Hanukkah

Hanukkah begins at sundown today. Special Hanukkah Prayers will also be used over an eight day period!



Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, IPA: ['χanuka], alt. Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.

source

Wikipedia

A special candelabrum called the Menorah is used.

Special Hanukkah prayers are recited.

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This version includes both the English and Hebrew translations!

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Latke Recipes!

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Thanksgiving

Here is a link to a very heartwarming story about a woman who opened her home to others for Thanksgiving!

In the article she has said that her and her family faced a lot of hardship in the past and were very nearly homeless (I don't know if this had anything to do with their home being foreclosed on or whether or not their home was in the foreclosure process) but her life has turned around and she wanted to show her gratitude by helping others!

Veterans Day!

This is the day that we celebrate all veterans - both living and deceased!

There are lots of Veterans' Day activities going on all over the United States today and you can find out more about this day by clicking here

Time To Turn Your Clocks Back One Hour Tonight!

I don't know if this is when daylight savings time ends or begins but I do know that tonight (at around 2am) is when we are supposed to turn our clocks back one hour - thus gaining an additional hour of sleep!

I'm all for that!



Just found out that since we are turning our clocks back that means that we are going back to standard time!

Columbus Day - Some Thoughts / Opinions....

Why is it we celebrate Columbus Day??

They forced their way into native settlements, slaughtering everyone they found there, including small children, old men, pregnant women, and even women who had just given birth. They hacked them to pieces, slicing open their bellies with their swords as though they were so many sheep herded into a pen.
They even laid wagers on whether they could manage to slice a man in two at a stroke, or cut an individual's head from his body, or disembowel him with a single blow of their axes. They grabbed suckling infants by the feet and, ripping them from their mothers' breasts, dashed them headlong against the rocks. Others, laughing and joking all the while, threw them over their shoulders into a river, shouting: 'Wriggle, you little perisher.'

Ya' know, I was afraid someone would ask that question.

No doubt, there's no call for celebration in the Father's testimony of the shameful deeds that occurred during that chapter of human history, or in the years that followed on this continent. As a member of the Pagan community, reading them drives home the point of how important it is to respect and honor the preservation of all native cultures.

There's also the fact that Columbus wasn't the first to 'discover' the New World. Far from it.



But...I think most people celebrate the spirit of the holiday, which marks the first voyage across the Atlantic. At least that's how I look at it.

If anyone were to ask me, and I'm sure that won't happen, I'd suggest the holiday be revamped into a memorial day instead of a celebration...for the plight of our Native Americans and a truthful understanding of their 'history' and culture. - That's an excellent idea! I'd suppport it. Should we write to our congressmen? Seriously. - That's a good idea as I was serious.

Especially IF you have any congressmen in your state that care. Unfortunately there are none of those sorts here. But I would gladly write to others---if there are any of that nature left in Congress thesedays. I only know of one or perhaps 2 that might consider it and the gathering of support of their peers (for the little people) has been what they did well in the past...perhaps you are aware of others?

Why not try?

Enjoying Halloween At ANY Age!

I don't believe that Halloween is just for the kids!

In my own local area, there are quite a few events going on during the Halloween time and they are not just for kids!

I have noticed that there are less and less areas that give trick-or-treat candies out to kids now a days! I guess people are just trying to be more cautious.

Although I do admit that its nice seeing kids (and adults too) trick or treating. I mean that is what this holiday is about right?

Labor Day!

Surprisingly enough Labor Day falls on the first day of September - which happens to be a Monday! I don't think I ever recall Labor Day coming so early!

If I were a suspicious kind of person I would think President Bush had something to do with it just to get people back to work!

International Worldwide Forgiveness Day

August 3rd was designated as International Worldwide Forgiveness Day by the visionary Robert Plath. His vision was that it would be a day that would evoke the healing spirit of forgiveness worldwide. He created the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance in 1996 to empower that vision.

Each year on this date, the Alliance honors people who have made a contribution to spreading the message of forgiveness throughout the world, either by the work they have done or by the examples set in their own lives.

Father's Day!

A special day to celebrate Dads all over the world! Married dads and single dads - all of them - this is their special day!

Flag Day

It was 1885 and Bernard Cigrand was only 19 years old. Yet, he was responsible for educating inquisitive and impressionable students. It was an awesome task for someone so young. On June 14, 1885, Cigrand wanted to teach a very important lesson by bringing attention to the flag. He placed a 10 inch 38 star flag in a bottle that sat on his desk and directed the waiting students to write essays on the flag’s meaning. It was the first noted observance of Flag Day. Cigrand’s gesture launched a groundswell of support for a day of national recognition for the Stars and Stripes. It took 31 years but he achieved his goal when President Woodrow Wilson issued a declaration calling for the country to officially observe June 14th as Flag Day.

This year as we celebrate Flag Day let us remember our troops who are fighting for the freedoms represented by the banner. Last month, I voted in favor of the GI Bill for the 21st Century that honors the sacrifice of our troops. The legislation provides service members an educational benefit that covers the entire cost of tuition, books, supplies and fees at any four year public college. Additionally, the bill grants to those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan for at least three years, a monthly stipend as they pursue their college degree.

President Bush opposes the measure, saying that it would create an exodus of military personnel by providing the educational benefit after only three years of service. Lawmakers disagree, saying it’s the least service members deserve given their enormous sacrifice.

As the country observes Flag Day 2008, we must remember our duty to the men and women serving under that flag – those who every day put their lives in harm’s way so that we may enjoy the freedoms we hold dear.

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Chaka Fattah's Newsletter

Mother's Day!

A time to celebrate Mothers everywhere!

Mother's Day Links:

• Mother's Day Flowers And Gifts
  
  
• Mother's Day Celebration website
  
  
• Mother's Day Poems
  
  
• Mother's Day Clipart
  
  
• Mother's Day Ideas!