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While grocery shopping today I observed (with shock) that there is a special aisle of Halloween candy on display already! A new record for early starts?

The official Capitol Christmas tree for 2010 has been chosen.
It is a 67-foot Engelmann spruce from Wyoming. The exact location of the tree in the Bridger-Teton National Forest (near Jackson) is being kept secret until November, when there will be a cutting ceremony.

Debunking the 4th of July

John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, on the 3rd of July, the day after they voted for independence, saying "the 2nd of July will always be remembered and will be celebrated with parades and illuminations and patriotic speeches."

America ended up with the 4th because that's the day the Declaration of Independence was sent out to the states to be read. The document was dated July 4, so that's the day they celebrated.

Today is Flag Day here in the United States.

On this day in 1777, the government officially adopted the Stars and Stripes as our national flag. No one knows for sure, but it was most likely designed by Congressman Francis Hopkinson and sewn by a seamstress in Philadelphia named Betsy Ross.

On this Memorial Day, may each of us, in our own way, honor those who serve and have served our nation by protecting and upholding the principles upon which it was founded. This is our most basic tenant to service in the military—and as citizens of this beloved country. May each of us remember, in our own small way, to make a difference in our world.

"A Pacifist's Salute" by Unitarian minister and military chaplin Rev. Cynthia Kane

The White House Easter Egg Roll takes place today.
Guests include pop star Justin Bieber, the cast of "Glee", Olympic speed-skater Apolo Ohno, AND J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books.

Today is St. Patrick's Day. It was on this day in the fifth century — probably in the year 460 — that Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died. He was born in Britain to wealthy parents, but not much more is known about his childhood until he was 16, when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. He was a slave for six years, herding sheep, often alone.
He escaped and made it back to Britain, was trained as a priest, and then returned to Ireland. He wrote that he would have loved to go home to his family and his country, but that it was his duty to remain in Ireland, converting people to Christianity and baptizing them.
There were few Christians in Ireland at the time, so Patrick tried to integrate traditional beliefs with the new religion, and legend has it that he introduced the Celtic cross as a way to combine the Christian cross with a symbol of the sun.
Another legend says that he used the three leaves of the clover to explain the Trinity, which is why shamrocks are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day.

Today in Iceland, it's a big rousing holiday: The first of March is Beer Day. Far from being an arbitrary excuse to carouse, it's a commemoration of a legislative victory, the abolition of a 74-year ban on beer. The beer prohibition in Iceland ended just 21 years ago today in 1989.

Lunar New Year greetings from President Obama.

Today is Valentine's Day, the day on which we celebrate love, especially romantic love. The holiday was named after an early Christian priest, St. Valentine, who was martyred on February 14 in 269 A.D.

The tradition of exchanging love notes on Valentine's Day originates from the martyr Valentine himself. The legend maintains that due to a shortage of enlistments, Emperor Claudius II forbade single men to get married in an effort to bolster his struggling army. Seeing this act as a grave injustice, Valentine performed clandestine wedding rituals in defiance of the emperor. Valentine was discovered, imprisoned, and sentenced to death by beheading. While awaiting his fate in his cell, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of a prison guard, who would come and visit him. On the day of his death, Valentine left a note for the young woman professing his undying devotion signed "Love from your Valentine."

February 6th is Waitangi Day in New Zealand. It commemorates the signing of a treaty between the Maori and white European settlers.

Happy Troll Day!

Rare Blue Moon to ring in 2010.The last New Year's Eve Blue Moon was in 1990, and the next one won't come until 2028.

Today is Boxing Day, celebrated the day after Christmas in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know.
Where the treetops glisten,
And children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write.
May your days be merry and bright.
And may all your Christmases be white."

Irving Berlin

"I heard the bells, on Christmas Day,
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It was on this day in 1914 that the last known Christmas truce occurred, during World War I. German troops fighting in Belgium began decorating their trenches and singing Christmas carols. Their enemy, the British, soon joined in the caroling. The war was put on hold, and these soldiers greeted each other in "No Man's Land," exchanging gifts of whiskey and cigars. Games broke out, including a soccer competition. In many areas, the truce held until Christmas night, while in other places the truce did not end until New Year's Day.

from "The Writer's Almanac" by Garrison Keillor

Bo, the White House dog, has his own Christmas stocking. Wonder what will be in it?

Obama family lights National Christmas Tree.

"It represents a tradition that we celebrate as a country--a tradition that has come to represent more than any one holiday or religion, but a season of brotherhood and generosity to our fellow citizens."
------President Obama

The White House in gingerbread.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What part of a turkey is the "furcula"?
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The wishbone!

Christmas music on store loudspeakers, neighborhood houses strung with glowing lights, "pre-season" sales in full swing--these are all signs of the rush past Thanksgiving and on to Christmas.
But the strangest thing I've encountered (so far...) is marshmallow Peeps made in winter holidays shapes--snowmen, evergreen trees, and reindeer--all appropriately colored. Guess people don't get enough at Easter!

It's Halloween, one of the oldest holidays in the Western European tradition, invented by the Celts, who believed Halloween was the day of the year when spirits, ghosts, faeries, and goblins walked the earth. The tradition of dressing up and getting candy probably started with the Celts as well. Historians believe that they dressed up as ghosts and goblins to scare away the spirits, and they would put food and wine on their doorstep for the spirits of family members who had come back to visit the home.

from "The Writer's Almanac" with Garrison Keillor

Today is the International Day of Peace.

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Today is Colorado Day. Often designated as August 1st, the actual statute declares the first Monday in August as "Colorado Day". Admission to all state parks is free today.

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.

Happy 4th of July!
I made three pies to take to Andrew's for our holiday barbecue. Only afterward did I think I should have made one an apple ("as American as apple pie").

President Obama urges fathers to be in their kids' lives.

This isn't an obligation. This is a privilege, to be a father.

Not only is it Flag Day, but President Obama has declared National Flag Week.

Obama is also calling on Americans to observe the period from Flag Day through Independence Day as a celebration of the nation's heritage, by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at public gatherings.

Happy Flag Day!

The Big Picture: Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling

It's Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you!

May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.

And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Find tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

How Marshmallow Peeps are Made.

In the past few days I've made a big dish of Colcannon and also two loaves of Irish Soda Bread. The Irish definitely love carbs (but it's okay "once in a while").

Friday the 13th Origins, History, and Folklore

Today is square root day: 3/3/09

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Darwin Day!

Happy Troll Day!!

Today is the beginning of the Chinese New Year.

"The Big Picture" features Chinese New Year.

Happy Christmas!

A Visit from Saint Nicholas in the Ernest Hemingway Manner by James Thurber

Unusual and Creative Christmas Trees