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The History of Halloween - Halloween's Origins
Halloween’s Origins Submitted by Rick Heinsman
Each year on Halloween night, millions of children take to the streets in scary costumes to beg for treats at the doors of their neighbors. And millions of adults enjoy the holiday as a celebration of things that go bump in the night, and frighten the unwary Few, however, ever stop to wonder about the origins of the night, or of the creatures that seem to populate it. Most sources trace Halloween’s origins to an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain. The Celts were a group of people who lived in present day Ireland and England from about the 5th Century BC. Samhain (pronounced sow-en) was an end of the summer commemoration that occurred near the end of October. October 31 is cited as the official end of summer, but since the present day Calendar was not in effect then, that is probably not a precise date.
The end of summer was a significant event for ancient peoples because it represented the end of warmth and sunlight, and times of plenty, and the entry into a time of shorter days, colder nights, and deprivation. And naturally, such dark times would be accompanied by dark spirits. It is doubtful that anyone really knows how the Celts celebrated their holiday, but several stories have emerged. One story says that the Celts believed that on Halloween night, the spirits of the people who had died in the previous year came back to the Earth, to search for a body to occupy. To avoid being possessed, the superstitious Celts would put out all the lights of their village in an attempt to convince the spirits that no one was at home. Then, the villagers would dress in costumes designed to trick the spirits into thinking that they, too were spirits, and thus not eligible to be possessed. If all went well, the spirits would wander through the village, and see nothing but dark houses and other spirits. They would then wander off to another village. In this legend, you can see the origins of several of the modern Halloween traditions: Ghosts (spirits of the dead) costumes and dark, empty houses. As the night ended, the villagers found that they were without lights. They would then relight all of their hearth fires from a sacred bonfire maintained by their priests, the Druids. A more gruesome version says that part of the bonfire ceremony involved the ignition of a young, innocent village girl. This, however, sounds more like Hollywood than History to me.
Another version - more pedestrian - is that the Celts celebrated their end of summer holiday with a huge bonfire built by the Druids. The villagers would put out their own fireplaces and gather to sacrifice crops and animals to the fire. Costumes of animals were worn to further honor the creatures that had blessed them throughout the summer’s bounty. Then, at the end, each family would relight their hearths from the sacred communal fire. The Celts became one of many peoples conquered by the Romans in the early part of the first Century. The Romans were an adaptive people and happily incorporated local holidays, gods and traditions into their own. (That’s why so many Roman gods bear an uncanny resemblance to Greek ones; and why the Roman Empire was later able to shift from paganism to Christianity. If there was a better idea, they stole it.).
The Romans had their own fall harvest festival. One, for the Goddess Pomona celebrated the harvest of the fruit of the trees. Pomona’s symbol was the apple, which has led some scholar to speculate that this is the origin of the custom of bobbing for apples. (Whatever the origins, illustrations in medieval manuscripts show people bobbing for apples, so the custom dates to at least the dark ages.) The Romans also had their own festival of the Dead, called Feralia, which was marked at the end of the Roman year, in February. Christianity was introduced to the British Isles starting about the second century AD. Just as the Romans had been willing to adapt to local customs, so were the early Christian missionaries—many of whom were Roman (for example, early missionaries were willing to abandon the stricture that converts first become Jews when they ran across cultural barriers, and it is thought that the date of Christmas was selected to coincide with a Germanic winter festival.)
When the inhabitants of England and Ireland proved unwilling to abandon their late October festival, Christianity simply incorporated it. In the 700s, Pope Boniface IV set November 1 as All Saints Day—a day to honor Saints and Martyrs. The day was also known as All Hallows, and the previous night, All Hallows Eve. November 2 was named All Souls Day, and was set aside to honor the souls of the dead. The three days together were called Hallow Mass. All Hallows Eve, of course, was later corrupted into Halloween.It is widely believed that Boniface IV did this to co-opt the pagan Celtic holdouts into Christianity. It’s not too hard to imagine how the conversations went between early missionaries and the pagan villagers.
