Easter
In medieval times a festival of egg throwing was held in church, during which the priest would throw a hard-boiled egg to one of the choirboys. It was then tossed from one choirboy to the next and whoever held the egg when the clock struck 12 was the winner and retained the egg. The first Easter baskets were made to look like bird's nests.
Easter Bonnets are a throw back to the days when the people denied themselves the pleasure of wearing finery for the duration of Lent. The traditional act of painting eggs is called Pysanka.
To Egyptians, the egg was a sacred token of the renovation of mankind after the Flood.
The egg has always been a symbol of the Resurrection to Christians.
The date of Passover is variable as it is dependent on the phases of the moon, and thus Easter is also a movable feast.
The custom of giving eggs at Easter time has been traced back to Egyptians, Persians, Gauls, Greeks and Romans, to whom the egg was a symbol of life. Every year at Easter Pope John Paul sends his " Urbi et Orbi " to the world.
Easter is now celebrated (in the words of the Book of Common Prayer) on the first Sunday after the full moon which happens on or after March 21, the Spring Equinox.
Some Churches still keep up the old tradition of using evergreens - symbolic of eternal life - embroidered in red on white, or woven in straw, but most now prefer displays of flowers in the spring colours of green, yellow and white. In the United States Easter is celebrated with a large Easter Egg Hunt by children on the White House Lawn.
To the Jews, the egg marked the time of their departure from the land of Egypt.
By tradition, it was obligatory (or at least lucky) for churchgoers to wear some bright new piece of clothing - at least an Easter bonnet, if not a complete new outfit
The Easter Story - from the Bible by New Living Translation of the Bible
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it" (John 3:16-17).
The Last Supper (Mark chapter 14)
So the two disciples went on ahead into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover supper there.
In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples.
As they were sitting around the table eating, Jesus said, "The truth is, one of you will betray Me, one of you who is here eating with Me."
Greatly distressed, one by one they began to ask Him, "I'm not the one, am I?"
He replied, "It is one of you twelve, one who is eating with Me now.
For I, the Son of Man, must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for My betrayer. Far better for him if he had never been born!" As they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and asked God's blessing on it.
Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it, for this is My body."
And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it
. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood, poured out for many, sealing the covenant between God and His people.
I solemnly declare that I will not drink wine again until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God." Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said,
"Sit here while I go and pray."
He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be filled with horror and deep distress.
He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with Me."
He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting Him might pass him by. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for You.
Please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will, not Mine." Then He returned and found the disciples asleep.
"Simon!" He said to Peter.
"Are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake and watch with Me even one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak." Then Jesus left them again and prayed, repeating His pleadings.
Again He returned to them and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open.
And they didn't know what to say. When He returned to them the third time, He said, "Still sleeping? Still resting? Enough! The time has come.
I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. See, My betrayer is here!" Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested
And immediately, as He said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a mob that was armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent out by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law and the other leaders. Judas had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I go over and give Him the kiss of greeting. Then you can take Him away under guard."
As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. "Teacher!" he exclaimed, and gave Him the kiss.
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But someone pulled out a sword and slashed off an ear of the high priest's servant. Jesus asked them, "Am I some dangerous criminal, that you come armed with swords and clubs to arrest Me?
Why didn't you arrest Me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about Me." Meanwhile, all His disciples deserted Him and ran away.
There was a young man following along behind, clothed only in a linen nightshirt. When the mob tried to grab him, they tore off his clothes, but he escaped and ran away naked. Jesus is Crucified (Mark chapter 15)
So Pilate, anxious to please the crowd, released Barabbas to them.
He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to crucify Him. They dressed Him in a purple robe and made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on His head. Then they saluted, yelling, "Hail! King of the Jews!" And they beat Him on the head with a stick, spit on Him and dropped to their knees in mock worship. When they were finally tired of mocking Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him away to be crucified. A man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the country just then,
and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross. And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Hill). They offered Him wine drugged with myrrh, but He refused it. Then they nailed Him to the cross. They gambled for His clothes, throwing dice to decide who would get them.
It was nine o'clock in the morning when the crucifixion took place. A signboard was fastened to the cross above Jesus' head, announcing the charge against Him. It read: "The King of the Jews." Two criminals were crucified with Him, their crosses on either side of His. And the people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at Him. "You can destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, can you? Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!" The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus.
"He saved others," they scoffed, "but He can't save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe Him!" Even the two criminals who were being crucified with Jesus ridiculed Him.
