Holidays & Days of Note for January, 2013.

Jan. 1. New Year’s Day, a very popular one anyway, but not the only one throughout the year. Whatever the case may be I just hope 2013, a year that just for the record will have 54 Friday the 13^th’s, two regular ones in September and December and the rest because, well because when you write out the day on a Friday it will have a 13 in it, so there!  / Festival of Janus (Roman) / Circumcision of Christ Day (Catholic) Yes there is at least one church that claims to have the item in question. / O-Shogatsu (Japan) Along with O-Bon this is one of Japan's most important ceremonies where bad fortune of the past year is eliminated. / Fortuna's Day (Roman) Fortuna was the Roman Goddess of Luck / Zeus & Hera's Day (Greek) / Jupiter & Juno's Day (Roman) / Independence Day (Haiti) Heck of a lot of holidays to be piled up on a day when so many people have hangovers. / Kwanzaa ends.

Jan. 2. Ancestors Day. (Haiti) Be sure to call yours up and have them over! / Only 4 shopping days left until Armenian Christmas. 

Jan. 3. Festival of Sleep (U.S.) and it's on the Thursday after my winter vacation is over, is this supposed to be ironic or something? /  and going until the 7^th, Carnival de Blancos y Negros Holiday of Blacks and Whites (Columbia) Festival held in Pasto City, Columbia. To celebrate 300 years of racial harmony they have a two-day festival with music, street dances, free food and drink, and usually water & flour fights and the picking of a queen. On the first day everyone wears white face while on the last they don black face with special make-up produced in the city for the purpose, it helps that they don't have that whole toxic `minstrel show thing as part of their heritage. But what of the Indians? / It was on this day in 1863, on the cover of Harper´s Weekly in a cartoon by Thomas Nast, that Santa was first shown delivering gifts with a reindeer-drawn sleigh. The title was `Santa Claus in Camp, the recipients of those gifts, Union solders. 

Jan. 4. Braille Day, birthday of Louis Braille a day for honoring the blind. / Pharmacist Day (U.S.) / Spaghetti Day (U.S.) / Elizabeth Ann Seton Feast Day (Catholic) First American born saint.

Jan. 5. Fragga's Day. (Norse) A day for the wife or Odin and the Goddess of marriage. / Christianity introduced to England in 597.

Jan. 6. Twelfth Day, now you know when that damn song is over! / Epiphany, This day was also at one time known as Old Christmas (Julian calendar). / Christmas Day (Armenia). / La Bafana (Italy) a festival on which the night before Bafana, a kindly witch flies down chimneys on her broom and bestows gifts on good children and leaving lumps of coal for the bad children. / la Fiesta de los Reyes Magos `Three Kings Day (Latin America) day when, among other things, the kids get presents rather than Christmas. / Festival of Kore (Ancient Greek)

Jan. 7. Nanakusa (Japan, a festival that dates back to the 7th century and recalls the seven plants served to the emperor that are believed to have great medical value: Shepherd's Purse, chickweed, parsley, cottonweed, radish, hotoke-no-za, and aona.

                                     Nanakusa

Jan. 8. Feast of Justicia (Roman) / Mid-Wife's Day, (Greece) / Man Watcher Day (US) / Rock n' Roll Day or the Birthday of Elvis 1935. / Secret Pal Day (internet) I guess if Hallmark can push dubious holidays why not 123greeting? 

                                  Secret Pal Day

Jan. 9. Seijin-No-Hi `Coming of Age Day´ (Japan) Holiday for anyone who attains the age of 20 anytime between April 2 of last year April 1 of this year. Always held on a Monday. / Feast of the Black Nazarene (Philippines)

Jan. 10. Business God's Day (Japan) / Peculiar People Day (US) about damn time. / The film Metropolis by Fritz Lang premiers in 1926.

Jan. 11. Juturnalia (Roman) Time when water was taken from her well to be used in state offerings. / Carmentalia (Roman) Day to celebrate prophecy, the chief giver of which was Carmentis, Goddess of prophecy, who also protected women during childbirth.