Village Chief (after listening to the missionary’s explanation of Christianity): Well, it all sounds very nice, but we really don’t want to give up costumes and bonfires and all the other stuff that goes with Samhain. It might all be superstition, but why take the chance …
Missionary (after thinking a bit): Did I say you had to give it up? By an amazing coincidence, it turns out that we Christians also have a holiday to honor the dead … and it’s on the same day! … and instead of one day … it’s three days!”
Halloween arrived in North America with the early colonists. However, because of the Puritan influence in New England, it was mostly confined to the Scots-Irish of the Southern Colonies. Colonial Halloweens were essentially Harvest Festivals, with lots of eating and drinking, music, dancing, ghost stories and fortune telling (you can see why it didn’t catch on with the Puritans). Some more of our modern Halloween symbols were introduced at this time, as traditions were blended with Native American harvest festivals. Corn stalks and pumpkins - unknown in Europe before the discovery of North America - became part of Halloween imagery.
Halloween really arrived in America with the massive Irish immigration of the 1840s. The Irish brought their Halloween traditions with them and wove them into the fabric of American society.
The History of Halloween - Halloween's Origins Copy
Halloween’s Origins Submitted by Rick Heinsman
Each year on Halloween night, millions of children take to the streets in scary costumes to beg for treats at the doors of their neighbors. And millions of adults enjoy the holiday as a celebration of things that go bump in the night, and frighten the unwary Few, however, ever stop to wonder about the origins of the night, or of the creatures that seem to populate it. Most sources trace Halloween’s origins to an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain. The Celts were a group of people who lived in present day Ireland and England from about the 5th Century BC. Samhain (pronounced sow-en) was an end of the summer commemoration that occurred near the end of October. October 31 is cited as the official end of summer, but since the present day Calendar was not in effect then, that is probably not a precise date.
The end of summer was a significant event for ancient peoples because it represented the end of warmth and sunlight, and times of plenty, and the entry into a time of shorter days, colder nights, and deprivation. And naturally, such dark times would be accompanied by dark spirits. It is doubtful that anyone really knows how the Celts celebrated their holiday, but several stories have emerged. One story says that the Celts believed that on Halloween night, the spirits of the people who had died in the previous year came back to the Earth, to search for a body to occupy. To avoid being possessed, the superstitious Celts would put out all the lights of their village in an attempt to convince the spirits that no one was at home. Then, the villagers would dress in costumes designed to trick the spirits into thinking that they, too were spirits, and thus not eligible to be possessed. If all went well, the spirits would wander through the village, and see nothing but dark houses and other spirits. They would then wander off to another village. In this legend, you can see the origins of several of the modern Halloween traditions: Ghosts (spirits of the dead) costumes and dark, empty houses. As the night ended, the villagers found that they were without lights. They would then relight all of their hearth fires from a sacred bonfire maintained by their priests, the Druids. A more gruesome version says that part of the bonfire ceremony involved the ignition of a young, innocent village girl. This, however, sounds more like Hollywood than History to me.
Another version - more pedestrian - is that the Celts celebrated their end of summer holiday with a huge bonfire built by the Druids. The villagers would put out their own fireplaces and gather to sacrifice crops and animals to the fire. Costumes of animals were worn to further honor the creatures that had blessed them throughout the summer’s bounty. Then, at the end, each family would relight their hearths from the sacred communal fire. The Celts became one of many peoples conquered by the Romans in the early part of the first Century. The Romans were an adaptive people and happily incorporated local holidays, gods and traditions into their own. (That’s why so many Roman gods bear an uncanny resemblance to Greek ones; and why the Roman Empire was later able to shift from paganism to Christianity. If there was a better idea, they stole it.).