The Death of Jesus At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.
Then, at that time Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"
which means, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought He was calling for the prophet Elijah.
One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to Him on a stick so he could drink. "Leave Him alone. Let's see whether Elijah will come and take Him down!" he said. Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed His last.
And the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing Him saw how He had died, he exclaimed, "Truly, this was the Son of God!" Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph) and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for Him while He was in Galilee. Then they and many other women had come with Him to Jerusalem.
The Burial of Jesus
This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath.
As evening approached, an honored member of the high council, Joseph from Arimathea (who was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come), gathered his courage and went to Pilate to ask for Jesus' body. Pilate couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman military officer in charge and asked him. The officer confirmed the fact, and Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth, and taking Jesus' body down from the cross, he wrapped it in the cloth and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid. The Resurrection - Jesus Is Risen! (Mark chapter 16)
The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone - a very large one - had already been rolled aside. So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid His body. Now go and give this message to His disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there, just as He told you before He died!" The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk.
It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead,
and the first person who saw Him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and found the disciples, who were grieving and weeping. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they didn't believe her.
Afterward He appeared to two who were walking from Jerusalem into the country,
but they didn't recognize Him at first because He had changed His appearance. When they realized who He was, they rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later He appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together.
He rebuked them for their unbelief - their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And then He told them,
"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.
Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in My name, and they will speak new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them." When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them,
He was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. God loves you so much that He send His son Jesus Christ to die for your sins.
After His resurrection and ascension into heaven, He sent His Spirit to live in our lives and empower us to live the abundant life. But we must personally ask Him into our lives to be our Lord and Savior. If you are sincere about asking Him into your life, why don't you pray the suggested prayer below: (Prayer is talking to God.
God knows your heart and is not as concerned with your words
as He is with the attitude of your heart.) Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.
I open the door of my life to You and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen
Origins of Easter Easter is perhaps nowadays seen as a mostly Christian festival but in fact its origins lie in three religious faiths - Pagan, Hebrew and Christian. Pagan tradition suggests that the name Easter is derived from Ostara or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring to whom the month of April was dedicated. Another Pagan tradition that can coincide with Easter is the vernal equinox or the Festival of Spring in March, which symbolises the rebirth of nature following the cold days of winter. Even today Pagan symbols live on in the celebration of Easter with the hare, a symbol of fertility, becoming the Easter Bunny and brightly decorated eggs which were originally used to represent the colours of the new spring. Eggs were also an important fertility symbol. Easter is also connected to the Hebrew "pesach" (Passover) festival that is an important date in the Jewish calendar commemorating the flight and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt and slavery when the angel of death "passed over" their dwellings offering them protection. Passover is celebrated over eight days and many of the early Christians, who were of Jewish origin, regarded Easter as a new feature of the Passover festival. According to Christian tradition Easter is a major celebration marking the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was crucified on what is known to Christians as Good Friday and was resurrected three days later on Easter Sunday.
Rolling decorated Easter Eggs is seen to represent the rolling away of the rock from the tomb of Jesus. Easter marks the end of the period of Lent that begins on Ash Wednesday and is a time of penitence in preparation for the highest festival of the church. Although there are 46 days from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday Lent itself only lasts 40 days as Sundays are excluded. The last week of Lent is celebrated as Holy Week and begins with Palm Sunday that marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as the crowds laid palms at his feet. Holy Thursday marks the Last Supper before the anniversary of the crucifixion on Good Friday. Easter is a moveable feast as churches in the west celebrate it on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox on 21st March. That means Easter Sunday can be as early as the third week in March or as late as the fourth week in April.
Easter Eggs
Eggs have been associated with Easter for many centuries and are the most identifiable symbol of Easter.
In the very early days eggs were decorated with bright colours to represent the coming of spring and the growth of new plants and animals and used in egg rolling or given away as gifts, sometimes between lovers and romantic admirers much in the same way as Valentine gifts. Different countries have different traditions for their egg decoration with gold and silver favoured by Slavic people, crimson red to represent the blood of Christ in Greece, green eggs for Holy Thursday in parts of Germany and Austria and also in Austria plants are sometimes wrapped around eggs before they are boiled. It is also quite common in some countries for eggs to have their insides blown out to leave the empty shell, which is then decorated and hung from shrubs and trees during Easter week. Eggs were also used in Easter sports with the Romans giving out eggs as prizes in their celebratory Easter races and nowadays there are two common games the Easter Egg Hunt and the Easter Egg Roll. The rules of the Easter Egg Roll are simple - whoever can roll their egg the furthest distance down a hill without it breaking is the winner. Although many participants use the rolling as an excuse to crack the shell and eat the inside! The Easter Egg Hunt involves lots of eggs being hidden around the house or garden by the Easter Bunny before the children of the house get up for the day
Major Islamic Holidays Celebrations for Muslims around the world by Borgna Brunner The two major Islamic festivals, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid means festival.
