Glorious past

                                        Glorious past



    In the history of man's social evolution, there is an inexhaustible and interesting store of facts and beliefs pertaining to various practices and customs.

• .The practice of shaving began in ancient times as a defence against enemies grabbing and pulling soldiers by their beards during battle.
• Crushed charcoal and stones were sometimes used as tooth powder for brushing teeth in ancient times.
• The Greeks invented ' Worry Beads' as a tool for relief from distress. While many cultures and faiths created beads for religious purposes. Greeks carried and played with them to relax.
• Hippocrates, the ' father of medicine ' prescribed pigeon poop as a cure for baldness.
• Sap from the roots of the marshmellow plant has been used in sore throat-soothing candies since the time of the ancient Egyptians.
• Hair braiding has historically been a method of socializing and passing on community traditions through generations of family members especially in African culture.
• Throughout history, Earrings have been effective amulets worn to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune. Sailors believe that wearing earrings protect them from drowning, and that it helps their eye sight.Earrings were worn by both men and women. Ear piercing is quite a ceremony. A gold ring was believed to be a cure for all kinds of ear-troubles, although other metals, jewels and all sorts of materials were prevalent among primitive and among sea-faring men later. The ear was believed to be the center of intelligence. The custom of pulling a child's ear to make him remember his school lessons comes from that ancient belief.
• Ancient Egyptian ladies painted their mouths or lips red for magical purposes. It was believed in those days that by emphasizing the natural red circle of the mouth, they were well protected, as the good spirit of life was safe within them and could not escape from the body. At the same time, the bright red circle kept evil spirits from slipping in to cause troubles, the least of which were soreness, dryness of the tongue, and chopped lips. Red was the color of magic and was the 'stop' signal or danger sign, to any garrison of invaders that would cause fevers and plagues, a condition much dreaded in early times.
• Rice throwing is a very old custom believed to be a survival of the ancient religious rites of the Hindus and Chinese. Rice throwing symbolizes blessings from the elders. Among the orientals, rice is the symbol of fruitfulness and prosperity. Rice throwing symbolizes the bestowal of fertility, heath, wealth and happiness on the bridal pair and the youngsters. From time immemorial, rice has been the main dish of most orient people. They must have been aware of its nutrient values. Beneath the gesture of throwing rice, there lies deep in the nature of man , an unconscious knowledge of what is good for him. A symbol is merely convenient substitute for the real knowledge.