Hello, Again, in a New Year!

(Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash)

Hello, again, in a new year! Can you believe that it’s 2023? That number has such a nice, odd sound to it. But seriously, here’s hoping that 2023 will be even better than 2022!

We had a wonderful holiday celebration. My daughter visited from California. We scaled back on gifts and decorations this year but dialed it up on food. I made enough roast beef and beef brisket (with all the trimmings) to keep us all fat and jolly over Christmas week. In addition to the main meals, I always set up a smorgasbord of cookies, candy, crackers, summer sausage, and cheese for everyone to snack on in-between meals, so nobody goes hungry and can help themselves. It was all very comforting since the weather decided to turn cold, grey, and nasty with several days of rain. We bundled up in blankets, drank hot chocolate, watched movies, and talked. It was nice to catch up with my daughter in person instead of on the phone.

And we drank plenty of mimosas, French champagne, and Italian prosecco to celebrate the passing of 2022 and the arrival of 2023.

Cheers!

Happy New Year!

Dawn Pisturino

January 2, 2023

Copyright 2023 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Winter Solstice

(Stonehenge)

The word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium, which means “sun stands still.” “At the winter solstice, the apparent position of the Sun reaches its most southerly point against the background stars” (Royal Museum Greenwich). This year, the winter solstice occurs on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. That means today will be the shortest day of the year, with the longest and darkest night. Tomorrow, the days will gradually become longer, leading up to Spring and the Spring Equinox.

The Julian calendar designated December 25th as the winter solstice. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted, December 21st became the winter solstice and December 25th remained as the traditional date for Christmas.

The winter solstice is also known as the Feast of Juul (Yule). In Scandinavia, fires were lit, including the Yule log, in honor of the Norse God, Thor. In Germany, the Yule boar (sonargoltr) was sacrificed after a ceremony called heitstrenging was performed, in which celebrants made solemn vows on the boar’s bristles. Celebrating Yule included feasting, drinking, and singing. The Yule log tradition was adopted by the Celts in Europe and the British Isles. Burning the Yule log at the winter solstice brought good luck for the new year. Modern day Yule celebrations are still popular.

The Romans celebrated Saturnalia from December 17th to December 24th in honor of the “father of the gods,” Saturn. Celebrants made sacrifices in the Temple of Saturn, held banquets, exchanged gifts, and offered forgiveness to each other for past wrongs.

In Asia, the Dongzhi Festival celebrates longer days, increased positive energy, and the yin-yang of balance and harmony in the community.

Iranians honor the longest, darkest night of the year with feasting and reciting poetry. Eating pomegranates and watermelons is considered particularly auspicious. The festival is called Yalda (Shab-e Yalda or Shab-e Chelleh).

At Stonehenge, people visit to watch the sun’s rays shine through the stones, which are aligned with the path of the sun. The winter solstice was especially important to ancient people because it was an opportunity to pray for fertility and good harvests in the new year.

Happy Solstice! Happy Yule!

Dawn Pisturino

December 21, 2021

Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Hanukkah and Advent

(University of Colorado graphic)

November 28, 2021 is the first day of Hanukkah and the first day of Advent.

Want to learn more?

The Story of Hanukkah (Chanukah):

(ISL Collective graphic)

(Advent wreath, cstar55/Getty Images)

The Story of Advent

Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means arrival. In the Christian tradition, the four Sundays before Christmas represent the Season of Advent. These four weeks are spent waiting for and preparing for the arrival of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, through prayer, penance, fasting, study, and good works. Children use special Advent calendars to mark each day, discovering a chocolate surprise behind each little door.

In the 16th century, German Lutherans began creating special Advent wreaths to commemorate the four Sundays before Christmas. It wasn’t long before Catholics adopted this tradition. The wreath contains four candles: three purple and one pink. Sometimes, a white candle is placed in the center of the wreath.

Each Sunday, a candle is lit as follows:

First Sunday: one purple candle, called the Prophets’ candle, in memory of all the prophets, but particularly, the Prophet Isaiah, who foretold the coming of the Messiah. This candle symbolizes HOPE.

Second Sunday: the next purple candle, called the Bethlehem candle, which symbolizes LOVE.

Third Sunday: the pink candle, called the Shepherds’ candle, which symbolizes Joy. This candle reminds us that our waiting is nearly over. Our faith is strengthened through prayer and fasting.

Fourth Sunday: The last purple candle is lit, completing the circle. This is the Angels’ candle and symbolizes PEACE.

Christmas: When the white candle is included, it is lit on Christmas Day and symbolizes CHRIST – the light of the World.

From Christmas Day (December 25th) to Epiphany (January 6th) is called the Twelve Days of Christmas, just like the old carol.

Peace Be With You All!

Dawn Pisturino

November 28, 2021

Happy Mother’s Day

Translation: “Mother’s Day: I only found an artichoke, but my heart’s in it!”

On May 12, 1907, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia held a memorial service for her departed mother in Grafton, West Virginia.  This simple act of devotion started a trend that spread to every state in the nation.

The second Sunday in May was declared a federal holiday—Mother’s Day— by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

It became customary to wear a red or pink carnation to honor living mothers and a white carnation to honor the deceased.

The greeting card companies seized on this opportunity to promote sending flowers, cards, and gifts. In her later years, Anna Jarvis resented the commercialization of Mother’s Day and lobbied to abolish the holiday.

Whether we honor our mothers with store-purchased items or handmade goodies, the idea behind Mother’s Day is still valid. My mother worked hard all of her life. She was unhappy and stressed out much of the time. But she tried her best to love us, protect us, and give us what we needed.

One of my fondest memories is a rainy night in 1965. The school chorus was giving a concert, and the streets in L.A. were flooded. I was afraid that my mother wouldn’t be able to attend our performance. But somehow, someway, she made it, and I always remembered that. Her efforts let me know how much she cared. 

She’s gone now, and I miss her, but she suffered from chronic pain and a severe heart condition. Death brought her relief. And I try to remember that even as I wish she were here.

HONOR THE ONES YOU LOVE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. I wish now that I had done more for her.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, EVERYONE!

Dawn Pisturino