Tag Archives: history

Dec29

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

It’s almost December 31st, New Years Eve, which will bring 2025 to a close. January 1st will then mark the beginning of 2026. But the New Year wasn’t always celebrated on these two days.

In ancient Babylon, thousands of years ago, the vernal equinox in March marked the new year. An eleven day festival was held honoring the god Marduk. In 46 BC Julius Caesar established the Roman calendar honoring Janus, god of beginnings. January 1st was then designated as the start to the new year although many medieval Christians continued to celebrate on other dates. Then in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian calendar which officially restored January 1st as New Years Day and was then adopted globally. However not all cultures recognize this date, such as those who celebrate Chinese New Year and Jews who celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

While New Years is seen as a time of reflection and renewal, traditions vary. In Denmark plates are smashed and in China firecrackers are lit. The intent is to ward off evil. In Mexico and Brazil, wearing red enhances your chances of finding love while wearing yellow is associated with money. In Mexico and Colombia, walking around the block with a suitcase suggests the likelihood of travel in the coming year. Eating Grapes is considered lucky in Mexico and Spain.

Interestingly enough, the first Times Square ball drop dates back to 1907.Other popular traditions include making resolutions and toasting in the New Year with a glass of champagne at midnight on New Years Eve. And one of the most popular traditions has become the elaborate fireworks displays worldwide.

Wherever you are in the world, and whatever way in which you choose to celebrate, best wishes for a Healthy and a Happy New Year. May 2026 bless you with love, peace and happiness.

Dec27

Boxing Day

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Boxing Day

December 26th was synonymous with Boxing Day when I lived in Canada. No, it wasn’t a day to put on the gloves and rumble about in a ring. It is a day steeped in tradition although this seems to have changed dramatically over the years.

As a child, I have treasured memories of visiting my Auntie Florence with my parents. She was a friend of my mother’s but I called her Auntie. A large tree adorned her living room resplendent with vintage ornaments including real candles and shiny tinsel. Back then those were not considered a fire hazard. A beautiful pump organ filled a wall. Auntie Florence would patiently sit beside me on a bench and man the pedals while I attacked the keyboard. Afterwards we would have tea and delightful homemade Christmas cookies. Those were magical afternoons.

As an adult, Boxing Day sales became the norm. I recall buying everything from stereo equipment to leather furniture on those days. Of course it was necessary to fight the crowds of other bargain hunters. This day was akin to Black Friday in the USA. And yes, occasionally my kids would come long and add to the chaos.

But I have other memories of my kids on Boxing Day. They were competitive bowlers in the YBC program in Canada. Boxing Day Doubles at Rossmere Lanes became the norm. I enjoyed cheering them on. If the truth be told, I preferred the tournament over department store sales.

As mentioned above, Boxing Day is a day steeped in tradition so I’ll digress to a brief history lesson. Back in 1874, England declared December 26th as a bank holiday. Servants who had to work on this day were given boxes containing gifts, bonuses or food. The church distributed alms boxes to the poor. Tradespeople were also given boxes containing gifts or money.

Boxing Day is mostly limited to the Commonwealth countries and is not well-known in the USA although Canada is a close geographical neighbor. However, there is the tradition of a Christmas bonus which seems to be quite common in companies worldwide.

I’m in Mexico now where the 26th is just an ordinary day. I went to the bank, ate breakfast at a restaurant and then went for a long walk. I spoke to friends from Washington and Winnipeg on the phone. I listened to an audiobook in English and watched a movie in Spanish on TV.

And that’s it for Boxing Day this year.

Jan18

Martin Luther King Jr.

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Martin Luther King Jr.

Growing up in Canada, we learned a lot about Canadian history and even British history. Living in Manitoba, we also learned about our province’s history. We even studied European history in high school. But the history of our neighbor directly to the south was seriously lacking. I’ve chosen to fill in the blanks by doing my own research.

Monday January 20, 2025 is the third Monday in January and is synonymous with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This day has been observed for the last 39 years.

King was an American Baptist minister who was active in the civil rights movement from the mid-fifties up until his assassination in 1968. He is famous for his “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He advocated for equal rights and an end to racism. He was instrumental in bringing about the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

King traveled millions of miles throughout the USA and delivered more than 2500 speeches. He also wrote five books. His goal was to make all Americans aware of the racial, civil and economic inequality occurring in the USA. He was dedicated to his work and inspired many people to support the Poor People’s Campaign.

Whether you are mourning or celebrating the inauguration of Donald Trump, on January 20th this year it is equally important to remember and honor Martin Luther King Jr. on this day.

Dec27

Dia de Los Santos Inocentes

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Dia de Los Santos Inocentes

December 28th. Mexico’s version of April Fools Day. I first heard about this when I was teaching middle school in Culiacan back in 2010. And it’s not just mischievous children who delight in playing pranks on people. There are false newscasts in abundance. And if someone asks to borrow something from you rest assured that you will never see it again.

