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Welcome you are the
since 10/2/97.
| Christmas | Saturnalia | Boxing Day | ||||
| New Years Day | Kwanzaa | Chanukah - Hanukkah | ||||
| Vernal Equinox Celebrations. | ||||||
| April Fool's Day | Passover | St. Patrick's | ||||
| Easter Celebrations (Lent, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday) | ||||||
| Summer Solstice Celebrations | ||||||
| Summer | ||||||
| Autumn Equinox Celebrations. | ||||||
| Halloween | ||||||
| Mid Winter | ||||||
| Valentines Day | Groundhogs Day | May Day | ||||
| USA Political Holidays | ||||||
| Labor Day | Thanksgiving | Memorial Day | ||||
| Veterans Day | President's Day | Washington's Birthday | ||||
| Lincoln's Birthday | Independence's Day | Columbus's Day | ||||
| Martin Luther King's Day | ||||||
| Miscellaneous | ||||||
| Commercial Holidays | Other Holidays | |||||
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The seasons are because the Earth spins on it axis like a top. Like a spinning top it has a wobble, however this wobble is very small and take about 26,000 years for a revolution, so it can be ignored for our purposes. The poles of this spin are not perpendicular (straight up and down) to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. This is what gives us our seasons. The poles point toward the star Polaris and as the Earth revolves around the Sun, it appears as if the Sun was moving up and down relative to the equator. When the poles points along the Earth - Sun radius it is either Summer or Winter. If the North Pole is pointing toward the Sun it is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. If the poles are tangent to the orbit of the Earth, it is an equinox (either Vernal or Autumn).
Another way of looking at the seasons: Consider the angle formed by the Sun, Earth, and North Pole (for Northern Hemisphere). If the angle is a right angle, it is an equinox. If it is at the most obtuse (90 + 23.5 degrees), it is Winter. If it is the most acute (90 - 23.5 degrees), it is Summer.
In a geocentric (Earth centered) view, the Sun appears to circle the Earth daily in a plane. This plane changes its tilt in a north/south direction a little each day. When this plane matches our equator it is an equinox, either the Vernal or Autumn. When this plane is the highest (about 23.5 degrees above the equator), it is Summer Solstice and when it is the same below the equator it is Winter Solstice.
In 45 B.C.E Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, The first of the Year was January 1 and it was the shortest day of the year (the winter solstice). People celebrated New Years day and the fact that the days were starting to become longer, the sun was reborn -- i.e. winter would not last forever. This they attributed to Saturn's victory over winter. This was called Saturnalia. They had parties and gave gifts. Saturnalia was like Christmas and New Years celebration rolled into one. So this is why I celebrate Saturnalia, not that I believe Saturn is a god. Now that I have said "I don't believe Saturn is a god," I probably will hear the phrase "Put Saturn back in Saturnalia!" Note: Saturnalia has connotations that can't be celebrated at a public place (see orgy in the dictionary ;).
Circa 324 C.E., the Christian church came into power in the Roman Empire and legalize Christianity. The church did not like the wild parties and celebration of the "Pagan" god Saturn. So the church circa 900 C.E. said Saturnalia will not be celebrated instead it will be a church service (mass) for Jesus's (called Christ -- the anointed one) birthday (who's birth date is unknown). The Christian church had changed from adult baptism to infant baptism. So the mass for Christ had to be moved from his baptism to one when he was an infant. They decided on to replace the pagan holiday with a new holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Their calendar had 365.25 days per year instead of 365.2425 we have, the actual is more like 365.24219879 -.00000000614*(t-1900) days per year. This caused December 25th to be Christmas (mass of Christ). By the time they reformed the calendar again, December 11 was the shortest day of the year and because of the removal of 10 days December 21 became the shortest day of the year. They didn't not move Christmas back to beginning of the year but left it a December 25th. So Christmas, first day of winter and New Years day became separate holidays. But, in the beginning, Saturnalia, first day of winter (winter solstice) and New Years day were all the same day and later Saturnalia was renamed Christmas.
Even in the Early Chinese calendar the New Year day was the new moon nearest the winter solstice. However in the 2 century B.C.E., the calendar was reformed and the winter solstice was moved to the eleven moon-th of the year and thereby move the New year some moon-ths later.
Some of the other start of new years was based on the seasons. The pharaohs of Egypt would delay their accent in to power based on the rising of the Nile. This was to imitate the gods, who they were one of. This meant the pharaohs would come into power in the spring. If it was a long time to the spring, they would come into power in the fall, when Orsires would enter the under world.
When the seasons were more important to the people than the king, where the king was not a god and the gods were associated with the seasons, the seasons were the basis of the start of the new year. The most popular new year start was Spring, followed by Winter, then by Fall. I can't find were Summer was ever used a the start of the new year. I think this is because early vegetables were coming in and there were still more growth and harvest to come. Spring was a good choice because every thing was coming out of rest and starting new growth. Winter was also a good choice because the everything was settling down for the long rest. Fall was also used because the growing season was over. See to see how that new year celebration changed into Holloween.