The Romans had their own fall harvest festival. One, for the Goddess Pomona celebrated the harvest of the fruit of the trees. Pomona’s symbol was the apple, which has led some scholar to speculate that this is the origin of the custom of bobbing for apples. (Whatever the origins, illustrations in medieval manuscripts show people bobbing for apples, so the custom dates to at least the dark ages.) The Romans also had their own festival of the Dead, called Feralia, which was marked at the end of the Roman year, in February. Christianity was introduced to the British Isles starting about the second century AD. Just as the Romans had been willing to adapt to local customs, so were the early Christian missionaries—many of whom were Roman (for example, early missionaries were willing to abandon the stricture that converts first become Jews when they ran across cultural barriers, and it is thought that the date of Christmas was selected to coincide with a Germanic winter festival.)
When the inhabitants of England and Ireland proved unwilling to abandon their late October festival, Christianity simply incorporated it. In the 700s, Pope Boniface IV set November 1 as All Saints Day—a day to honor Saints and Martyrs. The day was also known as All Hallows, and the previous night, All Hallows Eve. November 2 was named All Souls Day, and was set aside to honor the souls of the dead. The three days together were called Hallow Mass. All Hallows Eve, of course, was later corrupted into Halloween.It is widely believed that Boniface IV did this to co-opt the pagan Celtic holdouts into Christianity. It’s not too hard to imagine how the conversations went between early missionaries and the pagan villagers.
Village Chief (after listening to the missionary’s explanation of Christianity): Well, it all sounds very nice, but we really don’t want to give up costumes and bonfires and all the other stuff that goes with Samhain. It might all be superstition, but why take the chance …
Missionary (after thinking a bit): Did I say you had to give it up? By an amazing coincidence, it turns out that we Christians also have a holiday to honor the dead … and it’s on the same day! … and instead of one day … it’s three days!”
Halloween arrived in North America with the early colonists. However, because of the Puritan influence in New England, it was mostly confined to the Scots-Irish of the Southern Colonies. Colonial Halloweens were essentially Harvest Festivals, with lots of eating and drinking, music, dancing, ghost stories and fortune telling (you can see why it didn’t catch on with the Puritans). Some more of our modern Halloween symbols were introduced at this time, as traditions were blended with Native American harvest festivals. Corn stalks and pumpkins - unknown in Europe before the discovery of North America - became part of Halloween imagery.
Halloween really arrived in America with the massive Irish immigration of the 1840s. The Irish brought their Halloween traditions with them and wove them into the fabric of American society.
The History of Veteran's Day
The History of Veteran's Day - Submitted by Rick Heinsman
The history of Veterans Day begins on November 11, 1918. On this great day at 11am a cease fire, or armistice, went into effect between the Allied nations and Germany; effectively ending “The Great War”. (We now refer to this war as World War I, but at the time the world could not imagine there would ever be a greater war). The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, officially ending WW I.
Later that same year, November 1919, President Wilson called for the first Armistice Day celebration. The celebration was to occur on November 11, 1919 and be marked with parades and the 2 minute cessation of all business at 11 am. In President Wilson’s words the day was to “be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory…”
In 1920, France and the United Kingdom also held Armistice Day ceremonies. At President Wilson’s request, American churches prayed for peace the Sunday before Armistice Day. In 1921, Congress approved the establishment of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and chose Armistice Day for the date of the ceremony. Congress also declared November 11, 1921 a Federal Holiday to honor all those who served in WW I.
Throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s individual states declared November 11 a legal holiday, celebrating Armistice Day. On June 4, 1926 the United States Congress officially passed a resolution with these words; “Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.” However, it was not until May 13, 1938 that Armistice Day was declared a federal holiday to be celebrated on November 11 of each year.
Armistice Day was a day to honor all Veterans, those who passed and those still living who served in WW I. It was also a day to pray for world peace. After WW II and the Korean War, Veterans organizations requested a change in the Armistice Day celebration. On June 1, 1954 President Eisenhower changed the name Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to honor Veterans who served the United States in all wars.
