|
|
||
|
|
Begins at sunset on April 18, 2011 Tonight Jews around the world celebrate Passover. The origin and the name of Passover goes back to the Egyptian days, when the Jews were slaves in Egypt. According to the second book of the Torah, Exodus, God unleashed ten plagues upon Pharaoh and his people in an attempt to convince Pharaoh to emancipate the Hebrews. Or as the late great Charlton Heston said, to “let my people go.” The last …Read more 
March 25 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. Luke 1:30-31 The Annunciation, da Vinci, c. 1475 Happy New Year! Up until 1752, March 25th was the first day of the New Year in much of the English-speaking world. It was also known as Lady …Read more 
March 18-24 …when the night and day are equally divided, Buddha appears on earth for a week to save stray souls and lead them to Nirvana.” http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/ENG/Hiroshima/Festivals/35.html Thus, in Japan the Sundays prior to the spring equinox (shuubun no hi) and the fall equinox (shunbun no hi) are known as O-higan. Days on which families visit and honor the graves of the departed. Ancestors are said to watch over the family like tutelary, …Read more 
March 19 St. Joseph In New Orleans, Carnival season doesn’t end with Mardi Gras, it just gets going. On the heels of the Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day comes St. Joseph’s Day, one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Saint Joseph is the Patron Saint of Italy; he’s particularly revered in Sicily, where prayers to the saint are believed to have ended a deadly drought in the Middle Ages. His Feast Day is celebrated by …Read more March 15, 44 BC How Diarrhea Changed the World On this day in 44 BC Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate by a cadre of Senators who called themselves “the Liberators.” During Caesar’s reign the Roman Empire achieved an unprecedented amount of power and land area, stretching from Britain to Africa to the Middle East. Caesar conquered Gaul and led the first Roman invasion of Britain. The Roman Civil War of 50 BC divided …Read more Date varies. Begins March 19, 2011. It’s the day that puts the ‘holi’ in holiday. Holi literally translates to “burning”, but fire isn’t the most prominent image of the festival. Holi is all about color. Colored powders, colored waters fly through the air as celebrants young and old ‘colorize’ the world around them—by flinging powders and streams at their friends, neighbors, and any passersby. Holi is a joyous celebration, though somehow the editor of the piece below has spliced it into a Bollywood horror film. (Are …Read more 
March 3 It’s Hina Matsuri, or Doll Day in Japan. But no, your old “Tickle Me Elmo” and Molly McIntire won’t cut it. These dolls are often handed down from generation to generation, and are displayed in a very ritualized manner once a year. A full set of “Hina Ningyo” dolls can cost anywhere from $400 to $10,000, and consists of roughly 15 pieces—”figurines” may be a more accurate term. The main two dolls are the O-Dairi-sama and …Read more 
March 2 March 2 is the first day of the last month of the Baha’i calendar. The calendar consists of 19 months of 19 days each for a total of 361 days. Between the 18th and 19th months are 4 “intercalary days” from February 26 to March 1. Each 19-day month begins with a “Feast.” It’s not the kind of feast we think of where folks pig out on big fat chicken legs, guzzle wine, and someone …Read more |
|
|
Copyright © 2012 every day's a holiday! - All Rights Reserved 45 queries. 1.685 seconds. |
||
English