Jan. 12. Fabulous Wild Men Day (US)

Jan. 13. Midwinter blot (Norse) / Final Witchcraft laws repealed in Austria, 1787. / Wham-O introduces the Frisbee in 1957; American roofs have never been the same since.

Jan. 14. Makar Sankranti (Hindu) Marks the transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn) while there are 12 Sankranti throughout the year, this is regarded as one of the most important and is celebrated across Indian in a variety of ways depending on the local culture of the different regions. / Bald Eagle Appreciation Day (US) / The Simpsons Series Premiered 23 years ago, meaning Bart & Lisa have been around longer than they are old.

Jan. 15. Feast of the Lord Esquipulas (Mayan) / Black Christ Festival (Guatemala) / Feast of the Ass (French) Started out in Rome and was dedicated to the Goddess Vesta's sacred animal, later it was Christianized.

Jan. 16. / Flag Day or Magen David Day (Israel) / Teacher's Day (Thailand)

Jan. 17. Surya, Hindu Feast of the Sun Goddess.

Jan. 18. World Religion Day. (U.N.) Day to appreciate the diversity of different religious expressions. At least the ones that aren't trying to kill each other that is. / Winnie the Pooh Day.

Jan. 19. International Hot & Spicy Food Day (see bottom of page for recipes) / Ati-Atiha Festival (Philippines) which goes to the 20th. 

                                Ati-Atiha Festival

Jan. 20. Theogamia of Hera (Greek)

Jan. 21 Martin Luthor King Jr. Day observed / White Dog Feast. (Iroquois)

Jan. 22 Festival of the Muses (Ancient Greek) / today is the 107th birthday of Robert E. Howard creator of Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane & others. 

Jan. 23. National Pie Day. (US) Ooooooh National pie day agggggaaagh! (You know, the sound that Homer Simpson makes.)

Jan. 24. Milad un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) or Id-E-Milad which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad's (or Mohammad's) birthday. Shia Muslims celebrate these 5 days later. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation. / Blessing of the Happy Woman's Candle (Hungary) Bless that candle you happy little woman! / Clashing Clothes Day (US) Held the 4th Thursday of each January, wouldn't want to get that wrong would we? I mean if they go to the trouble to make one of the few movable silly "holidays" we might as well play along. 

Jan. 25. Vietnamese New Year / Robert Burn's Night (Scotland). 

                                 Robert Burns

Jan. 26. Australia Day / Republic Day (India) 

Jan. 27. National School Nurse Day (US) / Thomas Crapper Day.

Jan. 28. National Kazoo Day (U.S.)

Jan. 29. Freethinker's Day also Thomas Paine's birthday in 1737. Happy 276th Tom!

Jan. 30. Festival of Pax (Greek) Feriae Senentiva `Feast of Spring´. (Roman) 

Jan. 31. National Popcorn Day (US) / Hecate's Feast (Greek) / Up-helly-Aa (Scotland) held the last Tuesday in January; it is the largest Fire Festival in the world. 

                                Up-helly-Aa

December Holidays & Days of Note 2012

Dec. 1 National Pie Day and Eat A Red Apple Day (U.S.) or save time and just have an apple pie / World AID's Day, names such because it was on this day in 1981 that the AIDS virus was officially recognized.

Dec. 2 National Fritters Day (U.S.)

Dec. 3 International Day of Disabled People / Bona Dea (Ancient Rome) Day for secret women's rites for "The Good Goddess" the exact identity of whom is unknown... at least to me, which is as it should be I guess. / Mindfulness Day (Zen Buddhism) day for mindfully seeing and acting with compassion for the poor and oppressed. / also Mercury, Venus and Saturn fall into alignment over the Giza pyramids on this date.

Dec. 4 Cracker Jack Day (U.S.) / Wear Brown Shoes Day. (U. S.) Just why I will not speculate on.

Dec. 5 H.M. The King's Birthday (Thailand) / Death of Aleister Crowley 1947, age 72, not bad for somebody hooked on smack.