Muharram (1 Muharram)
The Islamic New Year
The month of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic liturgical year. The Islamic year begins on the first day of Muharram, and is counted from the year of the Hegira (anno Hegirae)—the year in which Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina (A.D. July 16, 622).
The new year in 2006 marks the beginning of A.H. 1427.
The Islamic new year is celebrated relatively quietly, with prayers and readings and reflection upon the hegira.
Mawlid al-Nabi (12 Rabi 1) Muhammad's Birthday This holiday celebrates the birthday of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. It is fixed as the 12th day of the month of Rabi I in the Islamic calendar. Mawlid means birthday of a holy figure and al-Nabi means prophet. The day is commemorated with recollections of Muhammad's life and significance. Fundamentalist Muslims, such as the Wahhabi sect, do not celebrate it.
Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal) The Celebration concluding Ramadan Ramadan, the month of fasting, ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr. Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (Eid al-Adha is the other).
At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family. A sense of generosity and gratitude colors these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan.
As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.
Eid al-Adha (10 Dhu'l-Hijjah)
The celebration concluding the Hajj
Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, commemorates the prophet Abraham's willingness to obey Allah by sacrificing his son Ishmael. According to the Qu'ran, just before Abraham sacrificed his son, Allah replaced Ishmael with a ram, thus sparing his life.
One of the two most important Islamic festivals, Eid al-Adha begins on the 10 day of Dhu'l-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Lasting for three days, it occurs at the conclusion of the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muslims all over the world celebrate, not simply those undertaking the hajj, which for most Muslims is a once-a-lifetime occurrence.
The festival is celebrated by sacrificing a lamb or other animal and distributing the meat to relatives, friends, and the poor. The sacrifice symbolizes obedience to Allah and its distribution to others is an expression of generosity, one of the five pillars of Islam.
In the Year of the Hegira Muharram
(Islamic New Year) Mawlid al-Nabi
(Muhammad's Birthday) Ramadan begins Eid al-Fitr
(Ramadan ends) Eid al-Adha
(Festival of Sacrifice)
A.H. 1426 Feb. 10, 2005 April 21, 2005 Oct. 5, 2005 Nov. 4, 2005 Jan. 10, 2006
A.H. 1427 Jan. 31, 2006 April 11, 2006 Sept. 24, 2006 Oct. 24, 2006 Dec. 31, 2006
A.H. 1428 Jan. 20, 2007 March 31, 2007 Sept. 13, 2007 Oct. 13, 2007 Dec. 20, 2007
A.H. 1429 Jan. 10, 2008 March 20, 2008 Sept. 2, 2008 Oct. 2, 2008 Dec. 9, 2008
All holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date given.
The Islamic calendar is based on lunar observation; thus, the above dates may vary by one or two days. Dates apply to North America.
Memorial Day Officially observed on May 30, 2005
by Borgna Brunner Memorial Day originated in 1868, when Union General John A. Logan designated a day in which the graves of Civil War soldiers would be decorated. Known as Decoration Day, the holiday was changed to Memorial Day within twenty years, becoming a holiday dedicated to the memory of all war dead. It became a federal holiday in 1971, and is now observed on the last Monday in May. There is also a Confederate Memorial Day, which is celebrated on various days in some southern states.
Mother Day
The custom of honoring mothers goes back at least as far as 17th-century England, which celebrated (and still celebrates) Mothering Sunday. Mother's Day in the United States originated in 1872 with Julia Ward Howe, a writer, abolitionist, and suffragist who wrote the words to "Battle Hymn of the Republic." In 1911, President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.
quote
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.
—William Ross Wallace
Father's Day
Timeline of Father's Day History
Ninety years of celebrating dads
by Holly Hartman
1910s 1920s 1950s 1960s 1970s 2000s
1910 Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, organizes the first Father's Day celebration on June 19, her own father's birthday.
