[A friend sent me this blessing. A smile crossed my lips when reading it.]
May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $50 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your
lips.
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy
May the problems you had, forget your home address.
In simple words . . . may 2010 be the best year of your life.
~~
ANSWERS TO MONDAY’S NEW YEAR QUIZ
1. Under which calendar is New Year’s Day Jan. 1?
New Year’s Day is the first day of the year, Jan. 1, in the Gregorian
calendar. Traditionally the day has been observed as a religious feast, but
in modern times the arrival of the New Year has also become an occasion for
spirited celebration and the making of personal resolutions.
2. What calendar determines the date of the Chinese New Year?
The Chinese New Year, traditionally based on the lunar calendar, is
celebrated in many American cities with the roar of blazing firecrackers,
dancing dragons made from Paper Mâché and cloth, and traditional music.
3. Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the new year for what religion?
Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew, “beginning of the year”), Jewish New Year, celebrated
on the first and second days of the Jewish month of Tishri (falling in
September or October) by Orthodox and Conservative Jews and on the first day
alone by Reform Jews. It begins the observance of the Ten Penitential Days,
a period ending with Yom Kippur that is the most solemn of the Jewish
calendar. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as the High Holy Days.
4. Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday that begins Dec. 26 and extends through
Jan. 1. What does the word mean in Swahili?
Kwanzaa, or matunda ya kwanza, is Swahili for “first fruits”. This is an
African American holiday observed by African communities throughout the
world that celebrates family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa has its roots
in the ancient African first-fruit harvest celebrations from which it takes
its name. However, its modern history begins in 1966 when it was developed
by African American scholar and activist Maulana Karenga.
5. In the Middle Ages most European countries used the Julian calendar, so
they observed New Year’s Day when?
In the Middle Ages most European countries used the Julian calendar and
observed New Year’s Day on March 25, called Annunciation Day and celebrated
as the occasion on which it was revealed to Mary that she would give birth
to the Son of God.
6. The name January is derived from the Roman god Janus. What is he the god
of?
The name of the month is derived from Janus, the Roman god of gates and
doors, and hence of openings and beginnings. January was the 11th month of
the year in the ancient Roman calendar; in the 2nd century BC, however, it
came to be regarded as the first month. On January 1 the Romans offered
sacrifices to Janus so that he would bless the new year.
7. When do the practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism celebrate New Year’s?
Much of the ritual of Tibetan Buddhism is based on the esoteric mysticism of
Tantra, devotions that involve both yoga and mantra, or a mystical formula,
and ancient shamanistic practices. On special holidays the temples, shrines,
and altars of the lamas are decorated with symbolic figures; milk, butter,
tea, flour, and similar offerings are brought by the worshipers, animal
sacrifices being strictly forbidden. Tibetan Buddhist religious festivals
are numerous. The most notable are New Year’s, celebrated in February and
marking the commencement of spring
8. The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated
their homes and gave each other gifts. Ancient Romans gave each other New
Year’s gifts of branches from sacred trees. Later they gave small items,
such as nuts or coins, imprinted with pictures of what God?
In later years, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures
of Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. January was named after
Janus, who had two faces–one looking forward and the other looking
backward. The Romans also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors
eventually began to demand such gifts.
9. What New Year’s gift did ancient Persians give?
The ancient Persians gave New Year’s gifts of eggs, which symbolized
productiveness
10. In ancient Egypt, what event dictated the timing of New Year’s
celebrations?
In ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated at the time the River Nile
flooded, which was near the end of September. The flooding of the Nile was
very important because without it, the people would not have been able to
grow crops in the dry desert. At New Year, statues of the god Amon and his
wife and son were taken up the Nile by boat. Singing, dancing, and feasting
was done for a month, and then the statues were taken back to the temple.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
bob@grif.net www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”