Dec. 6 National Day of Remembrance and Action against Violence against Women (Canada)

Dec. 7 National Cotton Candy Day (U.S.) originally called fairy floss, it being made from flossine sugar for... I don't know... elves, pixies and fairies but no doubt stolen by some intrepid lad or lass and given to the rest of the world as detailed in a fairy tale I've never heard of. As for why this would be set in December instead of the summer or spring when most of this confection is eaten is beyond me.

Dec. 8 Hanukkah (Jewish) starts at sunset and goes until the 15th. / Bodhi day or Rohatsu (Zen Buddhist celebration of the Buddha's enlightenment.) / Tara Puja (Tantric Buddhism) for meditation on Goddess Red Tara, protector against evil and harm. / Feast of the Immaculate Conception Day.

Dec. 9. Anna's Day (Sweden and Finland) Day to celebrate all people named Anna also the day to start the preparation process of the lutefisk to be consumed on Christmas Eve. Hey Anne, we were dropping this dried codfish in lye to let it lay their for a few days till it turns into this translucent white goo and it made us think of you.

Dec. 10 Festival For The Souls Of Dead Whales (Inuit people of Alaska) / Human Rights Day. (U.N.)

Dec. 11 National Noodle Ring Day, laugh if you want, but at least its always on the 11th of December and not one of those darn movable feasts!

Dec. 12 Day of Our Lady of Guadeloupe (Mexico) To celebrate the appearance of the Virgin Mary in 1531 at a former Aztec temple. / Bonza Bottler Day(U.S.) An excuse to celebrate, this happens every month when the day and the date are the same numbers, and the last time we will ever be able to write a check with some thing like three twelves on it!

Dec. 13 The first Papal Bull against magic is issued by Pope Alexander IV in 1258... It being okay before than? As a note, rumor has it that the Vatican has in its library, hidden away under the equivalent of a Papal EYES ONLY seal, books of powerful magic that were used in the very early days to defeat the various shamanic, magical, and other religious groups they were competing against, after the other belief systems had been put down the books were hidden away under pain of death for those that might want to take a look, but not destroyed just in case any made came back.

Well it's what I heard!

Dec. 14 Consualia (Ancient Rome) Holiday for the god Consus, represented by a corn seed, who was the protector of grains and subterranean storage bins. / On this day in 1910 the Tarot deck that would later be known as the Rider-Waite, and the inspiration for dozens of other decks, was first published.

Dec. 15 Bill of Rights Day, the United States Bill of Rights is Passed in 1791. / Amitabha Day (Tibetan and Mahayana Buddhism) Day to do good deeds and chant the name of Amitabha to gain entry to His Pure Land, and aid in attaining nirvana.

Dec. 16 - 24 Posadas (Mexico) A holiday that commemorates Joseph and Mary looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem. All I know is unless they want to get arrested Joseph and Mary better stay out of Alabama and Arizona, I really doubt they have the right papers.

Dec. 17 1904 - First flight by the Wright Brothers. / - 23 Saturnalia (Ancient Rome) Dedicated to Saturn from which many of the things we call Christmassy come from, which is a little surprising considering what a gloomy cuss he was.

Dec. 18 Feast of Epona (Ancient Rome) Feast for the goddess of horses, donkeys & mules. However originally she was a Celtic goddess but the Roman soldiers in Celtic lands liked her so much they adopted her. / Slavery is abolished in the United States, with the passing of the 13th Amendment.

Dec. 19 Opalia ( Roman) A part of Saturnalia this day was given over to Ops the Goddess of Plenty. With all the Xmas whoop de do don't forget these!

Dec. 20 Festival of the God of Commerce (Japan)

Dec. 21 Winter Solstice / Yule.

And / or the end of the world? or we are engulfed by a wave of enlightenment? Or things continue same as it ever was.

They use to sell date nut bread in cans, I haven't seen that in years, but darn it was good.... for cake that came out of a can that is.

Dec. 22  Date Nut Bread Day. They use to sell date nut bread in cans, I haven't seen sold like that in years, but darn it was good.... for cake that came out of a can that is. But really, go to a bakery, That too is pretty darn good!