Veterans Day changed slightly in 1968. In a law passed that year the date of the Veteran’s Day celebration was changed to the fourth Monday in October, in order to create a three day week end. The concept of the three day weekend was to stimulate the economy, by encouraging travel and celebrations. The first Monday, Veterans Day was celebrated October 25, 1971.
Many states disapproved of the change and did not follow the federal holiday, but kept the observance on the traditional and patriotic date. (States are not required to follow federal holidays, although most do.) On September 20, 1975 President Gerald Ford restored the celebration of Veterans Day to November 11, each year. It has remained such since.
Celebrating Veterans Day around the World:
Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World Wars I and II on or near November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day, while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November). In Europe, Britain and the Commonwealth countries it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.
In the United States, an official wreath-laying ceremony is held each Veterans Day at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery, while parades and other celebrations are held in states around the country. Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day--a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans--living or dead--but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
The History of Thanksgiving
Submitted by Rick Heinsman
The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony landed in Massachusetts on the Mayflower in the fall of 1620. They did not have time to build proper shelter or to plant and harvest crops before the brutal winter arrived. During that first winter, nearly half of the Pilgrims died from disease or starvation. The following year, with the help of local Indians, the Pilgrims had a good harvest. They thanked God for the harvest with three days of prayer and feasting in the fall of 1621.
After the colonists had won their independence from Great Britain, the new Congress of the United States asked President George Washington to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” On Thursday, November 26, 1789, President Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation:
Whereas it is duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and
humbly to implore his protection and favor, I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the Service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.
President Washington proclaimed another Thanksgiving Day in 1795. Later the governors of the states proclaimed Thanksgiving Days. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national annual holiday to be celebrated the last Thursday in November. His
proclamation said, “I invite my fellow citizens of the United States to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in heaven.”
Since 1863, except for two years (1939 and 1940) when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the third Thursday of November, Thanksgiving has been celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in November.
The Big One (the blackout of 65) By Emmet P. Quinn
I thought I would offer a story about the Big One ( the blackout of 65) it’s my story about that night. It occurred at the old Dooley Council on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. We were renting a store with a basement, upstairs was the Council Chamber where we held all the meetings and degrees and downstairs was the social area and offices. The social area included (of course) the bar which is where I was when the blackout occurred.
I was usually one of the first ones to arrive and I would prepare the Council for that night, set up chairs and tables for the meeting nights and/or the bar for non meeting nights (make sure the refrigerator had enough liquid refreshments). While I was wiping down the bar the lights went out. The light switch for the basement is at the top of the stairs and I thought one of the guys was fooling around and shouted up OK turn the lights back on now, you’ve had your fun, but there was no answer, not even a sound. I took the flashlight that we kept behind the bar and headed upstairs. When I got to the top I looked around with the flashlight and there was nobody there, so I looked at the light switch and it was in the ON position so I thought “what the heck is going on?”
I walked over to the front door and opened it and went outside. The first thing I noticed was the eerie silence, then I looked up and down Roosevelt Avenue and noticed all the lights were out, no traffic signals, no store neon's, nothing but the headlights of the occasional passing car. I locked the door and headed over to Budds (the local watering hole). On the way over I came to the realization that we were experiencing a blackout, but I didn’t realize to what extent.
When I got to Budds I was told that the entire city was out. There were a few of us standing around outside of Budds when we heard screeching tires and horns blowing so we decided to get to the corner of 82nd Street and 37th Avenue and help direct traffic. A couple of us stayed on 82nd and 37th while others went to adjoining corners. Within a few minutes we had traffic flowing smoothly, the blowing horns we heard after that were from thankful drivers.
A short time later a police car came by and thanked us and said since we had things under control here they would go to 82nd and Roosevelt. A little while after that another police car came by and said they have enough personal on hand now to take over these corners that we were working and thanked us again for all our help.
The ironic part of this story is that I went to work for Con Edison the following year and we were still working on generators that were damaged during the blackout. I was with Con Ed for over ten years.