A common prank is hiding the baby Jesus figurine from the nativity scene. The explanation is that now Jesus is safe from Herod. Yes. King Herod’s soldiers were instructed to find and kill all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem, thus eliminating the threat to Herod of Jesus, the king of the Jews.

“Inocente palomita que te dejaste enganar!” Personally, I find it easier to say “April Fools!”

Dec13

Friday The 13th and Other Superstitions

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Friday The 13th and Other Superstitions

This post isn’t about any Friday the 13th movie. Instead I want to delve into the world of superstition and the idea that bad things happen on Friday the 13th.

I must admit I’ve been rather tentative when it comes to Friday the 13th. I vividly recall Friday February 13th, 1976. Three minutes short of the halfway point from Winnipeg to Denver en route to San Diego, Frontier Airlines turned us back to Winnipeg due to engine trouble. Obviously I missed the connecting flight in Denver.

Then there was Friday November 13th, 2015 in Mazatlan when the ATM thought it would be fun to eat my debit card. Needless to say I don’t use BBVA Bancomer anymore.

All other Friday the 13ths have been proven to be uneventful although today is far from over.

But why the big deal about Friday the 13th? Here’s a few tidbits I gleaned from history.

I’ll begin with a Christian root. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. He was also the 13th guest at The Last Supper.

Next we turn to Norse mythology. Twelve gods were invited to a banquet. A thirteenth god named Loki (the trickster god) crashed the banquet. This resulted in fighting and death.

We then go to France where King Philip IV decreed that all Knights Templar in his kingdom were to be arrested. These people were viewed as heretics as they denied Christ and worshipped idols. Many were executed and the Church disbanded the group.

Now let’s look at some other superstitions and what some people do to avoid bad things from happening.

Break a mirror lately? That could mean seven years of bad luck.

Don’t walk under a ladder or something bad is sure to happen.

Watch out for that black cat, especially on Friday the 13th.

Throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder to keep evil at bay.

Remember this one from childhood? Step on a crack and you break your mother’s back.

How about looking for four-leaf clovers for luck? Or carrying around that lucky rabbit’s foot? Walk into any Casino or Bingo game and look around at all the lucky charms people have.

And let’s not forget knocking on wood.

How superstitious are you?

Jul17

Where Were You?

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Where Were You?

Where were you on Saturday when all hell broke loose at a rally in Butler?

We were out at Lake Chelan, sitting by the water. It was peaceful and the shade was a welcome respite from the stifling heat. We watched boaters out on the water. We saw swimmers on the beach. It was a very relaxing time before joining the steady stream of traffic headed back to Wenatchee.

At home the TV news was shocking. Wild speculations about this moment in history were voiced on social media. Whether this was a legitimate assassination attempt or a well orchestrated publicity stunt gone wrong on the part of Trump’s team, the fact remains that one spectator is dead and two others were injured and hospitalized.

Such a traumatic event has no place in our society. It is despicable. When innocent bystanders become victims, doubts about our own safety haunt us. Whether we viewed this horrific event in person, live on screen or on the numerous replays, our lives have been impacted in some way.

Growing up in Canada, I always marveled at how much more colorful American history was compared with Canadian history. But it’s getting far too colorful for me.

Mar10

March 14

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March 14

March 14. Pi Day. The Greek symbol for 3.14 is π, and 3.14 are the first three digits of Pi. It’s hard to believe that a symbol for a mathematical concept has become somewhat of a national holiday celebration. But back in 1988, a man named Larry Shaw was working at The Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco. He declared that Pi Day be celebrated on March 14. Years later on March 11, 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives made it official by declaring that March 14 be National Pi Day. Students, teachers, mathematicians and science geeks are very much aware of the significance of Pi Day. I’m not as interested in going into all the detail about circles and calculus as they are. But it’s interesting to note that March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday.

March 14. The Ides of March. This dates back to ancient Roman times when March 14 was thought of as a day of doom and gloom. Bad things happened on that date commonly also associated with a full moon. I first became aware of The Ides of March in middle school when we studied Julius Caesar, a play by William Shakespeare. A soothsayer warned Caesar, a Roman dictator, to “beware The Ides of March.” Sure enough, Caesar was assassinated on March 14, 44 BC.

That’s your history lesson for this month.

On another note, I’m down to my last month in Mexico before I return to Washington state. That means the snow and cold have less than a month to disappear before I get back. I’m afraid that hearing temps have soared up to 50 does not create the enthusiasm for me as it does for Washingtonians. I’ve become accustomed to 80s. At least I have a closet full of warm clothes awaiting me.