Dec. 23 Noche de Rábanos "Night of the Radishes" (Oaxaca, Mexico) While it lasts only a few hours a very popular festival that attracts thousands of people to the plaza. It consists of an exhibition of sculptures made from a type of large red radish which can weigh up to 3 kilos in weight, (over 6 pounds,) and 50 cm (over a foot and a half) in length, especially grown for this event and left in the ground for months after the normal harvests to let them attain their giant size and unusual shapes. / Larentalia (Roman) Last day of Saturnalia. / Festivus (made famous on an episode of Sinfield, but around before that and actually followed by a few people, more or less) A festivus for the rest of us

Dec. 24 Christmas Eve. But then it's pretty much (fill in the blank) Eve the day before any holiday but you don't see say National Fritters Day making a fuss about it. No doubt about it as holidays go Christmas is a bit to full of itself.

Dec. 25 Christmas. Not much to say as you almost never hear anything about this obscure holiday.... at least not much before the 20th of October when they start banging the sales drum. At one time Xmas was illegal in America and England, and I assume Canada & Australia as well perhaps, till it was brought back in part by the efforts of Charles Dickens. / Feast of Frau Holle (old Germanic) Frau Holle, a winter goddess, was believed to travel throughout the night blessing the good and punishing the wicked. / Day to eat your Christmas cake (Japan)

Dec. 26 Boxing Day (UK, Canada, `and surprisingly enough Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina & West Virginia) my butler Rugglesworth always finds it so amusing when I iron the paper for him on this day. / Wren Day (Ireland & the Isle of Man) also known as Wren´s day, Hunt the Wren Day or The Hunting of the Wrens (Irish: Lá an Dreoilín) consists of "hunting" a fake wren, and putting it on top of a decorated pole. Then mummers or strawboys celebrate the Wren or Wran by dressing up in masks, straw suits and colorful motley clothing and to parade through the towns and villages in remembrance of a festival that was celebrated by the Druids. / First Day of Kwanzaa. A made-up holiday that started in the 60's. But then in the long run aren´t they all?

                          Made up that is.

Dec. 27 Boar's Head Supper (Cambridge, England) / In 537 the Hagia Sophia is completed. / in 1831 Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, and / in 1904 James Barrie's play Peter Pan premieres in London. Giving a name to a type of couple where in the Windys needs to stop enabling the Peters and force him to grow the &$%^ up.

Dec. 28 Card Game Day (U.S.) I'm thinking about designing one of those trading card games based on pointless holidays.

Dec. 29 Pepper Pot Day (U.S.) "I chose you Pepper Pot Day!" (see above)

December 30 Bicarbonate of Soda Day (U.S.) When you absolutely, positively can think of nothing else to dedicated a day to. However in the card game this day will be used to neutralize the effect of those who play the card above.

Dec. 31 Namahage (Japan). In the evening groups of Namahage men dressed as devils make door to door visits asking "Any good for nothing fellows here about?" The object is to give sluggards a chance to reform. / Siddhartha Buddha Day (Tibetan Buddhism) Day Tibetan Buddhists meditate on the Buddha's teachings and strive to fulfill the Precepts. / World Peace Meditation. / New Year's Eve.

And then it's start of a year in which every Friday is a Friday the 13th.

                Good Luck!

Thanksgiving Has Hindu Roots? by Subhamoy Das

A yoga master made a startling statement: that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life. Lincoln delivered a proclamation establishing Thanksgiving as an American holiday in 1863. Research sheds light on a possible Hindu origin for the American celebration of Thanksgiving.

"The holiday of Thanksgiving has a Hindu origin," says Richard Salva, author of a book on the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln entitled 'Soul Journey: From Lincoln to Lindbergh' which is based on a statement by the great master of yoga, Paramhamsa Yogananda, who declared that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life, and that he was reborn as the famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh.

"During my search for signs of a past-life yoga practice," Salva said, "I noticed that President Lincoln repeatedly chose Thursdays as national days of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving. This was interesting, because Thursday is considered a holy day - a day for prayer, fasting, and spiritual reflection - among Hindus, who call it 'guru day.'