Peter McGuire - submitted by Drew Hagan
Peter McGuire started to work for the N.Y.C. Railroad many decades ago. He was not married and had no children. He was able to attend every function that was held such as retirement parties, union meetings etc. He became very involved in politics, and as the years went by he was just as popular as any politician in Washington D.C.
I went down to Washington one week to visit Peter. I checked into my hotel and called him up to make plans. He told me to pick him up at 7:00PM. I drove over to his luxury apartment and went upstairs to get him. He made a phone call while I was there asking the manager of the restaurant if it would be okay for me to dine with him. He
explained to the manager that I was wearing slacks, a sweater and shoes not a jacket and tie. I asked Peter “What would we do if he said no that I needed a jacket?” Peter explained that would never happen, because he is such a valued customer so we went to dinner. While we ate I met the
Ambassador to Bermuda, and several Congressmen. Peter knew everyone in that town.
The next day I picked him up and drove to the Capitol. We were doing some lobbying for a Railroad Retirement Bill. I said to Peter “Where should I park after I drop you off?” He said “Just go straight up to the steps of the Capitol” so I did. That is when this white haired Capital
Policeman, who stood about six feet six inches tall stopped my car, leaned over and said “Where do you think your going young man?” I rolled the window down and pointed to Peter, and the Police Officer who's nickname was Tiny said "Sorry Peter I didn’t know it was you, park it right over here.” So I pulled the car into the Speaker of the Houses parking spot. I said to Tiny “What if the Speaker shows up?” He said “He’s in Boston for the week, not to worry.” The rest of the week we parked in Tip O'Neal's spot.
Watch for more about Peter McGuire in future issues
The History Of The Cigar
by “El Cubano” Andy Tapia
The history of the cigar goes back about two thousand years. The origins of the word ‘cigar’ and the cigar itself are lost in time. Some scholars say the word cigar originated from sikar, the Mayan word for smoking. It is believed that the cigar has its origins within Central America, where smoking was practiced by the Mayans and later the Aztecs. They were known to have smoked tubes of loosely rolled tobacco leaves similar to the present day cigars.
After Columbus’s discovery of the West Indies and other explorers visiting the American Continent, numerous accounts were written of these New World people who smoked tobacco and also used it for chew and as snuff for medicinal properties in their ceremonies.
Smoking came to Europe with the return of Columbus from the New World in 1492. He had been offered some dried leaves as a token of friendship and his men had witnessed how these leaves were used. Columbus himself was not particularly impressed by this custom, but soon Spanish and other European sailors fell for the habit.
The conquistadores introduced tobacco smoking to Spain. The habit was considered a sign of wealth, and then it spread to France, through the French Ambassador to Portugal Jean Nicot in 1560 (whom the herb was given its Botanical name Nicotiana Tabacum, the Latin name for tobacco).
By the 1580’s, smoking was coming into fashion among the upper classes, though for many years the habit was still frowned upon by the women folk to such an extent that the men had to take themselves off to the kitchen or stables to smoke.
Although the first tobacco plantations were set up in Virginia in1612, and Maryland in 1631, tobacco was smoked only in pipes in the American colonies. The cigar itself is thought not to have arrived until 1762, when Israel Putnam, an American General in the Revolutionary War, returned from Cuba, where he had been an officer in the British Army. He came back to his home in Connecticut with a selection of Havana cigars, and large amounts of Cuban tobacco. Before long, cigar factories were set up in the Hartford area production of the leaves started in the 1820’s, and the Connecticut tobacco today provides among the best wrapper leaves to be found outside of Cuba. By the early 19th century, not only were Cuban cigars being imported into the United States, but domestic production was also taking off.
