Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Bridlington brĭdˈlĭngtən, bûrˈ– [key], town, East Riding of Yorkshire, NE Eng...

(Encyclopedia) Head, Edith, 1907–81, American costume designer, b. Los Angeles, Calif. She began to design costumes for the motion pictures in the early 1930s, working at Paramount for most of her career and movin...

(Encyclopedia) Tet offensive, 1968, a series of crucial battles in the Vietnam War. On Jan. 31, 1968, the first day of the celebration of the lunar new year, Vietnam's most important holiday, the Vietnamese Communis...

(Encyclopedia) Thanksgiving Day, national holiday in the United States commemorating the Pilgrims' celebration of the harvest reaped by the Plymouth Colony in 1621, after a winter of great starvation and privation. ...

(Encyclopedia) May Day, first day of May. Its celebration probably originated in the spring fertility festivals of India and Egypt. The festival of the Roman goddess of spring, Flora, was celebrated from Apr. 28 to ...

(Encyclopedia) Hale, Sarah Josepha (Buell), 1788–1879, American author, editor, and feminist, b. near Newport, N.H. In 1828 she became editor of the Ladies' Magazine, Boston, and in 1837 of Godey's Lady's Book, Ph...

(Encyclopedia) Deal, town, Kent, SE England, on the Downs, an important passage for Channel shipping. It is a popular holiday resort. There is some boat building. Othe...

(Encyclopedia) Smith, Stevie (Margaret Florence Smith), 1902–71, English poet and novelist, b. Hull, Yorkshire. At first unnoticed as a poet, she worked in a London publisher's office until 1953. Steadily gaining ...

(Encyclopedia) Day of the Dead, Span. Día de los Muertos, annual festival in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, commonly on November 1st and 2d. Its ancient Mesoamerican roots now augmented by Christian custo...

(Encyclopedia) Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs; one of the most popular holidays in South Asia. Extending over five days, it marks the beginning of the new year in the Vikrama ...