with Edward Khil's popularity and talent, the Soviet-era video appears outdated and the singing style peculiar. However, the inherent catchiness of the tune (once you hear it, you'll never be able to forget it) and the absence of real words means that the video can be appreciated by anyone. Not least of all, Edward Khil's voice is as able to get under the listener's skin as it was in 1976, the year the "Trololo Man" video was made.
Another reason the song is so popular is because it is completely innocuous. Free of any potential to offend, the song appeals to all audiences. However, RT reports that the song as it was originally written by Arkady Ostrovsky contained bawdy lyrics that would never have gotten past Soviet censors.
Though the most famous version of "Я очень рад, ведь я, наконец, возвращаюсь домой" was sung by Edward Khil, Know Your Meme presents other versions of the song that appeared prior to Khil's rendition.
You can listen to the video of the song on YouTube. If you can't get enough of Edward Khil, the singer's official website has a library of videos for interested fans.
Microphone photo credit: iStockphoto/Soundsnaps
It's not a Russian holiday, but St. Patrick's Day is still celebrated with enthusiasm in Moscow. For almost 20 years, the Moscow St. Patrick's Day parade has attracted celebrants. In years past, the parade's route followed New Arbat Street, but this year the route has been changed to Bolshaya Dorogomilovskaya Street. The parade will be held on March 21st (Moscow News).
St. Patrick's Day in Moscow photo credit: CC BY-ND prosto photos
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