Cuba led the way in the cigar industry. Early in the 16th century,
Cubans became tobacco growers. Later the cigar become the countries national symbol and the Havana cigar became recognized as the world’s finest. The takeover by Fidel Castro and the subsequent U.S. Embargo were the start of events that began to challenge Havana’s supremacy in the world of cigars. Many Cuban cigar makers took their skills and seeds to the Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Mexico and began producing high- quality premium and super-premium cigars for the American public. The Dominican Republic alone produces almost half of the hand-made cigars sold in the U.S.
Today, anyone can enjoy the taste of a premium cigar . Cigars
handmade by experts from a choice blend of top quality tobaccos and aged to perfection are referred to as premium cigars. Celebrities, industry leaders, politicians, sophisticated women and men are seen at dinners and at smoking clubs enjoying luxury cigars.
The Origins of Flag Day
The Origins of Flag Day
Submitted by Rick Heinsman
"That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation."
This was the resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The resolution was made following the report of a special committee which had been assigned to suggest the flag's design.
A flag of this design was first carried into battle on September 11, 1777, in the Battle of the Brandywine. The American flag was first saluted by foreign naval vessels on February 14, 1778, when the Ranger, bearing the Stars and Stripes and under the command of Captain Paul Jones, arrived in a French port.
Tradition dictates that the first flag of this design was made by Mrs. John Ross, better known as Betsy Ross, of Philadelphia. Although the original design called for six-point stars, when the final product appeared, the stars were five pointed. It is unclear whether the idea of the five-point stars came from Betsy Ross, who was said to have found this pattern easier to sew, or General George Washington, who preferred the five-point stars as more dignified.
Observance of the adoption of the flag was not soon in coming, however. Although there are many claims to the first official observance of Flag Day, all took place more than an entire century after the flag's adoption in 1777.
The most recognized claim comes from New York. On June 14, 1889, Professor George Bolch, principal of a free kindergarten for the poor of New York City, had his school hold patriotic ceremonies to observe the anniversary of the Flag Day resolution. This initiative attracted attention from the State Department of Education, which arranged to have the day observed in all public schools thereafter.
Soon the state legislature passed a law making it the responsibility of the state superintendent of public schools to ensure that schools hold observances for Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day and Flag Day. In 1897, the governor of New York ordered the displaying of the flag over all public buildings in the state, an observance considered by some to be the first official recognition of the anniversary of the adoption of the flag outside of schools.
Another claim comes from Philadelphia. In 1893, the Society of Colonial Dames succeeded in getting a resolution passed to have the flag displayed on all of the city's public buildings. Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, that same year tried to get the city to call June 14 Flag Day. Resolutions by women were not granted much notice, however, and it was not until May 7, 1937, that Pennsylvania became the first state to establish the June 14 Flag Day as a legal holiday.
Bernard J. Cigrand, a school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, reportedly spent years trying to get Congress to declare June 14 as a national holiday. Although his attempts failed, the day was widely observed. "Father of Flag Day" honors have been given to William T. Kerr, who was credited with founding the American Flag Day Association in 1888 while still a schoolboy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Both President Wilson, in 1916, and President Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for June 14 to be observed as the National Flag Day. But it wasn't until August 3, 1949, that Congress approved the national observance, and President Harry Truman signed it into law.
Christmas and Saint Nicholas
Submitted by Rick Heinsman
The character of Santa Claus is copied from the life of a real person, a saint named Saint Nicholas. The name 'Saint Nicholas' even sounds like 'San-ta claus,' especially in the Dutch language. The Dutch veneration of 'Sinter Klaus' was brought to North America with the Dutch settlers and eventually became the story of Santa Claus that everyone knows.
Saint Nicholas, like St. Wenceslaus and St. Lucy, was a saint. He was the bishop of a city named Myra in Turkey in the early part of the fourth century. His feast day is December 6th because he died on December 6 or 7 in the middle of the fourth century. Feast days celebrate the entry of the saint's soul into Heaven.
The most famous story told about St. Nicholas has to do with three young sisters who were very poor. Their parents were so poor that they did not have enough money for the daughters to get married. Every young girl needed money to pay for the wedding and to set up house for themselves.
