'traditions' - tagged features

It can be plain old cotton or extravagant Italian silk. Tied tightly under your chin or draped elegantly over your head. Headscarves in Turkey might be a political hot potato but for many women they’re also a fashion accessory. As Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, how and what you wear as a headscarf can define where you’re from, who you are, and whether you’re in or out. 

When you think bullfighting, you think Spain. Well, France also has a bullfighting tradition, though it’s come under criticism for being, well, too violent. The group that regulates French advertising has banned an ad showing a bull being killed during a match. RFI’s Anustup Roy meets some aficionados and some detractors of the sport. 

Thursday's International women's day. Now there seem to be more commemorative days than there are days of the year. Some, like World No Tobacco Day, are self-explanatory. Others, such as International day of the potato, seem less obvious. But why do women need a day? Men don't get a day and do you hear us complaining? No. We rise above it. They're hardly a minority so is there a good reason to focus on 50% of the population? 

On the 1st of March, it is customary for women in Romania to receive “Martisor”, a sort of talisman, which can be a jewel, or just a nickel, glass or plastic figurine tied to a red and white string. Men give offer this little present to women in token of love, appreciation, or just trying to be complaisant with female colleagues at work. This year however, there is a woman in Romania which enjoys the sincere appreciation of a large part of the Romanian people. She is Romania's Minister of Justice and she's received one of the most beautiful Martisor a person can get. Iulian Muresan, from Radio Romania International witnessed the gesture... 

At Network Europe we like to get to the bottom of things and when we decided to shift our focus to European's relationships to mark the upcoming celebration of St Valentine, our first question was who exactly was Valentine - Why is he a saint.? And what on earth made him so amorous?   St. Valentine is actually San Valentino, the patron saint of the city of Terni, a city in the Italian region of Umbria, about 100 kilometres from one of Europe's self proclaimed "capitals of romance" - Rome.   Each year, the Terni locals organize not just a single day, (like the rest of the world) but also a whole month of celebrations: from exhibitions to concerts to poetry readings…all on the theme of love, of course. So, how did St. Valentine become the international symbol for amore? Radio Netherlands, Dany Mitzman had the enviable job of finding out. 

Despite the lack of snow in Europe for a white Christmas, people across the continent are getting into the festive mood. In Germany drinking Glühwein - a hot spicy wine - at one of the many beautiful Christmas markets is a must in the run up to the festive days. In Paris you shouldn't miss the capital's famous Christmas decorations - every year the "Grands magasins" sees department stores battle it out for the most lavishly decorated and lit shop windows. But no matter where you are, how you celebrate Christmas often reflects both traditions and changes in society. Radio Sweden looks at how traditions in Sweden have changed over the years and the way Swedes now celebrate Christmas. 

Let's face it everywhere you turn at this time of the year you can't help but bump into a fat man with a white beard dressed in a red suit. Santa Claus is everywhere - on shopping bags, in shop windows - you name it. But Santa is a relatively new phenomenon in the Czech Republic. A similar figure, Mikulas, visits children on December 5, while presents are delivered on December 24 by the Baby Jesus. Some Czechs resent the ever-present Santa Claus - saying the figure has a negative influence on Czech kids. Taking matters into their own hands, the Creative Copywriters Club has set up a website with a simple message: Santa go home! Radio Prague caught up with David Koenig from the club at a shopping mall in the Czech capital. 

Slaughtering the swine a few days before Christmas is a strong tradition in Romania. 60% of the people live in the countryside and they are keen on this tradition. Iulian Muresan traveled to a village in Transylvania to catch the moment on tape.