England and her colonies (including United States of America), observed Spring as the New Year's day and as the calendar shifted over time, it was March 24 as the New Year. When England decided to go to the new (Gregorian calendar, they had to change when the New year ended. So in 1751, the year started March 24 and ended December 31. Everybody born before the calendar changed before March had to refer to one year earlier for their birthday and this was referred to a (New Style date and abbreviated "NS".) For example, George Washington was born February 22, 1732 (N.S. -- New Style dating i.e. Gregorian's calendar.) He was actually born on February 11, 1731 according to the old calendar. This further explained in Saturnalia.
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Chanukah - Hanukkah
The origins of Chanukah is some what in doubt. The Jewish and protestant holy scripture doesn't include the books of Macabees in their cannon of text because they are unsure of the complete truth of the information. The reasons the Greeks may have attacked the Jewish people may have not have been to force the Jewish people to give up their releigon but to protect some Jewish people that had tried to take up the Greek's ways. Some of the Jewish men had gone so far to have their circumcision undone by a painful operation. It is believed the festival of lights did came from the holiday of Sukkot. Because of the closeness to Christmas many Jewish people are giving their children gifts on Hanukkah.
I got this information from the web page on What's Hanukkah. I recommend this site for much more fantastic information on this holiday.
I suppose those who would try to celebrate New Years Day on the Vernal Equinox, such as England and her colonies, after the calendar would also be considered foolish but I have not head of any origins of March 21 being considered as an fool's day.
This may have just been folk lore that was created by the newspapers and then perpetuated by them.
In the olden days, coming into spring the people had very little food left and it was very boring because they could not "can" food, there were no vegetables and may be a few dried apples, if any were left, were starting to spoil, very little left in the meat and grains. When the birds started to lay eggs, there was a search for the to supplement their meager food stores until the crops came in. So eggs became a symbol of new life and hope. Searching for them can bring fertility and prosperity to the community.
The rabbit (Easter Bunny) is well know for producing many offspring and so is a symbol of fertility. Actually the Easter Bunny comes from the "hare," a relative of the rabbit. The hare is born with it's eyes open and they assumed it would have see the pre - life (instead of after-life). The "man in the moon" was considered to be the "hare in the moon" to these people.
There is a story that Eostre was entertaining children with magic when a bird landed on her finger. She surprised the children by changing the bird to a hare. The children were thrilled until the hare started to cry about the lost ability to fly. The children pleaded with her to change it back, but she couldn't. However, she allowed the hare to change back once a year on the first day of spring to a bird to lay eggs. Then the hare would go the moon with her (and that is why they saw the "hare in moon" where we see the "man in the moon.") The hare with gratitude to the children gave them the eggs it had laid on that day.
The Easter parade comes from the time when young unmarried virgins would be lead around the village to indicate they were ready to be married and bare children. It was sort of a village coming out party.
The Christians changed the date from spring equinox (at that time about April the first) to Sunday after the computed date of the full moon after the spring equinox. After the calendar reform, the Spring equinox was March 21 and Easter is computed from that date, not the Spring equinox which can vary from that date by a day. It moved the spring celebrations out from a few days up to a month. At first it was tied directly to the Jewish calendar. The reason it is base on the Jewish calendar is because, according to the Bible, the death of Christ occurred on a Friday the day after Jewish Passover (last supper) and his resurrection on the following Sunday. At one time it was observed 3 days after Passover and later the Sunday following Passover. They did not want it to be exactly tied to the Passover so the modified it so is tied to the Roman calendar instead of the Jewish calendar but used the same method of determining the full moon as Jewish calendar used. They were trying to break with the fact that Jesus was Jewish because the church was persecuting the Jews at the time. There are instructions for determining Easter in our calendar by using the computations for the full moon (see references.)
A celtic pagan named Maewyn was born in Wales about 385 C.E.
At 16 he was captured by some Irish slave raiders and taken to Ireland
where he was held for 6 years. During that time he came to a belief
in Christ. After he escaped he when to Gaul (Spain) to study to become
a priest and he changed his name to Patrick. After 8 years he went
to Ireland to convert the pagans. Since he had learned the Irish
language and customs, he had great success and used many of the symbols
of the pagans in his teachings. One of the was the shamrock he used
to explain the trinity. He was successful in converting the
pagans. He was consistently trying to eliminate pagan rites
and practices. The celtic druids had him arrested three times and each
time he was able to get out and go on preaching and setting up a complete
church system of seminaries, churches, monasteries, nunneries, etc. He
died somewhere about 493 C.E.
He was not the first missionary to Ireland nor did he drive out the snakes. The driving the snakes out of Ireland is symbolic of driving out the pagans practice out of Ireland.