The mayor of Spokane and the governor of Washington state officially support the event. Dodd's father, a farmer and Civil War veteran, had been a single father to six young children after the death of his wife.
1924 President Calvin Coolidge publicly supports plans for a national Father's Day.
1926 The National Father's Day Committee meets for the first time in New York City.
1956 The observance of Father's Day is recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress.
1966 President Lyndon Johnson proclaims Father's Day to be an official national holiday.
1972 President Richard Nixon signs into law a permanent U.S. Father's Day to be observed on the third Sunday of June.
1999 Father's Day is the fifth most popular card-sending holiday, with an estimated $95 million in card sales. Not just fathers but husbands, grandfathers, uncles, sons, and sons-in-law are among the honorees.
2001 Only days before Father's Day an estimated 53% of Americans do not know what they will buy for the holiday.
If they are like last year's consumers, 60% will buy cards, while the most popular gifts will be apparel (41%), dinner (38%), sporting goods (22%), home improvement merchandise (18%), electronics (17%), and gardening tools (12%).
2004 In 2004, there were an estimated 98,000 "stay-at-home" dads.
These are married fathers with children under 15 years old who have remained out of the labor force for more than one year primarily so they can care for the family while their wives work outside the home.
History of July 4 Celebrations America's biggest secular holiday
by David Johnson
America celebrates July 4 as Independence Day because it was on July 4, 1776, that members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. Spontaneous Celebrations
Following its adoption, the Declaration was read to the public in various American cities. Whenever they heard it, patriots erupted in cheers and celebrations.
In 1777, Philadelphians remembered the 4th of July. Bells were rung, guns fired, candles lighted, and firecrackers set off. However, while the War of Independence dragged on, July 4 celebrations were modest at best.
When the war ended in 1783, July 4 became a holiday in some places. In Boston, it replaced the date of the Boston Massacre, March 5, as the major patriotic holiday. Speeches, military events, parades, and fireworks marked the day. In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal holiday.
Picnics and Games
Over time, various other summertime activities also came to be associated with the Fourth of July, including historical pageants, picnics, baseball games, watermelon-eating contests, and trips to the beach. Common foods include hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, apple pie, cole slaw, and sometimes clam bakes.
Colonial Attractions
While the Fourth is celebrated across the country, historic cities like Boston and Philadelphia draw huge crowds to their festivities.
In Boston, the USS John F. Kennedy often sails into the harbor, while the Boston Pops Orchestra holds a televised concert on the banks of the Charles River, featuring American music and ending with the 1812 Overture.
Philadelphia holds its celebrations at Independence Hall, where historic scenes are reenacted and the Declaration of Independence is read.
John Adams wrote that the Fourth of July "...ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."
Rodeos and Candles
Other interesting parties include the American Indian rodeo and three-day pow-wow in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the Lititz, Pennsylvania, candle festival, where hundred of candles are floated in water and a "Queen of Candles" is chosen.
John Adams Urged Recognition
The second president, John Adams, would have approved.
"I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival," he wrote his wife, Abigail. "It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."
John Hancock Was First
John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration. With its ornate capitals, Hancock's sprawling signature is prominent on the document. Since then, when people are asked for their "John Hancock," they are being asked to sign their names.
All 56 men who ultimately signed the Declaration showed great courage. Announcing independence from Great Britain was an act of treason, punishable by death.
A Marvelous Document
The Declaration of Independence itself has become one of the most admired and copied political documents of all time.
It was written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Jefferson.
The Declaration of Independence is a justification of the American Revolution, citing grievances against King George III. It is also a landmark philosophical statement, drawing on the writings of philosophers John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It affirms that since all people are creatures of God, or nature, they have certain natural rights, or liberties, that cannot be violated. Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence, full and formal declaration adopted July 4, 1776,
by representatives of the Thirteen Colonies in North America announcing the separation of those colonies from Great Britain and making them into the United States.
The Declaration and the American Revolution have since inspired freedom-seekers the around the world.
Facts on Fireworks
A brief history of the world's favorite explosives
by Holly Hartman
For hundreds of years, even before Francis Scott Key wrote of seeing "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air," people have been awed by the bright lights and big noise of fireworks. The ancient Chinese used fireworks at festivities and to frighten enemies in battle. Captain John Smith set them off in Jamestown in 1608, enjoying a bit of English popular entertainment and impressing Native Americans.
