Curious Local Customs

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Natan Sharansky said their actually was a drunkard's club at his college.

They generally call themselves "social fraternities".

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by malloyd

They generally call themselves "social fraternities".

Those are Greek letters. This one actually had "sybarites" in their title.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Those are Greek letters. This one actually had "sybarites" in their title.

So, less pretentious and more honest?

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Those are Greek letters. This one actually had "sybarites" in their title.

That reminds me... one of the local frat houses is rumored to repaint the lions out front every time a member either loses their, or takes with permission someone else's, virginity.

They change colors 2-3 times a quarter. (I drive by it on the way to the FLGS.)

[jason taylor]

Gravitrams have a peculiar place in the culture.This has several variant possibilities from making it a religious symbol, to considering building them to be High Art (and therefore gravatram makers are famous for centuries and gravitrams are kept in palaces). Another alternative is to have them kept in the corner of a bar.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Gravitrams have a peculiar place in the culture.This has several variant possibilities from making it a religious symbol, to considering building them to be High Art (and therefore gravatram makers are famous for centuries and gravitrams are kept in palaces). Another alternative is to have them kept in the corner of a bar.

What is a gravitram? What is a gravatram?

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

What is a gravitram? What is a gravatram?

It is a giant Rube Goldberg machine kept running indefinitely (practically they turn it off periodically for repairs of course) but that is how it looks. They are really cool. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has one or used to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpg0Y3oPGW0&t=18s

It's not the only one-there is a bigger one in New York. But it is the one I grew up with.

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

It is a giant Rube Goldberg machine kept running indefinitely (practically they turn it off periodically for repairs of course) but that is how it looks. They are really cool. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has one or used to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpg0Y3oPGW0&t=18s

It's not the only one-there is a bigger one in New York. But it is the one I grew up with.

It's still there; I like to watch it while my daughter's messing around in the water science area.

Related custom bit, to keep this on topic:

Kinetic sculptures are widely accepted as a part of spiritual practice; pop sociologists trace this back to prayer wheels and mandalas, but that's open to debate. Naturally, there are heated arguments about which particular styles of sculpture are best. Sculptures range from tiny desktop (or pocket) models to giant public ones that may even incorporate living quarters as part of their design.

[ak_aramis]

A curious custom of the few native villages I've been to...

Saturday evening and Sunday morning, everyone in the village is expected to attend services (Vespers, Matins, and Divine Liturgy). Generally, if they're not persons of faith, are non-orthodox, or are muslim or jewish, they can sit in the hall after the homily, accompanied by a deacon or subdeacon. Even those temporarily in the village are expected to attend.

Essentially, the after-liturgy social is essentially the village weekly meet-n-greet potluck. Leftovers get sent home with the poorest families. Impending marriages, children, departures, and such are done here. Even the atheists attend, if only for the social.

Don't do the social? Locals will shun you.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

A curious custom of the few native villages I've been to...

Saturday evening and Sunday morning, everyone in the village is expected to attend services (Vespers, Matins, and Divine Liturgy). Generally, if they're not persons of faith, are non-orthodox, or are muslim or jewish, they can sit in the hall after the homily, accompanied by a deacon or subdeacon. Even those temporarily in the village are expected to attend.

Essentially, the after-liturgy social is essentially the village weekly meet-n-greet potluck. Leftovers get sent home with the poorest families. Impending marriages, children, departures, and such are done here. Even the atheists attend, if only for the social.

Don't do the social? Locals will shun you.

As in many places the religious center doubles as the local agora it kind of fits. That is why they use parish instead of county in Louisiana.