St. Patrick's day is celebrated on March 17, some say he died on March 17, others say it may have been his birthday. But I suppose it could be the taking over of a date that was a pagan worship day, such as one of the most holy day, the Spring (Vernal) equinox. Similar things had been done with Christmas, All Hallows Eve, Candle Mass, St. Valentines Day and perhaps others. The spring equinox currently is March 20. Before the calendar change corrected it by removing 10 days from the calendar in 1582, the spring equinox move over the centuries from March 21 in 325, when the Council of Nicea established many of the regulations of the church, to March 10 in 1582. That is when 10 days were removed from the calendar to put the Spring Equinox back to March 20. See my calendar page. This means that in circa 800 C.E., March 17 was the Spring equinox. If they renamed Spring as St. Patrick's Day, it would be in that era and Spring and St. Patrick's Day would be the same day for centuries. The pagans would have to do their rites on the day that was called after the man who did most to get rid of the pagans and their rituals.
See Yahoo's St. Patrick's Day's for more information. I liked the page just called St. Patrick's Day.
Since this was the first of the year for the pagans, the witches (ones who cast spell for protection and good luck) would go out and sell their services for the coming year. People were afraid not to pay the witches because a bad luck spell might be cast against them. Since we no longer fear witches, children now dress up as witches (now any costume) and go out to get treats.
At that time boys and girls were paired by drawing their names. They were suppose to go to many functions together. It was rumored that at times the drawing was fixed so the right boy and girl would get together.
When the Christians took control of Rome (circa 324 CE), the could not have the day of atonement (that was changed to Easter) but the Romans still wanted their holiday so it was renamed after a kind hearted Christian, St. Valentine, who was born on that day of the year but the month was still named after the celebration of atonement. The Romans still used this date for the paring of the boys and girls. Now we use the day to indicate that we have desires to pair with one of the opposite sex.
The Germans had a folklore that on Candlemas day, if a hedgehog saw its shadow, there would be 6 more weeks of winter, else it was almost over. This supposedly came from the Romans but I haven't tracked from where. When they migrated to the United State many settled in Pennsylvania (they were called Pennsylvania Dutch), they keep many of their traditions and this was one of them. However, there were no hedgehogs. The local Indians had great respect for the ground hog which they called Wojac (where we get the name "woodchuck"), which they considered an ancestor, so Pennsylvania Dutch changed their traditions from a hedgehog to a woodchuck or groundhog.
In many countries, May 1, is also the Labor day observance.
I have been informed that May day is being call a national (United States of America) day of prayer. If enough people keep saying it, May Day might be changed to Day of Prayer.
"May day" is the call of distress for ships and air planes. However, it is not the named after the first of May but it is the English spelling of the French word "m'aides" which means "help me." At one time French was the international language much as English has become today.
This became a legal holiday when the Labor Unions where a powerful political force and the politicians wanted to win their favor.
Currently, it is just a holiday marking the end of summer vacations and activities.
The origins of this day traces back to the pilgrim's first harvest in 1621. The earlier winter had caused the death of 1/2 of the pilgrims and if it had not been for the Indians they would have all died. The Indians taught them how to farm, how get the local food resources and how to use the medicinal plants that was available. After the pilgrims harvest their crops, they held a three day banquet and had prayers to offer thanks.
Our thanksgiving observation is all due to Sarah Josepha Hale a publisher of Boston Ladies' Magazine. She single handed decided there should be a day of thanksgiving. When she could not get the presidents to declare one, she did in her magazine. She gave instructing on how to prepare the thanksgiving feast and decorations. So the housewives of the period started thanksgiving in their own homes. After 40 years of trying to get a day of thanksgiving, she finally persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare it and thus the tradition was born. See The Thanksgiving Story for more information.
In Canada, it is the second Monday of October, same as USA's Celebration of Columbus day.
As mentioned above this is Canadian's Thanksgiving Day.
Most of the other Commercial Holidays have not caught on with the average consumer. These are Father's Days (third sunday in June), Children's Day (second Sunday in October), Secretary's Day, Parent's Day, Sweetest Day (another valentine day -October 18?), Friendship Day (First Sunday in August?), Grandparents Day (first Sunday in September), Mother - in - Law's Day (October 27?), Boss's Day (Third Thursday of October?) and Earth's Day (April 22). These days are promoted by companies hoping to sell additional greeting cards, flowers, candy, etc. Valentine's Day is a great commercial success and the business world wants more days like it.
One holiday that no one wants repeated is the "Bank Holiday" of March 18, it was declared in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt for that single day (not every year). It was to stop the run on the bank where everybody was withdrawing their money and it bankrupting all the banks. It led to the great depression. Also October 13 is also a bank holiday for a similar reason.
Some of these miscellaneous days are tied to the seasons. The migration
of birds and fish are geared to the seasons so when the sparrows return
to Capistrano or the buzzards return to Hinckley, or start of the salmon
run are all geared to the seasons.