An interactive cultural timeline

2nd Monday in Oct. : Columbus Day

The discovery of America, not everyone agrees this was only A Good Thing.

Second Monday in October : Columbus Day

Day parade. Photo Marcos Vasconcelos (CC BY-NC-ND).
Columbus for Grand Theft. Photo Wolfram Burner (CC BY-NC-ND).

Americans recall the first journey to the continent by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The first celebration took place 300 years later in 1792. Many Native Americans, or First Nations called Indians inhabited America long before Christopher Columbus ever discovered it.This date has a different meaning from the point of view of their descendants or from Europe.

It was the beginning of the permanent relationship between the Old World and the New World. Regular European trade, travel and colonization of the Americas started from this date. Later other parts of the world, Africa and Asia, came into contact with America.
14th Oct. : Battle of Hastings reenactement

The war between the invading Duke of Normandy William’s army and King Harold’s English troops in 1066.

14th Oct. : Battle of Hastings reenactement

Battle of Hastings reenactment. Photo Sreejithk2000 - original : Ojw GNU (CC BY-SA).

The battle on October 14th 1066 between the invading Duke of Normandy William’s army and King Harold’s English troops near the abbey of Hastings will be replayed by costumed actors every year. You can buy tickets to watch the highly detailed show of medieval life and warfare.
2nd Sunday in Oct. : World Conker Championship (Ashton, UK)

Conkers is a traditional game popular especially among children.

14th Oct. : World Conker Championship near Oundle Northamptonshire UK

The fruit of the Horse chestnut tree. Photo Andrew Dunn (CC BY-SA).
Pritesh displays his mighty game-winning conker. Photo Mr Benn (CC BY-NC-ND).

Conkers is a traditional game popular especially among children, you need a horse chestnut and a piece of 12 string, you hit the opponent’s nut with yours, trying to break it. The one whose nut is destroyed first loses. There are many tricks favoured by conker players to harden the nut in advance or to hit the opponent’s with devastating effects.

A World Championship is held near the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire every year. Contestants may be sponsored, the money raised will be given to charity. The modern day gladiators from all over the world fight for glory and fun, armed only with a nut and a piece of string.
21st Oct. : Trafalgar Day

The celebration of British naval power in its most glorious time, the victory of Trafalgar.

21st Oct. : Trafalgar Day

HSM Victory in a bottle n Trafalgar square. Photo Feggy Art (CC BY-NC-ND).
Nelson’s death Trafalgar. Photo Mina Waters (CC BY-NC-ND).

British commemoration of the naval battle off Cape Trafalgar in southwest Spain, between the British Royal Navy commanded by admiral Nelson and the combined French Imperial and Spanish Royal Navies. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost. After this devastating defeat Napoleon abandoned his plan to invade Britain from Boulogne. This was a turning point of the European wars that ended with the defeat of the French Empire and the rise of Great Britain as a world power.
31st Oct. : Halloween

The wild pagan evocation of dark nightmarish figures, an occasion for fun and dressing up as monsters.

Halloween on 31st October night

Halloween on Beacon Hill. Photo Chris Devers (CC BY-NC-ND).
Pumpkin candle. Photo Sheep"R"Us (CC BY-NC-ND).

Halloween precedes the Christian feast of All Saints' Day. All Hallows Eve(ning) is shortened to Hallow e’en.

Traditions associated with Hallowe’en originated around the last evening of the year in ancient Celtic pre Christian calendar. Druids believed that evil spirits from the world of the dead were active on that night and revisited their earthly homes. Roman harvest festival added a few elements to this old tradition, like the Jack’O Lantern turnip in Ireland which became a pumpkin originally an American vegetable. Ghosts, witches, mummies, vampires and all kind of fantasy creatures associated with death and nightmares, bats, black cats, spiders, skeletons, appear on this pagan occasion, mostly in an ironical, satirical context. People dress up with fantasy and costumed children visit the neighbourhood begging for sweets Trick or treat.