Category: Holidays

Stories concerning holidays and seasons

Tisha B’AV 5775

Tisha B'AV 5775
A depiction of the First Temple of Jerusalem

Tisha B’AV which means the 9th of Av as per the Hebrew calendar  started last night, July 25, at sundown and ends at nightfall today.

It commemorates numerous disasters that befell the Jewish people, which in a rather strange coincidence all have happened on the 9th of Av. They include the destruction of the First Temple which occurred at 587 BCE, the destruction of the Second Temple which occurred in the Year 70; the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290 and the formal approval of the Nazi Final Solution in 1941.

Observance of this day by the devout include a 25-hour fast and the singing of lamentations and dirges.

Hat tip Tom Conigliaro

 

Tisha B’AV 5775

 

Happy Independence Day 2015

A few July 4 facts courtesy of the Delaware County Patriots. AmericanFlag

  • There were 56 signers to the Declaration of Independence.
  • Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston comprised the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration. Jefferson, regarded as the strongest and most eloquent writer, wrote most of the document.
  • John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, was the first signer to the Declaration of Independence. He did so in an entirely blank space making it the largest and most famous signature — hence the term John Hancock, which is still used today as a synonym for signature.
  • Benjamin Franklin (age 70), who represented Pennsylvania, was the oldest of the signers. Edward Rutledge (age 26), of South Carolina, was the youngest.
  • Two future presidents signed, John Adams (second President) and Thomas Jefferson (third President). Both died on the 50th anniversary of signing the Declaration (July 4, 1826).
  • Robert Livingston, who represented New York, was on the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence but was recalled by his state before he could sign it.
  • Charles Carroll, who represented Maryland, was the last surviving signer of the Declaration. He died in 1832 at the age of 95.
Happy Independence Day 2015

Summer 2015 Starts Now

Summer 2015 starts at 12:38 p.m., EDT, June 21, which is right now if our internet service provider’s clock is accurate. Summer 2015 starts at 12:38 p.m., EDT, June 21, which is right now if our internet service provider’s clock is accurate.

This means that tilt of Earth’s semi-axis is most inclined to the sun in the Northern Hemisphere which is a solstice.

The axis will in a few moments slowly start reversing itself until it is the Southern Hemisphere that is most inclined to the sun.

This would be the start of our winter (and Argentina’s summer).

Today is the longest day of the year.

 Summer 2015 Starts Now

Springfield Memorial Day 2015

This morning’Springfield Memorial Day 2015 Band -- This morning's Springfield (Delaware County), Pa. Memorial Day Parade ended with a flag raising, a prayer and a rifle salute at the township building on Powell Road. The Springfield High School Marching Band played the Star Spangled Banner and Taps. s (May 25) Springfield (Delaware County), Pa. Memorial Day Parade ended with a flag raising, a prayer and a rifle salute at the township building on Powell Road. The Springfield High School Marching Band played the Star Spangled Banner and Taps.

Springfield Memorial Day 2015 flag raising -- Springfield (Delaware County), Pa. Memorial Day Parade ended with a flag raising, a prayer and a rifle salute at the township building on Powell Road. The Springfield High School Marching Band played the Star Spangled Banner and Taps.

Springfield Memorial Day 2015

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

Feliz Cinco de Mayo -- Just remember as you sip your Corona on this Cinco de Mayo that if the Germans celebrated their victories over the French, Mercedes Benz would never get a car built. In fairness, Cinco de Mayo is more of an American holiday than a Mexican one and we can blame the greedy capitalists at Corona for it. That, and the fact Americans like beer.
Feliz Cinco de Mayo

Just remember as you sip your Corona on this Cinco de Mayo that if the Germans celebrated their victories over the French, Mercedes Benz would never get a car built.

In fairness, Cinco de Mayo is more of an American holiday than a Mexican one and we can blame the greedy capitalists at Corona for it.

That, and the fact Americans like beer.

Happy Birthday Pop Pop

Happy 86th Birthday William Lawrence Sr

Happy 86th Birthday William Lawrence SrHappy 86th Birthday William Lawrence Sr

Chef Bill Easter Dinner 2015

Chef Bill Sr.’ s Easter dinner included ham, kielbasa, bread (by Chef Chris) and delicious hrutka, which some think is an acquired taste. Chef Bill Easter Dinner 2015

Dessert included homemade candy, nut and poppy seed bread, and lemon squares by Mrs. Chef Bill, Anthony and  Miranda.

The wine was a homemade Cabernet Sauvingon.

Chef Bill Easter Dinner 2015

 

Christos Voskrese 2015

Christos voskrese, which means Christ has Risen, is the Easter greeting in Church Slavonic which brings the response Voistinu voskrese or Indeed, He has risen.  Christos Voskrese 2015

Easter, of course, celebrates the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the salvation of Man.  The date for Easter is the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox, which is always reckoned, regardless of astronomical observations, to be March 21 as per the Western churches that use the Gregorian calendar, so Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.

The dating for Easter correlates with the means the Jews once used to set the date for Passover, which correlates with Scripture since Scripture indicates that the Crucifixion of the Lord occurred as the lambs were being slaughtered for the celebration of that holiday. In fact, in most Western languages the name for the day is a cognate of the Pesach which is the Hebrew name for Passover. In Latin it would be Pascha so Paschal lamb would be Passover lamb.

In English and German, the word comes from Eostre month, which was basically April, and which the pagans who spoke Germanic languages had named for the goddess Eostre much as our own March and April are named for the Greek god and goddess Mars and Aphrodite, respectively. In Slavic, the holiday is called “Great Night” (Velikonoce in Slovak) or “Great Day” (Velikden in Ukrainian). There are some caveats regarding the date. The Eastern churches that use the Julian calendar set the equinox  at April 3, and, of course, the spring equinox is based on that of the Northern Hemisphere.

So, Christos Voskrese 2015.

Christos Voskrese 2015

Spring 2015 Starts Now

Spring 2015 Starts Now
The last winter morning, March 20, 2015, in the Philadelphia region.

Forget that white stuff this morning that was predicted by Tornado Tom. It is  6:45 p.m.. EDT and that means the vernal equinox has occurred.

That means spring has sprung.

It is porch weather as some might say. Or soon to be anyway.

Regarding the science stuff, the word equinox is Latin words for “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west, explains The Old Farmers Almanac. At the equinoxes, the tilt of Earth relative to the Sun is zero, which means that Earth’s axis neither points toward nor away from the Sun.

 Spring 2015 Starts Now

Delco Veterans Saint Patrick’s Springfield Float

Fizzano Truck from St. Patrick's Parade Delco Veterans Saint Patrick's Springfield Float
The Fizzano truck that pulled the Delco Veterans Memorial in last year’s St. Patrick’s Parade

Barbara Ann Zippi of Artemis Productions has let it be known that veterans are being sought to ride on the Delaware County Veterans Memorial’s float in the Springfield (Pa) Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which will be held on Saturday, March 14.

To participate show up at Halderman Field, 570 W. Springfield Road, Springfield, Pa. 19064, between 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. and get on the big green Fizzano flatbed truck that will be decorated with the appropriate signs and banners.

The truck will enter the parade line at 11 a.m. The parade ends at 1 p.m. and Delco Memorial Participants will be returned to Halderman Field.

Email ARTEMISProductions@Juno.com to reserve a space.

Delco Veterans Saint Patrick ‘s Springfield Float