Smoky Origins Legend has it that the Chinese made the first fireworks in the 800s, filling bamboo shoots with gunpowder and exploding them at the New Year with the hope that the sound would scare away evil spirits. According to tradition, Marco Polo brought this technology back to Europe.
It's fair to say, however, that the origins of fireworks are shrouded in smoke; the China story is widespread, and possibly true, but fireworks may in fact have developed in India or the Arab world. Fireworks became known in Europe during the 1300s, probably after returning Crusaders brought them from the East.
History of July 4 Celebrations
July 4th Feature
By the 1400s Florence, Italy, was the center of fireworks manufacturing. At this time fireworks were just one effect in a celebration rather than its focus. At religious festivals Italians made plaster figures that spewed fireworks from their eyes and mouths. The 1533 coronation parade for Anne Boleyn included a papier-mache dragon that belched fire. During the 1700s displays became more elaborate and were popular with European royalty. French king Louis XV ordered extravagant displays of fireworks at Versailles, and Russian czar Peter the Great put on a five-hour show after the birth of his son. Meanwhile, in the American colonies settlers used fireworks to mark happy occasions. Today fireworks are a key part of celebrating Independence Day in the United States, Guy Fawkes' Day in the United Kingdom, Bastille Day in France, and New Year festivities around the world.
COMMON COLORS Blue Copper salts Gold Aluminum, magnesium Green Barium salts Red Strontium salts White Aluminum, magnesium Yellow Sodium salts
Color by Fire
Early fireworks were enjoyed more for the sound than the show—in its simplest forms gunpowder explodes quickly, leaving a terrific bang but not much to see other than a rather brief golden glow. Over time people discovered that using chemical compounds with greater amounts of oxygen made the explosives burn brighter and longer. The multi-hued displays we know now began in the 1830s, when Italians added trace amounts of metals that burn at high temperatures, creating beautiful colors. Other additives also produced interesting effects. For example, calcium deepens colors, titanium makes sparks, and zinc creates smoke clouds.
July: the Most Dangerous Month?
Armed with this knowledge, some aficionados enjoy trying to create their own fireworks. But these creations are even more dangerous and unpredictable than legal fireworks. Because homemade fireworks are often made from parts of other fireworks, they can contain deadly amounts of explosive powders. In 1999 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 8,500 fireworks-related emergency-room visits—about two-thirds of these in July. And there's no tally of the countless blistered hands, traumatized pets, singed shrubs, and melted G.I. Joe dolls. Experts recommend leaving the fireworks spectacle to the professionals and limiting your flame-tending interests to the barbecue.
Founders' Wisdom Quotations from signers of the Declaration of Independence
Compiled by Elizabeth Olson
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
John Adams (1735–1826)
That these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown; and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. Richard Henry Lee (1732–1794)
There, I guess King George will be able to read that.
John Hancock (1737–1793)
Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments. If we can get rid of the former, we may easily bear the latter.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right…and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers.
John Adams (1735–1826) While Gen'l Howe with a Large Armament is advancing towards N. York, our Congress resolved to Declare the United Colonies free and Independent States. A Declaration for this Purpose, I expect, will this day pass Congress...It is gone so far that we must now be a free independent State, or a Conquered Country.
Abraham Clark (1726–1794)
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means. This is our day of deliverance.
John Adams (1735–1826) Equal and exact justice to all men…freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially selected,these principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us.
Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
Star-Mangled Banner A look at some controversial, and botched, renditions of our national anthem
by John Gettings
"Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early night . . ."
Since World War II the Star-Spangled Banner has become a permanent fixture at sports events in the United States. And over the last 30 years artists have gradually made non-traditional renditions of the song commonplace. Frequency doesn't necessarily breed acceptance, however. While America may seem less surprised by new renditions of the national anthem, it still considers the song's performance a litmus test for patriotism.
Jose Feliciano
Oct. 7, 1968
Puerto Rican blind singer/guitarist Jose Feliciano stunned the crowd at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, and the rest of America, when he strummed a slow, bluesy rendition of the national anthem before Game 5 of the World Series between Detroit and St. Louis. The 23-year-old's performance was the first nontraditional version seen by mainstream America, and it is generally considered the Lexington and Concord of Star-Spangled Banner controversies. The fiery response from Vietnam-weary America was not surprising, considering the tumultuous year for American patriotism. Good or bad, however, Feliciano's performance opened the door for the countless interpretations of the Star-Spangled Banner we hear today.
