Month: October 2022

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)

31/10/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)

The Mexican Day of the Dead known as Día de los Muertos is a two-day holiday celebrated from the 31^st of October to the 2^nd of November to honour and reunite the living and dead together. It is a reunion where the spirits of children join on October the 31^st and the spirits of adults join on November the 2^nd.

Image of person in a flowered veil and face painting of a skull.

Day of the Dead face paint

The ritual originates from the Aztec and Nahua people who saw death as an eternal part of life. The Nahua rituals were held in August where food and water were to aid the deceased in the journey to the Land of the Dead and therefore contributed to the traditions of today.

It is a very colourful celebration and altars are decorated with marigolds, and photos of their loved ones, and food and drinks are consumed. The Marigolds are golden pathways to guide and attract the spirits. Families gather either at home or in the cemeteries at night to light candles and play music. There is no crying or grieving but to enjoy and appreciate all human associations and comforts on a spiritual journey.

Printmaker and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada used the skeletal figures to mock politicians. La Calavera Catrina is the most iconic work that features a female skeleton in ornate clothing. Sugar skulls known as Calaveras are decorative skulls made from sugar or clay to symbolise that death is not all that bad. They are often embellished with jewels and face painting. In contemporary Day of the Dead, skulls masks are worn, and treats are consumed. Pan de Muerto is a simple sweet bread that is consumed all year round!

Pan de Muerto and Marigolds

You can find lots of articles on the Mexican Day of the Dead in our LibrarySearch

Other resources

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead

https://dayofthedead.holiday/

Come visit our Library and see…

24/10/2022 / julietkinsey / 0 Comments

Come visit the libraries and see…

What delights lie behind the cover of an unopened book?

What adventures could you embark upon, and what new things you will learn, by simply turning the pages one by one?

Who’ll be hiding there amongst the pages, friend or foe you’ve never seen or met before, or someone that seems a little familiar to you, someone you know?

What places will your imagination create and visit? what other delights

and challenges will you overcome and experience?

OR will you just delve into something academic?

To learn and expand your understanding & knowledge of your subject area?

But this can be done in so many ways, by firing your imagination and taking the plunge outside of your comfort zone.

Working together in a group study area or having a quiet conversation, exchanging ideas whilst searching the web to cross-reference.

Will you delve into something new, or just dip in your toe?

There’s so much to choose from, drama, thriller, horror, fantasy or an autobiography and maybe even a little poetry, to mention a few.

Then there’s all the academic books and journals, shelf help and DVDs too. The list is pretty much endless I believe.

Will you find an interesting new genre to read, a new favourite writer, who knows?

Will you carry your books in your bag remembering to self-issue them?

Or choose to read them online instead?

Will you use the library catalogue with exact search terms to narrow and focus your search?

Or maybe not to broaden the results to see what else comes up or falls into that category of yours?

Will you ask for help if you’re unsure of what to do, to find what you’re looking for?

We promise we’ll do our best to assist.

Will you chop and change your study environment, find what suits you best, or choose to work from home?

I’ll leave that decision up to you.

But do come to visit the library and see what you could read to broaden your mind and how the environment has changed and is different from a long, long time ago.

Links

https://my.napier.ac.uk/library

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

17/10/2022 / julietkinsey / 0 Comments

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyrood and Greyfriar’s Bobby statue are some of the most popular attractions for visitors to Edinburgh. However, there are lots of other attractions which are less well-known but just as interesting and pleasant to visit. Here are a few of them:

Museum of Childhood

This can be found on the Royal Mile but is often overlooked by guidebooks. A treasure trove of old children’s toys, games, clothes and playthings.

The People’s Story

Housed in the Canongate Tolbooth at the bottom of the Royal Mile it houses collections which tell the stories of the working-class people of Edinburgh from the late 18^th century to the present day using oral history, reminiscence and written sources.

The Pentland Hills Regional Park

Just south of Edinburgh these hills are the highest points around the city and are often covered in snow in the winter. There are many walks over the hills with an abundance of wildlife. There is also a dry ski slope should you want to try out a new pastime. Easily accessible on public transport.

Dean Village

Situated five minutes away from Princes Street, visitors can find the Dean Village, a beautiful oasis right by the Water of Leith. In the past the village housed mills of various kinds, and the remnants of the industry can still be seen today. Look out for mill stones and carved stone plaques with baked bread and pies. Follow the walkway along the Water of Leith and you will come to the impressive Dean Bridge designed by Thomas Telford, and the classical temple of St Bernard’s Well.

