A Chocolate Holiday ~~ Dec 16

Hello once again people! I bet you all are thinking, Wow, Jackie has posted every day so far this month!  I know, I know! Wonders never cease.

I’m enjoying finding all these reasons to celebrate this month. I love research so it’s no hardship for me. I do hope you are enjoying yourselves also.

Today for some reason I’m starting to get the Christmas spirit. I have no idea why as nothing has changed. I haven’t even watched any Christmas specials. No Christmas music, nothing. But the sun is shining bright and it makes me feel good and cheerful. I’m going to just enjoy the feeling while it lasts and spread some joy.

So let’s go and celebrate!

 

Chocolate Covered Anything Day ~~ Wow, my kind of day. If I could eat chocolate that is. Being a diabetic at this time of the year sucks big time. I will have to admit I do cheat a bit, but I make sure my blood sugars stay down in other ways. I mean, how can I not cheat just a bit with all these goodies floating around?? Ack, enough about me. Today is the day for us all to eat us some chocolatey goodness. Any way you can!

Barney and Barbie Backlash Day ~~ Now even I found this to be a bit much. But I’m adding it because, well in a way it’s funny. According to the creators of this ‘holiday’ (Wellcats.com) This is the day you (if you’re a parent of little ones) as a parent are supposed to tell your kids that Barney and Barbie are not real. Do you need a special day to do this?? Just wondering. I mean let them be kids as long as possible is my thinking. Yeah, I think Barney is a big purple annoying blob, but I don’t have kids. And yes, Barbie is a not something a little girl should aspire to. But kids will eventually outgrow them and really how relevent is Barney nowadays?

Boston Tea Party ~~ This isn’t really a holiday, but I was running short and thought, what the hell, I’ll add it. Hey, I’m writing this post, I can do that. haha! (Via Wikipedia) The Boston Tea Party (initially referred to by John Adams as “the Destruction of the Tea in Boston”) was a nonviolent political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, on December 16, 1773. Disguised as American Indians, the demonstrators destroyed the entire supply of tea sent by the East India Company in defiance of the American boycott of tea carrying a tax the Americans had not authorized. They boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into Boston Harbor, ruining the tea. The British government responded harshly and the episode escalated into the American Revolution. The Tea Party became an iconic event of American history, and other political protests often refer to it.

Los Posadas ~~ This is a wonderful Mexican celebration that starts today. las posadas literally translates in English as “the inns” or “the lodgings” and symbolizes the Biblical journey of Mary and Joseph as they searched for shelter in Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus.  (Via Wikipedia) The procedure has been a tradition in Mexico for 400 years.

The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lampshade. At each house, the resident responds by singing a song and Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition. In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home.

Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way, or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead. Children may carry poinsettias. The procession will be followed by musicians, with the entire procession singing posadas such as pedir posada.  At the end of each night’s journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open star-shaped piñatas to obtain candy and fruit hidden inside, and there will be a feast.  Piñatas are traditionally made out of clay. It is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession.

Doesn’t that sound like a fun thing to do and watch?

That’s about all I could find for today people. See you tomorrow! Celebrate!