Jimi Hendrix
Aug. 17, 1969
It wasn't a sports event, but it was controversial. During the final set of the historic Woodstock music festival Jimi Hendrix let loose with a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner on electric guitar that's been called everything from the most important political rock statement of the 1960s, to an afterthought caught in one of Hendrix's worst performances. It was his first gig since the breakup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and all but 10% of the festival's 400,000 concert goers stayed for his Monday morning set. But there was no question the performance was controversial. Even today, music scholars can't agree on what message, if any, Hendrix's screaming guitar and ballistic feedback was trying to deliver. Hendrix's entire Woodstock set, including the Star-Spangled Banner, can be heard on the 1999 MCA release Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock.]
Marvin Gaye
American Music Timeline
Star-Spangled Banner
Star-Spangled Banner lyrics
War of 1812
Feb. 13, 1983
A little more than a week before Motown legend Marvin Gaye picked up two Grammy Awards for his classic "Sexual Healing," he performed the national anthem before the 1983 NBA All-Star Game at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Accompanied by a drum machine, Gaye's interpretation added elements of soul and funk to the national anthem. Gaye, who, coincidently, also sang the anthem during the same World Series as Jose Feliciano in 1968, was scrutinized for his performance, but the fallout didn't compare to that of Feliciano's rendition. The NBA players were most receptive. Especially Gaye fan Julius Erving, who loved the performance and went on to win game MVP honors. [Note: Gaye's performance is the first track of the 1996 Polygram compilation NBA at 50: Musical Celebration.]
Roseanne Barr
July 25, 1990
The poster child for Star-Spangled Banner controversy, Barr (whose last name and reputation were still intact at this time) tried to add her own brand of humor to the singing of the national anthem before a baseball game in San Diego. After screeching through an off-key version of the song she added some clichéd baseball humor by spitting and grabbing her crotch. The popular sit-com comedian immediately became public enemy number one. After hearing a tape of Barr, President George Bush called it "disgusting" and "a disgrace."
Aerosmith
May 27, 2001
Singing on Memorial Day before the start of the Indianapolis 500, Steven Tyler, lead singer of the rock group Aerosmith, angered veterans by changing the last line of the song. Instead of singing "home of the brave," Tyler sings "home of the Indianapolis 500." He apologized the next day, releasing the following statement: "I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth. I'm very proud to be an American and live in the home of the brave."
And then there are the unforgettable performances where we watched confident artists painfully struggle with this very difficult song. Here are two examples:
Robert Goulet
May 25, 1965
Although he was born in the United States, Robert Goulet moved to Canada when he was 14 years old and had never sang the Star-Spangled Banner in public before May 25, 1965. That night, moments before the much-anticipated rematch of boxing heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine, Goulet began, "Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early night..." The bout lasted less than one round, and the disappointing fight didn't provide a big enough shadow for Goulet's performance to hide behind. Although he's done it without incident hundreds of times since, Goulet says he is always asked about his infamous flub.
Carl Lewis
Jan. 21, 1993
There's no question nine-time Olympic track-and-field gold medallist Carl Lewis
can carry a baton—as he did many times for U.S. Olympic relay teams—but how about a tune?
Before a Chicago Bulls–New Jersey Nets basketball game, in front of a sellout crowd in East Rutherford,
N.J., Lewis orchestrated the musical equivalent of a train wreck.
Later explaining that he was hoarse from participating in inaugural events at the White House the day before, Lewis faltered during the lyric "rockets red glare," and then mid-song told the fans, "I'll make up for it." He never did.
Veterans Day
Armistice Day Becomes Veterans Day
World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany,
however, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.
Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.
In 1968, new legislation changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.
Tomb of the Unknowns
Official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day center around the Tomb of the Unknowns.
To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.
At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes "Present Arms" at the tomb. The nation's tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath and the playing of "Taps."
Unknown Soldier Identified On Memorial Day (which honors U.S. service people who died in action) in 1958, two more unidentified American war dead, one from World War II and the other from the Korean War, were buried next the unknown soldier of World War I.
A law was passed in 1973 providing interment of an unknown American from the Vietnam War, but because of the improved technology to identify the dead, it was not until 1984 that an unidentified soldier was buried in the tomb.
In 1998, however, the Vietnam soldier was identified through DNA tests as Michael Blassie, a 24-year-old Air Force pilot who was shot down in May of 1972 near the Cambodian border. His body was disinterred and reburied by his family in St. Louis, Missouri.
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