Funny Facts
It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky. Even with a telescope. Honest.
Truth behind the Nursery Rhymes we grew up with.
Little Miss MuffetSat on a tuffet,Eating her curds and whey;Along came a spider,Who sat down beside herAnd frightened Miss Muffet away A recorded version of the “Little Miss Muffet” nursery rhyme dates back to the early 19th century England. It was first printed in the “Songs for the Nursery” collection published in 1805. The origin of “Little Miss Muffet” is most commonly attributed to Dr Thomas Muffet, a notorious physician and entomologist from the 16th century, and author of a scientific illustrated guide about insects. “Little Miss Muffet” is about a girl named Patience, who was Dr Muffet’s stepdaughter. The…
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New Year’s Eve
Customs in celebration of the New Year take place the world over. Strangely enough in Europe, the New Year was celebrated in the past at different times varying from Christmas to March, and the official celebration on 1st January is comparatively new in the scheme of things. Until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1752, the official New Year in Britain began in March! As far as the common people were concerned however, it has always been celebrated on 1st January. Many of the customs associated with this turning point combine the elements of death and rebirth. The…
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The Origins of Boxing Day
There are several theories as to the origin of Boxing Day, but in general the tradition has long included the wealthy giving money and other gifts to the poor. The European tradition dates to the Middle Ages, but some claim it dates back even farther to the late Roman/early Christian era when metal boxes were placed outside churches to collect special offerings connected to the Feast of Saint Stephen. A reference to Boxing Day’s origins appears in the Christmas Carol, “Good King Wenceslas.” Wenceslas, who was Duke of Bohemia in the early 10th century, saw a poor man gathering wood…
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Winter Solstice
In the northern latitudes, midwinter’s day has been an important time for celebration throughout the ages. The Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun. On this shortest day of the year, and longest night, the sun is at its lowest and weakest; a pivotal turning point of the year from which the light will grow stronger and brighter. The Romans called it Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The seasonal significance of the Winter Solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of…
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A Light in the Darkness Kindle Edition
By Lisa Sniderman Free for 5 days on Amazon! What can we do when we struggle with an illness that doesn’t go away? An inspirational story of the healing power of music, creativity, following your dreams and finding your true purpose. In 2008, singer-songwriter Lisa Sniderman was living the dream in California. As Aoede, the Muse of Song, her star as a gifted recording artist was rising fast. Lisa’s quirky folk-pop performance style electrified audiences up and down the West Coast, and the albums just kept flowing. But just when her career was rocketing skyward, a health crisis brought all…
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Guest Blog by P.J.Roscoe
10 Things you may like to know about the Celebration of Yule By P.J. Roscoe Yule is swiftly coming around, so I thought it would be interesting to learn a little about the upcoming event. “The cold & dark of winter are as necessary to life as the heat and light of the summer.” Kate West “I call upon the old gods, the reborn sun and the Oak King who has vanquished his brother the Holly King, to bring forth the light once more. May the spark of light this day, grow ever stronger, warming the earth and our hearts….
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The First Christmas Card
Have you written all your Christmas cards yet? No, neither have I. We all will be soon though won’t we, but why? Where and how did this tradition begin? The first Christmas card designed for sale was by London artist John Calcott Horsley and commissioned by Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy British businessman of the 1800’s, who found himself too busy in the festive season to send individual messages to all his friends. Yes, I know the feeling. Being a man who liked to be prepared therefore, in the summer of 1843 Sir Henry commissioned Horsley to design an impressive…
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Christmas origins…
So, it is almost Christmas again, and time for the mad panic that it always causes as we rush around for cards and presents. That means it’s also time for my first Christmas blog, all about the origins of the special day. The word ‘Christmas’ comes from the Old English term ‘Cristes Mæsse’, meaning the ‘Mass of Christ’. The story of Christmas, as we all know, begins with the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. Many believe that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December could well have been chosen so the Catholic Church…
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The Origins of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on varied dates of the year in the United States and Canada celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Americans generally believe their Thanksgiving is modelled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. The Pilgrims travelled from Europe to the New World, a continent they had never known before, in hopes of creating a community free to worship God away from the strict rules of their old government. For many hard months they journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean enduring vicious storms,…
