Holidays Archives - Page 4 of 4 -

June 5, 2017June 5, 2017

The History of Father’s Day

“It is a wise father that knows his own child.” – William Shakespeare. Father’s Day is a time to celebrate fatherhood and give thanks for the significant male role models in one’s life. Although not as old a tradition as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day has its own unique history. The first Father’s Day may be traced back to the Middle Ages and the Catholic holiday of Saint Joseph’s Day celebrated on March 19. Father’s Day has also been linked to the June Solstice and pagan sun worship where the Sun has been called the “Father of the Universe.” Fathers make up a group of hardworking and dedicated men. Some cook and tend to household chores, some hold stressful jobs outside the home, some volunteer their time and serve as coaches or town councilmen, some are successful businessmen.

Whatever jobs or titles fathers may have, the best fathers have one trait in common: their families are their number one priority. Fatherhood takes on an even greater significance when the male parents are the sole caregivers of children. Such was the case for Sonora Louise Smart Dodd. Dodd, daughter of American Civil War Veteran, William Jackson Smart, is credited with being the founder of Father’s Day. Dodd, unfortunately, lost her mother when she was 16 years old. She then helped her father care for her five younger brothers.

While attending a church sermon on Mother’s Day, Dodd was inspired and motivated to make sure that her father received the same recognition. She reached out to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers, and government offices, campaigning for a special day to honor fatherhood just as Mother’s Day honors motherhood. Dodd originally requested for her father’s birthday, June 5, to be Father’s Day. However, the Ministerial Alliance in Spokane, Washington chose the third Sunday of June, thus the first “Father’s Day” was on June 19, 1910. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson sent a telegraph to Spokane, Washington declaring the importance of Father’s Day Services. Five decades later in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon made it official and recognized Father’s Day as a National Holiday to be celebrated each year. Presently, Father’s Day is observed in 52 countries around the world. Countries in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada have adopted the U.S. custom of celebrating Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June.

Father’s Day may be celebrated in any way that makes a father figure feel extra special. Traditions and activities range from friendly visits and phone calls to lavish picnics and parties. Other common forms of celebration include treating dad to dinner at his favorite restaurant or showering him with gifts such as clothing or sporting equipment. Some of the most popular Father’s Day gift items include neckties, fishing gear, golf accessories, hats, socks, and electronics. Many fathers look forward to watching sports during Father’s Day weekend, as the U.S. Open Golf Tournament final is always televised that day. However, you go about celebrating, remember your favorite father figures on Sunday, June 18 this year.

April 3, 2017March 29, 2017

The History of Passover

Passover, Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most important holidays in Judaism. Observed annually by Jewish people around the world, Passover is the first of the spring holidays and occurs during Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew lunar calendar.

Passover: A Celebration of Freedom and Renewal

The week-long holiday begins with a Seder, which means order. There are important rules and customs to observe before, during, and after the holiday meal.

At Seder, everyone gathers around the table and the Passover story is recited.
Participants read the Haggadah, the oldest liturgical text documenting the Israelites exodus from Egypt. Some families choose to make their own haggadot; others read from the original text. The story begins with the Israelites, who were made slaves by a cruel Pharaoh for more than 200 years in Egypt.

After much suffering, the Israelites enter into a sacred covenant with God: God promises to protect the Israelites in exchange for their devotion. God responds to Pharaoh’s mistreatment of the Israelites by casting “Ten Plagues” upon the land.

The Ten Plagues is a series of catastrophic events that include turning water into blood, sending swarms of locusts, and condemning to death all first-born sons. God instructs the Israelites to mark their homes with the blood of a lamb so the “angel of death” will “pass over” them and spare their first-born sons.

Pharaoh is finally convinced of God’s divine power and agrees to set the Israelites free. God appoints Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. At the Seder, celebratory songs accompany the story of the Exodus while adding to the holiday spirit.

Passover: The “Festival of Matzot”

Passover is also a time when Jewish people appreciate their history and celebrate their freedom. Every Seder starts with the words: “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.”

Foods eaten at the Passover meal are reminiscent of the suffering the Israelites endured. Matzot, known as the bread of affliction, is the most symbolic of these foods. Because the Israelites had to flee quickly from Egypt, they did not have time to bake their bread. This unleavened bread became what we now know as matzo.

