Mary (mother of Jesus)

According to the New Testament, Mary (Miriam: Hebrew: מרים‎; c. 18 BC – c. 43 AD), also known as Saint Mary, the Virgin Mary, or the Blessed Virgin Mary—amongst other titles, styles and honorifics—was a Galilean Jewish woman of Nazareth and the mother of Jesus.

The gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament describe Mary as a virgin (Greek: παρθένος, parthénos) and Christians believe that she conceived her son while a virgin by the Holy Spirit. This took place when she was already betrothed to Joseph and was awaiting the concluding rite of marriage, the formal home-taking ceremony. She married Joseph and accompanied him to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary could have been betrothed at about 12, however, there is no direct evidence of Mary's age at betrothal or in pregnancy. The term "betrothal" is an awkward translation of kiddushin; according to the Jewish law those called "betrothed" were actually husband and wife.

The Gospel of Luke begins its account of Mary's life with the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced her divine selection to be the mother of Jesus. According to gospel accounts, Mary was present at the Crucifixion of Jesus and is depicted as a member of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. According to Apocryphal writings, at some time soon after her death, her incorrupt body was assumed directly into Heaven, to be reunited with her soul, and the apostles thereupon found the tomb empty; this is known in Christian teaching as the Assumption.

Bloody Mary (cocktail)

A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and combinations of other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, piri piri sauce, beef consommé or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt. It has been called "the world's most complex cocktail".

History

The Bloody Mary's origin is unclear, and there are multiple conflicting claims of who invented the Bloody Mary.

Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921, well before any of the later claims. He was working at the New York Bar in Paris at the time, which later became Harry's New York Bar, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates. Harry's Bar also claims to have created numerous other classic cocktails, including the White Lady and the Side Car.

James Rollins writes in the "What's True, What's Not" section of his Sigma Force novel 6.5: The Skeleton Key (2010) that the Bloody Mary was invented in the Hemingway Bar at The Ritz Paris.

Virgin Mary (song)

"Virgin Mary" is a song by American singer Donna Summer, released in the Netherlands in 1975. It was written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and produced by Bellotte.

Background and release

By 1975, Summer had been based in Munich, Germany for several years and had been working with European writers/producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte for some time. They had released her debut album, "Lady of the Night" in the Netherlands the previous year, and it had spawned two European hit singles - "The Hostage" and "Lady of the Night." Earlier in 1975, a new single called "Love To Love You" had been released in the Netherlands, and would later be reworked and retitled "Love To Love You Baby" and be released internationally as Summer's breakthrough hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom. "Virgin Mary" was released in the Netherlands prior to this, as the follow-up to the original "Love To Love You."

Composition and lyrics

Written by Moroder and Bellotte, the song contained slow verses and then sped up for the choruses, before returning to a slow fade out. It also made fairly heavy use of backing vocals. The lyrics told the story of a formerly beautiful woman now in her mid-30s but having aged prematurely due to being abused by the people of the town in which she lived, who disapproved of her wayward lifestyle as a youngster, and who believed gossip about her behaviour with men. As a result of her apparent behaviour, they named her "Virgin Mary."