Fascinating Time-relevant Stories from Human History
Throughout human history, many time-relevant stories have emerged to the scene. In different parts of the world, certain hours of the day are considered optimal for satisfaction, entertainment, and peace of mind. Some of these time-relevant stories originated centuries ago while others are much more recent. Let’s have a look at the most fascinating ones.
Table of Contents
Happy Hour
The term “Happy Hour” refers to the time of day when bars and restaurants offer discounts on certain foods and drinks. Despite the name, it usually lasts for more than an hour. People belonging to different fields of life show up at these places to have some fun after a busy day. Although there is no clear explanation for how the term “Happy Hour” was coined, it has a theory.
According to that, “Happy” comes from the Middle English hap which is derived from the Old Norse happ meaning “good luck”. Similarly, “Hour” is derived from the Old Latin word ‘hora’, which denotes one canonical hour. In the 19th century, ‘Happy Hour’ was used to refer to organized entertainment. In World War I, this term was used to refer to recreational activities by the US Navy.
Afternoon Tea
Historically, drinking tea is associated with British people. In contrast to that, the custom of drinking tea goes way back to China. Actually, tea was brought to England by the wife (Catherine) of King Charles II in the 17th century. She belonged to Portugal which was quite famous for tea in those times. Naturally, she brought it from her country to England.
Until this time, tea was mostly used medicinally in England. Another reason for its limited usage was its high cost, due to the taxation on imports. The aristocracy began to follow Catherine’s custom but it took some time for the trend to reach the general population. The tea-drinking custom was quickly adopted by the elite class and soon, tea parties became a norm. People started inviting each other to drink tea (in the afternoon) on specific days of the week.
The Witching Hour
In many horror movies, 3 a.m. is the time around which paranormal activities occur. Purportedly, this is the start of the ‘Witching Hour’. The evidence for its actual-time has contradictions. This is because it depends on the era in which the term was conceived. Facts themselves are tough to substantiate with reputable sources, so take this knowledge with a grain of salt.
In 1535, the church began to forbid people (specifically women) from doing any activities between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Women who stayed up during that time were considered to be witches. Even Shakespeare is sometimes credited with coining the term in Hamlet. According to his version, the witching hour begins at midnight.
Even in today’s world, a lot of people believe that it does start at around 3 in the morning. Having said that, this time-dependent theory is not associated with witches anymore. Instead, it is believed that this is the time when people enter their deepest phase of sleep and if someone wakes up at this time, they tend to panic.
Earth Hour
Earth Hour is the noblest of all the time-relevant stories in the list. In 2007, Australia decided to have a “lights out event.” This is considered the first Earth Hour. This event was inspired by the WWF (World Wildlife Foundation).
As of 2019, more than 185 countries take part in this cause. Once a year around March, people are asked to turn off all non-essential light sources. WWF hopes this will motivate the people to take action against climate change. Authorities claim that it is extremely important for our planet given the disastrous effects of Global Warming. They hope that Earth Hour will eventually become the time when the greatest number of people in the world will feel connected to each other.
10:10
Watchmakers have always tried to show off their wares by making aesthetically-pleasing pieces for the buyers. One popular technique that watchmakers always use is to set their watches and analog clocks to a specific time. Recently, this popular time has been 10:10.
Of the 100 top-selling watches on Amazon in 2009, 97 were set to 10:10. The main reason for this is that the position of the watch’s hands ideally frames the logo. It is psychological thing that the human brain finds things in proportion to be desirable. The feeling buyers get from seeing a “smiling” watch is part of the subconscious clues advertisers use in print ads.
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