Along with matzo, symbolic foods at the Seder table include: a roasted shank bone for the sacrificial lamb, a roasted egg, haroset: a mixture of fruit and nuts reminiscent of the bricks made by enslaved Israelites, green vegetables for springtime, bitter herbs to signify the harsh treatment of the Israelites, and salt water symbolic of their tears.

At the Seder, a favorite tradition involves hiding a special piece of matzo known as the Afikomen. After the meal, all young children search for the Afikomen. Those who find it receive a prize.

At the end of the Seder, a final cup of wine is offered and a door is opened for Elijah the Prophet. The hope is that Elijah, a miracle worker, will bring peace for the year ahead.

December 10, 2016December 7, 2016

December Blues

This time of year, when fall leads into winter, always boosts my spirits. It’s during this period of late November and December when there’s a variety of elements I find pleasing. The cooler weather is a big one. Give me low 50’s and 60’s all year-long and I’d be happy. A jog or walk around the neighborhood will not feel any better than it does now.

sports Then there are sports. Baseball is long finished, but hockey and basketball are in full swing, and football is now getting to the good stuff. NFL teams are making their last push for a spot in the playoffs. College bowl games, even meaningless ones, are still fun. NCAA basketball is hitting full stride too. Whatever you like – and I like it all – it’s there in bunches.

With the holidays comes what feels like a collective deceleration of our society, at least a couple of weeks of diversion from the typical routine of the year, a period with some days off, visits to the stores for gifts, maybe some travel. I dig the festive lights around the neighborhoods and even the radio channels dedicated for a few weeks to holiday songs. I was born in the winter and maybe that has something to do with it. I just feel good this time of year.

Unfortunately, many people experience a different mood during these months. Seasonal Depressive Disorder or a milder version sometimes called “winter blues,” is a type of depression that recurs in relation to seasonal changes, and most commonly affects people in the late fall and winter months. Fittingly, December is Seasonal Depression Awareness Month.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health’s website, in addition to feelings of depression, this disorder during the winter is characterized by low energy, social withdrawal, and a propensity to overeat (with a particular craving for carbohydrates). The effects of SAD is seen in increasing numbers in populations further from the equator. Women and young adults are more often affected. About ten to 20 percent of Americans may suffer from mild symptoms of winter blues. Fortunately, only one percent of Floridians experience SAD.

Causes include biochemical changes related to the shortening of daylight hours in the winter such as the increased production of melatonin due to more darkness, as well as difficulty regulating serotonin, an important neurotransmitter related to mood.

Some preventative tips are to seek exposure to light and the sunshine, and keep a regular sleep schedule. In addition, as hard as it is this time of year, avoidance of overeating is also recommended.

Seasonal depression is treatable by various methods, including medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, light therapy, and vitamin D supplements. If you know anyone who could benefit from professional treatment related to seasonal depression, there is a wealth of information online that should get them started in the right direction.

Here’s to a joyous and safe holiday season for all our readers.

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November 10, 2016January 21, 2019

Celebrating Turkey Day on a Castle

by Victoria Landis

castle If you carve your Thanksgiving turkey in a galvanized tub while wearing cargo shorts and sitting on a stool on a flat castle roof, you might be a unique kind of redneck.

For 16 years, I hosted Thanksgiving dinner, usually for 10 to 12 people. I skew toward a medium-formal setting when I host; placemats, napkins, matching silverware, a table centerpiece, but nothing too Martha Stewart-y. But last year, I needed a break from the two full days of dawn-to-dusk cleaning, prepping, and cooking. So I made my cancellation announcement to the normal invitees, withstood some loud, and withering complaints, then my significant other and I headed south. Since we were lucky enough to be in the Florida Keys, we were invited to partake of the annual feast at the home of an acquaintance of the SO’s.

They were so kind to include us, and we gratefully accepted. I brought a big bottle of Pinot Grigio, and a from-scratch apple pie. We arrived at 3pm, as requested. They lived in an unusual place: A fake medieval castle. Yeppers. Had the notched parapet wall at the top and everything. A souvenir shop occupied the ground floor, and although there was no way to tell from the outside, the second floor had four apartments.

We trudged up the exterior stairs, knocked on the first door, and found 13 other people crammed into a teensy apartment without a table. There was a small living area that barely fit a sofa and side chair. and The television stand was flanked by a miniature kitchen with maybe a total of eight-feet of counter space.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting my hosts down for being obviously economically challenged. But imagine our head-scratching, trying to figure out how they planned to feed us. There wasn’t space for each of us to actually sit anywhere. I wondered if their good intentions hadn’t been thought through.

The tiny kitchen had every available inch covered with various foods in the making, ingredients, dirty prep dishes, and booze bottles, since it also functioned as the bar. I opened my Pinot Grigio, poured a generous amount into a red plastic cup, and asked if I could be of any help in the kitchen. She put me to work making the gravy. While busying myself with my task, I asked the hostess, as nonchalantly as I could, how she planned on serving everyone. “We’re eating on the roof,” she said.

That inspired one of her kids to show me said roof. We went outside, up another flight of stairs, and a huge open area of flat concrete appeared. The notched walls were high, so no one would ever suspect parties could happen on top of the souvenir shop. Folding chairs lay against the wall, and three silt-encrusted folding tables sat empty in the middle of the space, but far away from and at odd angles to each other. So, you might ask, why wasn’t anyone from the crammed apartment hanging out up there?

Wind. It was so windy. How to prevent everything from blowing away? I shook my head, shut my mouth (It’s taken years, but I’ve gotten pretty good at that), and went back downstairs.

Our hosts made enough food for half the town. Two turkeys−one oven-roasted and one deep fried−and an enormous ham simmered in a big pot of Coca-Cola. No, I can’t explain that. Three kinds of potatoes, green beans, cornbread, and pasta salad. When it was time to eat, we hauled the food to one of the roof tables. The sooty dirt wasn’t cleaned off of any of them. They weren’t repositioned so the guests might feel like they were dining together. No tablecloths or placemats (they’d have blown away). Paper plates and paper towels were weighted down with rocks.

Our host pulled up a stool and put two galvanized tubs on the concrete floor, each holding a turkey. Using an electric knife, he carved them and placed the meat on platters, also set on the floor. Remember, it’s outside. Loose dirt abounds and it’s windy.

It was a precarious thing, holding a flimsy paper plate flapping in the wind while trying to plop food on it, and keep the plastic wrap or foil covering each dish from becoming airborne. In the end, that effort failed, and all that wasn’t secured did eventually sail off into another person’s backyard celebration.

We ate holding our plates down with one hand. When my SO, seated to my right, had finished his meal, he forgot for a moment and let go of his plate. A gust of wind picked it up and flung it at me. I went home with gravy and potato grease spots all over my shirt.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday. We celebrate it in many ways. There is no right way. Although it’s a ton of work, I am looking forward to my more traditional one again. Indoors.

October 6, 2016October 17, 2018

The Origins of Halloween

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN

by Cynthia MacGregor

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From trick-or-treating to costume parties, from pranks to watching scary movies, Halloween is a holiday enjoyed by all ages. In fact, it is second only to Christmas in retail sales. But how much do you know about the origins of Halloween?

Its roots go back two millennia, to the polytheistic Romans, who had a goddess named Pompona. Each October the early Romans celebrated the Feast of Pompona, during which they lit fires inside gourds—the antecedents of our jack o’lanterns—to chase away evil spirits.

Halloween’s origins also go back to the Celts, whose new year started on November 1^st. Their New Year’s Eve was known as the Festival of Samhain, Samhain being the Lord of Death. On the Celtic New Year, each household would let their fire go out. Then they would go to the Druid priests’ bonfire, light wood or rags from it, and carefully carry this fire home and use it to start a new fire in the hearth. They believed this would bring them good luck in the new year.

Not that long ago, right here in America, kids celebrated Halloween with bonfires. They would throw scrap wood in a pile in the street, and then set fire to the pile. (Do you remember the Halloween scene in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis?)

When the Romans went to war with the Celts some of their customs became intermingled. On the Festival of Samhain, which was on October 31^st, Celtic adults would wear costumes to frighten away evil spirits. Soon Celtic children started walking up and down the streets dressed in costumes too, although they didn’t knock on doors or carry goody bags.

Later, when Christian missionaries arrived they were horrified at the things the people believed, and the holidays they celebrated. The Lord of Death? Evil spirits?

But the missionaries knew that the Celts weren’t going to give up their holidays altogether, so instead of telling them they had to stop celebrating the festival of Samhain, the missionaries turned the festival into a celebration of the Christian saints. Since not all saints have days in their honor, the missionaries decreed that any saint who didn’t have a holiday of his or her own would be celebrated on November 1^st, which became known as “All Saints Day,” and was also called “All Hallow Day.” The evening before that came to be known as “All Hallows’ Evening,” or “All Hallows’ Eve.”

If you say, “All Hallows’ Eve” quickly, you can hear how “All Hallows’ Eve” got turned into “Halloween.”

halloween

When the Scottish and Irish people, the descendants of the Celts, came over to America, they brought their traditions with them. To this day, Halloween is still mostly celebrated in English-speaking countries, especially Ireland, Canada, and America.

It was the Irish who gave us the name “jack o’lantern” for the carved-out pumpkin. According to an old Irish story, a man named Jack supposedly tricked the Devil into getting stuck up a tree, angering the Devil. Later on, when Jack died, he was not allowed into Heaven because he had been a bad person when he was alive. But because he had tricked the Devil, the Devil wouldn’t even let Jack into Hell.

Jack wandered around in the darkness carrying a hollow turnip, which he wanted to light up and use as a lantern. But the devil would give him only one lump of coal to light the lantern. The hero of this fable became known as “Jack of the lantern,” or, in the Irish pronunciation, “Jack o’lantern.” Eventually carved turnips, and later carved pumpkins, with something burning for light inside became known as “jack o’lanterns.”

But here’s something else to think about: Why did kids start trick-or-treating on Halloween in the first place?

Just as November 1^st was called “All Hallows Day” or “All Saints’ Day,” November 2^nd became “All Souls’ Day,” which honored people who had died. In England, one way it was celebrated was by handing out “soul cakes.” These were little cakes given to people who knocked on doors and begged for them in return for promises to pray for the souls of the dead—the precursor of today’s costumed kids begging for candy.

Trick-or-treating became popular in America between 1920 and 1950. It seems to be a mix of the old custom of wearing costumes to scare away evil spirits, and the later custom of begging for soul cakes.

This is briefly the origins of Halloween. Boo!

full-moon

June 29, 2016January 21, 2019

Fourth of July Fun

Fourth of July fun

By David Volz

The Fourth of July is a time when people get together to honor the nation, spend time with family and friends and to watch fireworks.

Parkland Mayor Michael Udine said he enjoys the Fourth of July. “It is a great celebration of American Independence and a nice holiday.”

Coral Springs Commissioner Larry Vignola said, “We celebrate our independence in on the Fourth of July. Coral Springs will have the best and safest fireworks show. We want people to come to Mullins Park and have a good time and be safe,” he said.

Coral Springs will be offering a large family event at Mullins Park from 6to 9pm. During the early evening, people will be able to enjoy some family time at the park. There will be food trucks and an interactive disc jockey. There will be inflatable slides and a bounce house. Civic organizations will offer hamburgers, funnel cakes and other treats. At 9pm there will be a big fireworks display.

“This is an event that families truly enjoy. We get a big crowd. People should bring blankets and chairs. We are hoping for good weather,” said Joan Dowling, superintendent of the Coral Springs recreation department.

Pompano Beach will celebrate the Fourth of July with live music, featuring Chain Reaction, a Journey Tribute Band. The party starts at 6pm followed by a live DJ and fireworks at 9pm. It will take place at the Pompano Beach Fishing Pier and Public Beach.

Tamarac will host a Fourth July All American Celebration at the Tamarac Sports Complex at 9901 Northwest 77^th Street. There will live music by the Free Radicals. There will be food trucks on site and a kid’s area with face painting, inflatable rides, interactive games and arts and crafts. The fun starts at 6 pm with fireworks at 9pm.

