Archive: Mar 2018

Easter

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Easter ~ He Is Risen

Easter, the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s mot important holiday. It is called the moveable feast, because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as the other holiday’s do. Instead, Christian Churches celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox. Therefore, Easter is observed between March 22nd  and April 25th every year.

The exact origins of this religious feast day name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter derived from Eostre, a Tuetonic goddess of spring and fertility. While, other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, which is an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing worn by the people who were being baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became the word Easter in English. In Spanish, the word Easter is known as Pascua and in French as Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin words Pascha or Pasch meaning Passover. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection happened after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. That is when Pascha eventually came to Easter.

Easter is an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single day observance. Lent, which is the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance. Those 40-days represent the days Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, at a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before lent starts is known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday and is the last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week that proceeds Easter is known as Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. The Friday before Easter is know as Good Friday and honors the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. The Saturday before Easter is Holy Saturday and focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-days following Easter Sunday are called Eastertide and include a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

In addition to Easter’s religious significance, there is also a commercial side that is filled with mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks, which appear in stores year after year during Easter time. Also, every year over 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made. Over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions like Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy have become a standard part of the Easter holiday.

Easter~ Eggs 1                 

 

 

Spring is Near!

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Spring ~ Tulips #3Spring is arriving upon us and with that comes flowers blooming, fresh cut grass and the chore of spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is a tradition that allows you to freshen up your home. Spring cleaning helps you focus on the parts of your home that have been neglected all winter long. Listed below you will find some tips to help you get the job done with special attention given to seasonal chores for the springy time of year.

The Kitchen

The Dining Room

The Living Areas

The Bedroom

The Bathroom

 

These are just some of the tips for spring cleaning that you could do in your home. If you need help in your spring cleaning endeavors, you could always hire a local cleaning company to come in and help you. The smallest amount of help could make a world of difference. Happy Spring and good luck with your spring cleaning adventures.

 

 

 

St. Patrick’s Day

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St. Patrick's Day 2

When some people think of St. Patrick’s Day, they think of drinking beer and wearing green. There is so much more to St. Patrick’s Day than that. Every year on March 17th, the Irish and the Irish- at- heart across the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. What had began as a religious feast day for the patron Saint of Ireland, has become an international festival celebrating the Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green.

Saint Patrick was a 5th century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century. The day commemorates the death of Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations usually involve public parades and festivals. Also, on St Patrick’s Day, it is customary to wear green clothing or accessories and/or shamrocks. It is said that saint Patrick used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity to the Pagan Irish. The color green has been associated with Ireland dating back to at least the 1640’s, when the green harp flag was used by the Irish Catholic Confederation. Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on St. Patrick’s Day dating back to the 1680’s.

On St. Patrick’s Day, Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day. The most traditional Irish dish on St. Patrick’s Day is Jigg’s Dinner, which is corned beef and cabbage simmered with potatoes and carrots. Another traditional thing the Irish eat on St. Patrick’s Day is soda bread, which is a dense crumbly quick bread that uses baking soda for leavening, that is enriched with buttermilk and sweetened with honey and whiskey-soaked cranberries. Green beer is a must on St. Patrick’s Day for some, but other just might something green that is non-alcoholic.

St. Patrick’s Day is so much more than a celebration of drinking, it has all kinds of culture that goes with it. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

 

 

Daylight Savings

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It’s that time of year again to Spring ahead one hour. Even though our brain knows the time on the clock has changed, our bodies internal clock does not. When the clocks move ahead in the Spring, you are robbed one hour of sleep. Here are some helpful tips to help you deal with that change.

If you think you are having a hard time with the time change, your children are too. The loss of sleep is even tougher on children. There are things you can do to also help your children with the time change as well.

With Daylight Savings, brings longer days and shorter nights. By following some of these tips, it might be a little easier on yourself and children when it comes to the time change and loss of sleep.