Surgeon’s Hall Museums

Just a short walk from the Royal Mile, the Surgeon’s Hall Museums are a unique collection. Full of surgical tools, fascinating paintings and more than a few body parts in jars. Learn about the evolution of surgery throughout the ages and find how great Scottish minds brought us some of the medical breakthroughs we take for granted today. The present Surgeon’s Hall was designed by William Henry Playfair and completed in 1832. It is a category A listed building.

Gardens – Dr. Neil’s Garden

This is located beside Duddingston Kirk on the lower slopes of Arthur’s Seat. Created from a wilderness by Drs Nancy and Andrew Neil. Two features of particular interest are the physic garden, which grows medicinal plants, and Thomson’s Tower. It was constructed in 1825 and was originally built for the Duddingston Curling Society. This was back when frozen lochs were the grounds for curling and other winter sports.

Kyoto Friendship Garden

This Japanese garden can be found in the grounds of Lauriston Castle in the Edinburgh suburb of Cramond. With bamboo shelters to picnic in, breath-taking views over Cramond Island to the Firth of Forth, avenues of blossom trees and calming water features. It’s no surprise that it is rated one of the top three Japanese gardens in Britain. The garden was created to celebrate the twinning of the towns of Edinburgh and the prefecture of Kyoto in Japan. It was opened in 2002. Its official name is ‘Castle Garden to Water and Beyond’. Continue reading

Black History Month

11/10/2022 / julietkinsey / 0 Comments

Black History Month

October marks Black History Month in the United Kingdom.

Known as the ‘Father of Black History, Carter Godwin Woodson brought forward the celebration of Black History in 1926 in the United States. Initially, it was the second week of February, as Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass celebrated their birthdays. But in February 1969, at Kent State University, it was proposed that it should be a whole month and the first Black History Month was celebrated at Kent State a year later. President Gerald Ford became the first President to recognise Black History Month in 1976.

Black History Month in the United Kingdom

Black History Month was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in October 1987. That year marked the 150^th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation, the centenary birth of Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey and the 25^th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity. October also coincides with the start of the Academic year. It was seen as an opportunity to bring in mainstream education. As organiser Akyaaba Abdai-Sebo recalled

‘I was stirred up in the mid-1980s by the identity crisis that Black children faced. A crisis of identity faced us squarely despite the Race Awareness campaigns of the Greater London Council and the Inner London Education Authority. More had to be done and so I conceived an annual celebration of the contributions of Africa, Africans, and people of African descent to world civilisation’ Source Link

At first, there was a focus on Black American History, but the emphasis shifted to ‘recognise the contributions and achievements of those with African or Caribbean heritage in the UK (BBC)

Decolonising our Collections

Here at the Library, all our Librarians are working hard to decolonise and improve the diversity of our Library collections. We realise the importance and significance of the work we need to do here at the Library. Not just when celebrating Black History Month but all year round to make our Library inclusive to all.

You can see some newly added books on our BIPOC virtual bookshelf.

More Information

Remember to check out our library/book displays at each campus site.

You can find out more including details on all the events that are taking place across the country at:

https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Also, check out our Library catalogue for more information on Black history and to see new titles we have added.

By Maya Green

World Mental Health Day

10/10/2022 / jemmalidgard / 1 Comment

Our mental health has been challenged pre and post-pandemic, with rises in anxiety and depression, as well as other unrecognised disorders; we can strive to play a role in increasing awareness, signposting, listening to one another and having conversations.

The World Mental Health Day theme is to use spoken words about the different ways we can talk about our experiences. Getting the words out to describe how we feel can be tough at times Mind shows you can confide in advisors, and find online and local communities and other information.

At Edinburgh Napier University, not only are our library help desks here to support you with library-related enquiries, but we are also here to listen to your concerns and provide you with as much support as possible. Napier’s counselling service is here to help your well-being and mental health through practical tools and coping strategies such as CBT and meditation: https://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/student-life/counselling-and-mental-wellbeing

Our Shelf Help collection at Edinburgh Napier University Library is materials chosen by professionals to overcome uncomfortable or stressful thoughts, experiences, and feelings.

You can find the link to Shelf Help here.

Self-care, such as exercise, meeting friends and family, sleep and eating nutritiously have physical and emotional benefits to improving your well-being. You can check out resources on the library blog for further support and building resistance

https://blogs.napier.ac.uk/library/virtual-relaxation-space/

Edinburgh Napier University online support:

Counselling team 9am-5pm Mon-Fri

0131 455 2459

Edinburgh Napier University Disability and Inclusion Team

9am-5pm Mon-Fri counselling@napier.ac.uk disabilityandinclusion@napier.ac.uk

Month: October 2022

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)

Like this:

Come visit our Library and see…

Come visit the libraries and see…

Links

Like this:

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh