In the United States, the Fourth of July or “Independence Day” commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with gaiety and fun events, such as fireworks, parades, family gatherings, barbecues, picnics, and concerts.

For some reason, I started singing the Star Spangled Banner to my granddaughter this morning – and I found myself wondering about the origin of the song. A search of Wikipedia found the following. . .

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from “Defense of Fort McHenry,” a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

The poem, set to the tune of “The Anacreontic Song” (or “To Anacreon in Heaven”), with various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key’s poem and renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” it would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth (“O thus be it ever when free men shall stand…”) added on more formal occasions. In the fourth stanza, Key urged the adoption of “In God is our Trust” as the national motto (“And this be our motto: In God is our Trust”). The United States adopted the motto “In God We Trust” by law in 1956.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and the President in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931 codified at which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that “The Star-Spangled Banner” be played at military and other appropriate occasions. Although the playing of the song two years later during the seventh-inning stretch of the 1918 World Series is often noted as the first instance that the anthem was played at a baseball game, evidence shows that the “Star-Spangled Banner” was performed as early as 1897 at opening day ceremonies in Philadelphia and then more regularly at the Polo Grounds in New York City beginning in 1898. However, the tradition of performing the national anthem before every baseball game began in World War II.

The first “pop” performance of the anthem heard by mainstream America was by Puerto Rican singer and guitarist Jose Feliciano. He shocked some people in the crowd at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and some Americans when he strummed a slow, bluesy rendition of the national anthem before game five of the 1968 World Series between Detroit and St. Louis. This rendition started contemporary “Star-Spangled Banner” controversies.

Why not take a minute this holiday weekend to sing the first stanza to someone you love. . .or just to yourself.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Today’s the day for the wearin’ of the green. Ever wonder who St. Patrick was and why there is a day dedicated to him? Who was he?  What was special about him?

A search on the internet brings up all sorts of stories.  I have listed a few interesting points I found on Wikipedia:

Saint Patrick (estimated AD 387 – AD 461), said to have been born Maewyn Succat, was a Roman Britain-born Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba.

When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken from his native Wales as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the church, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church.

By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland. Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of ‘three divine persons in the one God’ (as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick’s time).  March 17, popularly known as St. Patrick’s Day, is believed to be his death date and is the date celebrated as his feast day.

On March 17, 1776, the day that British forces under General Sir William Howe evacuated Boston during the American Revolutionary War, the password of the day at General George Washington‘s Continental Army encampment was “Saint Patrick”. The date is observed as Evacuation Day, an official holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. Massachusetts has the most Irish ancestry of the United States in terms of percentage of total population.

In any case, breathe in the crisp spring air, put on some green apparel, and celebrate the end of winter and the new beginnings of spring. Dance and clap, laugh and play and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!  :  )

A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away;
While quite unselfish, it grows small.

Eva K. Logue

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
Oren Arnold

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself.
Norman W. Brooks

At Christmas a man is at his finest towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season’s here;
Then he’s thinking more of others than he’s thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.
Edgar Guest

It came without ribbons,
It came without tags,
It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
Christmas can’t be bought from a store…
Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.
Dr.Seuss

Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.
Martin Luther

From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another
The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other.

Emily Matthews

At Christmas I no more desire a rose,
Than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled shows;
But like of each thing that in season grows.

William Shakespeare

Love came down at Christmas;
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Stars and angels gave the sign.

Christina Rossetti

 Love, peace, joy to you this Christmas, 2009

Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving, that one special time of year when all members of a family gather together to celebrate family and home.

On Thanksgiving, family and friends enjoy a long day of cooking, eating, and talking. Can’t you just smell the aroma of turkey and dressing wafting from the oven? And taste the cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie? Can you see the steam on the windows?  

We celebrate Thanksgiving every year on the 4th Thursday of November, during autumn after crops are gathered. We continue this tradition following in the footsteps of the first European settlers in America who celebrated after gathering their crops. They paused to thank their God for the success of the harvest.

There are several Thanksgiving Day explanations on the internet, but I especially liked this one that I found on http://www.classbrain.com/artholiday/publish/article_233.shtml…

Tradition says the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 by Pilgrim settlers from England. There is evidence that settlers in other parts of America held earlier Thanksgiving celebrations. But the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving story is the most popular.

The Pilgrims were religious dissidents who fled oppression in England. They went first to the Netherlands, then they left that country to establish a colony in North America. The Pilgrims landed in 1620 in what later became known as Plymouth, Massachusetts. Their voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was difficult. Their first months in America were difficult, too. About 100 Pilgrims landed just as autumn was turning to winter. During the cold months that followed, about half of them died.

When spring came, the Pilgrims began planting crops. A Native American Indian named Squanto helped them. When summer ended, the Pilgrims had a good harvest of corn and barley. Some vegetables had grown poorly. Yet there was enough food to last through the winter.

The Pilgrims decided to hold a celebration to give thanks for their harvest. Writings from that time say Pilgrim leader William Bradford set a date late in the year. He invited members of a nearby Indian tribe to take part. That Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

The Pilgrims did not plan to establish a yearly Thanksgiving holiday. But as the American colonies grew, Thanksgiving or harvest celebrations were held in many towns and settlements. Finally, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the 4th Thursday in November as a national holiday of Thanksgiving. At that time, the United States was fighting a civil war. President Lincoln liked the idea of a Thanksgiving holiday that would also celebrate national unity. Since then, the United States has always celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving also is a time when Americans share what they have with those who do not have much. Churches and other groups provide free meals for old people, the homeless, and the poor. Many Americans give turkeys or other food to these groups. Some spend part of the day helping to prepare and serve the meals.

Ah, the special meaning of Thanksgiving, a time to gather with our family. We share what we have. And we give thanks for the good things of the past year. Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

The term “Labor Day” is an interesting title. It doesn’t sound so good in and of itself, does it? I decided to do a little research to find how this holiday originated. The following is an excerpt from http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/laborday.htm:

“One of the main issues of concern pertained to labor conditions. Workers were tired of long hours, low pay and uncertain jobs. They spoke of organizing themselves into a union of laborers to improve their working conditions. In the spring of 1872, Peter McGuire and 100,000 workers went on strike and marched through the streets, demanding a decrease in the long working day.

This event convinced Peter that an organized labor movement was important for the future of workers’ rights. He spent the next year speaking to crowds of workers and unemployed people, lobbying the city government for jobs and relief money. It was not an easy road for Peter McGuire. He became known as a “disturber of the public peace.” The city government ignored his demands. Peter himself could not find a job in his trade. He began to travel up and down the east coast to speak to laborers about unionizing. In 1881, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, and began to organize carpenters there. He organized a convention of carpenters in Chicago, and it was there that a national union of carpenters was founded. He became General Secretary of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

The idea of organizing workers according to their trades spread around the country. Factory workers, dock workers and toolmakers all began to demand and get their rights to an eight-hour workday, a secure job and a future in their trades. Peter McGuire and laborers in other cities planned a holiday for workers on the first Monday in September, halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day.

On September 5, 1882 the first Labor Day parade was held in New York City. Twenty thousand workers marched in a parade up Broadway. They carried banners that read “LABOR CREATES ALL WEALTH,” and “EIGHT HOURS FOR WORK, EIGHT HOURS FOR REST, EIGHT HOURS FOR RECREATION!” After the parade there were picnics all around the city. Workers and celebrants ate Irish stew, homemade bread and apple pie. At night, fireworks were set off. Within the next few years, the idea spread from coast to coast, and all states celebrated Labor Day. In 1894, Congress voted it a federal holiday.”

Quite a history to take us from the 1800’s to where we are today. I wince when I read about the long hours those poor people worked. However, I also wince today when I see how hard so many people are working in our country. Long, long hours. Long hours at the office/job followed by continued work at home, thanks to technology that extends the work into the home. Long hours that rob from the “eight hours for rest” and “eight hours for recreation.” Long hours that rob from the spouse and the children and from the nurturance of self.

My wish for you is that you give yourself permission to take some time off from “labor” this holiday weekend to refresh and renew you and your loved ones. The “labor” will still be there waiting for you when you return. Make this weekend a “labor of love” – for you and all who are dear to you. Go out and make some memories that you can carry around in your heart for the rest of your lives. Have a happy holiday weekend!  :  )

Today’s the day for the wearin’ of the green!  Ever since a kid in grade school I have always been so excited about St. Patrick’s Day.  I start decorating the house as soon as Valentine’s Day is over.

I had a couple of really fun, lively nuns who made St. Patrick’s Day so exciting.  One was even Irish…Sister Theresa Clare.  Such fun we had dancing and clapping to the Irish music, drawing shamrocks, and of course, wearing of the green.  The memories still stir my heart and make me teary.  My sister Theresa has me to blame for her name.  :  )

 As I had my own children, I continued my Irish traditions.  Now adults, my children still don’t let me “forget” to make them shamrock cookies.  Recently I was reminiscing with my boys, and one of the things we talked about were the shamrock cookies I made for them, year after year.  A couple weeks later I received a text message from one of them saying, “Remember we discussed shamrock cookies?  No reason…just sayin.  :  )”  Little did he know I had already taken them to the Post Office so they’d make their way to Chicago before St. Patrick’s Day…no matter that it cost a fortune to mail them.

As my Irish CD is playing all the Irish tunes while I am writing this article today, I find myself listening to the words and wondering about St. Patrick.  Who was he?  What was special about him?   A search on the internet brings up all sorts of stories.  I have listed a few interesting points I found on Wikipedia: 

Saint Patrick (estimated AD 387 – AD 461)(Latin: Patricius, Irish: Naomh Pádraig), said to have been born Maewyn Succat, was a Roman Britain-born Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba.

 When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken from his native Wales as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After entering the church, he later returned to Ireland as a missionary in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any church.

By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland.  Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of ‘three divine persons in the one God’ (as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick’s time).  March 17, popularly known as St. Patrick’s Day, is believed to be his death date and is the date celebrated as his feast day. 

On March 17, 1776, the day that British forces under General Sir William Howe evacuated Boston during the American Revolutionary War, the password of the day at General George Washington‘s Continental Army encampment was “Saint Patrick”. The date is observed as Evacuation Day, an official holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA. Massachusetts has the most Irish ancestry of the United States in terms of percentage of total population.

In any case, breathe in the crisp spring air, put on some green apparel, and make this day one of the most exciting ever.  Dance and clap, laugh and play…joyfully place excitement in some little child’s heart so that 50+ years later they still tearfully remember the gift you placed there this fine day!