the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and
Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American
colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed
into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities
specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends
and families.
In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two
days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of
the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be
traced to this observance.
Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December
28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the
innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter
commemoration involving pranks and trickery.
Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as
saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm
clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster
usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"
Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes,
elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the
entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British
short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary
about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the
spaghetti trees.
April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy
gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy
restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little
holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he
may be the next April Fool!
Mother's Day! (May 10)
History of Mothers' Day
Some Motherly Advice
What the Bible says about Mothers
M... is for the million things she gave me,
O... means only that she's growing old,
T... is for the tears she shed to save me,
H... is for her heart of purest gold;
E... is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
R... means right, and right she'll always be.
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
--Howard Johnson (c. 1915)
History and Customs...
In the U.S. Mothers' Day is a holiday celebrated on second Sunday in May.
It is a day when children honor their mothers with cards, gifts, and
flowers. First observance in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1907, it is based on
suggestions by Julia Ward Howe in 1872 and Anna Jarvis in 1907.
Although it wasn't celebrated in the U.S. until 1908, there were days
honoring mothers even in the days of ancient Greece. In those days,
however, it was Rhea, the Mother of the gods that was given honor.
Later, in the 1600's, in England there was an annual observance called
"Mothering Sunday." It was celebrated during Lent, on the fourth Sunday. On
Mothering Sunday, the servants, who generally lived with their employers,
were encouraged to return home and honor their mothers. It was traditional
for them to bring a special cake along to celebrate the occasion.
In the U.S., in 1908 Ana Jarvis, from Grafton, West Virginia, began a
campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Jarvis persuaded her
mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the
anniversary of her mother's death. A memorial service was held there on May
10, 1908 and in Philadelphia the following year where Jarvis moved.
Jarvis and others began a letter-writing campaign to ministers,
businessmen, and politicians in their quest to establish a national
Mother's Day. They were successful. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made
the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day a national observance
that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
Many other countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at
different times throughout the year. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey,
Australia, and Belgium celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May,
as in the U.S.
Memorial Day. (May 31)
Rest Haven Cemetery in Edinburgh, Indiana
is the final resting place of many war veterans.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day to remember those
who have died in our nation's service. After the Civil war many people in
the North and South decorated graves of fallen soldiers with flowers.
In the Spring of 1866, Henry C. Welles, a druggist in the village of
Waterloo, NY, suggested that the patriots who had died in the Civil War
should be honored by decorating their graves. General John B. Murray,
Seneca County Clerk, embraced the idea and a committee was formed to plan a
day devoted to honoring the dead. Townspeople made wreaths, crosses and
bouquets for each veteran's grave. The village was decorated with flags at
half mast. On May 5 of that year, a processional was held to the town's
cemeteries, led by veterans. The town observed this day of remembrance on
May 5 of the following year as well.
Decoration Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John
Logan in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed officially on May
30, 1868. The South did not observe Decoration Day, preferring to honor
their dead on separate days until after World War I. In 1882, the name was
changed to Memorial Day, and soldiers who had died in other wars were also
honored.
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the
last Monday in May.
Today, Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season in
the United States. It is still a time to remember those who have passed on,
whether in war or otherwise. It also is a time for families to get together
for picnics, ball games, and other early summer activities.
Father's Day.( June 20)
The History of Fathers' Day
Quotes About Dad
Play Fathers' Day Word Search Online
Send a Father's Day Card
Fathers' Day Links from Yahoo!
Father's Day Gift Ideas
FATHERS' DAY HISTORY
Sonora Dodd, of Washington, was one of the first people who had the idea of
a "father's day." She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening
to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who
was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth
to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other
five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.
After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had
shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that
made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a
courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so
she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington
on the 19th of June, 1910.
Even before Dodd, however, the idea of observing a day in honor of fathers
was promoted. Dr. Robert Webb conducted what is believed as the first
Father's Day service at the Central Church of Fairmont, West Virginia in
1908. It was Dodd's efforts, however, that eventually led to a national
observance.
President Calvin Coolidge, in 1924, supported the idea of a national
Father's Day. Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential
proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day
Fourth of July.
The history of the United States of America began long before the Colonists
declared their independence. The Magna Carta, written in 1215 in order to
try to convince King John of England to give the people certain rights, is
generally considered to be the touchstone of liberty, upon which later
documents are based.
The links below will take you to America's Historic Documents. These are
the pieces of history upon which our nation was founded, and within which
our current liberty is rooted. All the documents are complete and
unabridged, including George Washington's Farewell Address.
Labor Day. ( September 6)
Labor Day is a national legal holiday that is over 100 years old. Over the
years, it has evolved from a purely labor union celebration into a general
"last fling of summer" festival.
It grew out of a celebration and parade in honor of the working class by
the Knights of Labor in 1882 in New York. In 1884, the Knights held a large
parade in New York City celebrating the working class. The parade was held
on the first Monday in September. The Knights passed a resolution to hold
all future parades on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day.
The Socialist Party held a similar celebration of the working class on May
1. This date eventually became known as May Day, and was celebrated by
Socialists and Communists in commemoration of the working man. In the U.S.,
the first Monday in September was selected to reject any identification
with Communism.
In the late 1880's, labor organizations began to lobby various state
legislatures for recognition of Labor Day as an official state holiday. The
first states to declare it a state holiday in, 1887, were Oregon, Colorado,
New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Then in 1894, Congress passed a
law recognizing Labor Day as an official national holiday.
Today, Labor Day is observed not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, and
in other industrialized nations. While it is a general holiday in the
United States, its roots in the working class remain clearer in European
countries.
It has come to be recognized in the U.S. not only as a celebration of the
working class, but even more so as the unofficial end of the summer season.
