A tree native to parts of Southeastern Europe, the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) produces spiny-shelled fruits containing seeds (conkers).   With its striking flowers, the horse chestnut is prized for its aesthetic value as an amenity tree.  A large, handsome element in any landscape, the flowering horse chestnut, with its mahogany-bright conkers, are the very essence …
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Tracing their their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that built castles and cathedrals during the Middle Ages in Europe, freemasons are members of the world’s oldest fraternal organization.  The fraternal order, which dates back to the 14th century, has a long and complex history.  A worldwide organization, its members have included politicians, engineers, scientists, writers, …
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Butterflies, like moths, are the adult flying stage of any numerous species of insects belonging to an order called Lepidoptera.  Aside from folding their wings vertically up over their backs as opposed to holding their wings in a tent-like fashion that veils the abdomen, butterflies in the main are larger and have more colorful patterns …
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In a metaphorical sense, a heart shape, also known as a heart symbol, is a shape used to communicate the idea of the heart and love.  Widely accepted as the link shape to the human heart, the the heart symbol is often used to represent the center of emotion, including affection and love, especially romantic love.  In …
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Stout-bodied birds with short necks, pigeons and doves belong to the same family of birds, Columbidae, which consists of over 300 species of birds.  While doves and pigeons come from the same family, doves are generally smaller, whereas pigeons are the larger species.  The other key difference is that pigeons have straighter tails, whereas doves’ tails appear …
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In the most fundamental sense, a sphere is a three-dimensional circle.  The shape of a sphere is round and it does not have any faces.  Every point on the surface of this geometric object is equidistant from its center. The sphere is a universal symbol of totality.  Looking at the spacial aspect, everything encircled and enframed …
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The term “funeral” comes from the Latin word “funeralis,” which means a “torch-lit procession.”  As a matter of custom, Romans almost always buried their dead at night with a torch light leading the way.  Roman funerals were held at night to forestall large public gatherings, and discourage crowds and excessive mourning which, especially in the case …
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The word “obelisk” derives from the Greek word “obeliskos,” which means a spit or a pointed object for roasting.  A celebratory monument originating from Ancient Egypt, obelisks are a rectangular pillar with a tapered top forming a pyramidion (a miniature pyramid) set on a base.  By definition, an obelisk is an upright 4-sided monolithic pillar that …
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LGBT history is American history. NYC is one of the world’s great LGBT history cities and Woodlawn Cemetery is one of NYC’s richest LGBT history sites. We are a National Historic Landmark where visitors can learn about the gay community’s impactful history and notable figures. Woodlawn is listed as one of the many spots to …
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IHS is a monogram symbol-a motif of multiple letters interwoven in a decorative design.  Monograms are graphic symbols that are used as a sign of identity.  IHS stands for the first three letters-iota-eta-sigma-of the name Jesus in Greek.  A Christogram-a combination of letters (a monogram) that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ-IHS …
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