"Lincoln also set aside time on Thursdays to grieve for his son, Willie, who died in Washington. Clearly, Thursdays had a spiritual significance in Lincoln's mind."

In his book, Richard Salva presents more than 500 connections between Lincoln, Lindbergh, and the ancient spiritual science of yoga. The connections span every aspect of the human condition and provide convincing evidence that Lincoln had had a Hindu past life.

More than one out of every five Americans today believes in reincarnation - yet few are aware of how past-life patterns affect them. 'Soul Journey' tries to fill this gap, by offering a vicarious experience of reincarnation. Through clear and persuasive parallels between the lives of Lincoln and Lindbergh, the book discovers how the hidden laws of karma and reincarnation impact the events of his or her daily life. It addresses other issues, such as the secret spiritual history of America's greatest president, including his past life as a Himalayan yogi; the hidden clues that reveal past lives; how greatness is achieved; and the spiritual principles behind the yoga postures that millions now practice.

End of Quote

There are so many people making claim to Lincoln, or at least the Abraham of myth, he’s gay, he was the first true communist, he was a racist who today would have been at home in the Klan, or so go some of the claims.

As for Lindbergh he was a vocal Nazi sympathizer who may have, at least according to one theory, accidently killed his own infant son while playing a practical joke and then let someone else die for the “crime”.

Even if it not true, it feels good trying!

Something to think about

The 12 Chakra System

November: Holidays & Days of Note

Nov. 1 All Saints Day. / Dia De Los Muertos (Mexico) The Day of the Dead / It was on this day that Claudius poisoned Hamlet's dad by pouring poison in his ear, starting a trend making November a particularly good month for conspiracies.

Nov. 2 Day of the Dead (Haiti) / National Deviled Egg Day (U.S.)

Nov. 3 Housewife's Day (U.S.) / Bunka no hi (Japan) Culture Day for promotion of culture and love for freedom and peace. / Sandwich Day (U.S.)

Nov. 4 Daylight Savings Time Ends / It was on this day 1871 that Alice went through the looking glass. / In 1954 Gojira premiers in Japan, an anti-atom bomb film in which the bomb is metaphorically represented by a 150 tall fire breathing monster. This message, along with over 20 minutes of content were removed and replaced with footage of Raymond Burr when it appeared in America in 1956 as Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Nov. 5 Guy Fawkes Night (England)

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

The Gunpowder Treason and plot;

I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,

'Twas his intent.

To blow up the King and the Parliament.

Three score barrels of powder below.

Poor old England to overthrow.

By God's providence he was catch'd,

With a dark lantern and burning match

Holloa boys, Holloa boys, let the bells ring

Holloa boys, Holloa boys,

God save the King!

Hip hip Hoorah!

Hip hip Hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed ol' Pope,

A farthing cheese to choke him.

A pint of beer to rinse it down,

A faggot of sticks to burn him.

Burn him in a tub of tar,'

Burn him like a blazing star.

Burn his body from his head,

Then we'll say: ol' Pope is dead

Nov. 6 Saxophone Day (U.S.) And the other musical instruments get their days when?

Nov. 7 Mayan Day of the Dead.

Nov. 8 Fuigo Matsuri (Shinto) Festival in honor of Hettsui no Kami Goddess of the kitchen range.

Nov. 9 Kristallnacht Night (1938) The night of the Nazi attacks on Jewish homes, synagogues, and shops in Germany started, which today has been turned into a night for meditating on the evil of all religion based hatred. / Quatuor Coronati (Freemason)

Nov. 10 Tree Festival (Tunisia) / Festival for the Goddesses of Reason, Liberty & Philosophy (Revolutionary France 1793) which some say never really happened but was disinformation spread by pro-royalists.

Nov. 11 Remembrance Day (Canada, England and others) The tradition is to observe a minute of silence at 11:00 am on this day to remember the dead of World War I. / Martinmas (Old Scotland) The feast of St. Martin. A day to "enjoy" a dish of haggis. To quote Mike Myers character in So I Married An Ax Murderer "I think most Scottish cuisine started out as a dare." But seriously, just where are the haggis frozen dinners in my local grocery? My guess would be right under the liver & onion dinners. / Halloween under the old calendar. / Fast for Balder thru the 17th (Old Anglo-Teutonic) Marking Hod (God of Darkness) unintentionally killing Balder (God of Light), and his true love Nanna (Goddess of Flowers) dying of a broken heart. The dead were honored.