Alexa:

What’s the difference between a cat and a comma? A cat has claws at the end of its paws and a comma is a pause at the end of a clause

Have a great Sunday!

Dec11

Pinatas 101

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Pinatas 101

When I lived in Canada, one year my son asked for a pinata at his birthday party. Back then, the only way to make one was to blow up a balloon, slather it in yucky strips of paste, let it dry, pop the balloon to fill it with candy, and then decorate it. It wasn’t until I came to Mexico that I discovered the actual history of the pinata.

There are really two sources of information here. The Spanish missionaries who arrived in Mexico got the idea from the Italians who got it from the Chinese, namely Marco Polo. He spoke of the colorful decorations shaped like animals that he saw in China. The Nahuatl tribe in Mexico decorated pots to celebrate the god of war. When these pots were broken, treasure fell to the feet of the god.

The Spanish missionaries combined the two ideas when teaching catechism. They added seven points to the pots to form a star that represented the Satan. The points represented the deadly sins of pride, avarice, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. The blindfold represents our faith in Christ and hitting the pinata with a stick represents how good can conquer evil. When the pinata breaks, instead of gifts for a pagan god, the treasure is shared among the faithful. The treasure, in the form of candy represents the temptation to seek worldly pleasures.

Pinatas aren’t only for kids. I admit I have swung at a few here in Mexico. But I enjoy watching the kids scramble for candy when the pinatas break. It’s a great tradition.

Nov17

Revolution Day

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Revolution Day

I doubt that I’ll be alive thirty years from now but it sure would be interesting to read all the history books at that time. I always found American history far more interesting than Canadian history. And now that I spend so much time here in Mexico, I have become more familiar with this country’s history.

November 20th is an official government holiday and is known as Dia de la Revolucion or Revolution Day. It commemorates the beginning of the Mexican Revolution back in 1910.

Diaz was an army general who served as president from 1876-1911. That’s a thirty-five year term. It’s not surprising that Mexicans felt that they needed a change. Madero, a wealthy landowner, ran against Diaz in the 1910 presidential election. However Diaz jailed Madero.

Madero escaped from jail and on October 6, 1910 he issued the Plan of San Luis Potosi, declaring the results of the 1910 election fraudulent and nullified them. He declared himself the provisional president and encouraged Mexicans to rise up against Diaz on November 20, 1910.

One of the results from the Mexican Revolution was that many Mexicans came up north to live in the United States as legal immigrants. Over one million Mexicans, some undocumented, made their way across the border. It wasn’t until four years later that a border patrol was created.

In 1917, a new constitution put limits on the number of terms politicians could serve. It also introduced new labor laws that included abolishing child labor.

Yes, Mexico has its own colorful history.

May20

What’s in A Name

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What’s in A Name

When I first arrived in Washington, I heard a lot of strange-sounding names of places. And I wondered where they came from. Naturally I did some investigating.

Wenatchee. This is the name of a city in Washington in Chelan County. It’s interesting how the city got its name. The area was inhabited for thousands of years by an indigenous people called the Wenatchi. A nomadic culture closely bound to nature, they interacted with other tribes. Their diet consisted mainly of salmon, roots, berries and nuts.

Peshastin. This is a small unincorporated community in Chelan County. Similar to Wenatchee, several Indian tribes also inhabited this area long before the European settlers arrived. Before the white man arrived, the area’s inhabitants were the forefathers of the Sioux, or Cherokee, or Iroquois.

Chelan County. In 1899 the counties of Kittitas and Okanagan combined to form Chelan County. The name comes from a Chelan Indian word meaning “deep water.” This is mostly a reference to lake Chelan.

Douglas County. Created in 1883, it is named after U.S. Senator Steven Douglas of Illinois. He was the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Territories when the Territory of Washington was created.

Tumwater. This is an Indian word meaning “strong water” or “falling water.”

Cashmere. The original name was Mission. The name change occurred in 1904 and was named after the Vale of Kashmir in northwest India. However it was given the Americanized spelling instead.

Dryden. This town is named after Canadian horticulturalist and Minister of Agriculture John Dryden.

Monitor. Formerly known as Brown’s Flat, in 1902 the name was changed to honor the USS Monitor that fought for the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

I live in East Wenatchee in Douglas County where there are two main bridges that connect this city to Wenatchee in Chelan County.

The Senator George Sellar Bridge was built in 1950 in order to carry U.S. Route 2 across the Columbia River. It was named after Washington State Senator George L. Sellar. The original name was Columbia River Bridge.

Odabashian Bridge is the second bridge and was formerly known as the Olds Station Bridge. it opened in 1975 and was renamed in 1991 for Richard Odabashian, a state transportation commissioner from Cashmere.

That’s it for geography and history for today.

Have a great Sunday!