Boca Raton will hold a Fabulous Fourth Celebration at 1000 Northwest Spanish River Boulevard at the Spanish River Athletic Facility at Countess deHoernle Park. It will start at 6:30pm with family activities, a live band at 7pm and fireworks at 9 pm.

The City of Parkland does not have a fireworks display or family event on the Fourth of July. Udine encourages residents to attend one of the nearby city’s fireworks displays.

The Fourth of July celebrates the legal separation of the original 13 colonies of the United States from Great Britain during the American Revolution. The actual separation took place on July 2, 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence explained this decision and Thomas Jefferson was the main author. This document was approved on July 4 after Congress debated it and made some revisions. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin wrote that they signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, however most historians believe the Declaration of Independence was actually signed on August 2, 1776, according to Wikipedia.

The Fourth of July also known as Independence Day is a federal holiday. It is also a major summer holiday when many people have family barbecues and enjoy evening fireworks displays. Most of the events take place outdoors. Community leaders will often appear at Fourth of July events and praise the United States and its citizens.

February 12, 2016January 21, 2019

Chinese New Year is Bad News for Monkeys

Suddenly, there it is – a flash of glimmering red scales as the magnificent dragon emerges from the back of the theater. Perfectly in sync with the pounding rhythm of the drums that fills the room, the dragon marches the length of the auditorium before claiming the stage as its kingdom. Then the real delight begins. The creature bounds from one side of the stage to the other, rolling its head from side to side with each step. As the auditorium lights illuminate the dragon’s body, which moves in graceful waves as it follows a ball that taunts it, a collective gasp of joy arises from the audience.

The dragon dance, a cultural tradition designed to bring good fortune and prosperity, flawlessly captures the essence of Chinese New Year. Celebrated on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar, which happens to fall on February 8 this year, the Chinese New Year focuses most predominantly on the union of friends and family and the generation of good luck for the following year. The holiday, known as the Spring Festival in China, is the most important Chinese celebration of the year and brings together family from all over the country as well as the globe.

The dragon dance represents just one of the countless traditions that adorn the holiday, but it bears the common theme that runs through all of the Chinese New Year traditions: good luck. The red color that appears in the dragon’s body is a color that saturates this holiday. From the red lanterns strung from every conceivable surface to the red couplets stuck on the doors and the walls, the color of happiness and good fortune dominates Chinese New Year. The color red also appears in the festival’s most common gift of red envelopes, which contain “lucky money” to pave the way for future prosperity. Wearing red underwear represents yet another important tradition of the Chinese, as such an intimate object in the color of luck is believed to minimize any forthcoming bad luck.The superstitions, however, do not stop at wearing bright underwear. Chinese New Year is a holiday that does not shy away from food. Lucky foods like noodles, whose length symbolizes longevity, and spring rolls, whose gold bar-like shape symbolizes wealth, become especially important on this holiday. Additionally, during the Spring Festival, the Chinese prohibit all cleaning, forbidding everything from straightening up the house to maintaining personal hygiene. I can’t remember how many times my mother stopped me from taking a shower on Chinese New Year, for fear that I would wash away the good luck. On the other hand, good luck is reinforced by fireworks. Used to drive away the evil of the coming year, fireworks light up the sky every Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival also marks the transition of the animals of the Chinese zodiac, which bears a total of 12 animals, with each animal representing one year in a cycle of 12 years. The Chinese New Year of 2016 will bid farewell to the year of the goat and introduce the year of the monkey. Contrary to popular belief, the year of one’s animal sign on the Chinese zodiac is perceived as the least lucky year of the 12-year cycle. Thus, on February 8 this year, individuals with the goat sign can breathe a sigh of relief, while those with the monkey sign should take a large inhale and be extra careful of any impending danger.

With China’s budding influence on the western world and the increasing outward migration of Asians, the Chinese New Year will undoubtedly continue to grow in popularity outside the Asian continent. In our own community, celebrations are held every year by multiple organizations, including the Coral Springs Chinese Cultural Association and the Chinese Association of Science, Education and Culture of South Florida. These celebrations are open to the general public and are often held at local schools. So, as February 8 approaches, put on your best red clothing, stuff some luck into those red pockets, and get ready to watch a Chinese dragon dance of a lifetime.