Nov. 12 Veterans Day (U.S.)  / Tesuque Feast Day (Native American) / Lha Bab Duchen (Tibetan Buddhist) Day to celebrate the Buddha's descent from heaven after teaching the Dharma there. / The start of November under the old calendar.

Nov. 13 Festival of Jupiter (Ancient Rome)

Nov. 14 Children's Day (India) / Operating Room Nurse Day (U.S.) Which reminds me, do you know what the 5 levels of cleanliness are?

5. Guy clean.

4. Girl clean.

3. Mom clean.

2. Operating room clean  &

1. Grandmother clean.

Nov. 15 Shichigosan '7 - 5 - 3' (Japan) Children's festival. / National Teddy Bear Day (U.S.) I've read that more people are killed each year by teddy bears (button eyes stuck in throats, allergic reactions to materials) than by real bears. Of course real bears don't kill a lot of people. / It was on this date in 1966 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia that two young couples reported to Mason County sheriff's department that they have had a curious encounter with a something or other that would come to be called the Moth-Man.

Nov. 16 Icelandic Language Day or Dagur íslenskrar tungu (Iceland) / International Day for Tolerance (International) 

Nov. 17 Queen Elizabeth's Day (England) Not the current one Elizabeth I that is... back long in the long ago It had been usual to observe the anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth with rejoicings; and hence  'Queen Elizabeth's Day;' but after the great fire, these rejoicings were converted into a “satirical saturnalia of the most turbulent kind.”

Nov. 18 Occult Day (U.S.). Look as I might the meaning for this day

remains......

wait for it.......

............................ occult.

Nov. 19 Pencil Day. The modern pencil first appears in 1895 / Pop Tarts are one year away from being 50 years old as of today, at first they were called "Country Squares.”

Nov. 20 Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Buddha Day (Tibetan Buddhist) Day to meditate on the Buddha's teachings and strive to fulfill the Precepts.

Nov. 21 World Hello Day (mostly world wide) The objective of World Hello Day is to promote world peace. The theme of this day is "Greet ten people for peace". It is really easy to participate in World Hello Day. Simply, say hello to the people today. And, voice your concern for world peace. / Repentance Day (Germany)

Nov. 22  Thanksgiving Day (U.S.) And for breakfast that first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims served boiled eel, explaining the popularity of Thanksgiving D I N E R.

Also

Remember, remember, the 22 of November,

The Daly Plaza Treason and plot;

I know of no reason why the Daly Plaza Treason Should ever be forgot.

But I'll tell you this right now about that shot

It will be long forgotten before we know the real reason.

/ Noumenia (Ancient Greek) Festival honoring all the Gods and Goddesses.

Nov. 23 Kinro kansha no hi 'Labor Thanksgiving Day' (Japan) A national holiday for honoring labor. / National Cashew Day (U.S.)

Nov. 24 Feast of the Burning Lamps (Egypt)

Nov. 25 Feast of Oya (Yoruba / Santeria) Feast of Oya, Orisha of Wind, Storm, and Sudden Change. / Feast of Aphrodite and Eros (Ancient Greek) Day to honor love and passion. / National Parfait Day (U.S.) "I don't know nobody who don't like a parfait, I think it's the perfect food!" Donkey from Shrek.

Nov. 26 Festival of Lights (Tibetan)

Nov. 27 Pie in the Face Day (U.S.)

Nov. 28 Day of the New Dance (Tibetan) / Bodhisattva White Tara Day. (Tantric Buddhist) Time for meditation on White Tara, who guides the dead to Buddha Amitabha's Pure Land, where all will find salvation.

Nov. 29 Square Dance Day (U.S.) People still do that?

Nov. 30 Stay at Home Because You're Well Day (.U.S.) Sure, whatever.....

And don't forget National Teddy Bear Day on the 15th