CODEX (Definition)

The word codex comes from the Latin Codex-ICIS. A codex was a polished wooden tablet for writing, subsequently that tablet was replaced by books with paper pages. And although technically the current books are codex this word is used to refer to books handwritten encompassed between the Preclassic antiquity  to the end of the Middle Ages.
Its etymology comes from the Latin Caldeo (Caudex) meaning "table" which in turn is comes from Caudes-ICIS meaning "tree trunk" which contracted as Codex. That is the name given by the Romans to the writing tablet.

image of the Calixtine Code written in the twelfth century taken from the wikipedia, copyright expired

HALLOWEEN (history part 1)

The word Halloween is first used in the sixteenth century, comes in a variant of Scottish, English-language by interpreting the "All Hallows Eve (n)" (eve of All Saints).

The origin of the festival is Celtic, Samhain (derived from Old Irish, meaning "End of Summer").
The Celtic tree huggers (and nature in general), believed in an immortal soul, which when leaving a body, went to another. Although during the night of October 31 (day celebrating the end of harvest) the soul returned to his old home, allows the residents to feed it  (which were required to do).

The Celtic New Year was celebrated on this date coinciding with the Fall, season when fall the leaves of the trees, which they interpreted as the end of the death (or initiation of new life). In the celebrations invoked their god "Lord of Death" or "Samhain" to ask about the future, health, etc.


During that day, both good and bad spirits could roam the earth. The familiar spirits, and invited were fed, while the wicked were driven away. Is believed that the use of costumes and masks, was to ward off evil spirits, posing as one of them.

The Roman Empire, hosted this tradition (which also coincided with the celebration of the end of the harvest in honor of the goddess Pomona, goddess of fruit trees). The two traditions were mixed and soon apples (which were very popular) joined the tradition.

As long as Christianity could not wipe a pagan holiday, what they  did was mix it with a religious holiday. So they  moved the feast of All Saints from May 13 to October 31 to make them coincide (although the party degenerated, and instead of remembering the good examples of the saints, the spotlight happened to be of old superstitions about death and the dead that fed the fear of people.

Irish painting by Daniel Maclise in 1833, inspired by a Halloween party he attended, taken from the wikipedia copyright expired in Europe, USA and elsewhere

DAYLIGHT SAVINGTIME (history part 1, origin of the idea)

The time that we now (winter time) is the official time which marks the Greenwinch Mean Time (GMT) so it is called standard time.
So it is only in summer when we badly official time, and say we passed to the Daylight Saving Time.
The early origins of this idea of changing times, dating back to 1784, when as U.S. ambassador to France,  Benjamin Franklin, sent a letter to the newspaper "Le Journal de Paris" proposing some ideas for energy saving.
The 3 ideas that Franklin explained, consisted of regulate the consumption of candles and wax, impose a tax on homes with shutters that would prevent the entry of sunlight, and make bells ring at dawn, in order to everyone wake up at the same time.
The measures were not taken seriously at the time. Although shortly after the experiments began with gas lighting, and in view of its danger, is returned to the idea of saving energy.
The evolution of energy saving, concluded in the decision to create the summer time, to get more hours of sunlight in the afternoon and reduce dependence on artificial light.
The measure was not established definitely until 1974.

first page of  "Le Journal de Paris" anonimous letter from Benjamin Franklin with the tittle "Economie"

this image is taken from Wikipedia from public domain, copyright expired  in U.S. & Europe

 (consult the terms of your country)

COLD DROP (Definition)

The drop cold is a weather phenomenon associated with the Western Mediterranean Sea during the autumn months (especially in October), when sea water is warmer (reaching up to 30 degrees in some areas of the coast) to continental land, creating strong atmospheric instability (as hot water evaporate faster). Generating intense rainfall, affecting nearshore.

The contrast of the warm sea with cold air bags arriving in autumn (that being lighter rises rapidly, creating a big storm,  which forms very heavy rains of up to 500 liters per square meter (as in Gandia the year 1987 ) and winds of over 140 kilometers per hour. addition resulting storm surge can raise the sea level one meter, with waves 4 and 5 meters high.

The destructive power of the cold drop, increases considerably when forest areas are destroyed (by fire, uncontrolled urbanization, deforestation, ...), since it increase greater temperature contrasts, not retain water from the rain, loses all the fertile land (not to be fixed by trees) that is driven by floods making them even more dangerous.

Moreover heavy rains are usually in short periods of time, raining more in a few hours than the rest of the year in the area.

picture of yesterday in Elche (Alicante), taken from the digital edition of the newspaper "La informacion" from Alicante

NUDISM Definition

Nudism is the practice from people (nudists) of different types of activities naked. Although often is associated with the definition of the respect for nature, needn't have to be so.

On the other hand is the Naturism, that is a philosophy of life that seeks harmony with nature and regression to more natural practices (not necessarily going naked, but there are many Naturist Organizations that include this in their definition).

a Nudist picture taken from Wikipedia, made by Crotchsplay