Nicholas heard about this family and wanted to help them, but he did not want anyone to know that he was the one who was helping them.
The story is told in a few different ways. In one version, he climbed up on their roof three nights in a row and threw gold coins down their chimney so that they would land in the girls' stockings, which had been hung by the fire to dry. After two of his daughters had been able to marry because of the money mysteriously appearing in their stockings, the father was determined to find out who was helping them, so he hid behind the chimney the next night. Along came Bishop Nicholas with another bag of money.
When he was discovered, he asked the father not to tell anyone else, but the father wanted everyone to know what a good and generous man the Bishop Nicholas was, so he told everyone he knew. That is how we have the story and the tradition of stocking
The History of St. Patrick's Day - submitted by Rick Heinsman
The First Parade
St. Patrick's' Day is celebrated on March 17th, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the 5th century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for thousands of years. On
St.Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in Ireland, but in the United States, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army. Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of the so-called "Irish Aid" societies, like the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes (which actually first became popular in the Scottish and British armies) and drums.
No Irish Need Apply
Up until the mid-nineteenth century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor, uneducated, Catholic Irish began to pour into America to escape the starvation. Despised for their religious beliefs and funny accents by the American Protestant majority, the Catholic immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs. When Irish Americans in the country's cities took to the streets on St. Patrick's Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys.
However, the Irish soon began to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the "Green Machine," became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to find acceptance in America.
Wearing of the Green Goes Global
Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions. St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.
In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970's, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows.
Dr. Dooley/Fr. McGivney Council #430
We at council 430 uphold the tradition every year by having an annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner. This year its on Tuesday March 10th at 7pm. Our Grand Knight, Tom Kobel will be preparing the traditional corned beef and cabbage. On St. Patrick's Day Join fellow council members all day by attending the Diver's Cove St. Patrick's Day celebration. The Diver's makes the best corned beef and cabbage you ever had(next to Tom's).
See you there,
Rick Heinsman
History of Easter
Submitted by Rick Heinsman
Easter is a convergence of three traditions. Pagan, Hebrew and Christian. Although the observance of Easter was at a very early period in the practice of the Christian Church, a serious difference as to the day for its observance soon arose between the Christians of Jewish, and those of Gentile descent, which led to a long and bitter controversy. Easter is also one of the most celebrated holidays, more than Christmas is.
Pagan Origins
The Pagan origins of the holiday according to a Venerable Bede, English historian of the early 8th century, the name Easter, like the name of the days of the week, is a survival from the old Teutonic mythology. According to Bede it is derived from the Norse Ostara or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the month of April, and called Eostur-monath, was dedicated. The Greek myth, Demeter and Persephone, with its Latin counterpart, Ceres and Per sephone, conveys the idea of a goddess returning seasonally from the nether regions to the light of day. This is a conjunction with the festival of spring, or vernal equinox, March 21st, when nature is in resurrection after winter.
Hebrew Origins
The month April, Bede says, was the same as the menis paschalis, "when the old festival was observed with the gladness of a new solemnity." The root pasch, from which so many other names for Easter are derived, is from the Hebrew pesach (Passover) from the verb form "he passed over." In Exodus XII we read of the night in Egypt when the angel of death "passed over" the dwellings of the Israelites, so sparing their first born. Hence, the Passover or Jewish Pesach, celebrated during Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew year.
Christian Origins
It was at the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem that Jesus, a Jew, was crucified and rose from the dead. A name Easter, therefore, is Pasch, in various spellings, and churches throughout the East and West celebrate Easter as a major feast ranking with Christmas, witness the "hot cross bun" or boon distributed among the faithful.
There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians, who continued to observe the Jewish festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations of events which those festivals had foreshadowed. Thus the Passover, with a new conception added to it of Christ as the true Paschal Lamb and the first fruits from the dead (vernal equinox winter to spring theme), continued to be observed, and became the Christian Easter
